CROWN HEIGHTS — A new bar planning to open in the neighborhood was busted by police earlier this month for serving alcohol illegally after months of touting boozy events at the unlicensed space, DNAinfo New York has learned.
Carlos Russell, the owner of Wild Whiskey Warthog, was hit with four summonses related to operating a bar without a license after police responded to a party being held at his Rogers Avenue event space around 10:30 p.m. on June 12, sources said.
Currently, the bar located at 227 Rogers Ave. does not have a liquor license, according to the State Liquor Authority.
Wild Whiskey Warthog was approved for one after applying to Community Board 9 in Crown Heights in December of 2013, the board office said, but no official application for a full liquor license has been submitted to the SLA since then, the agency said. The Rogers Avenue building also does not have a certificate of occupancy, according to the Department of Buildings.
During Friday's bust, officers confiscated various types of alcohol including hard liquor and beer and shut down the party, sources said.
Russell told DNAinfo the event was a private party he hosted for a friend.
Wild Whiskey Warthog’s Facebook page has advertised multiple events in the past four months including a Superbowl party boasting “drink specials and flat screens” and a watch party for the recent Mayweather vs. Pacquiao boxing match.
Drink specials and flat screens. See you tonight! #NFL #SuperBowl #bar #Brooklyn
Posted by Wild Whiskey Warthog on Sunday, February 1, 2015
Despite the bust, Russell said he plans to pursue a full liquor license for the bar.
Earlier this month, he shared his plan for the space with DNAinfo, which included bringing “different flavors of whiskey from around the world” to the 30-seat bar and backyard space, which he has personally renovated over the course of several years.
He said at the time that he hoped to open in late summer or early fall.
