This is so disappointing! Hops & Vines is my favorite. I am always asked for ID every time I purchase from them!! It is very hard to believe one of their employees fell through on asking for ID. They are all very professional and kind! Please don't close down!!!

No kudos to the stores that carded?

I wish people would be a little more relaxed about this - it's ok to get married, drive a car, go to war etc. at age 18 but it's not ok to buy a beer??? You can probably even buy a gun, too, before you can buy a drink - ludicrous!!

I agree with Kat.. 18 to do everything but drink? Lets stop wasting money on a futile effort.

The national drinking age was passed into law by Congress due to medical studies that showed alcohol consumption is particularly harmful to the brain develop of people whose pituitary glands have not developed beyond a certain stage. It had little or nothing to do with the behavior or responsibility of 18-year-olds.

It should be noted that, even though the Hops & Vines store has been sold, it still appears that the liquor license is in the name of Councilman Jamie Benoit and his wife, Kari. The license transfer has not been approved by the liquor commission, or at least hasn't been updated in the state licensee database. I find it abhorrent that a sitting Councilman's store was cited for selling to a minor. Perhaps this is exactly the thing that is needed to shut this store, that was never supposed to be in Piney Orchard in the first place absent some shady dealings, down. However, I'm sure the right, honorable Councilman will cut himself a sweetheart deal on this violation, much as he has cut himself sweetheart deals on getting the license in the first place, county health insurance, etc. Thank goodness his term is almost up, and let's hope that he does us all a favor and doesn't run for County Executive!

In Europe, adolescents drink alcohol way before 18 - not sayin' that's necessarily a GREAT thing, but I don't think European's brains are worse off because of it!! By outlawing it, you just make it even more desirable - there have been studies to prove this!! In moderation, there is nothing wrong with a bit of alcohol - it's certainly no worse than all the deep-fried fast food and sugar-laden drinks that people consume in this country!!

Wow.......nobody believe me whem I spoke about some business practices I know are illegal....County needs to check their permits and licenses also....no food handlers or business beauty license are common in Odenton. Next will be a sting on the ones selling drugs.....I guess alchol violation generates more money::::Fines::::for the state.. Sorry tohear about Hops....they just caught in wrong place at wrong time......

If they cannot vote, they should not be legally able to. buy alcohol, which is a mind altering stimulant. Being an individual is not a valid excuse. Studies have shown that the teenage brain is quite different from the adult brain. This means that, just like most adult decisions, they are not ready for it. Let them be children and experience adult things when they are adults.

Regardless of what you think the drinking age should or should not be, the law states that those under 21 may not purchase, possess, or consume it.
Regardless of what YOU think about this law, merchants must take proper steps or risk stuff like this happening. One would think they would not be so complacent when it comes to their livelihood.

And what about cigarettes?? Surely they hurt an adolescent's body (and those of grown-ups, too!). How come they can buy those at 18?? So many double-standards!!

First of all, I beg to differ! Have you seen how many people smoke while driving? Do you seriously think that doesn't impact on their driving, if one of their hands is taken up by holding a cigarette (and then, of course, there are the phones and iPads etc., but that's a different story :-).
Also, that's not a reason to prohibit non-driving people from having alcohol - it's illegal to drink and drive and that is as should be, just like it's illegal to take drugs and drive. That has nothing to do with what you consume in your own home or when you're not driving. Plus, why would a 21-yr-old drunk driver be less of a danger than a 20-yr-old one??? Don't follow your logic.

Smoking does not impair one's brain!! DUH!!
And 21-year-old drunk is not necessarily less of a danger than a 20-year-old one, but neither is a 45-year-old drunk driver!
There needs to be a cut-off though.
Your logic dictates that there should no no drinking age since drinking and driving is already illegal.

Agreed. That's the point I was trying to make, too! And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying alcohol isn't dangerous, but I just fail to see why in a country where people want as little government and regulations as possible, this particular "substance" is made out to be the devil and at the root of all evil, so to speak, when there are MUCH worse things freely accesible!!! Running the risk of repeating myself, it's lunacy to let people buy guns but not beers. Rant over :-)

I hope Hops and Vines does not close down! I love the service there and I can safely walk there from home without driving.

I have been carded at Hops and Vines and Village Wine and Spirits several times and I'm 27.

Word has it that MANY of the stores busted DID ask for ID, and were provided with VERY good fake IDs. The buzz is that this is part of a plan by either state and/or local government to strong arm store owners into purchasing electronic scanners to check IDs. The cost to the businesses to lease/purchase and network these machines is supposedly upwards of $350 a MONTH. Our government doing what they do best, sucking taxpaying buisinesses dry.

http://www.idscanner.com/id/drivers-license-scanner/id-checkers-protect-state-liquor-raids/

I don't know how small business owners survive,
Everyone's trying to eat them alive:
The government always wants more revenue,
Employees stand around like there's nothing to do,
Customers complain at the slightest provocation---
Small business owners: unsung heroes of the nation!