What is an alcopop really?
Alcopops are sweet alcoholic beverages that result from mixing a distilled beverage (such as vodka, gin, or whiskey) and a non-alcoholic beverage (such as lemonade, fruit juice, or soda). These drinks are often targeted at teenagers and young adults, who are drawn to their sweet taste and low alcohol content. But what are the origin, regulation and evolution of these controversial drinks?
The history of alcopops dates back to the 1980s, when brands like Bacardi Breezer, Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard Lemonade started appearing on the American market. These drinks were inspired by cocktails prepared with spirits and sodas, such as Cuba libre or gin and tonic. They aimed to appeal to a female and young clientele, who were looking for lighter and fruitier drinks than beer or wine. These drinks enjoyed increasing success in the 1990s, thanks in particular to effective advertising campaigns and distribution in supermarkets and petrol stations.
In Europe, alcopops appeared in the 1990s, under the influence of American brands or local brands such as Hooch, WKD or Boomerang. They also benefited from a craze for rave culture and electronic music, which encouraged the consumption of energy and stimulating drinks. Alcopops quickly captured a large share of the alcoholic beverage market, especially among young consumers.
Why did they disappear?
However, alcopops have also aroused numerous criticisms and concerns, in particular from health authorities and associations for the prevention of alcoholism. Indeed, these drinks were accused of promoting excessive alcohol consumption among minors, of masking the effects of drunkenness by their sweet taste and of trivializing alcohol as an innocuous drink. Several studies have shown that alcopops are associated with an increased risk of road accidents, violence, behavioral disorders or addiction.
Faced with this alarming observation, several countries have decided to take measures to limit the distribution and appeal of alcopops. In Switzerland, for example, a special tax was introduced in 2004 on alcopops, amounting to 116 francs per liter of pure alcohol1. This tax aims to increase the price of alcopops and deter producers from targeting young people with their sugary drinks. In addition, the sale of alcohol is prohibited to minors under the age of 16 in Switzerland2, which also concerns alcopops.
The Swiss market
These measures have had a significant impact on the alcopops market, which has experienced a significant decline since the early 2000s. According to a 2012 study by the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Other Drug Addiction (ISPA), consumption of alcopops among young people fell by 80% between 2003 and 20113. Young people turned to other types of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine or pure spirits.
However, alcopops producers have not given up on the regulations and have sought to adapt their recipes to circumvent the special tax or to attract new consumers. Some have thus replaced distilled beverages with fermented alcohols, such as beer, cider or wine, which are not subject to the special tax. These fermented alcohol mixes have a sugar content of 50 grams per liter or more and an alcohol content of between 1.2 and 15% by volume. They are also flavored with fruit juices, colorings or sweeteners. Others have launched carbonated alcoholic drinks, called hard seltzers, which are associated with a healthy lifestyle because they are low in sugar and calories. They nevertheless contain alcohol, which is generally obtained by fermentation of malt or sugar. These drinks are also flavored with natural or artificial flavors.
And Mullet Tea?
We opted for the creation of a drink based on vodka (and therefore distilled alcohol). But in order not to fall under the Swiss alcopops law, we have decided to limit the sugar level of our cold teas. Located below the legal limit of 5gr of sugar (all sugars combined) for 100gr of liquid, we have managed to keep an ultra pleasant and refreshing taste, without sweeteners or flavor enhancers. And it also has the advantage of giving you a tasty but very low calorie drink.
