A two-year-old girl was hospitalized after a restaurant in Salinas, California, accidentally served her wine instead of juice during a family dinner.
The incident occurred at Fujiyama Japanese Restaurant, where the toddler’s parents, Noemi Valencia and her partner, noticed their daughter exhibiting unusual behaviour.
The child began slurring her words, swaying, and struggling to stand, prompting concern from her parents. Noemi initially believed her daughter was simply tired, but upon inspecting the contents of her juice cup’s lid, she discovered that the brownish-red liquid inside was alcohol.
Alarmed, the parents rushed their daughter to the emergency room, where medical tests revealed her blood alcohol level to be 0.12%—nearly twice the legal driving limit for adults. The toddler was treated and has since made a full recovery.
A manager at the restaurant explained that the incident was caused by a server who mistakenly gave the child house-made cooking wine, which had been mislabeled as apple juice. In response, Noemi urged parents to be vigilant and taste what is served to their children. She also called on the restaurant to implement better storage and labelling practices to prevent similar incidents.
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has been notified of the incident and is working with local authorities to investigate the matter.
