By Spencer Sterritt

Nanaimo bar caught in ‘1930’s, Prohibition-style’ raid over high-end whisky

Jan 19, 2018 | 4:32 PM

NANAIMO — A local whiskey bar was one of four bars raided by the B.C. government over what the director of operations called “archaic” liquor laws.

The Grand Hotel claimed 11 bottles were raided from their collection, along with several hundred bottles from both the Union Club and Little Jumbo in Victoria and Fets Whisky Kitchen in Vancouver on Thursday, Jan. 18.  

Grand Hotel director of operations Susie Sirri told NanaimoNewsNOW the raid was “heavy-handed” and unlike anything she’d ever seen before. She said the raid followed a complaint, although they were not informed where the complaint came from.

“This is unheard of and was an orchestrated raid. I mean, 1930’s, Prohibition-style, Al Capone.”

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Several hundred rare bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society are at the centre of the raids. Sirri said only Society whiskies were taken from the four locations because they’d been bought from a private liquor store in Victoria, not from the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, which is against the rules.

Sirri acknowledged the bottles weren’t bought through proper channels but said it’s because current rules are hurting her business.

“We need to be competitive, we want to retain our customer client bases, we want to always have something different,” Sirri said about the importance of offering rare products not readily available anywhere else.

“If we’re all going to carry Johnny Walker, why would anyone want to come to my hotel and have a whiskey with me when everyone else is carrying Johnny Walker?”

B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association president and CEO Ian Tostenson told NanaimoNewsNOW this was the first time he’d ever heard of a raid in B.C. and said it was surprising to see.

“We have to make some changes here,” he said of the rules around where restaurants can buy their liquor.

Beyond a selection issue, there’s also a financial issue at play, he said, since restaurants have to buy their liquor at the same cost as regular consumers, while a private liquor store buys their product from the government at a discounted rate.

“Restaurants will do what they have to do to serve its customers and when you have rules like this that need to change but haven’t, it can be really frustrating for owners.”

The Association has presented changes and revisions to the current NDP government, specifically about how restaurants should both be able to buy from private stores and also pay less than retail from BC Liquor Stores. Tostenson said though changing the province’s liquor policy will be slow work since it’s complex with many different sides, he’s optimistic the situation will be more advantageous and fair for restaurants in the future.

According to the Ministry of Attorney General, the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch couldn’t comment on the raids or any compliance measures taken against any establishments.

“The government has appointed Mark Hicken as a liquor policy advisor, to reach out to B.C.’s beer, wine and spirits stakeholders, including the manufacturing, retail and hospitality industry,” they said. Hicken will then make recommendations on any changes.

— with files from Dom Abassi

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit