Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Federal Judiciary Blogs -> Supreme Dicta

Federal Judiciary

: Supreme Dicta

Lawsuit: Whiskey Tasted Like Urine And I Got Fired

A very grateful hat tip to Quiz Law!

Lawsuit: Whiskey Tasted Like Urine And I Got Fired

Man Claims Fight Over Whiskey Cost Him Promising Job

CHICAGO (STNG) ? A night at the Drake Hotel is unforgettable for most but especially for Christopher T. Turner, who says a night there resulted in him losing a high-paying position, and is the reason he will probably always doing a sniff test before drinking alcohol from a hotel room's mini-bar.

After checking into his room at The Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Pl., Turner took out a small bottle of Dewar's White Label Scotch Whiskey from his room's mini-bar.

Turner claims after tasting it, the whiskey tasted like urine, according to a suit filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court. Turner contacted the director of sales about the tainted whiskey, and a fight ensued because the director attempted to confiscate the bottle. Turner was thrown out of the hotel, forcing him to stay at the Park Hyatt Chicago.

At the time of the incident, Turner, 26, was employed by Binary Tree, a New York Corporation, and was in the process of getting hired by IBM for a "significant salary," when the incident happened on Feb. 19, 2007, according to the suit.

Turner, a software engineer from South Carolina, tried to get IBM to pay his hotel bill for his stay in Chicago.

After IBM or Binary Tree inquired with The Drake Hotel about Turner's brief stay, one company learned of their employee having an altercation with the director and being thrown out of the hotel.

He was later discharged from his position at IBM. The discharge caused Turner humiliation and embarrassment, the suit said.

Turner claims his employer's knowledge of this incident cost him more than $5,000 per week for about 27 weeks totaling $135,000 in lost wages.

Turner seeks in excess of $30,000 in damages.

As an Irishman (and therefore a whiskey drinker), I don't blame Turner for this lawsuit. Messing with a man's whiskey is a cardinal sin, especially when you're forking over something like $10 on a mini-bar drink. I won't even pollute my whiskey with ice. It is perfect the way God made it (and by God I mean the wonderful employees of the Jameson corporation).

BUT...the whiskey in question is Dewar's. It tastes like piss under perfect bottling conditions. Sure it might have been the White Label, but that's like saying PBR is a quality beer because it contains the words Blue Ribbon. I don't know what this guy was expecting.

I wonder if a judge would have to recuse himself from this case if he drinks Dewar's on a regular basis...

Full post as published by Supreme Dicta on February 21, 2008 (boomark / email).