Bye Bye Caffeine in Four Loko... Luckily there are lots of other replacements

With thanks to Lehrman Beverage Law...

# 3 AM Vodka with Caffeine and Guarana
# 3 Sum Malt Beverage with Caffeine
# 24-Seven Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# 808 Vodka with Caffeine and Guarana
# A:M Vodka with Caffeine
# Agwa Herbal Liqueur with Guarana
# Alexandra Cream Liqueur with Coffee Beans
# Atwater Malt Beverage with Coffee Beans
# Axehead Malt Beverage with Guarana and Caffeine
# Bacchus Meadery Honey Wine with Coffee
# Barley Island Black Magic Java Stout with Coffee Beans
# Bee Creek Stout with Coffee
# Bell's Java Stout with Coffee
# Belvedere IX Vodka with Guarana and Ginseng
# Big Boss Beer with Coffee
# Big Shot Stout with Espresso
# Bluegrass Brewing Co. Stout with Coffee
# Bold City Coffee Stout with Bean Coffee
# BooYa Tequila with Caffeine
# Bootlegger's Black Phoenix Ale with Coffee
# Borghetti Cafe Sport Espresso Liqueur
# Brooklyn Intensified Coffee Stout Ale with Coffee
# Bruery Turtle Doves Ale with Cocoa Nibs
# Burnett's Espresso Flavored Vodka
# Buzz Bomb Vodka with Caffeine and Guarana
# Buzz-A-Rita Margarita with Caffeine and Guarana
# Cafe Boheme Liqueur with Vodka and Coffee
# Cafe Lue Orange Wine with Coffee
# Captain Lawrence Stout with Espresso Beans
# Captain Morgan Rum and Cola
# Catalyst Malt Beverage with Caffeine
# Chang Rai Green Tea Wine
# Charbay Aperitif Wine with Tea Leaves
# Charbay Tea Flavored Vodka with Whole Leaf Green Tea
# Chicca Ale Brewed with Coffee Beans
# Cofia Vodka with Hazelnut Espresso
# Cohete Rum with Guarana
# Core Malt Beverage with Guarana and Caffeine
# Corner Stone Ale with Espresso Coffee
# Dark Horizon Ale with Coffee
# Dark Horse Perkulator Malt Beverage with Coffee Grounds
# Deschutes Black Butte Porter with Coffee and Chocolate
# Dizzy Panda Green Tea Wine
# Dogma Ale with Kola Nut and Guarana
# Dolce Nero Liqueur with Espresso Beans
# Dogfish Sah'Tea Ale with Black Tea
# Dogfish Theobroma Ale with Cocoa Nibs and Cocoa Powder
# East End Literally Just a Coffee Porter
# Ecstasy Liqueur
# Esprexxo Coffee Flavored Vodka with Caffeine
# Everglo Liqueur with Caffeine
# Firelit Coffee Liqueur made with brewed coffee
# Flying Fish Ale with Coffee
# Fort Collins Ale with Coffee
# Founders Breakfast Stout Brewed with Coffee and Chocolate
# Four Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Freaky Ice Vodka with Guarana
# George Dickel Whisky and Cola
# Goose Island Bourbon County Stout with Coffee
# Grind Rum with Coffee Extract
# Gruv Malt Beverage with Guarana
# Hard Wired Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# High & Mighty Sono Distrutto Stout with Espresso Beans
# Holt's Cyclone Lager with Guarana, Kola Nut, Ginseng
# Hoodoo Majic Rum with Caffeine
# Iki Beer with Green Tea Leaves
# Illy Espresso Liqueur
# Ineeka Ale with Green Tea
# Ithaca Eleven Malt Beverage with Coffee
# Jack Hammer Malt Beverage with Guarana
# Jah-Va Stout with Coffee
# Jakk'd Grain Neutral Spirits with Caffeine
# James River Plantation Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka
# Java Head Stout with Coffee Beans
# Java the Hub Porter with Coffee
# Javara Rum with Coffee
# Jett Vodka with Caffeine and Guarana
# Jim Beam Bourbon and Cola
# Joe Mama's Milk Stout with Coffee
# Joe Porter with Coffee
# Joose Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
# Keweenaw Mogiana Ale with Coffee
# King Mocha Java Stout with Coffee
# Kona Brewery Da Grind Buzz Stout with Coffee
# Koval Liqueur with Coffee
# La Granja Stout with Coffee
# Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout Brewed with Colombian Coffee
# Laurelwood Espresso Stout
# Lefty's Porter with Coffee
# Leopold Brothers Coffee Liqueur with Ground Coffee
# Liquid Charge Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Long Trail Malt Beverage with Coffee
# Lost Coast Java Brown Ale with Coffee
# Lotus Vodka with Caffeine and Guarana
# Luna Coffee Stout
# Macarsi Coffee Liqueur
# Mancos Valley Liqueur with Coffee
# MateVeza Ale with Yerba Mate
# Max Malt Beverage with Caffeine
# MacTarnahan's Goose Bump Stout with Coffee Beans
# Meantime Malt Beverage with Coffee
# Mette Grape Spirits with Coffee
# Mezzaluna Espresso Liqueur
# Mickey’s Stinger Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Mikkeller Black Hole Stout with Coffee
# Mikkeller Oatmeal Stout Brewed with Coffee
# Minx Vodka Cocktail with Guarana
# Mobius Lager with Caffeine
# Mocha Death Ale with Coffee and Cocoa
# Modern Spirits Abstract Standard with Caffeine and Guarana and Tea Leaves
# Modern Spirits Vodka with Green, Black and Oolong Teas
# Mokka Liqueur with Coffee Beans
# Moonshot Beer with Caffeine
# Natty-Up Beer with Caffeine
# New Belgium Giddy Up! Ale with Espresso
# New Belgium Lips of Faith Ale with Yerba Mate
# New Glarus Stout with Coffee
# Nigata Malt Beverage with Green Tea
# Overcast Espresso Stout with Coffee
# Oxtails Vodka with Ginseng and Guarana
# P.I.N.K. Vodka with Caffeine and Guarana
# P.I.N.K. Sake with Caffeine
# Peak Ale with Organic Coffee
# Peak Spirits Grappa with Coffee Beans
# Peche Mortel Stout with Coffee
# Pinnacle Double Espresso Vodka with Caffeine
# Pipeline Porter with Kona Coffee
# Pozharnik Stout with Coffee
# Qi Liqueur with Smoked Black Tea
# R2 Rum with Taurine and Caffeine
# Real Ale Porter Brewed with Coffee
# Red Eye Black Ale with Coffee Beans
# Redhook Double Black Stout with Coffee
# Rhythm Liqueur with Caffeine
# Ricochet Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Rize Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Rockstar Malt Beverage with Caffeine
# Roundhouse Corretto Liqueur with Coffee
# Saint Aubin Rum with Coffee Grains
# Santa Cruz Brewing Porter with Coffee
# Sao Vodka with Guarana and Caffeine
# Seagram's Coffee Flavored Vodka with Caffeine Added
# Shango Rum Liqueur with Guarana
# ShotPak Gravity Vodka with Caffeine
# Slingshot Vodka with Caffeine
# Smirnoff Espresso Flavored Vodka with Caffeine
# Smirnoff Raw Tea Malt Beverage with Tea and Caffeine
# Smirnoff Vodka and Guarana
# Southern Tier Mokah Stout with Chocoloate and Coffee
# Spykes Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Starbucks Coffee Liqueur
# Stella di Natale Ale with Green Tea
# Stirrings Liqueur with Espresso
# Stone Brewing Coconut Porter with Kona Coffee
# Surly Coffee Bender Beer with Coffee
# Surly Four Stout with Coffee
# Swamphead Midnight Oil Ale with Coffee
# Sweet Horizon Ale with Coffee
# Tenure Espresso Flavored Vodka
# Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Beer with Coffee
# Terrapin Depth Charge Espresso Milt Stout with Coffee
# Thirdrail Beer with Caffeine
# Three Olives Vodka with Caffeine
# Torque Malt Beverage with Caffeine and Guarana
# Tosta Ale with Cacao
# Trader Joe's Vodka with Chocolate and Espresso
# Troll Liqueur with Guarana
# Twin Shot Java Cream Vodka with Espresso
# Twisted Pine Espresso Stout Malt Beverage with Espresso
# Twisted Tea Malt Beverage with Tea
# Tyranena Porter Brewed with Coffee Beans
# Underground Grain Neutral Spirits with Guarana and Ginseng
# V2 Vodka with Caffeine
# VAD Vodka with Caffeine, Guarana and Ginseng
# Valdamor Grappa with Coffee
# Van Gogh Double Caffeine Coffee Flavored Vodka
# Vicious Vodka with Caffeine
# Vinergy Table Flavored Wine with Caffeine
# Volta Vodka with Caffeine, Guarana and Yerba Mate
# Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur with Black Tea
# W. Willy's Wine with Caffeine and Taurine
# Walders Coffee Liqueur Made with Coffee
# White Birch Malt Beverage with Coffee
# Wide Eye Liqueur with Caffeine
# Williamsburg Coffeehouse Stout Ale with Roasted Coffee
# Wolaver's Ale with Coffee
# XZO Vodka with Caffeine and Guarana
# Yeti Great Divide Stout with Coffee
# Zen Green Tea Liqueur
# Zygo Citrus Flavored Vodka with Guarana and Yerba Mate

The Rush To Judgement

Over the past week since I first wrote the Four Loko post Oklahoma, Washington and now New York have pulled the drink off retail shelves- all accompanied by suitably outraged politicians and shocked media.

We can now await the crackdown on Vodka/Red Bull, rum & coke and Irish Coffee with baited breath...

Fascinating Cocaine Infographic

From http://www.pharmacytechnician.net/ - click on the image to see it full size.

Especially like the Coca Cola trivia.


Via: Pharmacy Technician

Four Loko And the End of RTD Caffeine/Alcohol Beverages

Sometime in July, I had arrived at the Mad Dogs cricket ground in Greenwich, CT and had begun the process of getting ready for the game. I unlocked the front gate and the club house - all pretty normal. Our ground is located by the local recycling center (ok, the dump) and is often used by the local teens to do what teens do. They disappear into the nearby woods during the day to get high. And at night they hang outside our clubhouse to drink a beer or three. Normally this ends with the ritual smashing of bottles on our steps, requiring some clean up. But not this time.

The alcohol of choice for the previous evening - and would be for the rest of the summer - was Four Loko.

Four Loko is a caffeinated malt liquor. As an article in Fast Company put it, one 23.5 oz can contains the equivalent alcohol of a six pack of Budweiser (yes, its over 12% alcohol by volume) and the caffeine equivalent of two Red Bulls (around 160 mg).

At the time, I was happy that we just had a few cans to throw away, somewhat surprised to see another alcohol/caffeine product and noticed how spilled product more resembled a New Age juice drink in smell and color, rather than a beer.

Later at the local bodega (yes, there are some in Greenwich), I saw the cans, on the bottom shelf, and priced at $3 each (double the normal price), I asked the owner how it was selling. He responded "Like you would not believe".

I googled the product at home to discover that 4 Ohio State grads had started the brand and were trying to get their idea off the ground. Unsurprisingly however, they were becoming the new bete noir of the campaign against alcohol/caffeine.

The "caffeine+alcohol" issue has been under debate since last year. The argument is that the depressant effects of alcohol are masked by caffeine's stimulant effects, thereby enabling the drinker to imbibe for longer, and causing them to drink too much, which results in more people drinking and driving, getting into fights and generally becoming a menace to society.

And we all know how much the media  likes a "menace to society". In 1976 it was the Sex Pistols (well at least in the UK), In 1988 it was wine coolers, in 1997 it was Smirnoff Ice, Zima and other "alcopops", in 2000 it was Red Bull and Vodka, last year it was Sparks (only 6% alcohol), and today it is Four Loko.

This is a simple and easy story for local TV, and its easy to get a dramatic quote from parents, college presidents etc etc.

A few examples of the hysteria are here:







New Mexico



OK... a few observations

The real insight here is that Four Loko has a real value proposition. - Fruit taste, and a significant kick that does not put you to sleep - all for around $3.

The image and reputation of the product are creating the phenomena...  getting the names "liquid cocaine" and "blackout in a can" are great for their young male purchasers - but a real scare for the rest of puritan American society. Remember prohibition only ended 78 years ago.

Four Loko has also become a favorite for young urban black and hispanic drinkers. And they are also making viral videos for the brand.



Youtube is also the location of viral videos in competition to see who can chug the product fastest.



Or Shotgun it



or Beer Bong it...




Alcohol and caffeine is not inherently bad for you. Like other recreational substances, it is about your tolerance and ability to be responsible with it. Four Loko has combined taste, effect, branding and price into a powerful proposition that engages and excites its consumers - while scaring just about everyone else.

So go and buy one for the experience now - I would guess that it will only be available on the black market by 2011.