Restaurant accidentally serves 2-year-old alcohol instead of apple juice

A California restaurant is under investigation for giving a toddler alcohol instead of apple juice.

The “you can’t make this up” moment happened earlier this week at the Japanese restaurant Salinas, California Fujiyama. According to KSBW TV, the parents of the two-year-old daughter noticed something was wrong when she showed signs of drunkenness.

“She was swaying, falling over, leaning on walls, couldn’t hold her head up and was slurring her words,” mother Noemi Valencia told the outlet. Wondering what the heck was going on, the parents smelled the drink and immediately realized it was wine, not apple juice.

A toddler is seen drinking juice through a straw. (Getty Images)

HER BAC was 0.12!

The family immediately took their daughter to the emergency room, where she had to spend the night after she was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.12 per mille! To understand how dangerously high this level is for a small child, it is important to know that in adults, anything above 0.1 per mille can cause vomiting, loss of balance, slurred speech and reduced reaction time.

KSBW spoke to the manager of the Japanese restaurant, who admitted his mistake. According to the manager, for some unknown reason, they store their homemade wine in large containers called “apple juice.” I mean, I like drinking wine as much as the next guy, but why the heck would a restaurant write that it’s apple juice?!

Fortunately, the young girl has recovered and the parents have not yet filed a lawsuit, although a report has been filed with police. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control confirmed that an investigation by authorities is underway, telling KSBW, “The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is aware of the reports and is working with local authorities in the investigation.”