|
MillerCoors' Newest Beverage May Cause Sparks |
|
Wednesday, 20 August 2008 |
MillerCoors LLC, already under fire for selling an alcohol drink that includes caffeine, may soon be facing more heat for a new version of that drink that has more alcohol.
MillerCoors is launching Sparks Red, an extension of its Sparks product line. Sparks, a citrus-flavored malt drink with caffeine and other stimulants, is 6% alcohol by volume. MillerCoors also makes Sparks Light, with 6% alcohol, and Sparks Plus, with 7% alcohol.
Sparks Red is 8% alcohol, according to filings with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a federal government agency that regulates alcoholic beverages. It will be sold starting in October.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest says Sparks contains stimulants that are not officially approved for use in alcoholic drinks. The group also accuses MillerCoors of false advertising by suggesting those stimulants will help combat the effects of alcohol.
Sparks and similar drinks create "wide-awake drunks," said George Hacker, director of the center's alcohol policies project.
The nonprofit health advocacy group, based in Washington, D.C., has threatened to seek a judge's order prohibiting MillerCoors and other companies from combining stimulants with alcohol. The center, a frequent critic of alcoholic-drink makers, also might ask that companies' profits from the drinks be diverted to a charitable fund.
The group made similar comments about Bud Extra and Tilt, two caffeine-infused drinks made by Anheuser-Busch Cos. In June, Anheuser-Busch said it would remove caffeine and other stimulants from Bud Extra and Tilt.
MillerCoors representatives, however, refused to meet with center officials, Hacker said. He said the company's decision to launch a new version of Sparks with more alcohol is "even more troubling."
Sparks Red is being launched in response to consumer demand, which includes purchases of competing products with similar alcohol levels, said MillerCoors spokesman Julian Green.
"We're always looking for ways to keep things fresh and interesting for Sparks consumers," Green said. "We think there's some growth there and we're going to get it."
There are other malt drinks with 8% alcohol, including Steel Reserve, a MillerCoors lager, as well as craft beers with 9% alcohol or higher. The main brands sold by MillerCoors, including Miller Lite, Coors Light and Miller High Life, have alcohol content of 4% to 5%.
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau officials have approved the product formulations and labeling for Sparks Red, Green said.
Federal regulations do not allow advertisements implying that such drinks have a stimulating effect. Nor do they allow marketing that suggests a drink can be consumed without feeling the effects of alcohol.
McKenzie River Corp., a San Francisco-based beverage marketing firm, launched Sparks in 2002, and Miller Brewing Co. bought the Sparks and Steel Reserve brands from the firm in 2006.
The Sparks brands make up only around 0.5% of the annual sales volume of MillerCoors. But sales of Sparks are increasing rapidly.
Copyright (c) 2008, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
|
