Jenya
04-06-2005, 07:24 PM
Canadian Breweries Add Caffeine Kick in Their Beer
CTV News (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1110831700168_106240900/?hub=TopStories)
Tuesday March 15, 2005
Canada's two main beer giants are trying to "Shok" and "Kick" Canadians into trying something new -- caffeinated beer. But some say the drinks have all the ingredients for disaster.
Robert Solomon, a law professor and the director of legal policies for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, has one word for the beers: irresponsible.
"Great idea: Alcohol and caffeine! So now we'll have wide awake drunk kids on our roads!" a clearly irritated Solomon told CTV News.
The caffeine in the beers comes from guarana, an extract from a climbing shrub native to the Amazon region. Molson Canada says the plant is "a natural source" of caffeine that has been the subject of intriguing claims about "supernatural powers."
Molson Canada's Babita Khunkhun says her brewery spent two years working on their formulation, hoping to tap into the guarana-enriched beverage market that in places like Brazil, is bigger than the cola market.
"As you may know, guarana-enriched beverages are gaining in popularity in South America. And our market research with Canadian beer drinkers found that this is what they wanted," she told CTV News
Guarana is often found in herbal weight loss products, aphrodisiacs and brain stimulants, promising to impede sleep and suppress appetite. But none of those properties have been proven, says Shannon Kaupp, a Toronto doctor of naturopathic medicine.
"People may assume it's healthy because it comes from a plant -- and many plants and herbs are safe -- but many are not," Kaupp cautions.
Kaupp told CTV News that guarana, like caffeine, is a diuretic that will increase urination and accelerate dehydration, while quickening the heartbeat. She says that could cause problems, especially for those with heart conditions, or blood pressure kidney problems.
"I don't think it's ever a good idea to mix stimulants with depressants," Kaupp says.
Labatt's Shok has 6.9 per cent alcohol by volume and comes in a 250-ml bottle, meaning you'll get as much alcohol as in a regular 341-ml bottle of beer.
Solomon says he is furious that brewers are still allowed to sell extra-strength beers and says he doesn't understand how these products ever get to market.
"They are marketing these products to kids who want to get drunk -- kids who are inexperienced drinkers and who are inexperienced drivers.
"Drivers under 25 are already overrepresented in traffic accidents and in alcohol-related accidents. How many dead young people do we want on our roads?"
Molson's new beer will be marketed in what the brewer calls "a fast chilling" aluminum bottle, as well as cans. Khunkhun says the beer is meant to appeal to "contemporary" beer drinkers.
Solomon says it is obvious to him what that means: youth.
"If you're over 35, are you going to buy it? I know I'm not going to buy it. It's quite clear they're trying to make the packaging look like it's the new Coke can. It's exactly their market and it's predatory marketing."
Solomon worries the beer will give young drivers the impression they're more alert when they get behind the wheel.
But Khunkhun says that's not how they are marketing the beer at all.
"We want to be clear that this isn't an energy drink. It's a traditional-tasting lager, with a smooth crisp taste," she says.
Molson's Kick will be available throughout Ontario, Quebec and Western Canada beginning March 21. It will make its way to the Atlantic provinces on April 1.
Shok will first be available in Ontario and Quebec in early April. It will then roll out across the rest of Canada.
Both are preceded by Anheuser-Busch's B-to-the-E, a similar mix of beer, caffeine and ginseng released by the U.S. brewing giant last October.
CTV News (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1110831700168_106240900/?hub=TopStories)
Tuesday March 15, 2005
Canada's two main beer giants are trying to "Shok" and "Kick" Canadians into trying something new -- caffeinated beer. But some say the drinks have all the ingredients for disaster.
Robert Solomon, a law professor and the director of legal policies for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, has one word for the beers: irresponsible.
"Great idea: Alcohol and caffeine! So now we'll have wide awake drunk kids on our roads!" a clearly irritated Solomon told CTV News.
The caffeine in the beers comes from guarana, an extract from a climbing shrub native to the Amazon region. Molson Canada says the plant is "a natural source" of caffeine that has been the subject of intriguing claims about "supernatural powers."
Molson Canada's Babita Khunkhun says her brewery spent two years working on their formulation, hoping to tap into the guarana-enriched beverage market that in places like Brazil, is bigger than the cola market.
"As you may know, guarana-enriched beverages are gaining in popularity in South America. And our market research with Canadian beer drinkers found that this is what they wanted," she told CTV News
Guarana is often found in herbal weight loss products, aphrodisiacs and brain stimulants, promising to impede sleep and suppress appetite. But none of those properties have been proven, says Shannon Kaupp, a Toronto doctor of naturopathic medicine.
"People may assume it's healthy because it comes from a plant -- and many plants and herbs are safe -- but many are not," Kaupp cautions.
Kaupp told CTV News that guarana, like caffeine, is a diuretic that will increase urination and accelerate dehydration, while quickening the heartbeat. She says that could cause problems, especially for those with heart conditions, or blood pressure kidney problems.
"I don't think it's ever a good idea to mix stimulants with depressants," Kaupp says.
Labatt's Shok has 6.9 per cent alcohol by volume and comes in a 250-ml bottle, meaning you'll get as much alcohol as in a regular 341-ml bottle of beer.
Solomon says he is furious that brewers are still allowed to sell extra-strength beers and says he doesn't understand how these products ever get to market.
"They are marketing these products to kids who want to get drunk -- kids who are inexperienced drinkers and who are inexperienced drivers.
"Drivers under 25 are already overrepresented in traffic accidents and in alcohol-related accidents. How many dead young people do we want on our roads?"
Molson's new beer will be marketed in what the brewer calls "a fast chilling" aluminum bottle, as well as cans. Khunkhun says the beer is meant to appeal to "contemporary" beer drinkers.
Solomon says it is obvious to him what that means: youth.
"If you're over 35, are you going to buy it? I know I'm not going to buy it. It's quite clear they're trying to make the packaging look like it's the new Coke can. It's exactly their market and it's predatory marketing."
Solomon worries the beer will give young drivers the impression they're more alert when they get behind the wheel.
But Khunkhun says that's not how they are marketing the beer at all.
"We want to be clear that this isn't an energy drink. It's a traditional-tasting lager, with a smooth crisp taste," she says.
Molson's Kick will be available throughout Ontario, Quebec and Western Canada beginning March 21. It will make its way to the Atlantic provinces on April 1.
Shok will first be available in Ontario and Quebec in early April. It will then roll out across the rest of Canada.
Both are preceded by Anheuser-Busch's B-to-the-E, a similar mix of beer, caffeine and ginseng released by the U.S. brewing giant last October.