13 replies to this topic

[Rusty]

Oh dear!!!!

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Rusty

[niman]

Was there not talk a while back about Heineken reducing the alcohol content in their lager because of binging?

[justincase]

Rusty, on 27 August 2011 - 07:30 PM, said:

Oh dear!!!!

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Rusty

Stefan Orlowski, the Managing Director of Heineken UK.....he wont be around long when the share holders get wind of his liberal leanings...lol

[markyd43]

Appeasement.

'Responsibilty' begins and ends with the consumer where the product's potential for harm is widely known and understood (the exception being minors where adults retain responsibility to protect them).

Wetherspoons, I'm sure, would far rather you get pissed drinking 8 pints of Old Vicar's Fart at 3.6% than 3 pints of Pavement Faceplant Cider at 8%

Interesting that Fosters, a lager well known for its weakness in alcoholic strength, is now marketing a stronger verison (4.8%)

I guess Heineken see a value, business wise, in appearing to be responsible and therefore reaching parts of the market other lagers do not reach

[JellyBabyRiot]

By engaging with health professionals he is effectively admitting that his firm is responsible for binge drinking and alcoholism! It is lack of personal responsibility and/an addictive nature that cause those problems. The way to deal with binge drinking is to deal with what makes people feel, psychologically, the need to drink so much. Only by dealing with the route cause will there be a solution.
Anyway, even the medical profession recognises that, for example, a glass of red wine is good for you, just not a whole bottle. By all means take a stand by not producing the 8% stuff, but there's no need to take it further.


for those not in the know, Heineken make; Foster’s, Strongbow, John Smith’s, Kronenbourg, Bulmers, Heineken, Newcastle Brown Ale, Amstel, Sol, & Woodpecker.


So it is interesting when Markyd43 says that there is a new, stronger, Foster's on the market. But then again they've caped it at under 5%, probably scared of giving it some flavour! Did anyone see the Hobgoblin ad campaign "Scared you'll taste something lager boy?"

[markyd43]

One of the best ale ads in my opinion jelly

[steffijade]

niman, on 27 August 2011 - 07:35 PM, said:

Was there not talk a while back about Heineken reducing the alcohol content in their lager because of binging?

There have been others that have done the same... if memory serves, Murphys cut the ABV down to 3.8% last year and Stella brought out a 4%? Seems to be a popular thing at the moment but the motives behind changing ABVs are more than likely to increase profits/ trying to pre-empt possible government intervention by a form of self regulation.

If they offer drinks at lower ABV, the brewers can claim that they are offering drinkers the choice of lower alcohol consumption and thus, are being responsible.

Won't make much difference to peoples' drinking habits in my opinion though... folk will drink until they've had enough, spent as much as they want to/can afford or until they're laid face down in the gutter. I suppose it does give the option for anyone who does want to drink 'responsibly' to lower their alcohol intake if they choose by drinking say, 6 pints of 4% lager instead of 6 pints of 5% lager. Thing is though, some folk will just drink extra pints of 4% because they think they've 'banked' some of their alcohol consumption capacity and can handle more pints.

Also, it's becoming increasingly popular for people to 'pre-drink' i.e. buy a load of cheap booze from the supermarket to get a 'buzz' before they even get to the pubs/clubs. This, along with the smoking ban are bringing about the slow, inevitable death of the traditional pub. The government are considering bringing in a minimum price per unit for alcohol, which might actually help pubs because it would force up the price of supermarket booze, but most pubs already have to charge above the proposed minimum pricing point just to keep trading.

I find I'm quite cynical when large companies say they're doing something to promote the health of their customers.... it's my opinion that most of these 'health' moves are motivated by the threat of regulation and/or boosting profits.

[steffijade]

JellyBabyRiot, on 28 August 2011 - 03:05 AM, said:

Did anyone see the Hobgoblin ad campaign "Scared you'll taste something lager boy?"

Love the imagery that Wychwood use to promote their beers. They did a british beer needs you campaign and projected one of their images onto the parliament buildings if memory serves.

[Willowfaery]

steffijade, on 28 August 2011 - 09:09 AM, said:

niman, on 27 August 2011 - 07:35 PM, said:

Was there not talk a while back about Heineken reducing the alcohol content in their lager because of binging?

There have been others that have done the same... if memory serves, Murphys cut the ABV down to 3.8% last year and Stella brought out a 4%? Seems to be a popular thing at the moment but the motives behind changing ABVs are more than likely to increase profits/ trying to pre-empt possible government intervention by a form of self regulation.

If they offer drinks at lower ABV, the brewers can claim that they are offering drinkers the choice of lower alcohol consumption and thus, are being responsible.

Won't make much difference to peoples' drinking habits in my opinion though... folk will drink until they've had enough, spent as much as they want to/can afford or until they're laid face down in the gutter. I suppose it does give the option for anyone who does want to drink 'responsibly' to lower their alcohol intake if they choose by drinking say, 6 pints of 4% lager instead of 6 pints of 5% lager. Thing is though, some folk will just drink extra pints of 4% because they think they've 'banked' some of their alcohol consumption capacity and can handle more pints.

Also, it's becoming increasingly popular for people to 'pre-drink' i.e. buy a load of cheap booze from the supermarket to get a 'buzz' before they even get to the pubs/clubs. This, along with the smoking ban are bringing about the slow, inevitable death of the traditional pub. The government are considering bringing in a minimum price per unit for alcohol, which might actually help pubs because it would force up the price of supermarket booze, but most pubs already have to charge above the proposed minimum pricing point just to keep trading.

I find I'm quite cynical when large companies say they're doing something to promote the health of their customers.... it's my opinion that most of these 'health' moves are motivated by the threat of regulation and/or boosting profits.

I totally agree. This will feed the "I went out last night and drank X amount of beer" brigade.

Having a student in the house I can say they all have a different mindset to what I had at their age.
We used to get ready, meet at the pub, then moved onto the nightclub after having our fill at the pub.
Now they go around someones house and go into town at 10.30 - 11pm straight to the nightclub! and that goes for the lads too not just the girls.

Now the pub is considered boring and expensive and is now totally bypassed by all the student I know.
They now go out with the mindset to get as hammered as possible and the girls are worse than the boys for that around here. It's not to enjoy themselves, somewhere somehow that part seems to have been lost.

Why IMHO is this now the case? Well the good ol' British pub used to have disco's on or something to entertain us. The nightclub was always the after thought. The girls used to slap on makeup and be able to get into the pub at a young age (yes we all know it happened) they learned that was where the lads with cars were and usually a nice looking lad behind the bar (always a bonus) and as that's where the girls were, the lads all followed.

Now the girls just want to get hammered and look at lads in the room..... isn't that what the lads used to do.
Our parents never had anything decent to steal in the drinks cabinet...... Now we do.
The amount of times my daughter has left here with a water bottle in her hand... no it's not water it's neat vodka or bacardi. There's no enjoyment in that, it is taken to down before entry to the nightclub. Alohol is no longer enjoyed but a means to an end.


I have questioned why they don't go to the pub and go straight to the nightclub... the answer..... eveyone is in the nightclub. No one goes to the pub "Your soo old"

So I conclude.... it's my fault for not drinking sherry or port, for not introducing my daughter to the pub at 14 and for generally being old. Sorry

[modifiedmind]

I love going to the pub with friends, can chat so much more easily than at a nightclub, and personally I don't see the enjoyment in getting hammered before you go out - that's how you should be when you crawl home after a good night of laughing with your mates, having a dance and seeing if there's anything pretty around

The problem is pubs are too expensive, a lot of the time. There's a pub near me that I'd love to go to more often, but at £3.60 for a pint I don't see that happening...

As for the Stella 4%, I have a feeling it may be taking after the American light beers, such as bud light, coors light, because everything America does Britain obviously wants to do... Although I do like Stella 4%, not because I can "drink more before I get smashed" but because I like the flavour, and it does go down quite easy.

Whenever I go out when I'm home from uni it tends to be straight to the night club - but it opens early for regulars, for free entry, and seems a lot more like a pub rather than a club until it gets late when the music comes on loud and more people turn up.

It's a shame that many young people/students have the drinking habits they do now because it does ruin it for everybody else, drinks become more expensive, pubs shut, and all that's left are s**ty nightclubs playing crap music from the charts so loud you can't have a decent conversation... At least the club I go to at home plays decent music! (UK's longest running rock club)

[easystreet]

i think pubs need to concentrate on being pubs. My favourite ale pub does pints from 2.40 for the kings head bitter, their 'standard', through to 3.60 or so tops for a real knockout 6.5% +. They sell no 'commercial' largers. Ales, stouts, bitters, porters, IPAs, so much variety all from local brewers and good prices. Nothing fancy in the pub, no gastro leanings. A pork pie or some crisps... Pubs need to be clean, simple, and provide nice drinks.

[markyd43]

easystreet, on 09 November 2011 - 11:28 AM, said:

i think pubs need to concentrate on being pubs. My favourite ale pub does pints from 2.40 for the kings head bitter, their 'standard', through to 3.60 or so tops for a real knockout 6.5% +. They sell no 'commercial' largers. Ales, stouts, bitters, porters, IPAs, so much variety all from local brewers and good prices. Nothing fancy in the pub, no gastro leanings. A pork pie or some crisps... Pubs need to be clean, simple, and provide nice drinks.

Is that the Kings Head, Magdalen Street Norwich by any chance easy? Sounds familiar....

[easystreet]

It is indeedy the kings head, i have no end of praise for that pub. Sadly, most people my age (i'm 23) don't apprieciate that sort of boozer. Though in some ways that's probably why I do, haha...

[Digicig]

20 odd years ago in Swindon - when working in the pub trade and before the coffee bars - one of my favourite afternoon haunts was the Blind Beggar, run by the Sally Army. It was an Alcohol Free pub, serving interesting fruit juice 'cocktails', coffee, tea and a decent range of soft drinks, with darts, pool, cards and dominoes. It was still the best alternative 'pub' i've spent time in. And all at a decent price.

The problem for any Pubs trying to 'discourage' alcohol consumption, is that a pint of beer is often cheaper or the same price as a pint of an alcohol free alternative, cos the mark up on 'soft' drinks is bigger. Used to go to a club that was 50p entrance and did pints for 50p but a pint of orange squash was about £1.50!

I want to have a choice to imbibe what i want, alcoholic or not, and not be discouraged by being unable to vape and pay more for not drinking, or it being inferred that i'm a 'winker' () if i order the advertised coffee, because it's more hassle!

Edited by Digicig, 15 November 2011 - 01:39 PM.