Five Boston Bars Charged With ‘Pay-to-Play’ Tap Violations

At a public hearing Wednesday, the commission released the results of a lengthy investigation that detailed how the distributor, Craft Beer Guild LLC, routinely paid five major Boston restaurant and bar owners $1,000 to $2,000 for each “dedicated” beer tap at their bars, with the payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars a year for several of the companies.

Earlier Wednesday, the agency cited five bars with violating pay-to-play regulations:

■ Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill, in the Seaport, owned by Cronin Group

■ Estelle’s, a South End bar owned by Wilcox Group

■ Gather, in the Seaport, owned by Briar Group

■ Game On Fenway, a bar near Fenway Park owned by Lyons Group

■ Coogan’s, in the Financial District and owned by Glynn Hospitality Group.