Salamanca Whisky Bar owner cleared of selling fake Sullivans Cove whisky
A Hobart magistrate has cleared a Salamanca bar owner accused of selling “fake” Sullivans Cove whisky to distillery employees eight years ago.
A Salamanca bar owner accused of selling “fake” Sullivans Cove whisky to customers eight years ago has been cleared of wrongdoing by a Hobart magistrate.
Salamanca Whisky Bar proprietor, Paul Morley, and his company were both charged with two counts of wrongfully accepting payment, over the alleged sale of spirits on two dates in April 2018.
It had been alleged during a hearing in 2023 that the sales were made in the bar to high-level employees of the Sullivans Cove distillery business.
On Friday, Magistrate Andrew McKee dismissed the charges against both Mr Morley and Salamanca Bar Pty Ltd (trading as Salamanca Whisky Bar), saying neither complaint was made out against either defendant.
During a hearing which started in July 2023, it was alleged that on April 16 2018, distiller Heather Tillott was served a glass of whisky advertised as Sullivans Cove but which she claimed was another product.
A week later, Sullivans Cove managing director Adam Sable, his father-in-law and chairman of the company Ron Goldschlager, and Mr Sable’s father went to the bar and were allegedly sold drinks also purporting to be made by their company.
Prosecutors told the hearing that the whisky had been poured into sample containers; subsequent laboratory analysis revealed the absence of tell-tale “chemical markers” unique to Sullivan Cove products.
Mr Goldschlager gave evidence that he suggested his group visit the Salamanca Whisky Bar after hearing “some people at Sullivans were unhappy” with the outlet’s operation.
Mr Goldschlager told the court that he had taken sterilised sample bottles into the bar, and had recorded a waitress serving the whisky.
Mr Morley was represented in court for Friday’s decision by Jimmy Saric, who appeared on behalf of Fabiano Cangelosi.
Mr Saric’s application for costs was adjourned by Magistrate McKee.