The Draft Bar and Grille in Boston's Allston neighborhood faces an indefinite suspension of its liquor license after repeated instances of underage drinking were uncovered. The Boston Licensing Board made the decision last Thursday following a police inspection back in October, during which three minors were found with alcohol. The bar, on Harvard Ave., is run by Metro Dining Inc., with Derek Brady as the owner and registered agent. "I think that [Brady] has shown he is not fit for this license, another license, any license. It’s unfortunate," Licensing Board member Keena Saxon told Boston.com.
At the same time, Brady's bar was already serving a suspension handed down by state regulators, stemming from an earlier violation in February 2025. Investigators found nine underage patrons drinking during a Valentine's Day inspection. "Looks like there’s about 75 to 100 people rapidly leaving the establishment once they realized we were checking IDs in the establishment. We did turn around, there’s only maybe seven or eight people left," Detective Eddie Hernandez remarked at a Jan. 6 hearing, as reported by Boston.com.
Further complicating matters, the bar's ID scanner, critical to verifying the age of its patrons, was reported as broken since March of 2025 and had not been replaced. "It’s expensive to replace, we haven’t taken any steps," Brady reportedly testified during a hearing. This breach of trust has led Boston city officials to describe the management's demeanor as "laid-back" when it came to addressing these serious mismanagement issues. Licensing Board member Kathleen Joyce expressed concern over this attitude. "I’m not sure people are safe going into his establishments," she said, questioning the safety of patrons under Brady's watch, as noted by the Boston Globe.
The board unanimously agreed that the indefinite suspension could possibly be revoked if the bar's license is transferred to a new operator. This would require a new hearing where the owner would have to demonstrate to the board his willingness to comply with mandated conditions. Brady has made statements regarding the difficulty in identifying fake IDs used by college students, "I guess the college kids have excellent fake IDs. It’s tough to spot them without the machine," he admitted to the Licensing Board, as per a report by Boston.com. As of now, The Draft Bar and Grille remains closed, with its future hanging in the balance depending on the bar's ability to address and correct its violation of liquor license regulations.
