Vault 21 owner Andre Shi said he could not argue with the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority’s decision to temporarily suspend the bar’s licence, but the skulling caught on video at a sponsored event was unplanned.
The suspension of the Octagon bar and restaurant’s on-licence was called for by the Dunedin City Council, a decision issued by the authority said.
Judge Robert Spear said it was alleged alcohol was promoted irresponsibly which probably encouraged people to consume it "to an excessive extent".
In November last year, as part of a sponsored Moet et Chandon event, a large ice sculpture of a "hollow oversized Champagne wine bottle" was set up on the footpath outside Vault 21.
Staff allowed alcohol to be poured freely through the vessel and was drunk by people "crouched down below the mouth of the ice sculpture", Judge Spear said.
"Three videos extracted from Facebook show that this large ice sculpture was in full view of the passing public which, of course, this being the Octagon is at the very centre of Dunedin city."
One video showed a woman "drinking directly from the ice sculpture until she could obviously drink no more".
"This was, without question, an act at a high level of irresponsibility in relation to the promotion of alcohol."
Vault 21’s liquor licence was suspended for 72 hours, from 8am today until 8am Saturday, and a negative holding recorded against the licensee company, AND Hospitality Group Ltd.
If the company received a total of three negative holdings within three years, an application would be made for the cancellation of its on-licence.
Mr Shi told the Otago Daily Times yesterday, while the 72-hour suspension was "a little bit heavy", he respected the authority’s decision and was "taking it on the chin".
The ice sculpture was planned for only the beginning of the event to chill drinks as they were poured into Champagne flutes.
But "some punters" had attempted to drink from the sculpture directly, after it was moved outside to be a decoration while patrons had lunch.
Mr Shi confirmed he had poured the Champagne down the sculpture and said he wanted to make sure it was controlled.
It "wasn’t planned", he said. "I helped them to do it. The punter was trying to do it themselves."
But the authority deemed the amount he had poured, as captured on video, was "excessive", Mr Shi said.
"That's a decision that I can't argue with."
Two videos posted by media personality William Waiirua depicting women drinking from the sculpture had since racked up 49.3 million and 53.1 million views on social media.
People attending the event included Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich and city councillors.
A "third party" had laid a complaint after footage of the event circulated online, Mr Shi said.
Judge Spear said the initial explanation was the promotion only involved Champagne being poured down the ice sculpture into a glass, limiting the amount available for consumption.
"However, the Facebook video posts were subsequently found that showed that the promotion was far more extreme."
