Alcopop

Alcopop is a term coined by the popular media of the United Kingdom to describe 'alcoholic soft drinks'. These drinks, such as alcoholic lemonade, tend to be sweet, served in small bottles, and around 5% alcohol by volume.

These drinks emerged onto the market in the mid 1990s with the launch of Two Dogs and Hoopers, both alcoholic lemonade drinks made in Australia. Many, many more have followed as the drinks became increasingly popular.

Some parts of the popular media expressed intense concern that such drinks might appeal to children as they tend to be sweet and brightly coloured. The drinks now carry a warning stating that they are not for consumption by minors (under 18 in the UK). Remarkably, other sweet, alcoholic beverages that had been around for years, such as cider, escaped this concern, perhaps because they were not marketed to young people.