Bar Served Rubbing Alcohol To Cusomers Instead Of Scotch

Operation Swill has yielded some pretty disturbing results. New Jersey’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control said that at least 29 restaurants were tricking customers by filling premium liquor bottles with cheaper brands of alcohol. One bar even served rubbing alcohol and caramel coloring to customers that ordered scotch.

Surprisingly, the bar that served rubbing alcohol to customers wasn’t the worst offender. Pix11 notes that one bar served dirty water to customers. An investigator described the concoction as “riverwater” saying that it contained no alcohol and was basically just dirty water.

State Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said: “This alleged scheme is a dishonest ruse to increase profits, and it is a slap in the face to the consumer … Consumers should have the peace of mind of knowing that they will get what they spent their hard-earned money on every single time. No exceptions.”

The disgusting practices were discovered today during “Operation Swill.” More than 100 investigators working with NJ’s Alcoholic Beverage Control went to bars this morning in an effort to uncover what restaurants were scamming customers. The investigators found that 29 restaurants, including 13 TGI Fridays locations, had been selling swill to customers.

A spokesman for TGI Fridays said: “(We have just been) made aware of this issue and (we are) working closely with the franchisee and owner of the cited locations to review and investigate these serious allegations … We have one of the most extensive bar and beverage programs in the industry, which sets a very high standard in the quality and service of our beverages.”

The Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control said that they had received numerous complaints from customers but added that it was hard to prosecute restaurants due to lack of evidence. Because of “Operation Swill,” investigators were able to document the scam and can now charge the restaurants.

Offending restaurants could face fines and may have liquor licenses suspended or revoked.