Now that Four Loko is so 2010, malt liquor purveyors Colt 45 want to be next in line to tempt teenagers and anger politicians. So they've jumped on the alcopop bandwagon! Their new beverage, Blast, is a 12 percent ABV malt beverage with "natural fruit flavors" like Strawberry Lemonade or Blueberry Pomegranate. Snoop Dogg is on board:
Daren Metropoulos, who runs Colt 45, told the Times that the Dogg is really a fan: "That’s just him being a true partner and saying I’m not just an endorser. Whether he’s putting it in his songs or having his posse drinking it, it’s part of his lifestyle." And they're hoping that'll inspire more people to follow his lead. Colt 45 is distributed by Pabst Brewing Co., who see Blast as a way to refresh their brands. Because though plenty of Brooklyn hipsters will ironically break out a Colt 45 40 oz. at a party, sales of the beverage have been on decline for over a decade.
Naturally, the sweetened drink has been met with an onslaught of criticism, bashing it for marketing itself to teenagers, having such a high alcohol content, etc. Michael J. Scippa of the Marin Institute said, “We have always considered them cocktails on training wheels. It’s a way to bridge young consumers’ fondness for juices and sodas to alcohol.” Some people are even accusing the company of targeting the African-American population. Though Metropoulos says they're aiming Blast at a wider range of drinkers, author Tom Burrell says, "Colt 45 has invested in the black consumer market for years, and if they weren’t looking for an African-American audience they wouldn’t be using Snoop Dogg." We're pretty sure that the Katy Perry collaboration erased whatever street cred Snoop Dogg once had. And anyway, he's no Billy Dee Williams:
