Revealed: The premixed drinks that could be banned as ‘undesirable’

NSW bureaucrats are proposing to ban premixed alcoholic drinks based on “taste”. Here’s the drinks that could get the axe.

Booze bureaucrats want to police the flavour of premixed alcohol and ban drinks they deem “undesirable” – including anything too sweet, too fruity, or too tasty.

Flavoured vodka, alcoholic ginger beer, and bourbon mixed with cola are some of the products that could be in the sights of Liquor and Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) under extraordinary draft guidelines circulated to the industry.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal that bureaucrats want to regulate the “taste profile” of mixed drinks on sale at the local bottle shop.

The industry has been warned that premixed drinks could be banned as “undesirable” if they taste too fun, particularly featuring “confectionary or dessert-based” flavours.

While the draft guidelines are intended to police drinks that might be attractive to kids, they could end up banning products that are popular among legal drinkers.

Grace O’Keeffe and Miranda Thomas drinking flavoured vodka and alcoholic ginger beer, which could both be in the sights of the liquor regulator. Picture: Richard Dobson

Alcoholic drinks that combine booze with prominent soft-drink brands are a specific target, “particularly if the taste of alcohol is masked, and the flavour of the non-alcohol branded product is prominent”.

The draft guidelines have sent shockwaves through the industry.

“This decision empowers unelected bureaucrats to become pseudo ‘taste police’ cruising the aisles of the local bottle-o and banning drinks they decide are too fun,” one industry source said.

Fellr’s collaboration with Messina could fall foul of new guidelines coming for “dessert-based” flavours. Picture: Richard Dobson

The source said that there would be nothing stopping the regulator from appointing a quasi “assistant commissioner for taste” to “decide what’s in and what’s out”.

The wording of the draft regulations puts a whole range of drinks in the firing line.

They include Billson’s premixed vodka range, which offers flavours such as “Musk,” “Cake,” “Tangle,” “Twister,” and “Sunset Fizz”.

Baileys flavours like salted caramel, red velvet cupcake, or tiramisu could also fall foul of the regulator which believes “dessert-based” tastes are a high risk of appealing to children.

According to the guidelines, drinks that are too affordable could also be banned as appealing to minors.

The guidelines are the latest way the government intends to tackle an emerging market of premixed drinks, after Hard Solo was forced to rebrand as “Hard Rated”.

Alcoholic iced tea and ginger beer could be impacted by draft guidelines. Picture: Richard Dobson

Flavoured vodkas are also drawing the ire of the regulator. Picture: Richard Dobson

The regulations mean that while overseas drinkers can enjoy premixed Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola or an Absolut and Sprite collaboration, Australian drinkers could miss out.

Retail Drinks Australia CEO Michael Waters said the idea of policing “taste profile” was an area of “concern” for the industry.

“How a beverage ‘tastes’ is personal and subjective, making it difficult to establish any objective standards,” he said.

Libertarian MP John Ruddick said the guidelines were the “definition of the nanny state gone mad”.

Asked for his reaction to the draft guidelines, Libertarian MP John Ruddick said they were the “absolute definition of the nanny state gone mad”.

“Regulating alcohol content is one thing, but these guidelines effectively prohibit properly labelled alcoholic drinks merely because they taste sweet,” he said.

The guidelines would directly impact the drinks popular with 22 year olds Grace O’Keeffe and Miranda Thomas.

Miranda Thomas and Grace O’Keeffe disagreed with the guidelines. Picture: Richard Dobson

“As someone who doesn’t often drink alcohol, having drinks that mask the flavour of alcohol is more enjoyable for me,” Ms O’Keeffe said.

Ms Thomas said everyone has different taste preferences.

“Unfortunately, people are going to drink regardless, and restricting their choice of drink based on “sweetness” is an odd thing to base a policy on,” she said.

A L & GNSW spokesman said that new guidelines are being developed to “ensure liquor products are being designed, packaged and promoted in compliance with NSW legislation and community expectations”.

“L & GNSW will consider feedback from consultation before finalising the guidelines.”

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.