Seconds out: it's Portman v BrewDog again

December 4, 2009: The Portman Group, which monitors standards in alcohol promotion, is trying to ban BrewDog from selling is 18% ABV beer Tokyo* in UK bars, clubs and shops because, it says, the beer's label encourages consumers to drink to excess.

Alcohol Focus Scotland and a member of the public complained that a message on the drink’s label encouraged excessive drinking. The Independent Complaints Panel decided that the 18% ABV beer breaks the Code which sets minimum, mandatory standards for drinks producer marketing.

The Portman Group is issuing a Retailer Alert Bulletin asking retailers to stop selling the drink until its marketing is altered to comply with the Code.

David Poley, Portman Group chief executive, said: “We don’t regulate the alcohol content of drinks but we do control how they are promoted. It’s obviously unwise for any company to urge consumers to drink to excess. We won’t allow any irresponsible marketing, whether it’s for a big brand or a niche product. That’s why we’re taking action to restrict future sales of this beer.”

The Panel did, however, dismiss complaints that the product’s packaging unduly emphasised its strength and that the expression “intergalactic fantastic” on the label was a reference to the effects of illicit drugs.

Does any of this bother BrewDog partners James Watt and Martin Dickie? If it does, they're hiding it well.

Martin said that, once again, Portman had gone "completely overboard". He told the Morning Advertiser: "They have failed to realise that this is a limited release beer that takes us six months to produce. It is absolutely loaded with flavour and is more akin to a fine port. It is not a beer sold in crates for £10. Those are the ones that cause the problem."