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Next step: the War on Irish Coffee.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  November 17th, 2010 at 04:00 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

And, for the record: you can have my Irish coffee when you pull it from my cold, dead hands.

Executive summary: the FDA has informed four companies that caffeine is an “unsafe food additive” when mixed with alcohol.  In this particular case, the drinks being affected are cans of carbonated, caffeinated, and alcoholic drinks… but if you’re wondering what’s the scientific difference between that and a hand-made mixture of coffee, whiskey and whipped cream, the answer’s simple: there isn’t one. This is strictly ‘political’… or more accurately, ‘pandering.’  And if you’re wondering what’s stopping the government from deciding that bars shouldn’t serve Irish or Jamaican coffee – or, God help us, Red Bull and vodka, which is apparently the big club drink now – the answer’s even simpler: nothing.  Nothing at all. If young drinkers start consum[ing] hand-mixed caffeine/alcohol concoctions, the FDA will start going after the organizations that serve them.

Still enjoying that Democratic-controlled executive branch that you helped wish on the rest of us in November of 2008, kids?

Moe Lane (crosspost)

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COMMENTS

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  • Old_Crow
  • bcochran1981

    …are they going to ban Jack and Cokes? Rum and Cokes? Caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic describes probably 75% of the mixed drinks served at pretty much any bar.

  • earlgrey

    I had not thought of that. Not much of a drinker, but I like what I like.

  • Darin_H

    They can pry the Captain Morgan and Coca-Cola from *my* cold dead hands.

  • http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

    Man this torks me off. In the words of William J Leprtomaine, “We need to do something to justify our phoney balony jobs!”

  • tngal

    Not to worry on Jack Daniels. JD is the official flavored water of Tennessee. (At least it will be as soon as I get the state lawmakers to look at my proposed bill). And in so being our “official state flavored water” it would enjoy a certain status. Flavored waters are all the rage.

  • http://www.downstateiladvocate.com anacreon

    Where’s the Red Bull lobby?

  • Marcus_Traianus

    ..have lived on the same shelf for so long they could probably get a marriage license.

    For crying out loud, even the communists spike their tea. What does that say about Democrats?

  • Common_Cents

    Evidently Four Loko made the mistake of not having any political connections and representation in DC.

    If you read about the problems with Four Loko. The cases are when college kids have a contest to slam as many as possible. Slamming 3 or 4 four Lokos which have caffeine and are 12% alcohol.

    The same kids could find trouble if they slammed 4 cups of coffee and slammed a bottle of wine.

  • http://www.wordpress-site.net/ haesungov

    Honestly? The life is a War, we must put our hands up and pray :) But … Alcohol is divine too.

  • http://vladenblog.tumblr.com Vladimir
  • http://seekingliberty.wordpress.com fmaidment

    …of Four Loko. I can say that, in particular, college students don’t realize what they’re getting into.

    However, banning something entirely on the basis of people being irresponsible with it is not sound policy. Especially if the people being irresponsible are college students. That’s not “new and unique” by any stretch.

  • Doc Holliday

    I would say the coffee liqueur companies are in trouble. Hard to take the coffee or alcohol at of coffee liqueurs.

  • Doc Holliday
  • ihaveadream

    so here’s the deal, I like to party. if someone is going to put a ban on what I chose to drink for my own safety, I find that it is my own personal choice to make in the first place. caffeine is a CNS stimulant and some people rely on it daily. putting it into a “mixed drink” may have its health precautions but if you’re willing to take that risk in the first place, its your own problem. the FDA has no right to chose what we put in our drinks. so raise your drinks for a toast! what do you guys think?

  • runner12

    Red Bull and alchohol, it is a dangerous combination and if people are bottling junk like that and selling it, it may need to be looked into because you are essentially combining an upper and a downer. But the problem with it is the amount of caffeine, not just simply the presence of it.
    To just broadly condemn caffeine and regulate it in all alchoholic drinks is absurd and an overreach of government. I mean, I am not a big drinker, but Bailey’s and coffee is darn good!
    It is the same thing as some of those loons trying to regulate people’s salt intake. Personally, I don’t like salt and am a healthy food junkie, but if some guy wants salt he should be able to have it. It is HIS choice, not the government’s.

  • renny

    the guy who calls stewardesses “bitch” and makes sure NY State is sinking like lead in quicksand when it comes to taxes and business.

    Bork’em and drink responsibly, if there is such a thing.

  • grandma

    Some people cheer for burger & fries control, salt control, goose liver control. Is prohibition next?

  • Adjoran

    Which proves it is a stupid idea.

    But I thought he was all in for “stimulus”?

  • davesinsanantonio

    will find something else to abuse, thus “forcing” the federal government to ban that also. Maybe we should just get them to ban college students??? Just kidding of course, but bet someone will make a serious effort to do just that!

  • davesinsanantonio

    realizing their dreams of controlling everything and everyone in the world.
    What could possibly be the downside of that???

  • davesinsanantonio
  • bcochran1981

    What is the holy grail of liberal nutri-nazis? Sugar. That’s right. They’ll say that not only is sugar bad for you in a general sense, (trot out type 2 diabetes, weight gain, etc) but the high you get from a sugar buzz will mask the depressant effect of the alcohol. Same as caffeine! So you, yeah you with that Screwdriver, put that down. And hey, you girls over there with a Vodka Cranberry, drop it. It’s for your own safety….of course.

  • michael_j_lambert

    How in the world is college students killing themselves with alcohol or other mind altering substances news? It sucks, but I don’t think it is indicative of something being wrong with the drink above and beyond the problems with alcohol and caffeine. It is more indicative that college students are, as a general rule, idiots.

  • kenchely

    The difference between FourLoko, Joos, etc., and Irish coffee isn’t what’s in them, but who drinks them and why. Irish coffee is drunk by middle-aged business people who are relaxing but aren’t quite done with their day; they’re generally drinking one or two of them. FourLoko and Joos are drunk by young partiers who want to stay awake so they can keep slamming down the drinks and get really drunk.

  • kenchely

    The difference between FourLoko, Joos, etc., and Irish coffee isn’t what’s in them, but who drinks them and why. Irish coffee is drunk by middle-aged business people who are relaxing but aren’t quite done with their day; they’re generally drinking one or two of them. FourLoko and Joos are drunk by young partiers who want to stay awake so they can keep slamming down the drinks and get really drunk.

  • grandpawgene

    Now that Kennedy is no longer in congress, where abouts is unknown, the remaining liberals feel that can change American drinking habits, NOT.

    I propose a new law; No more free booze at any:
    congressional/State/diplomatic/ fuction/parties. They will, from this time on, be: BYOB only.

    Congress, stay out of my life. The day you can balance the Federal budget and America is debt free, then and only then can you come and preach to me as to how I should live my life and conduct my personal affairs.

    Those of YOU without SIN can CAST THE FIRST STONE!!!!!!!!!

  • california_red

    its the sugar and pricing that make this a dream if you want to market it to kids. I am all in favor of adults being able to mix alcohol and caffine and generally drink whatever they want. (Trust me, It was a staple of my drinking career.) But as a parent, the availability of these products in the market concerns me.

    My teenage daughter tells me these drinks are popular because they are cheap, strong, and sweet enough for girls to drink.

    I personally think that energy drinks should not be sold to kids under 18, but kids drink monster and rockstar like crazy so that ship has sailed. But the thought that an energry drink with 12% alcohol is on the shelves for a cheap price is very concerning to me as a parent.

    I also wonder if all you defending your right to drink whatever you want would support my right to enjoy whatever of God’s herbs I feel so inclined.

  • ihaveadream

    People need to realize that mixing caffeine along with any alcoholic substance is dangerous. Marketing them to the younger generations is even more dangerous. But developing a system that prohibits the selling and “mixing” of caffeine with alcohol would take more work than you think. Just think, what do you often mix with any type of whiskey or any mixed drink in particular. Soda? Sugary drink? Soda contains caffeine so does that make it wrong? I know there are limits to what is considered an energy drink but they all affect and act on the same system.

  • edintexas

    I’m glad that my mixers are club soda or water.

    Seems to me they really would prefer a re-run of the 18th Amendment, but have chosen to attack alcohol bit by bit rather than a wholesale attack.

  • edintexas

    RS is frequently slow to respond after you “press” the “POST COMMENT” “button”. Firefox shows in the bottom of the screen that it is waiting for Red State. Don’t know about Internet Exploder.

  • edintexas

    Did you mention to your teenager that drinking any alcoholic beverage by those under 21 is a problem all by itself? I’m not saying I agree with that, but on the other hand I can’t encourage young people to start adult life breaking the law.

    As for your use of anything which our government might believe should be banned/criminalized: From my perspective you may do anything to your body you wish. Do it in your own home, with your own money, and stay off the road and out from behind the wheel of a vehicle while you are under the influence of anything – legal or otherwise.

  • ihaveadream

    controlling everyone and everything in the world is a downside in itself. to even think that the government has the right to take away our freedom and everything we do is wrong in itself. i know the powerhungry are set out to accomplish this and this is something we as American citizens need to stay on top of. mixing a drink with caffeine is all up to the consumer and the overall health of the individual, not the government.

  • ihaveadream

    FourLoko is a very powerful drink and is marketed towards the “collge life” that look to go out and go beyond their own limits of getting drunk. Irish coffe is marketed towards the more relaxed drinking and typically towards older individuals. All in all I feel that it is the consumers choice of whether or not they drink them. They are both powerful substances and offer a higher “buzz” than a normal alcoholic beverage.

  • ihaveadream

    Like I said before, it is ridiculous to even think about banning caffeine in alcoholic drinks. They would have to monitor everything much more closely, not just “Irish coffee”.