An Equal Opportunity Burn
Every now and then, D.C.’s government inserts itself into the lives of ordinary citizens just out for a little nip with their lunch.
Exhibit A: Our blogger friends over at Washingtonian are reporting the surprise and inconvenience many patrons of "better" dining establishments like 2Amys, Crème, Bistro du Coin, and Asia Nora felt upon seeing temporary liquor license suspension tags in these restaurants' windows recently.
We say it’s a good thing.
Not good, as in we feel any ill will towards these spots, or the poor, law-abiding patrons who had to go elsewhere to get their vodka tonic fix, but good in that we are reassured that the D.C. Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) doesn’t exclusively target the little mom and pop beer stores and Capitol Hill intern waterholes.
Apparently this summer, some of the better dining establishments in D.C. were busted for serving alcohol to minors. They were forced to choose a couple of alcohol-free days as penance, and many picked days this week, as it is typically a slow one when people swear off drinking after New Year’s excesses. The fact that the restaurants get to choose the days they will be punished for their crimes seems like a pretty sweet deal, but we digress.
“We have found that almost anyone will serve alcohol to a minor, from the corner liquor store to a fine, white tablecloth establishment,” Jeff Coudriet, director of operations for ABRA, told DCist. Coudriet said the stings, which use volunteer minors and involve the close cooperation of D.C. police, occur nearly every weekend and test every type of restaurant and liquor store, not just the “usual suspects.” The summer sting Washingtonian reported was in fact a series of regular visits, but the penalties increased from a one-day suspension to a two-day suspension recently, so the enforcement is “probably a little more visable,” he said. It seems the stings have worked, decreasing from a high of 40 percent of establishments caught selling to minors four years ago to about 20 percent getting caught now.
Such operations have historically been controversial. Massachusetts’ Alcohol Beverages Control Commission brags on its website that while its underage stings have faced “persistent legal challenges,” namely that they violate the Fourth Amendment, a Superior Court justice recently rejected that argument.
Coudriet said no such cases have been filed against the DC ABC board or the commission since the commission became an independent agency four years ago. Complaints and compliments will be welcome, however, at the ABC board's Valentine's Day public hearing on penalties for selling to minors.
Photo by Flickr user griff le riff.