Spykes

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Spykes was a brand of flavored malt liquor sold by Anheuser-Busch in colorful, 2-ounce bottles. Available flavors included mango, lime, melon and chocolate, all of which were slightly spicy due to pepper additives. New flavors lacking pepper, focusing on being sweet, included Grape, Peach, Banana, and Blue Raspberry.

Spykes was designed to be mixed with beer or any hard liquor drink, but could be taken as a shot, as well. The product was designed to appeal to young adults and women, groups that often do not favor the taste of beer.^[1] Spykes mixed a 12% alcohol content with the stimulant caffeine, as well as herbs ginseng and guarana.

[edit] Criticism

Spykes has been targeted by alcohol industry watchdog groups as being marketed to underage customers. According to some critics, the size, unique flavors, and low price of the drink appeared to be aimed at teenage customers in rich urban communities. Spykes was recently cancelled after the TTB found that the labeling of Spykes was Illegal mainly because people were using it for sweet sixteens. ^[2]^{[dubious – discuss]}