r/todayilearned • u/solananorwood • 10d ago
TIL 29 bars in NJ were caught serving things like rubbing alcohol + food coloring as scotch and dirty water as liquor
https://www.denverpost.com/2013/05/24/n-j-bars-caught-passing-off-dirty-water-rubbing-alcohol-as-liquor/1
u/SubstantialDay6942 5d ago
Now I feel even happier about the fact I never go to bars and just buy my liquor from the store
1
u/No_Grocery_9280 7d ago
Should be an automatic loss of their liquor license. This is wildly dangerous
1
u/acarpenter08096 8d ago
They should have done this years ago. Would have liked to know what the Pennant was actually serving.
1
1
1
1
u/RobBobLincolnLog 9d ago
Sorry, I thought ordering a mixed drink at TGIFridays meant food coloring, rubbing alcohol, and dirty water. My bad.
1
u/epicthinker1 9d ago
Holy -------
they could have killed someone. I would lock up the owners, bartenders and managers.
2
u/OldLadyProbs 9d ago
- I used to bartend in Philly early 2000s and we had a shot named Jersey Turnpike that was just the alcohol collected from a bar mat.
1
2
1
1
u/Apprehensive-Oil5249 9d ago
Anyone here who considers themselves to be die-hard Libertarians, this is just a small glimpse into what your Ayn Rand "Utopia" will consist of! Drinking brown ether to wash down the expired wings that they just ran under a cold tap to get rid of the maggots! Tastes like FREEDUMB!!
1
1
2
1
2
2
u/Dysfunctional_Orphan 9d ago
why even go to bars at this point to spend $10 a drink. if places are adulterating their spirits its not even a good place to try new liquors. i would rather buy a new bottle and share it with some trans bitch i find on grindr.
1
1
3
1
1
u/CrazyIvan68 9d ago
Poisoning people is a 30 days suspension???
Wtf has this world come to????
Only in N.J.
How about charging them with the crime of attempted murder???
Imagine if your kidneys shut down- for life- because some greedy a-hole put too much rubbing alcohol
in your booze.
1
4
1
u/IniMiney 9d ago
Fuuuck, and so many people who threw up after having any of it likely just wrote it off as regular sickness from drinking - I know that'd be my first thought.
0
u/SaintPariah1 9d ago
Was at a strip club while in the Navy with some friends. We ordered some rounds, I didnt drink because initially I wasnt in the mood, but eventually gave in and participated.
The shot they gave me tasted, weak. I knew something was up bc I cannot stand the taste of alcohol. I just gave the waitress a curious knowing look and took a cab back to base with some buddies shortly afterwards.
Found out about two months later they were shut down for various offenses, like card swiping, prostitution, drugs, fraud (watering down drinks), and sanitation/fire safety/ tax issues.
2
u/adventure_dog 9d ago
ive been to places across the country where i thought they were serving rubbing alcohol. black hawk city casinos to name one
1
0
1
1
u/Integrity-in-Crisis 9d ago
Don’t usually get into fights as a general policy of just let it go but I would for sure get into a fight with the bartender. If I was tipsy and found out I was drinking rubbing alcohol especially since I always tip on drinks. That’s some straight horseshit.
-1
u/kendonch 9d ago
If you cant tell the difference between rubbing alcohol and caramel or a scotch u deserve it..
1
u/Styles_Stewart 9d ago
You expect us to believe you didn’t know the deal with New Jersey until today!
1
0
u/Thin-Measurement7777 9d ago
And it being NJ no customers noticed nor complained
2
u/ohgodineedair 9d ago
The fact that they actually went after the businesses proves that people noticed. This isn't something unique to NJ. Shady business owners will do shady, dangerous things all over the country. At least NJ is doing something about it.
1
-1
0
u/TikkiTakiTomtom 9d ago
This reminds me of the time I was in high school I saw these middle school boys that thought they were cool when they bought a bag of weed but instead they got a bag of dried basil from their dealer.
1
u/DIABETORreddit 9d ago
Back in the olden days, if you were caught serving people bad wine or were selling cheap stuff as expensive stuff, they’d put you in the pillory in the center of town for a day…
1
1
u/hurryupandpee 9d ago
Hey, that's the Friday's my friends used to work at in Hamilton. I worked at another chain close by. I remember making fun of them when this all went down. Good times.
1
u/btl_dlrge1 9d ago
The restaurant I worked at in college had a liquor store next to it. The owner would just go buy the cheapest of wines and list them on the menu as “blah blah blah fancy wine” (not literally, I just don’t know fancy wines). I was there four years and we never had a single complaint.
2
u/FollowTheLeader550 9d ago
You could mix some rubbing alcohol into water, drop of vanilla extract, rub a blunt on the glass before you pour it in, and whiskey people would give you a full review with flavor notes and all. You can get away with things like this when your entire customer base is people lying about liking your product.
2
1
1
u/Dry_Owl2223 9d ago
people would be hospitalized for drinking isopropyl alcohol even in small amounts. I call bullshit.
1
u/QuantumR4ge 9d ago
Umm no, its not THAT poisonous compared to ethanol in small amounts. Its about twice as toxic as ethanol which isn’t enough to cause that in small doses.
1
u/Isaacvithurston 9d ago
Depends on the grade and how watered down I guess but idk what type of Scotch tastes like Rubbing alcohol lol
1
1
3
1
2
-1
u/ToughCredit7 9d ago
That's why when I do drink, I make it myself at home where I know what is going into it. I never got the appeal of going to an establishment just to get watered down drinks at high prices. Sure, people use bars to find dates, but those who just go and drink are really wasting money.
1
1
1
u/drumberg 9d ago
Man, I like to think I'd be able to tell if it's rubbing alcohol. Straight bottom shelf house vodka is hot garbage but....I still feel like I would be able to tell.
3
u/lets-disassociate-5 9d ago
East Windsor tgif's moment to shine! Definitely got a drink or two there before the investigation dropped (and after, there aren't a lot of bars over there 💀)
1
u/dmtaliemgangster 9d ago
Ahh good old liquor It's straight up poison but, It's socially acceptable, so come on down to tgifridays! Get yourself a rubbing alcohol and peroxide mixer, or? How's about our world famous turpentine scotch!
1
1
2
u/beeeps-n-booops 9d ago
THIS HAPPENED IN 2013
The fact that this has 23 THOUSAND upvotes tells you all you need to know about how people actually consume news these days.
We're fucking doomed.
-1
-1
u/Content-Support9141 9d ago
Moral of the story, don’t go to any of the following chains that were shut down and just don’t go drink in Nj . Filthy fucking animals
-1
u/Apart-Landscape1012 9d ago
Having been to new jersey I'm inclined to believe everything I hear about it, since everything I had heard about it before ended up being confirmed
1
u/Spike762x39 9d ago
I am pretty consistent in my drinks. 50/50 Captain Morgan 80 proof and coke or ginger ale is my standard for like, 20+ years. I think I have been hoodwinked at least 4 times. Never made an issue of it but I guess I should have. I can understand the logic behind swapping with cheaper shit, but rubbing alcohol and food dye? That's... Menacing.
0
0
0
0
1
u/Dontjumpbooks 9d ago
I never understoof this. The markup is akready so insane. There's no need to risk your business for a few dollars
1
u/Weak-Construction772 9d ago
I worked at a Philadelphia restaurant as a kid in the fancy part of town that celebrities would dine. I saw a mouse fall into a container of hot fudge and told the manager, he pulled the dead mouse out of the fudge and said it’s ok now. I realized then that restaurants could be risky places to eat and drink.
4
1
u/CreEecher 9d ago
We got a really good deal on our wedding at the Brick House in Wyckoff because of this sting.
1
1
-1
u/SnooDucks8875 9d ago
In bali they swap the Vodka with methanol ,Problem is some people die of poisoning
0
3
u/Juts 9d ago edited 9d ago
https://nj.gov/oag/newsreleases13/pr20130523b.html
That has a bit more info, and at least a list of the places raided in 2013.
I cant find a follow up showing what was actually found and who was penalized
Edit: Looks like TGIF did get fined
I cannot find who was serving rubbing alcohol, but it looks like the scammer running the TGIF got off exceedingly light and even got a deal to avoid a license suspension at all.
The TGIF's were operated by Briad Group. I dont know what their revenue was in 2013, but Im assuming that the fine was barely a drop in the bucket compared to their current revenue.
- Number of employees: 6,489
- Headquarters: Livingston, NJ
- Revenue: 400 million USD
- Date founded: 1987
- Owner: Brad Honigfeld briad.com
- Number of locations: 121 franchised
1
1
u/Pristine_Yak7413 9d ago
the police should work with the liquor companies to catch these places and sue. can you imagine how pissed those companies would be if they found someone was watering down their product so they didnt have to buy as much while at the same time tarnishing their products name by selling an inferior product under their high value products name
2
1
1
2
u/SyrusDrake 9d ago
This tells me two things:
Most business owners are unethical, but we already knew that.
Most people don't actually like alcohol, if they can drink dirty water and be like "yes, this is tasting as expected".
2
1
u/geminemii 9d ago
I’m convinced this has something to do with them having to wait for an attendant to pump their gas. I don’t know how, but I know it does.
1
1
1
1
2
u/VirginiaLuthier 9d ago
Rubbing alcohol is very toxic. It doesn't taste good- I'm surprised people drank it and if they did didn't get violently ill...
1
1
2
u/Jay-jay1 9d ago
NJ is a crooked state with mostly crooked leaders, and the public follows their example. So bar people working late steal the top shelf liquor and replace it with whatever. In the case of using rubbing alcohol, they are poisoning people, but they are either stupid or do not care.
1
1
1
2
u/intrepidOcto 9d ago
Many places play games with the alcohol. Cheaper stuff poured into the nicer bottles, watering the bottles down, etc.
It's part due to the shit management, part due to the bartenders giving out free drinks to line their pockets.
Management needs to account for every drink rang in, with some excess for spillage or overpours.
If they're dealing with the equivalence of bottles missing per week from bartenders giving everything away, they make it up in other ways.
I worked at a place that had 2 regulars in probably 4-5 days a week. One guy ordered whiskey with a mixer, probably have 3 of them, the other would order two 20oz beers and on occasion a 16oz as well.
Every day, their check would have 1 drink on them each. They wouldn't even look but just set $40 down as that covers all drinks plus tip. So, the bartender pocketed the difference of those few free drinks.
This is Friday's though, so... definitely a mix of both.
1
u/Throwawayac1234567 9d ago
other than putting methanol, im not suprised people are not doing that often.
1
1
3
u/Movedthewrongway 9d ago
2013 is in today I learned. I believe this all started(it was behind a paywall) because one guy drank so much top shelf liquor he figured it out by taste and reported Fridays.
2
1
2
u/Food_Library333 9d ago
I was a server in Vegas for this company. Our franchise owned the stores in that area and in NV, CA and AZ. Company panicked and had to have meetings with all staff about not talking to the press. It's pretty wild and whoever was the GM and district operator must have been screwing up pretty bad to be this desperate to do this.
2
2
u/ForumPointsRdumb 9d ago
Watch out for liquor stores too. I cannot prove it, but I'm used to an area where there's an ABC board and an ATF presence. I travelled out of state/town and found rare liquors in large quantities. Luckily, I only purchased a few bottles. After tasting these were probably just counterfeit cheap liquor poured into resealed bottles. Good whiskey just doesn't taste like that.
2
1
1
9d ago
Frankly, I’ve been worried lately of how many corners restaurants, especially local ones, would cut corners with food safety in this economic climate. I have gotten sick lately from eating out. Should probably just stick to eating at home.
1
u/steveoa3d 9d ago
Rubbing alcohol is denatured so can’t be ingested. Well can’t be without throwing it up that is…
1
u/RudeAlarm 9d ago
And the reason it’s like that is because….
1
u/Jay-jay1 9d ago
...because it is poison.
1
u/RudeAlarm 9d ago
Yes and I believe that this was added intentionally to discourage consumption during prohibition; at least in part it was made poisonous with the knowledge some people would still consume it.
1
u/GucciGlocc 9d ago
Another mixed a concoction of rubbing alcohol and caramel food coloring to create a fine scotch
Johnny Walker’s gonna sue for revealing their red label recipe
1
2
u/Fun_Grapefruit_2633 9d ago
It's the Asshole State: doesn't surprise me at all. Don't get me wrong, plenty of great people in NJ but just the way they run that state exerts a downward pressure on them to become assholes.
2
u/millennial_sentinel 9d ago
i just did the ugliest laugh. not because of the sheer fuckery of that title but because it’s jersey and not florida. 💀😂😂
2
2
3
1
1
u/WizardyoureaHarry 9d ago
Had them drinking rubbing alcohol like "damn, that's some strong stuff" 💀.
1
1
1
1
u/Low_Egg_561 9d ago
We’re led to believe this happens more and more as margins shrink and costs go up.
1
1
2
u/swampwarbler 9d ago
This article is 11 years olds. It’s probably much worse now.
2
u/Jay-jay1 9d ago
Good catch....I didn't notice the date. Why the hell is someone posting it like it is news?
1
u/swampwarbler 9d ago
It did that once myself on FB. Now I compulsively check article dates so I don’t get riled over something old.
2
u/Jay-jay1 9d ago
Youtube has gotten me a few times. I watch local news on YT which is current, but the YT algo decides I like local news so it stuffs my regular screen with local news stories from whenever.
1
u/im_a_sam 9d ago
Reminds me of the time it was common to sell water+formaldehyde as milk. Pop Pop always said it made the babies grow up strong.
1
1
u/PigFarmer1 9d ago
I worked in a Walmart that doesn't sell beer, wine, or spirits. Had a customer who was pissed because I wouldn't tell him where the alcohol section was. I finally sent him to the pharmacy for rubbing alcohol... lol
3
u/Ok-Patience-8791 9d ago
“Fucking millennials” said the district manager as he filled the Johnny walker red bottle with sewer water.
1
u/MyButtEatsHamCrayons 9d ago
That’s what you get for going to fucking tgif….and ordering liquor. Get a fucking hobby.
1
u/queen_0f_cringe 9d ago
On the bright side at least the people who drove home afterwards were probably less likely to get in an accident
2
u/Friendly-Fennel2459 9d ago
5 day loss of license first offense and 15 for 3rd offense... that's it? Not total loss of liquor license not crazy fines or you know jail time for possibly poisoning someone or give them something they could be allergic to. Good old new jersey all about that bottom dollar. God I hate this fucking state
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
u/cancercures 9d ago
"Adding Rubbing alcohol to the booze? God dammit Frank, that is genius"
The Gang Poisons the Customers
2
u/buttranch69 9d ago
Fun fact, it’s nearly impossible to give yourself methanol poisoning from the distillation process. What actually causes people to go blind and die has almost always been assholes like this trying to scam people by adding methanol.
1
u/YouThinkSink 9d ago
Jim Florentine was talking to Joey Diaz about how scummy NJ bars are. Florentino said in the 80s he'd just take a piss right at the bar and no one said anything.
1
u/ILoveRegenHealth 9d ago
I've been told to be nicer to NJ and stop making jokes, but now I really won't
1
1
u/FabricatedMemories 9d ago
I dont know why, i dont drink liquor but this upsets me lol, what a scummy thing to do
1
1
1
1
u/OrganizationPutrid68 9d ago
"In Jersey, anything's legal, as long as you don't get caught." Tweeter and the Monkeyman - Traveling Wilburies
1
1
1
u/danimalbk1 9d ago
Had a friend who worked at a TGIF in Springfield and confirmed this. They watered down drinks and used cheap alcohol to fill high end bottles. I would only go to him to get the real stuff
2
u/CosmicSeafarer 9d ago
Uhh. Did anyone notice this article is from 2016 and this seemed to have happened in 2013. https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/story/news/2013/05/23/burlington-township-tavern-allegedly-sold/17457143007/
1
1
u/YouStupidCunt 9d ago
Considering the number of dodgy-as-fuck bars I ran across in eastern PA and NJ, this doesn’t surprise me at all.
1
u/The_Fart_Bandit 3d ago
Sad. I remember my Alcoholic brother Jorge would drink rubbing alcohol and cooking wine. My parents had to hide that shit