Five go mad on ginger pop? Children's tipple gets a kick

Published on Saturday 18 July 2009 19:47

IT IS the most wholesome of drinks that was gleefully glugged at picnics and midnight feasts by the Famous Five and Billy Bunter.

But now a Scottish brand has shaken up lashings and lashings of controversy by launching an altogether more adult version of ginger beer.

Millions of pounds are to be spent promoting Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer, which packs a 4% punch.

One of Scotland's leading alcohol experts claims the move is "highly irresponsible" and believes that it, and other alcopops, are little more than a "launch pad" for young drinkers.

But the makers of the drink insist they are targeting their version of the traditional thirst quencher solely at over 25-year-olds.

Crabbie's, which opened in Leith in 1801, are best known for producing ginger wine. The new product will be made at Broxburn, West Lothian.

But the firm, which is now part of the larger Halewood drinks group, is looking to court a younger, trendier audience by launching Alcoholic Ginger Beer.

The brand, which is being stocked at Asda, Sainsburys, The Co-op, Morrisons, Waitrose and the All Bar One bar chain, will officially be launched next month with a major marketing blitz and UK-wide promotional roadshow.

But Dr Evelyn Gillan of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) feels the drink will have a particular appeal to teenage drinkers.

The medical group's project manager said: "Halewood, which now owns Crabbie's, are the producers of Lambrini which is specifically marketed at young women.

"The big global alcohol producers specifically design these 'alcopops' to attract what they describe in their own marketing documents as 'entry level drinkers'.

"Ginger beer is a flavour that many young people are familiar with.

"The companies go with flavours that are well known and add alcohol to them as a way of attracting younger drinkers."

The medic claimed alcopops were designed as "launching pads" for young tipplers.

She said: "It clearly works, as the most recent study showed that 70% of 15-year-old girls in Scotland who had consumed alcohol in the previous week had drunk alcopops.

"This is highly irresponsible marketing, particularly when you consider that the earlier a young person drinks, the higher the risk that they go on to develop alcohol-related problems in later life.

"The alcohol industry tells us it is really concerned about alcohol misuse, but that really doesn't square with producing ginger beer, chocolate milkshake, strawberry cheesecake and banoffee flavoured drinks that are designed to get young people interested."

The medic added: "I don't understand why Crabbie's had to put out an alcoholic ginger beer when they could just have put out a really nice traditional ginger beer."

But a spokeswoman for Halewood insisted it was aiming at an older market and was serious about promoting responsible drinking.

She said: "Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer is clearly targeted towards grown-ups only, and we ensure that our marketing communications are directed at people over the age of 25, who are our core target market.

"As they tour the country our roadshow team enforce a strict 25 and over sampling policy."

The firm stressed that its product carried a message urging people to "be drink aware and know their limits" and said access to its website was age restricted.

They are launching a 500,000 sampling roadshow and is about to unleash a TV, radio, poster and press publicity campaign.

Halewood is hoping its new product, which is served in 500ml bottles and sells for around 1.99 a bottle, will tap into the success of ciders like Magners, Bulmers and Kopperberg, which have become hugely popular served up in pint glasses with ice.

"We are aiming to target a more contemporary audience of 25 to 45-year-olds who are looking for a refreshing summer drink.

"It blends natural ginger and spices from across the globe to produce a grown-up ginger beer which is ideally served over ice and with a slice of lemon to provide the perfect accompaniment to barbecues, picnics, festivals and garden parties."

"Crabbie's still features the distinctive elephant trademark label, which was originally showcased on our ginger wine to represent the Scots merchant adventurers who pioneered trade with countries from the Orient, including natural ginger, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon and cloves, to create a unique taste."

The Caledonian roots of the drink are also represented with the bottle being decorated with thistles.

Traditionally ginger has been used as cure for nausea, seasickness and morning sickness. Despite traditionally containing little or no alcohol, ginger beer is so-called as it is produced through fermentation.

Ginger beer was the al-fresco beverage of choice for Enid Blyton's middle-class adventurers The Famous Five.

Their predilection for the spicy drink was mercilessly lampooned in the 1982 Comic Strip Presents film Five Go Mad in Dorset with Adrian Edmondson and Jennifer Saunders demanding "lashings and lashings of ginger beer".

Alcopops first appeared on the UK market in the mid-1990s, when brands such as Hooch and Two Dogs alcoholic lemonade and Wee Beastie alcoholic Iron Brew were launched.

Earlier this year, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) was critical of the fortified fruit wine Mad Dog, which is described as being "aimed at young drinkers with little disposable income, with the taste of alcohol being disguised by sweet and fruity flavours", and Bacardi Breezer, which it claimed was "aimed at older adolescents".