Undercover agents took all but one keg from the Homebrew Festival - an event that was meant to promote positive attitudes about drinking and showcase homemade beers on Saturday afternoon.
The festival, put on by the Ohio University Brew Crew and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers at McCracken Field, was calm until The Ohio Investigative Unit appeared, said Bret Baker, president of the OU Brew Crew.
Undercover agents confiscated all homebrewed beer, leaving just a keg of Pabst Blue Ribbon for the crowd of about 150.
Agents informed the club that the F permit they'd received from State Liquor Control was not the correct permit for the homebrewed beer, Baker said. Ohio Liquor Control and the Ohio Investigative Unit did not return calls at press time.
We thought everything was legit
Baker said of the permit.
The undercover agents seemed shady from the get-go Baker said, adding that one agent told him that he was a student doing a research paper on alcohol while photographing the event.
The agents acted friendly but advised the club to retain a lawyer before planning its next event, Baker said.
OU officials did not return calls yesterday.
The Brew Crew received $2,600 for the event from the Student Activities Commission and attendees had to show a valid ID to enter and before drinking.
Campus police also attended the event, but were there for different purposes
such as crowd control,Chief Andrew Powers said.
Those permits and things are very complicated
he added.
1
News
Brigitta Burks
