How do other drinks stack up against Four Loko?
I asked the folks at the Baltimore Health Department about other caffeine-alcohol drinks -- which are not banned like Four Loko and the like.
(If you missed it, the city and Howard County joined a bunch of other cities and states in following warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state health officials in banning caffiene-infused alcohol drinks because they say the drinks pose a special health risk.)
I got this response:
It looks as if Vincent Van Gogh Double Espresso vodka has about 10 mg of caffeine per 1.7 oz – substantially less than the products the FDA is banning.
A recipe for a rum and cola - 5 oz. of cola and 1.5 oz. of rum. This is a fairly typical size and contains roughly 14.5 mg of caffeine and 0.6 oz. of alcohol, assuming the rum is 40 percent ABV[alcohol by volume]. Irish coffee, containing 6 oz. of coffee, 1.5 oz. of whiskey, a teaspoon of brown sugar and cream. Assuming the whiskey is 40 percent ABV, your drink will have something like 90 mg of caffeine and 0.6 oz. of alcohol.
Comparatively, one 23.5 oz. can of Four Loko at 12 percent ABV has 156 mg of caffeine and 2.82 oz. of alcohol.
So to get a "Four Loko effect" with a rum and cola, you'd have to drink 4.7 rum and colas. This would have the same alcohol content as a Four Loko, but the caffeine content (at only 68.15 mg) is still less than half the caffeine in one can of Four Loko.
For Irish coffee, you'd would need to drink a little less than two to get the same caffeine level as a Four Loko. But to truly equal a Four Loko, you would have to pour at least twice as much whiskey into each serving.
So, anyone for 5 rum and Cokes?
Los Angeles Times photo
Comments
How about Red Bull and Vodka?
Posted by: MikeB | December 1, 2010 2:48 PM
If the Baltimore City Health Dept didn't intend to ban all alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine then they worded their "nuisance order" incorrectly, since it clearly does exactly that. Just because they wrote "such as" and listed examples doesn't change the fact that "all Baltimore City retail establishments are hereby ordered to....[i[mmediately stop the sale and/or distribution of alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine."
Posted by: Thom | December 1, 2010 3:06 PM
You aren't taking into account the size of the Four Loko can. I think 4 rum and cokes (as you measure them) equate, roughly, to the size of a Four Loko. Someone should package 4 rum and cokes, premade, in a large can. Add some caffeine, and you have the exact same drink. The problem isn't the drink, it's the drinker. I am one who opposes the ban, but then again, I oppose most bans.
Posted by: Mark J | December 1, 2010 3:28 PM
I would like to see this done with "bombs" Jager or and Vodka related bombs
Posted by: Tj | December 1, 2010 3:51 PM
Granted, i realize that the amounts quoted are "bar book" recipes, however, i have *never* known a bartender that ever poured only 1 oz of whiskey for an Irish coffee.
Posted by: Baltimocker | December 1, 2010 4:02 PM
What about Red Bull and vodka? Can't you just down a couple of those and have the equivalent of Four Loko?
Posted by: Tim | December 1, 2010 4:31 PM
Sure, at $8 apiece and however long it takes for you to get served. Not that Red Bull and Vodka is good for you, but you can't exactly chug it 23 oz at a time. But I'm not for bans, either.
Posted by: L | December 1, 2010 6:40 PM
Here's a question: If they have removed the caffeine from the stuff (as Four Loko said they were going to do), is it then legal?
Here's another question: What if they had repackaged the stuff in smaller cans? Say, a 12-ounce can, or even a smaller can such as Red Bull comes in?
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | December 2, 2010 9:10 AM
I doubt a Red Bull and Vodka comes close in caffeine since One can has as much as 1 coffee, about 80mg. And you barely get 1/4 of the can.
Posted by: Brien | December 2, 2010 10:02 AM