No fine for Kelowna brewery that sold beer to undercover minor

A Kelowna brewery successfully avoided a fine for selling beer to an undercover minor, but it did fire the employee.

The province’s liquor regulator decided against handing down a $7,000 fine after an 18-year-old bought a six-pack from Rustic Reel Brewing Company Ltd.

Liquor inspectors sent the undercover 18-year-old inside the establishment in December 2024. One of those inspectors was already inside the store as he paid for the beer without being asked for identification.

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The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch inspector told the employee she had sold beer to an undercover and underage customer, according to a recent regulator decision.

Neither of the Liquor and Cannabis Branch inspectors were named in the March 28 decision.

The regulator argued Rustic Reel should be fined $7,000, the maximum for a first time offence. The regulator also said the brewery’s policies to were insufficient to ensure staff aren’t selling to minors, but the owner successfully showed otherwise, according to the decision.

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Rustic Reel convinced the regulator tribunal it not only instructs staff to request identification from anyone who looks younger than 40, they also have rigorous training and regularly remind staff of the policy.

The regulator ultimately sided with Rustic Reel, finding the brewery showed due diligence, despite one employee’s error. The brewery was left with no penalties on its licence.

The employee who sold the beer, however, was fired the same day.