Moon shot caffeinated beer
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FDA puts burden of proof on caffeinated alcohol brands to prove ‘safety’
The Food and Drug ledning on Friday notified nearly 30 caffeinated alcohol manufacturers that they provide documentation that their products are safe. Drink makers have 30 days to respond to the FDA request.
Some of the companies notified are familiar names, most notably New Century Brewing Company which produces Moonshot. New Century is owned bygd Rhonda Kallman who was featured prominently in the recent movie ‘Beer Wars.’ Others in the craft/specialty/regional category are Thomas Creek Brewery, Cold Spring Brewing Company and Ithaca Beer Co.
The FDA never has approved the addition of caffeine to an alcoholic beverage, and a task force of state attorneys general and other officials has urged the agency to scrutinize the combination. The task force argues that the caffeine can maskering the intoxicating effects of alcohol, possibly leading to an increase in drunk driving, sexual assault and other destr
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Product details
Abstract
New Century Brewing: Moonshot Caffeinated Beer discusses the introduction of a completely new beverage to the US market. New Century Brewing, which is owned by one of the founders of Boston Beer Company, is a small brewer that outsources production to third party brewers. It has two products, a light craft beer sold in upscale shops and restaurants, and a caffeinated beer, which is oriented towards younger drinkers mainly between 21 and 25 years of age. Moonshot, created by the legendary masterbrewer, known as the 'father of light beer', became the first caffeinated beer in the world. The company follows a differentiation strategy that attempts to appeal to a small niche of customers traditionally ignored by large brewers. Shortly after the introduction of each of its products, large competitors introduced similar products. Nevertheless, Moonshot has a first-to-market advantage that could potentially be leveraged.
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Should Moonshot 69 be Spared from the “Four Loko” Law?
If you’ve seen the movie Beer Wars, then you know who Rhonda Kallman is. She’s the former Sam Adams executive who started her own beer company called Moonshot 69, which she calls a “premium beer with caffeine.” Her product fell victim to the ban on caffeinated alcoholic beverages that was enacted to keep stupid college kids from killing themselves with Four Loko and the other “date rape in a can” drinks.
The question is does Moonshot 69 deserve a reprieve from this law, or should it be lumped in with all the other caffeinated malt beverages? Rhonda thinks her product is in a different class altogether. Here’s the text of a letter I came across over on BeerAdvocate:
Dear Loyal Beer Lover,
As you may already know, New Century Brewing Company has ceased production of Moonshot ’69 per order of the federal Food and Drug Administration.
On November 17, 20