About Alcopops

Don’t have a taste for beer or hard liquor yet? Big Alcohol has just the thing. Alcopops. They’re sweet, flashy and with fruity flavors like “Razzberry” and “Pomegranate Twist,” it’s no wonder they’re popular with young teens and middle schoolers.

From hard lemonade to alcoholic energy drinks that look just like their non-alcoholic counterparts, new alcopops enter the market with a disturbing frequency. The industry loves alcopops, or Flavored Malt Beverages (FMBs) as they call them, for several reasons:

Targeting Girls: Alcopops have roughly the same amount of alcohol as beer, but their high sugar and–in some cases--caffeine content does a great job of masking the flavor and the affect. And that’s where young women come in. In recent years, teen girls report drinking more alcohol more often than their male peers and the American Medical Association (AMA) points to the popularity of Alcopops or ‘girlie drinks’ as a significant factor behind the shift.

Taxes: Alcopops – which the industry claims are made from brewed malt, are categorized in most states as “beer” and that means that their producers avoid the significantly higher tax rates for spirits or “hard alcohol. Low taxes also help keep the price point low and the youth appeal high. (See below to read about the recent change in California).

Availability: Their status as “beer” makes alcopops much easier to buy than hard alcohol. In a number of states, that means they’re available wherever beer is available, such as convenience stores gas stations and mini-marts.

Read on to find out how you can get involved in our efforts to raise awareness about these products.

Youth Petition Spurs Action by Board of Equalization

The teens, from the California Friday Night Live Partnership and California Youth Council, successfully petitioned the State Board of Equalization (BOE) to consider taxation of “flavored malt beverages as distilled spirits.” UPDATE! BOE Makes Historic Decision: Alcopops To Be Taxed As Distilled Spirits >>

Two CA Lawmakers Work to Limit Alcopop Damage

AB 346 - An Act to Restrict Youth Access to Alcoholic Beverages with Special Appeal to Minors - calls attention to youth-friendly alcholic beverages. UPDATE!

Lawsuit Targets Alcopop Classification as 'Beer'

Santa Clara County has filed a lawsuit against the BOE demanding reclassification of alcopops as distilled spirits and taxation of these products consistent with California law. This lawsuit is an additional legal strategy to affect the same outcome as the petition process: the correct tax classification of alcopops as distilled spirits.

Taxes Work: The European Model >>

Recent Alcopops Press Releases >>

Alcopops FAQ >>