(Newser) – Who knew the Pogues' "Streams of Whiskey" was more than just a metaphor? A mix-up at a Chivas Brothers plant in Scotland in the wee hours of Tuesday morning resulted in around 4,750 gallons of whisky—about $750,000 worth—getting flushed down the drain, reports the Scottish Sun. The mistake occurred during the night shift; workers washing out the equipment were supposed to drain the water and cleaning solution from the tanks, but the whisky got released instead.

The BBC reports that sewage workers noticed the intense smell and were working to ID the source when the plant contacted them; the Sun notes that the mix-up wasn't discovered until 11am. Scottish Water is investigating, and a rep for the water works notes that, "Discharging large volumes of alcohol into the sewer network can have an adverse impact on waste water treatment processes, particularly during dry, cold weather." (Read more whiskey stories.)

