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July 15, 2008
Nastapo Shriek over Potent Beer
Beer is too good not to find itself targeted by the Nanny State Police, or as reader Matt L. calls them, the Nastapo. The less wimpy the beer, the more we need to be protected from it. Award-winning Scottish microbrewery BrewDog is in hot water for creating a specialty brew called Tokyo that is 12% alcohol.
Bruce Ritson, chairman of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, shrieks like a little girl with a rat running up the inside of her skirt:
It is the last thing we need. It is absolutely the wrong direction to be going as far as Scotland's health problems are concerned. If it became popular it would have devastating consequences for health as well as social order and violence on the streets.
Echoes Richard Simpson, Labour's public health spokesman:
Since a huge proportion of alcohol in Scotland is consumed in the form of beer, this product is hugely irresponsible.
Chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland Jack Law wants to know:
What justification can there possibly be to bring an extra strong beer on to the market?
The justification for bringing any product on the market is a perceived demand. But BrewDog co-owner James Watt offers this:
Our beers are targeted at and drunk by connoisseurs, and we strive to educate our customers that full-flavor beer can be enjoyed in moderation as opposed to heavily drinking cheaper, bland beers.
The beers that we make are to be savored and enjoyed. The (£4 per 330ml bottle) price takes it away from the market that are just drinking beer to get drunk. We in fact are the cure and not the problem.
This appeal to reason is unlikely to penetrate the gelatinous skulls of the Nastapo, who have been attempting by increments to impose prohibition. Already Scottish bureauweenies are considering jacking up the price of alcoholic drinks by 75%.
On a tip from SircleMemphis.
Posted by Van Helsing at July 15, 2008 8:56 AM
Comments
The brewer has it right. If someone wants to chug beer all night to get good and drunk, the last thing they want is $8 per bottle, heavy, malty scotch ale.
A local brewery makes a beer called "Blithering Idiot". It's 11% alcohol and it tastes pretty good, but try as I may, I can only get down 2 before getting full, tired and bloated. And the name serves as it's own warning label to anyone who might try to drink more than 2.
Posted by: forest at July 15, 2008 9:17 AM
I understand that in Scotland stronger stuff can be found pretty readily anyway, so why the big deal over a stronger-than-usual beer?
Since a huge proportion of alcohol in Scotland is consumed in the form of beer, this product is hugely irresponsible.
No, people are highly irresponsible (sometimes), products can not be irresponsible. And anyway, a huge proportion of alcohol consumption in much of the world is via beer, because beer tends to be cheap. Most people wouldn't call $8 beer cheap, unless you're a statist looking for something else to regulate.
Posted by: CoderInCrisis at July 15, 2008 11:42 AM
Assuming that alcohal consumption makes a person an alcohalic is like assuming that spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat. It has more to do with self discipline and knowing your limits. I guess we can't expect moonbattery to understand that concept though. I actually would rather have Glen Levit on the rocks than a heavy beer like that.
Posted by: HoosierArmyMom at July 15, 2008 12:51 PM
Wow, I misspelled alcohol...
Posted by: HoosierArmyMom at July 15, 2008 1:09 PM
Sounds tasty, but it's no Samichlaus.
Posted by: Crosspatch at July 15, 2008 1:17 PM
just ban alcohol. then we'll all feel better. until something else comes along we could hurt ourselves with. ban hammers.
Posted by: jdt at July 15, 2008 3:29 PM
HoosierMom, I'm wondering if you've already been into the Glen Levit...(just kidding).
Posted by: matt at July 15, 2008 4:57 PM
Our new 'government' has introduced a higher tax rate on so-called 'alcopops' in an effort to reduce teenage drinking.
So now, the kids buy the strong stuff (at a cheaper tax rate) and really get plastered.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/29/2258723.htm
Posted by: Aussie-John at July 15, 2008 5:32 PM
Why does higher alcohol content make beer "irresponsible?" It's not like yobs who want to get drunk are going to pay the extra cash to get double the alcohol content when they could buy three times as much cheap beer for the same price.
Posted by: mandible claw at July 15, 2008 8:33 PM
mandible claw --- Because Britain's government is run by moonbat idiots, that's why. It's the same brand of idiocy that results in a third grader in the US public schools getting expelled for drawing a picture of a gun.
Note, that is the quality of bureaucratic government we can expect under the Obamassiah.
Posted by: V the K at July 16, 2008 4:46 AM
