Sure, everyone wants a bit of bubbly to ring in the New Year on Dec. 31, but the way to do it is purchase it. Which means you should not stuff a bunch of Champagne down your pants and just walk out of the liquor store. Because while it’s impressive that one could fit so many bottles securely in clothing, that’s stealing.

A liquor store in Englewood, Colo. is out $1,100 in bubbly, and is blaming a man the store’s security camera captured apparently shoving the bottles down his pants when a clerk turned away, reports 9 News (video in link autoplays).

He made it out of the store without being caught, despite the fact that he struck up a conversation with the clerk before he left.

“I think he knew what he was after. He seemed to dial right in on the champagne,” the store’s general manager and buyer says. “[He was] wearing clothes that were appropriate for trying to steal things, loose-fitting clothes.”

It would appear he’s got classy taste — no $6 bottles of bubbly for him — he only took very fancy stuff. The three bottles he took included a $260 Roederer Cristal, a $260 Pol Roger, and the most expensive bottle in the store, a $550 Salon Blanc de blanc.

“It’s really hard on a small business, amazingly hard,” the manager said. “People are much more aware and on their guard now.”

The store has sent images from the surveillance video to other businesses in the area to warn them about the thief, and the police are investigating.

Champagne thief caught on camera stealing expensive bottles of bubbly From Englewood store [9 News]

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