Medford liquor board takes beer hall case under advisement
Liquor License Commission · Meeting of September 16, 2026
Medford liquor board defers ruling on beer hall after teen's hospitalization. Commission Chairman Robert Delefano and Commissioner Alan Latarana heard a Medford Police sergeant's report that a 19-year-old, identified as Arisha Bassnet, was hospitalized for intoxication after a June 24 World Cup watch party at Great American Beer Hall, then took the matter under advisement without a vote. Owner Brian Zaffer said the bar overhauled its policies the next morning, adding wristbands for under-21 patrons and barring anyone under 21 after 7 p.m., telling commissioners, "We knew that these parties were going to get bigger and bigger as they went." The sergeant, citing the bar's seven-day video retention, admitted he failed to request footage that could have confirmed how the teen obtained her drinks.
Separately, the commission unanimously approved eight one-day and license-amendment requests, including a beer garden for the city's Harvest Your Energy Festival, a chamber of commerce Oktoberfest, four Arts Collaborative Medford fundraisers, and a relocation for Medford Cappy's Inc. to 50 Station Landing.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,394 words
Source: the Liquor License Commission meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 30-day free trial
Subscribe to Medford News to keep reading this post and get 30 days of free access to the full post archives.
Starting a trial requires a payment method. After 30 free days your subscription begins at the price shown at checkout and renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account. Subscription terms
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news