Booze You Can Use

P.Y.T. Lets Its Four Loko Stock Run Out

Tommy Up
Tommy Up Photo: Michael Spain-Smith

In the last days before his Four Loko stockpile at P.Y.T. had disappeared for good — he’s chosen not to restock it — owner Tommy Up says he felt like he was in some sort of real life version of Boardwalk Empire. Despite it being featured at his popular burger bar at the Piazza for more than a year, word was out that he had it, and as the media hysteria surrounding the demonized overly-caffeinated malt liquor beverage reached a fever pitch, more and more guests were asking for it. “It was really popular here and I can’t say we ever saw any irresponsible behavior from the people drinking it,” Up told Grub Street. “ A funny thing I noticed in recent weeks is, it went from being a drink enjoyed primarily among twenty-somethings, to something we saw more young professionals drinking, because they thought it was a crazy thing to do.”

To make Four Loko’s notorious bad taste a little bit more palatable, P.Y.T. served potent potion as a slushy, poured over shaved ice. Up says in the past year he’s steadily sold about six cases of the stuff every week. Last Friday he was down to just three, which were gone by the end of the weekend. “It seems like it’s become a scapegoat for a lot other problems,” Up said. “You know people down vodka and Red Bull all night and its probably the number one mixed drink in bars and clubs and you don’t hear anything about that. Still we’re not restocking it, because I feel like if we keep around too long, we’ll start getting unwanted attention from the FBI or something. So when we’re out, we’re out.”

Earlier: Hallucinogenic Frenzies and Hospitalized College Kids: Four Loko Hysteria Reaches a Fevered Pitch

P.Y.T. Lets Its Four Loko Stock Run Out