“It’s inappropriate:” New alcoholic Pop Shoppe drinks raise concerns about youth appeal

New alcoholic Pop Shoppe beverages are sweetening shelves this summer, but some experts on alcohol policy are worried that the drink could be particularly attractive to youth.

The Pop Shoppe, a Canadian brand that sells retro-style soda in glass bottles, launched a “Hard Cream Soda” and a “Lime Ricky Hard Soda” this spring, with a seven per cent alcohol content.

The sweet, vodka-based drinks come in brightly coloured tall cans featuring the classic Pop Shoppe logo.

It isn’t the first brand to have a spinoff alcoholic beverage — Snapple has a “spiked” iced tea, for example, and Hires Root Beer makes a vodka beverage.

Ashley Wettlaufer, research co-ordinator at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said the Pop Shoppe drinks have a “very concerning” potential to appeal to youth.

She pointed to the colourful, cartoon-like label, sugary taste and familiar “Pop Shoppe” logo — a soda brand many adolescents…