Mistakes can and are made, that is a part of human nature. Mistakes can also be made when it comes to serving alcohol and this year we have seen multiple news reports of this involving young children.
We're not talking about 'accidentally' serving a minor who orders a drink and may have a fake ID or who looks 'old enough,' these stories are about unknowingly serving drinks containing alcohol to kids who are enjoying a restaurant meal with their family. It is unnerving how many of these cases have been in the news this year and how young the children are.
Many of these cases have been due to miscommunication between bar and service staff, some because of mislabeled bottles or not paying attention to a bottle's label. Take the most recent headline - Ohio woman: Outback server gave daughter, 4, booze - while waiting for a table a server is offering drinks, does not realize they were a Hairy Navel-like drink? and assures a 4-year-old girl's family that there is no alcohol in the tiny drink (which would be rather appealing to kids). What went wrong here?
- The server should have known what they were serving and (I would hope) refrain from lying about it if they did know.
- The manager should have been very clear that these cocktail samples were cocktails and only for adults.
- In hindsight, I can see the family thinking they should have tasted it first.
In another case in April, a Chicago Chili's restaurant served a child a Mudslide shake with rum instead of a chocolate shake. The details of this one were unclear and disputed. It appears the mother ordered a fruit punch and a chocolate shake. The punch was served in a kiddie cup and the shake in a bar glass. The shake was a rum-filled mudslide and the 4-year-old noticed a funny taste in just a few sips. What went wrong here? It's too easy to speculate because it's unclear how the drinks were ordered and who they were intended for, the child or the mother. Clearly the kid thought it would be hers.
The other April incident happened at a Michigan Applebee's to a 15-month-old who was served, not apple juice as was intended, but some alcoholic mix from a "mislabeled container" behind the bar. At that age, he may not know when something tastes weird and,? sadly, his blood alcohol content was 0.10 but it is fortunate that his parents saw the signs of intoxication before he finished the drink.
These are just three cases that made the national news in the last few months. While mistakes can happen and I don't point the finger at anyone, I do hope that servers, bartenders, managers will be vigilant to avoid these accidents. Double check who is getting what drink, clearly and correctly mark all containers and those that contain alcohol, know what is in the drinks you are serving.
Tips for avoiding these situations? Thoughts? Stories? Share away in the comments.
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