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Colt 45's 'Blast' Drink a Magnet for Kids, Pol Warns

By Carla Zanoni | March 23, 2011 12:03pm
A tour bus promoting Blast by Colt 45.
A tour bus promoting Blast by Colt 45.
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Facebook/Blast by Colt 45

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Caffeinated alcohol drinks like Four Loko may have been banned late last year, but at least one alcohol "energy drink" maker is ready to take its place.

With the backing of rapper Snoop Dogg, malt liquor maker Pabst Brewing Company is set to roll out its fruit-flavored and brightly colored high-alcohol content "energy drink" called Blast by Colt 45 on April 5.

That plan has one Upper Manhattan lawmaker already calling for the ban of what he calls "the newest poster child for super-sized alcopops," days before it hits the shelves. The 23.5 ounce drink comes in flavors including grape, raspberry watermelon and strawberry lemonade and packs an alcohol content of 12 percent, or slightly more than an average glass of wine.

The alcoholic energy drink
The alcoholic energy drink "Blast by Colt 45" comes in fruity flavors like strawberry lemonade and grape.
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Pabst Brewing Company

"Blast joins the ranks of Four Loko, Joose and Tilt – all of which watchdog groups say target young adults and underage drinkers, and is dangerous to young people," City Councilman Robert Jackson wrote in a March 22 letter to the New York State Liquor Authority. The politician also said he worries the drink is "unregulated" and can easily be sold to minors.

A spokesman for the SLA said Wednesday morning that they had not yet received the letter. The spokesman also said the agency was aware of Blast, but was unsure whether the drink could be categorized as an alcohol-energy drink.

The makers of Blast did not immediately respond a request for comment.

Although entry to Blast’s website requires entering a date of birth that proves users are of a legal drinking age, Colt 45 has launched an extensive social media campaign for the drink with a dedicated Twitter account and Facebook page.

In December, Four Loko and other caffeinated alcohol drinks were banned from New York State after the drink was blamed for hospitalizing nine college students in Washington State in October after a party and was linked to a gay-bias attack in the Bronx. Four Loko has since adjusted its formula to comply with the new law and can still be seen on shelves.

"We have an obligation to keep products that are potentially hazardous off the shelves, and there is simply not enough research to show that these products are safe," SLA chairman Dennis Rosen said in November.