B to the E...Sparks...Tilt? Beer Meets RedBull.

[Evan!]

I honestly wasn't aware that these were actually beer products. I figured they were just alcopops with caffeine. But I was just reading this piece on their "controversial" status...and their success despite that manufactured controversy:

That’s one of the things that put energy beers on the hit list of antialcohol groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which recently announced its intent to sue A.B. and Miller over the drinks, charging that they are aimed at underage drinkers and contain more alcohol than standard beers. Similar organizations have agitated for taxing the drinks at the higher liquor rate and for banning any use of caffeine in alcohol beverages. Last year 29 state attorneys general sent a letter to A.B. that sharply criticized the company’s energy beers, including a 12 percent alcohol product called Spykes—packaged in 2-ounce bottles—that has since been withdrawn.

Even though caffeine-overdose deaths are very rare, assertions are being made that alcohol energy drinks suppress the effects of intoxication, leading young people to drink more than they would otherwise. These new drinks are deemed different and dangerous, because, they note, they’re “marketed to underage drinkers.”

For anyone who isn't aware, I feel that this is a perfect time to note that any time you hear about "Center for Science in the Public Interest", it's obligatory to roll your eyes and yell "pshaw!". They are, quite simply, food Nazi's. See here. These are the idiots who want us all to eat alfalfa sprouts and carrots. Perhaps we should hear it from the horse's mouth:

"CSPI is proud of finding something wrong with practically everything."

-Michael Jacobsen, founder of CSPI.

...but I digress. This is a good read nonetheless. As much as I would never drink any of this crap, it really grinds my gears any time some puritan neoprohibitionists (especially a crooked group like CSPI) use appeals to "won't somebody please think of the children" to infringe on a company's right to sell to cognizant adults. Of course, CSPI can't prove that a disproportionate amount of underagers actually drink this stuff...but why should we let facts get in the way of emotion-driven nannyism?

[/rant]

 

[FishinDave07]

Good find Evan! Those drinks seem like a nice way to go into cardiac arrest Depressent + Stimulant = Depressulant. I wonder how long it will be until somebody decides to make an "Energy Ale"

 

[dirtymike1]

Good find Evan! Those drinks seem like a nice way to go into cardiac arrest Depressent + Stimulant = Depressulant. I wonder how long it will be until somebody decides to make an "Energy Ale"

Well I have to say, I've tried quite a few of those drinks, and most of them are horrible. Yes the ABV is high, most are around 8%. Yes they are loaded with caffine, just like any energy drink. But they do get you wasted at warp speed. Being a broke kid, it's easy enough to buy one of those and have a dman good buzz about half way through it. But the do all taste like poo....

As far as CPIS, why is a group like this even aloud to voice thier opinion. I love that quote, "we find something wrong with everything"..... Get a life

HORRAY BEER!

 

[Evan!]

As far as CPIS, why is a group like this even aloud to voice thier opinion. I love that quote, "we find something wrong with everything"..... Get a life

HORRAY BEER!

Ah, now, I'll support CSPI's right to voice their opinions---that's what makes this country great, the right to voice your opinions no matter how imbecile they are. The problem is that they are actually taken seriously...as if they are an authority on all matters of health and science because they call themselves "Center for Science in the Public Interest". I lost count of how many times I've heard news outlets quote them as some kind objective authority on any number of matters related to food, obesity, etc., when it's clear to anyone paying attention that they're a biased special interest group.

 

[JustDave]

CSPI: "Sit back and relax, we'll do your parenting for you."

 

[MrFebtober]

Well, I don't know much about these "alcopops" (I thought Spraks was just a Red Bull competitor) but there's clearly a market for them for a generation of kids who grew up drinking pop instead of water. I was even less familiar with CSPI but it does sound like they're at least as mis-informed as PETA. I agree with Evan!, who cares if kids want it. That's why we have a well-enforced drinking age limit. As long as it doesn't pose health hazards more significant than other alcoholic bevs, I don't see how they can ban these products.

 

[Evan!]

Well, I don't know much about these "alcopops" (I thought Spraks was just a Red Bull competitor) but there's clearly a market for them for a generation of kids who grew up drinking pop instead of water. I was even less familiar with CSPI but it does sound like they're at least as mis-informed as PETA. I agree with Evan!, who cares if kids want it. That's why we have a well-enforced drinking age limit. As long as it doesn't pose health hazards more significant than other alcoholic bevs, I don't see how they can ban these products.

They can ban them because they've got the guns Anyway, yeah, this "it's for the children" mantra has long been a problem for well-meaning people in the alcoholic beverage industry. I'm not sure how many remember or even know about the problems that the Shelton Bros. had to go through with their "Bad Elf" and "Santa's Butt" label disputes with the government. The 'tards who lord over us thought that, because they had pictures of Santa and elves on the labels, that they were actively marketing to children. Ugh.

 

[uglygoat]

are these guys like eco-terrorists, only in lab coats, and with the occasional shower?

 

[Evan!]

are these guys like eco-terrorists, only in lab coats, and with the occasional shower?

That pretty much sums it up. Oddly enough (not really), there are only a handful of real bonafide scientists in their ranks. The rest consists of food politicians like Jacobsen and Marion Nestle.

 

[iamjonsharp]

Yeah, I've always found it interesting how doing things bassackwards can avoid higher taxation and save money in the process. If you make a 5% abv beer, take out all the flavors and color, add sugars and new flavors, its a flavored malt beverage and is taxed as a beer. If you take a soda, and add alcohol to make it 5% abv, it gets taxed as a liquor because it contains distilled spirits. With the much higher tax rates on distilled spirits, it's cheaper to make malt flavored beverages.

Imported sugars are taxed so high, it was cheaper for sugar manufacturers to mix the sugar with ice tea mix, import the ice tea mix, and then sift the sugar from the ice tea mix and resell the sugar. But then the government caught on, and now charges a tariff on the percentage of sugar content of imported goods.

One of CSPI's and other similar groups arguments are that since the end result of malt flavored beverages and beverages with liquor added are the same, they should be taxed at the higher rate of distilled liquor. Their argument is obviously based on their desires to curb underage drinking, and not based on fair taxation. If anything, it should be the opposite. One solution would be similar to the proportional sugar tarriffs (not that really high imported sugar tariffs are fair): if your alcopop has a certain percentage of distilled spirits, it is taxed at a percentage of the distilled spirits tax.

 

[dirtymike1]

Ah, now, I'll support CSPI's right to voice their opinions---that's what makes this country great, the right to voice your opinions no matter how imbecile they are. The problem is that they are actually taken seriously...as if they are an authority on all matters of health and science because they call themselves "Center for Science in the Public Interest". I lost count of how many times I've heard news outlets quote them as some kind objective authority on any number of matters related to food, obesity, etc., when it's clear to anyone paying attention that they're a biased special interest group.

Sorry, I should have worded myself better. Yes, everyone should have the right to voice there opinion, but like you said, they are NOT an authority and are being paraded around like one.

I remember when I was a kid, my Mom heard something on the news about how peanut butter was cancerous, and it's killing the kids of America. That was all propagated by CSPI. I don't think that ever person with a mircophone should be put on a podium.

 

[Evan!]

Sorry, I should have worded myself better. Yes, everyone should have the right to voice there opinion, but like you said, they are NOT an authority and are being paraded around like one.

I remember when I was a kid, my Mom heard something on the news about how peanut butter was cancerous, and it's killing the kids of America. That was all propagated by CSPI. I don't think that ever person with a mircophone should be put on a podium.

Those d-bags started out with a newsletter, sort of like consumer reports, listing nutritional info on a bunch of fast food items, etc. and telling people that they should probably steer clear of the triple whopper with extra cheese. Fine, I can respect that. But then, after awhile, they figured out that they can get much more play as a nanny-statist self-proclaimed "expert" on matters of food, health, obesity, etc. If they had just stuck to their newsletter and let me alone to eat my steak and drink my booze, I'd have no problem.

 

[MrFebtober]

How much have these nutbars really accomplished? They seem to make a lot of noise, but what evil legislature have they actually accomplished (i.e. how worried should we be)?

 

[dirtymike1]

Those d-bags started out with a newsletter, sort of like consumer reports, listing nutritional info on a bunch of fast food items, etc. and telling people that they should probably steer clear of the triple whopper with extra cheese. Fine, I can respect that. But then, after awhile, they figured out that they can get much more play as a nanny-statist self-proclaimed "expert" on matters of food, health, obesity, etc. If they had just stuck to their newsletter and let me alone to eat my steak and drink my booze, I'd have no problem.

HERE HERE!!!!! I cheers to that!!!!

I can't read up on CSPI right now, to damn busy at work. But from what you all are saying, it's like these people are the ones backing the fatty's to sue McDonalds for making them fat.... Because it IS McDonalds fault you know.....

 

[Evan!]

How much have these nutbars really accomplished? They seem to make a lot of noise, but what evil legislature have they actually accomplished (i.e. how worried should we be)?

Thankfully, not much short of requiring fast food restaurants to post nutritional info. I'm more worried, though, about the chilling effect it has on the judicial system from their constant frivolous suits, and the way that they subtly but purposely help to push the attitude in DC and state capitols towards the idea that the government needs to be worrying about our personal choices. It ends up pervading many other areas of life...see Washington DC's recent smoking ban for restaurants and bars.

But I digress...don't want this to end up a political debate. Just wanted to rant on the idiocy of these bastards.

 

[arturo7]

In defense of Sparks and the like, there is a time and a place for them.

Doing yard work in the mid to late afternoon.

Starting to feel a bit tired? Slam one of these and power through to the end of your project.

 

[bottleopener]

Good find Evan! Those drinks seem like a nice way to go into cardiac arrest Depressent + Stimulant = Depressulant. I wonder how long it will be until somebody decides to make an "Energy Ale"

A little extra "DME powder" from colombia?

 

[Evan!]

In defense of Sparks and the like, there is a time and a place for them.

Doing yard work in the mid to late afternoon.

Starting to feel a bit tired? Slam one of these and power through to the end of your project.

I'd rather just pound a red bull or a shot of espresso, then drink some homebrew.

 

[Sea]

I don't really buy the "marketed to kids" line. My kids certainly aren't drinking energy drinks, they've got plenty of energy on their own.

I don't know which wealthy suburb these pretentious CSPI idiots grew up in, but when I was an underaged "shoulder-tapper," I was happy with whatever alcoholic beverage I could get my hands on. I certainly wans't demanding a specific brand because of some imaginary add campaign.