Florida Woman Sues Bacardi Over Injuries Allegedly Caused by Flaming Rum Shot
Wednesday, July 26, 2006

MIAMI — A woman who was allegedly severely burned by flaming rum during a Bacardi promotion sued the wine and spirits producer, claiming the product was defective and dangerous.

Danielle Alleyne, of Miami, suffered horrific burns after she was hit by the flaming rum at a Miami night club in August 2002, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.

"The burning rum stuck to her skin and continued to burn as she fell to the floor and tried to put herself out," the lawsuit said.

Alleyne suffered second and third degree burns on her face, neck, chest and back and is permanently disabled and disfigured, the lawsuit said.

After hours telephone messages left at the Miami-based Bacardi USA, Inc., were not immediately returned.

A bartender, who was not identified in the lawsuit, was pouring shots when a customer lit a menu on fire and placed it in the stream of alcohol. A bottle of Bacardi 151 that was being used to pour the shots turned into a flame thrower and sent flaming rum all over Alleyne, the lawsuit said.

People are idiots. That's unfortunate. Bacardi 151 comes with a screen on the top to help prevent flame from entering the bottle. Might have been removed? I don't knwo that it really does anything, but I would not want to find out either.

Thats why they call this state Flori-Duh!

A bartender, who was not identified in the lawsuit, was pouring shots when a customer lit a menu on fire and placed it in the stream of alcohol.

It seems to me the pyro customer is the one at fault. To blame it on Bacardi is just as stupid as anyone who serves or drinks 151 straight.

On 2006-07-26 10:43, thejab wrote:

A bartender, who was not identified in the lawsuit, was pouring shots when a customer lit a menu on fire and placed it in the stream of alcohol.

It seems to me the pyro customer is the one at fault. To blame it on Bacardi is just as stupid as anyone who serves or drinks 151 straight.

Yeah. The same would be true if you were pumping gas and someone came over and lit it on fire. You don't suit Exxon for that.

Idiots! Defective? I thought the whole point of 151 was that it DOES catch on fire!

That's just stupid. I'm sorry she was burned (although I have my doubts that she suffered third degree burns, since you can douse your hand in that stuff, light it, and not get burned at all due to the properties of evaporating alcohol) but what do I know?

I think she has a lawsuit, but absolutely not against Bacardi. How about the bartender, the person who lit it, and the bar itself?

Chris

The heck with Bacardi, I'm going to try that lighter/flamethrower trick when I fill my car up tonight. If I get burned doing it I can sue an oil company.

I'll have more money than the woman who spilled coffee in her lap at McDonalds.

You know, this is a great item to send to "Myth Busters"! I wanna see the Bacardi flame thrower!

On 2006-07-27 06:27, Swanky wrote:
the Bacardi flame thrower!

ia this the name of a cocktail yet? :D

On 2006-07-27 06:27, Swanky wrote:
You know, this is a great item to send to "Myth Busters"! I wanna see the Bacardi flame thrower!

No you don't. I was reading a story about the early days of Don the Beachcomber, one of the people who worked for him was burned and nearly died in a mishap with a bottle of 151 rum.

Rum Flamethrower: Fill up a super soaker with rum and tape a lighter to the front of it. Kids don't try this at home.

There is a video on the internet where some idiot lights himself on fire doing flaming shots. Anyone have a link to it?

This has nothing to do with tiki, but follow this link if you are interested in alcohol fuel backpacking stoves made from soda cans (which can burn 151 rum as fuel).
Zen Stoves
Yes, Ethyl alcohol is a beverage and a fuel too.

On 2006-07-26 07:19, Loki wrote:
Thats why they call this state Flori-Duh!

You said it, brother. As this incident demonstrates, no places pumps out darwin award candidates like Miami.
At least one random act of stupidity per day.

On 2006-07-26 10:56, Swanky wrote:

On 2006-07-26 10:43, thejab wrote:

To blame it on Bacardi is just as stupid as anyone who serves or drinks 151 straight.

Yeah. The same would be true if you were pumping gas and someone came over and lit it on fire. You don't suit Exxon for that.

Unfortunately, in today's society, that's exactly what you do. You don't go after the person who's fault it is...You go after the one with the most cash and the most to loose, regardless of their true liability. And sympathetic jurys are easy to come by. Profiteering at its worst.

Some years ago, I had posted a story about how then President Nixon was trying to impress his daughter Julie by lighting some potent liquor (the Chinese maotai, a gift from the Chinese government)) in his office, and accidentally spilled some of the liquor, and started his desk on fire.

I couldn't find those old posts, but I found this summary from the web, from the website of a Chinese distillery. I find the somewhat fractured translated English makes the story even more fascinating

At the end of Feb 1972, Nixon returned to Washington after signing Sino-US Shanghai Joint Communique with Zhou Enlai. The successful visit to China made the President feel excited. The improvised performance of Zhou Enlai in burning the liquor was still clear in his mind. When he told his daughter some interesting things during his visit to China, he wanted her to sense the "interest" of Moutai. He poured a bottle of Moutai into a bowl and burned it. To his surprise, the blue flame jumped, and never died out, soon it broke the bowl. Immediately the burning Moutai flowed over the desk, and it made all members of the "First Family" of the US feel started. They tried all means and extinguish the fire. After that, Kissinger humorously said, "Extinguishing the fire has prevented the tragedy of a nation. Or else, Nixon government will end sooner." In his talks with Deng Xiaoping in 1974, Kissinger also mentioned it, and told Deng Xiaoping, in a significant way,
"Do you know¡­¡­ so you almost burned the White House."

Nixon wanted to simulate the performance of Zhou Enlai, but he neglected the essential issue of quantity. What Zhou Enlai burned is a small cup, while what Nixon burned is a big bowl. It is no wonder why "Moutai" can make the Nixon family a group of frenzy fire-fighters.

The moral being that this type of thing - accidentally spilling your liquor ablaze, can happen to anyone.

Vern