If I went to a restaurant and they offered me alcohol...?

Question

Alright, I went to Olive Garden and they offered me a Corona, because that is what my date was having. Then I went to Buffalo Wild Wings with my friend, who is 18 but looks older, and they offered both of us Bud Light Lime.

I'm only 16, but when I get a little dressed up I look much older. If I accepted the alcohol, would they card me at all through the night?

Answer 1

Sorry, I don't believe that they "offered" you a beer. Normally the waiter or waitress would ask, would you like something from the bar? And they would ask to see your ID. That's policy.

Answer 2

Servers and bartenders are trained to offer specific drinks, because it sounds less impersonal than "How about a drink?"  This occurs especially when they are promoting a new drink/beer (as would be the case with Bud Light Lime) or perhaps offering you the drink on special.

While I don't doubt you look older when you are dressed up, the server isn't accepting your appearance as proof of age and, if he/she is smart, will ask for identification.  My more memorable moments of iding people were actually those who looked thirteen and turned out to be twenty-five.  Even as a female in my early twenties, I can never tell if a girl is sixteen or twenty-five... thus, I always card.

You can take the chance if you want: if they ask and you claim you "forgot" your id, the server won't get you in any sort of trouble; if they don't ask, you get that thrill of being served underage.

Just know that accompanying that thrill is the threat that the ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) can enter establishments that serve alcohol and randomly id people at any time.  Not only would your server lose their job and the restuarant be fined, but you would be in serious trouble at that point (at the very least, you would get a fine if not face some sort of minor charge).

Answer 3

No way would anyone risk it -

Wal*mart now cards if you "appear" under the age of 40.

Answer 4

yes! Many times a manager or shift leader will come around and randomly card people because there is something called ABC (which I'm not completely sure what it stands for) but it's kinda like the alcohol police. They will go around to different places to make sure they are not selling alcohol to underage people. So especially chain company's do this. When I worked at Chili's they did this often because ABC will fine a company (like a ticket) and after so many times they will take their liquor license.