You can only deceive your customers for so long. According to a New York Post report, the New York State Liquor Authority has caught at least 25 bars across New York City red-handed refilling liquor bottles with less expensive replacements. Have they learned nothing from "Operation Swill"?
One agency source told the Post that drinkers are getting ripped off because they're obviously "getting less alcohol than what [they're] paying for." While they know it's done, they aren't certain how frequently bars are swapping liquor out with a less expensive alternative.
This reveals a bigger problem, though: People don't know the difference between the good shit and the cheap shit. Are people really just that happy to have liquor in their systems that they simply don't care? They're the ones getting ripped off, so they should.
Gothamist mentions some of the bars who have been caught. Of them, the manager of the College Green Pub had the best excuse, telling an inspector he had to refill a bottle "because all the other bars were doing it." Middle school excuses are always priceless.
[via Gothamist and New York Post]
