BU-centric cantina ordered to go alcohol free for nine days after state inspectors find the place filled with underage drinkers

The state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission has ordered Sunset Cantina, 916 Commonwealth Ave., to go alcohol free between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 because of an incident in which a swarm of state investigators found an even larger swarm of freshman-age drinkers, many with vodka concoctions, one night last October.

The commission actually suspended the liquor license for the bar - with lists a Boston address, but which is actually in Brookline - for 18 days, but said it would hold the second half of the punishment in abeyance for two years to see if the place can stay out of trouble for that long.

According to a report by an ABCC inspector, he and eight other inspectors arrived at the Sunset Cantina shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2023.

After first noting all the "youthful appearing" people waiting outside to get into the crowded place, they went in and pretty quickly found 15 specific young looking people, all eventually determined to be 18 or 19, save for one 20-year-old, all with fraudulent out-of-state licenses, many in possession of vodka drinks, including vodka with cranberry juice, vodka with Red Bull and vodka with lemonade. One had a Dirty Shirley - vodka with flavored seltzer. One didn't have a drink with her but admitted she'd been doing vodka shots at the bar. Two contented themselves with just beers - one an unspecified draft beer, the other a Bud Light.

The report implies inspectors would have nabbed even more violators, except it's hard for official-looking adult types to check IDs in a crowded bar without everybody noticing:

As Investigators began to check identifications, they observed numerous youthful appearing individuals exiting the premises. In less than approximately 10 minutes, Sunset Cantina appeared to be empty, except for staff.

At a hearing earlier this year, Sunset Cantina admitted the basic facts of the case and said it had taken steps to curb the underage set from getting adult beverages, including hiring different staff, requiring all incoming patrons to provide proof of age, buying a computerized ID scanner, hiring a new security firm and barring everyone under 21 after 7 p.m. Also, employees have been reminded to "use their common sense" when checking IDs.

This is not Sunset Cantina's first issue with underage drinkers. On May 23, 2023, an undercover underager working with the ABCC purchased a can of Bud Light without being asked for ID. The bar got a warning.

On Sept. 10, 2021, under different ownership, eight ABCC inspectors and a Brookline police officer found more than a dozen underage drinkers - although most with margaritas instead of vodka drinks. Two months later, a smaller group of inspectors found two 18-year-olds with alcohol.