Long associated with problem drinkers, Special Brew could now have its alcohol level reduced. But will it alter the super-strength lager's reputation, asks Jon Kelly. It was first brewed in honour of Winston Churchill. Today "Spesh" or, as it is often referred to in headlines, " tramp juice ", is most commonly associated with getting drunk incredibly cheaply. Brewer Carlsberg says that it will sign up to a UK government-led pledge that no drink should contain more than four units, a man's maximum recommended daily intake.
It would be an ignominious fate for a beer whose tin proclaims that it comes "by appointment to the Royal Danish court". In judging the product packaging the Panel noted that the responsible drinking message on the front of the can was presented with the same prominence as the product strength.
The Panel concluded that the two messages gave the product strength due prominence. The Panel therefore concluded that the words did not place undue emphasis or seek to glamorise the product strength and that the product was not in breach of Code paragraph 3. The Panel went on to consider whether the product packaging was in breach of other Code rules. It noted that the product had been subject to a similar complaint in and on that occasion the Panel had not upheld the complaint.
The Panel, however, decided that in view of the length of time that had since elapsed it should not necessarily be bound by that precedent. The Panel considered that it should be responsive to changes in the prevailing climate in society and, in particular, to the growing focus by local authorities on products that were believed to be disproportionately consumed by problem drinkers.
The Panel particularly focused on whether the packaging could be encouraging immoderate consumption. The Panel noted that one ml can contained 4. The Panel also felt that because of the container type, and that the product quality would degrade quickly once the can was opened, it was reasonable to expect that the contents would be consumed by one person in one session.
In light of this, the Panel concluded that the product packaging did encourage immoderate consumption and thereby found the product in breach of Code rule 3. Asked about the claim that high-strength beers and ciders caused more damage than illegal drugs, Sir Ian Gilmore, a spokesman on alcohol issues for the Royal College of Physicians, said: "Because the number of people using alcohol is so much higher, the harm is likely to be much more.
The answer is some of the biggest brewers in the world. Super-strength lagers are, in some ways, the dirty secret of the global drinks industry.
Sales figures show that the Danish drinks giant Carlsberg — which is publicly committed to "responsible drinking" — makes two of the top-three best-selling high-strength lagers. It has long owned Special Brew, the market leader, and took over Skol Super a few years ago. But they make little or no mention of them in their marketing. On its British website, for instance, InBev extols the craft and taste of Stella Artois, but keeps quiet its role in producing the equivalent of 20 million ml cans of Tennent's Super for Britain.
Carlsberg's website pictures only a small bottle of Special Brew, describing it as a "full-bodied" strong beer "with cognac notes and a distinct bitterness". Carlsberg introduced Special Brew in to commemorate Sir Winston Churchill's visit to Copenhagen, but no longer sells it in its native Denmark. Concerned at their contribution to problem drinking, the Coalition raised tax on super-strength lagers above 7. Justine Greening, then Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said the move was aimed at tackling "problem drinking directly, rather than penalising the overwhelming majority of responsible drinkers".
Concerned at the apparent role in public disorder of super-strength drinks, Suffolk Police, with the backing of the local health authority and councils, announced that Tesco and the Co-operative in Ipswich had agreed to stop selling beer and cider above 6. The Government's intention of introducing a 40p minimum price per unit of alcohol may encounter opposition in Brussels from countries with brewers exporting to Britain. Perhaps hit by higher duty, sales of super-strength lager over 7.
But they still sold a lot: Special Brew Combined sales of the three were equivalent to 45 million pints. The figures may explain why AB InBev and Carlsberg, respectively the biggest and fourth-biggest brewers in the world, continue to make them. Not all drinks firms take the same approach. Two years ago, Heineken, the third-largest global brewer, first diluted and then halted production of 8. AB InBev and Carlsberg promote the charity Drinkaware, whose website highlights the official advice that regularly drinking more than three to four units of alcohol a day can cause health problems.
A ml can of Special Brew or Tennent's Super is 4.
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