Silhouette’s Bikini Sports Bar & Grill, 1401 E. 23rd St., was at the Chattanooga Beer Board for the first violation since it opened 13 years ago. The bar has a license to sell consumer beer but that permit does not allow alcoholic beverages other than beer to be sold or stored. On Oct. 18 and 24 during bar checks, jars of moonshine and bottles of wine were stored in an area behind the bar and bottles of “Johnny Bootlegger Moonshine” were found in the cooler along with beer that was being served.
Owner of the bar Jesse Raymond Kinsey Jr., told the beer board that, although he does not drink alcohol, his hobby is collecting moonshine, and on Oct. 18 the bar was celebrating its 13th anniversary. He said that customers had brought moonshine as gifts to him, and that he would have taken them home, but forgot to. That is why they were still there when Beer Inspector Sgt. Jason Wood went back to check on Oct. 24. “I screwed this up,” said Mr. Kinsey.
Mr. Kinsey said the distributor sold the “Johnny Bootlegger Moonshine” to him with his beer license so he did not know it was illegal. The difference is that this drink has an alcohol content by weight above eight percent, and high gravity beer cannot be sold under a Chattanooga beer license. It must be permitted by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The TABC permits liquor, wine and high gravity beer. The Chattanooga Beer Board permits beer that is eight percent alcohol and under. With no one present at the meeting being sure which type of state permit is required to sell high gravity beer, independent of wine and liquor, the bar was given a letter of reprimand for the violations.
Hancock Wrecker and Repair located at 1807 E. 23rd St. was licensed and approved to be put Chattanooga’s wrecker rotation list. Owner Warren Hancock was warned to be careful to pick up all debris on the roads when clearing after an accident.