"Godzilla" Drinks Live On As Lander Eyes Crackdown On Problem Bars

There’s a drink called Godzilla. It’s served to-go in the lounge part of the Silver Spur Lanes and Lounge bowling alley in Lander. 

There’s no single recipe for the Godzilla. It can be any customized drink the bartender’s willing to make in a to-go cup, which is sealed according to Wyoming law, and meant to be enjoyed responsibly. 

The Godzilla is a cocktail chameleon, shifting with the whims of each customer.

That might give it an advantage in a marketplace that’s taking a hit from a new generation of lighter, “zebra-striping” drinkers who alternate between ordering alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

In taverns, bars, pubs and lounges across Wyoming, new habits are surfacing, while local governments are looking for new tools to take on problems when they arise. 

It’s all playing out in a sobering world, where according to the Wyoming State Liquor Association's August newsletter, alcohol consumption is at a historic low. 

"Gallup did polling about two months ago that showed the lowest percentages of Americans drinking alcohol since the ‘30s, when they started doing Gallup polling,” Mike Moser told Cowboy State Daily. 

The executive director of the Liquor Association explained the new drinking patterns emerging across the state.

"High Noon is the top selling spirit in the state of Wyoming,” Moser said.

It’s made with real vodka, and the company is also expanding into tequila-based seltzers. Sales in both tequila and vodka remain steady, said Moser, while higher-calorie spirits like whiskey are seeing sales decrease. 

A single can of High Noon hard seltzer is 100 calories, less than other popular drinks. 

"When you get into like the IPAs, the real hoppy ones, I mean, you're talking 250 calories,” noted Moser, who said it’s increasingly common for drinkers to further cut calories by zebra striping. 

"They may want a buzz. They just don't want to get intoxicated or close to it,” he said. 

The market shift extends to how people pay at bars. Gen Z drinkers "tend to close out their taps with every round," Moser said, rather than running tabs like previous generations.

At restaurants, bars and package liquor stores inside of grocery stores, alcohol sales are a key revenue generator. 

"This grocery store doesn't exist without the liquor store,” said Joe Motherway, co-owner of Mr. D’s in Lander. 

His sister, Michelle Motherway, also a co-owner, emphasized the broader economic impact. If the store's liquor license were suspended, it "affects 80 employees” — 20 work directly in the liquor store. 

Ordinance Overhaul

The Motherways and every other liquor license holder in Lander have been watching closely as the city council, Mayor Missy White and Interim Police Chief Kelly Waugh push for updates to the city's liquor ordinance.

The move was motivated by “one pretty major bad actor,” said Waugh, asserting that this one alcohol-related business exposed the fact that Lander isn’t prepared to deal with problem license holders. 

“There's no system and process on how to take care of that one bad actor," said Waugh. 

On Oct. 30, city officials held an open house to brainstorm solutions with liquor license holders. One option under consideration is a demerit system that would create a record of violations and could lead to license revocation. 

Mayor White also noted neighboring Riverton is considering an update to its booze ordinance. 

Green River and Rock Springs are also working on local alcohol laws. 

Godzilla All Good

As for to-go drinks like the Godzilla? They're not the issue in Lander, according to Waugh.

But he offered a cautionary tale from his previous post in Sheridan, where a drink called the "Wyoming Leg Spreader" pushed the boundaries of sealed container laws. The drink was served at drive-ups in a plastic cup with lid and straw, then placed in a plastic sack and stapled shut.

"Realistically, it’s an open container. No matter what anybody says, it falls under the state statute definition of open container," Waugh said.

For between $8.50 and $12, Brian Robinson will pour and legally seal a Godzilla for customers looking to take the party home or somewhere else. He doesn’t know where the name came from. It was a tradition before he started bartending at the Lander bowling alley in 1996. 

Robinson said he doesn’t serve too many Godzillas these days. They were more popular during COVID when all the bar could sell were to-go drinks. 

As for the new proposed demerit system in Lander, Robinson wonders why local law enforcement doesn’t enforce the laws already on the books. 

“I don't allow any funny business, and I want people to have a few laughs,” said Robinson, who opposes the proposed demerit system. "I don't know why they just don’t go into all the bars, tell them they are going to be enforcing the law. Like pretty seriously. I think that would solve all their problems.”

David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.