Two Harford County Businesses Fail Liquor Board Compliance Test

Two Harford County alcohol retailers failed an undercover compliance test Feb. 4 conducted by the Harford County Liquor Control Board in conjunction with the Harford County Sheriff's Office and the Harford County Office of Drug Control.

LaCucina Restaurant in Havre de Grace and VFW Post 10146 in Darlington were the only establishments of the 32 tested to fail. The 94 percent pass rate is the highest in the last five years.

“I guess 100 percent is not impossible," chairman of the Liquor Control Board Donald Hess said in a statement. "Our licensees are doing an exceptional job in keeping alcohol out of the hands of underage persons.”

An underage Liquor Control Board employee was utilized to conduct the random tests. 

"We give pretty explicit instructions to the underage person not to try to trick anybody," Chief Inspector Charlie Robbins said in an interview. "They have to be honest about it. We’re not trying to trick the licensees. It’s a very basic test."

Both establishments that failed the test asked for identifcation.

Management for LaCucina and the Darlington VFW will both go before the Liquor Control Board for a cause hearing March 23 at 3 p.m. A business can be fined between $250 and $2,000 for the first offense in a licensing year and can have its license revoked for additional offenses in the same year. This is the first offense for both businesses in this licensing year.