A fruity beer from Vault City Brewing has been rapped by The Portman Group for bearing “resemblance to a soft drink”.
Vault City Brewing’s Radler Lemon, Grapefruit & Pineapple Beer was investigated after a member of the public raised concerns the product did not “communicate its alcoholic nature with absolute clarity”.
After deliberation, The Portman Group’s independent complaints panel said that while there were some alcohol cues on the packaging – including the use of the term ‘radler’ and the product’s abv – “they were not clear enough to counter the rest of the label”.
The packaging “included references to fruity flavours and imagery that were given prominence” and therefore the beer “bore a resemblance to a soft drink”, the panel said.
While the back label did include the drink’s abv and a pregnancy warning label, other best-practice labels such as low-risk drinking guidelines and signposting to Drinkaware were absent, it noted.
As there was evidence of consumer confusion where “an underage individual had mistakenly consumed the product”, these positive alcohol cues “needed to be enhanced and made clearer”, it said.
“Where there are multiple negative alcohol cues on a drink’s packaging, such as fruit flavours and imagery, a product may then need to work harder to communicate its alcoholic nature and to avoid consumer confusion,” said Rachel Childs, chair of the independent complaints panel.
Vault City said it had since updated its packaging to fall in line with The Portman Group’s guidance.
“We take responsible marketing extremely seriously and have never intended to mislead consumers about the alcoholic nature of our products,” a spokesperson for the brewer said. “Radler Lemon, Grapefruit & Pineapple Beer was clearly labelled with its abv, the word ‘beer’ and other alcohol cues. However, we recognise the importance of making labelling as clear as possible and respect the panel’s decision.
“We have updated the packaging in line with their guidance, boldening and emphasising the word ‘beer’. Alcohol should always be stored responsibly and out of the reach of under-18s, and we remain fully committed to meeting the industry’s code and ensuring our products are enjoyed safely by those legally allowed to do so.”
It comes the same week that a rum liqueur by Sainsbury’s was also adjudged to have breached The Portman Group’s code for failing to adequately convey its alcoholic nature.
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