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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

Bacardi cuts calories with new rum

'Island Breeze' to contain 1/2 alcohol content of original line

One of the most popular alcoholic beverages on college campuses is slimming down a little. Bacardi Rum is now cutting the calories in its newest addition to its family, introducing Bacardi Island Breeze, which is due out in April. \nAdding to the already popular lineup of items such as Bacardi Razz and Bacardi Vaníla, Island Breeze comes as a great relief to those who like Bacardi products but are still watching their figure and do not want to drink the full-calorie beverages.\nIsland Breeze, dubbed "The Original Lite Spirit," not only cuts down on calories but also cuts alcohol content, decreasing from 40 percent to 18 percent by volume, according to The New York Times. The rum will be flavored with sucralose, the popular sweetener used in Splenda, a sugar substitute. \nAlthough the IU psychology department hasn't studied the effects of lower-calorie alcoholic beverages, psychology professor Peter Finn speculated on the success of the drink.\n"Reduced calorie intake doesn't make someone drink more," Finn said. "However, reduced alcohol content might, because the same effects on the body wouldn't be apparent until the same amount of alcohol has been consumed by the person drinking."\nFor instance, if there is half the amount of alcohol, one might drink two shots instead of one, thus equaling the same amount of caloric intake as a regular shot.\nJunior Kevin Chen takes a different approach, saying this fad will make people buy twice as much alcohol to receive the same effect of drinking.\nMost beverage companies are taking the initiative to create a good-tasting diet beverages because of the insistence of their customers. Diet pop and light beer continues to rise in the market and researchers believe this trend will continue to rise.\nIn 2004, diet carbonated beverage sales rose to 28.7 percent compared to their 1999, 24.4 percent total. It is projected that by 2015, sales will rise past current regular pop revenues, as reported in the Times. \n"I think the diet drinks are a fad right now," Chen said. "For now, however, the alcohol industry has captured the trend so it can make a profit off of those who will fall for it."\nSome see this as a ploy by the Bacardi & Company Limited to get drinkers of the beverage to purchase more. \n"It's an advertising scheme used by the beverage companies directed at people that are doing the 'low carb' thing," said junior Matt Gard.\nHowever, Bacardi representatives would like to dispel any kind of reaction toward its product, which might consider it to be for weight-loss purposes. Bacardi believes it is just helping people continue to have fun while enjoying their drink, according to the Times article.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Ryne \nShadday at rshadday@indiana.edu.

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