Losing that Spark

Energy drinks plus liquor equals liquid crack? Some might believe so.

MillerCoors’ Sparks energy drink is no longer in production due to pressure from state attorney generals. Thirteen states and San Francisco comprised the coalition against MillerCoors, saying the alcoholic energy drinks target young people and are unsafe.

“It’s a political thing between Miller and people who are anti-drinking,” said John Glumb, regional manager of Big Red Liquors. 

Along with Sparks’ being discontinued, MillerCoors will have to cough up $550,000 to the 13 states and San Francisco to cover the investigation expenses.

The drink will still be around; however, caffeine, ginseng, taurine and guarana will be removed from the beverage. Also, the plus and minus signs on the can to make it look like a battery will be removed as well as any other marketing tools to make Sparks look like an energy drink. 

Sparks was somewhat popular in Bloomington.

“We sold a little bit of the drink, not a lot. Sparks is a small category, not like Bud Light or anything,” Glumb said.

Be that as it may, Sparks was gaining popularity nationwide and saw a heavy increase in sales compared to the previous year. 

The urban myth suggests that mixing energy drinks, which are stimulants, with alcohol, a depressant, is harmful for the body and causes stress on the heart. However, there really is no concrete evidence that can fully support this claim. 

To say the least, don’t expect to see people walking around with orange tongues for a while.