Business

Woody's Liquors Busted By State Alcohol Commission

The Magoun Square liquor store could be closed from Sept. 5 through Sept. 19 as a result.

By Chris Orchard
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August 6, 2012

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Woody's Liquors outside Magoun Square was busted for selling a six-pack of Vermont microbrew and a handle of gin to an underage customer, according to the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.

As a result, the liquor store will have its license suspended for 15 days in September—or pay a fine—according to the commission.

In a notice of suspension dated July 18, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission outlines some details of an investigation into the business, at 523 Broadway, conducted in early March.

According to the document, investigators were outside Woody's on March 1 when they saw a young man walk out with a six-pack of Long Trail Hibernator beer (an unfiltered Scottish ale) and a 1.75-liter bottle of Barton Gin (which sells for about $13 to $15 online).

Investigators questioned the man and learned he was 20 years old. He told investigators he had a fake California ID but that he hadn't been carded at the liquor store.

When investigators asked the clerk at Woody's if she had carded the 20-year-old, she said she didn't recall.

The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission held a hearing on the matter on July 10.

According to the notice of suspension, Woody's will have its license suspended from Sept. 5 through Sept. 19. The liquor store can also "petition the commission to accept an offer in compromise in lieu of suspension" within 20 days of receiving the notice.

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AHM

6:47 am on Monday, August 6, 2012

Does not make sense. The kid has illegal ID that should have ended it. Don't get the clerk bit, think she would have said yes just to cover herself. Just makes no sense.

Matt C

7:27 am on Monday, August 6, 2012

Woody's is usually pretty on top of it, I'm over 30 and more often then not get carded there. Let's hope that they can cover costs and start in business.

Frank Mulligan

4:37 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012

Thie should really teach everbody that sell's LIQUOR. Being closed for 2 weeks will loose a lot of $$$$$. Remember what comes around goes around.

Mike Oliviera

6:15 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012

As a long time doorman, I can tell you that the government shifts the blame for this *governmental* problem onto liquor stores and bars. They provide no training whatsoever, no guidelines for how to train employees, and expect every hourly employee that sells alcohol to be an more of an expert at detecting forged legal documents than a notary. TIPS, ServSafe alcohol and those other certification systems are plain old useless in that regard. This is yet another way for politicians to shift the blame for a problem they don't feel like spending the money to solve, onto innocent employees and business owners.

Matt C

8:59 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

I have been to bars that scan and capture photos of id's and read the barcodes - switching to a technology like that might help the businesses stay out of trouble.

Matt C

8:59 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

I have been to bars that scan and capture photos of id's and read the barcodes - switching to a technology like that might help the businesses stay out of trouble.

Mike Oliviera

5:07 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012

Matt C: Currently, fake ID manufacturers are based in China, so they're not breaking their local laws, and have equipment that rivals our official equipment for making IDs. I've never seen a fake that didn't scan, both with magnetic strips and barcodes. This is actually the *easiest* part of the ID to fake for someone with a professional setup... the actual material itself and tone of the ink, for example, are MUCH more difficult. Though this would make the business feel like they were doing something about it, they'd be wrong. It would leave them just as legally liable as a business that accepted a piece of paper with an age written on it and a crayon drawing for a picture.