Fredericton — A New Brunswick man has chained himself to the doors of a Fredericton NB Liquor location after he missed out on a bottle of Moonshine Creek/Ganong Chicken Bones Liqueur for a second time in a month.

Denis Cormier arrived at the uptown ANBL outlet Tuesday morning determined to get his hands on a bottle of the elusive holiday beverage, but, like so many others, ended up disappointed.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying, however.

“I admit, I lollygagged and missed the sale in November. I didn’t realize folks were going to be lined up out the door to get it. So when they told me there’d be another sale today, I knew I had to pounce because second chances are rare.”

The 54-year-old labourer even went so far as taking a vacation day to be there for the 10 a.m. opening.

“That’s a separate complaint altogether,” he snapped. “Who opens at 10 a.m.? The rest of the world starts at 8, or 9 at the latest, but I digress.”

Cormier said he woke up early and arrived shortly before 6 a.m. While surprised to find about 50 people already in line, he remained undeterred.

“I figure I’m still a lock for a bottle, right? They know the demand is huge, there has to be way more than 50 bottles in there.”

But Cormier’s optimism faded soon after the doors opened and he overheard they’d already sold out.

“I’m hearing this while I’m watching buddy walk out with 15 bottles. FIFTEEN BOTTLES! Says it’s for friends and family, having a good laugh about it too might I add. Pfff, what a joke. Tell your friends and family to come down and wait in line like the rest of us, bud.”

At the end of the day, Cormier says the buck stops with NB Liquor.

“They tell us to drink responsibly and they’re letting people walk out the door with enough booze to float a battleship. It’s ridiculous.”

ANBL declined a request for an interview but sympathized with Cormier. In an emailed statement to The Manatee, the Crown corporation said it would explore all legal options to rectify the situation.

“The ANBL team is committed to delivering the B.E.S.T. (Better. Every. Single. Time.) retail customer experience and regret that we failed in this instance. For this reason, we are consulting with our team of lawyers to determine if we can somehow legally force those customers who purchased more than one bottle to return any extras they may still have.”

But that’s of little consolation to Cormier, who calls the idea “government stupidity at its finest.”

“We all know those bottles are long gone,” he said, rattling his chains. “So that’s why I’m here — to give them an ultimatum. I either leave with a bottle of the stuff, or I won’t leave at all. That’s right, I’m not leaving until I get what’s owed to me.”

Cormier took the rest of the week off as vacation, and hopes NB Liquor tracks down a bottle soon, or that some good Samaritan takes pity and brings him one. He says it’s not a decision he takes lightly and regrets that it’s had to come to this.

“I don’t want to say Christmas is ruined…but without a bottle of Chicken Bones Liqueur, Christmas is ruined.”