Posted on 06/28/2016 8:48:00 PM PDT by Fractal Trader
The Pump Bar has been infusing vodka with bacon, garlic, and jalepenos to serve in their brunch bloody marys.
Local news reported:
Back in February, the ABLE Commission was called out to investigate a noise complaint. While it didn’t find any noise problems, there was something else suspicious.
“They found bottles of alcohol were being emptied, contents put in the liquor and put back into the bottle,” said M.Sgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department.
The police report shows a list of things – garlic, pickles, beef and even bacon, being infused into vodka.
“Obviously this is a violation of law,” he said. “You cannot pour alcohol out and pour anything back into the bottle then serve it.”
Initially, the bar and on-duty manager Colin Grizzle, were warned. But, Knight says the VICE unit was called back in April and again found infused liquors.
“You simply cannot do that,” he said. “Regardless of what you’re putting in it, even if it’s just water.”
Grizzle was hauled off to jail. The Pump’s owner, Ian McDermid, tells FOX 25 his employee spent three days behind bars.
“There was no second thought to go to bat for our man after he was arrested on the job for criminal charges,” McDermid told us over email. “We believe there was no violation.”
Yet another tangle to the state’s case is the various other establishments known for selling infused drinks that have yet to be cited or charged for doing so.
KGOU reported:
During June’s ABLE Commission meeting, director Keith Burt said he hadn’t received a notice from the Oklahoma City Police Department about the arrest. John Maisch, a former ABLE attorney, presented the declaration to commissioners, who seemed supportive of the infusion process. But they decided to hold off on answering questions, Denwalt writes:
“If the restaurants are doing something unlawful, then they need to be notified that it’s unlawful,” Maisch said. “There are dozens of restaurants throughout the state of Oklahoma that are infusing drinks, so if it’s illegal then someone has neglected to tell them.”
The ABLE Commission could present its ruling at the next meeting on July 15.
McDermid says he’s losing thousands of dollars in bloody mary sales to customers brunching at other locals who’ve not been dinged for serving infused drinks.
That’s odd. I thought infused alcohol was common.
What a horrible crime! In the mean time, how many illegal ailens/terrorists sneaked into your state while saving everyone from bacon vodka?
“That’s odd. I thought infused alcohol was common.”
It is. But once you pour the vodka out, you cannot put it back into the bottle.
Booze has been put on the Watch List?
I guess that booze should be distributed in Tooth Paste Tubes....
My guess is some bar owner with friends in high places has seen a dip in sales due to The Pump’s infused Bloody Marys.
I bet muzzies got served, and then found out they drank pig skin vodka.
It's legal to pour liquor into another vessel (e.g. a Bloody-Mary glass); add things to it (whereupon "infusion" takes place, albeit for minutes rather than days); and then serve it.
Would it be legal to pour the alcohol into another vessel (e.g. a jar); add stuff to it; allow infusion for a period of time; pour the resulting mixture into a cocktail glass; and then serve it?
Could it be that simple? If not, why not?
It is but it is sold sealed in the bottle. You cannot breach the seal, empty the bottle, and then refill no matter what. Barkeeps have been known to sell off brands this way so you pay top shelf prices for rot got or watered liquor
Simply put it in a different container.........
Many places infuse liquor, beer, wine.
In Minnesota a bar was serving a popular beer from Wisconsin that was not distributed in Minnesota. The owner was charged with a felony, the bartender fined and the establishment lost its liquor license because the state of Minnesota felt cheated out of probably less than $25 in taxes on a single keg of beer. The owner could have been selling pot out the back door and faced lesser consequences. Carrie Nation’s ghost must wander the halls of state liquor regulatory agencies.
I would’ve eaten it before that.
They used to have to break the necks out of the empty bottles or the could be fined.
Or better, just put whatever you want infused into the original bottle. If you need room use a little alcohol in a regular drink, then you have plenty of space for the infusion material.
I never go out, but I used to go to this one place.
I’d order a specific drink, neat.
At some point I noticed it was watered down.
I told the guy: ‘look, it’s not a big deal, but I can taste this...’
Vehement denials. Manager. Owner.
I stayed friendly but firm. I offered to buy a WHOLE new bottle shot by shot for fun so they could do a taste test.
They refused.
I tried to exit - they refused. They were PISSED.
The whole thing took a ridiculous hour.
Proud, mean people.
I was called a thief and a fool, a drunk.
The manager pointed to the door.
YOU THINK WE WOULD DO THAT? YOU ARE A SICK F _ _ _ ... !
One watery drink drove them nuts.
They closed down two weeks later for some odd reason.
Something to do with violations or something.
Their crime is putting it back into the original bottle. That’s to prevent bars from putting cheap liquor into premium bottles. They should have used separate bottles for their infusions.
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