SLA Raids Xiao Ye, Destroys All the Four Loko

The party’s over: on Sunday, Governor Paterson and the SLA reached an agreement with the state’s big liquor distributors to stop selling caffeinated alcoholic cocktails including Four Loko, the rainbow-colored malt liquor beverage that’s been causing such a stir lately. The manufacturer of the drink will also stop distribution in NY and retailers will have to clear out their inventory by December 10. (A decaf version of the beverage is being made and will be allowed in the state.)

So what does this mean for NYC's unofficial patron saint of Four Loko, Eddie Huang? As it turns out, Huang's restaurant Xiao Ye, which hosted a $3 Four Loko night on Thursday, was raided by an SLA task force on Friday night, just hours before these agreements between the SLA and the distributors were announced. Huang describes the whole ordeal on his blog:

Luckily my partner at the restaurant held it down and we are still open?We followed the law, we were in line with the SLA requirements, but basically, it was understood that if we kept selling Four Loko, we would be seeing a lot of raids? All Four Loko in the house was destroyed on site, it was taken off the menu, and four Loko Thursdays is cancelled.

A tipster who was at the restaurant at the time sends in this (blurry) image of the crackdown in action. As you may recall, last week the NYDN ran an article about Four Loko that featured Huang and also this quote from SLA spokeperson William Crowley: "The chef should consider staying in the kitchen and away from the bar unless he's looking to lose his liquor license." Head over to Fresh Off the Boat for more of Eddie's thoughts on the legal side of things.
· Maker of Four Loko to Stop Shipments to NY States [WSJ]
· Goodnight Four Loko Thursdays... [Fresh Off the Boat]
· All Eddie Huang Coverage on Eater [~ENY~]
· All Four Loko Coverage [~ENY~]