Santa-inspired beer latest booze to be banned by Ontario liquor commission
Yet another alcoholic beverage has been banned in Ontario for its apparent appeal to youngsters. This time, it’s an Austrian beer called Samichlaus, which means St. Nicholas in Swiss-German. Like Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka and a string of other alcoholic beverages, Samichlaus was found to have breached advertising guidelines that prevent liquor packaging aimed at children. We would take this as a sign that anyone planning to sell alcohol in Ontario probably shouldn’t make their packaging look cool, but Samichlaus is actually pretty boring. The portrait of St. Nicholas looks less like a benevolent gift-bearer and more like the Player’s cigarette guy .
While even Aykroyd sympathized with the rationale behind the banning of his vodka in Ontario, the last time we checked the people who cared most about Santa Claus were toddlers—likely not consumers with a palate for the self-proclaimed “strongest lager beer in the world” (it clocks in at a potent 14 per cent). Besides, the six-year-old market has already been taken up by Hobgoblin, readily available at the LCBO.
• ‘Santa’ beer on Ontario’s naughty list [National Post]
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