Controversial FMB is pulled from shelves
Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. said yesterday it has stopped making its Spykes drink, a flavored malt beverage that was 12 percent alcohol by volume – and received criticism from all sides that it appealed to under aged drinkers.
The St. Louis company said Spykes has not performed up to expectations since its nationwide release in January.
“Due to its limited volume potential and unfounded criticism, we have ceased production of Spykes,” Anheuser-Busch said in a statement, in which it added that Spykes was the lowest alcohol content product in its market segment.
Advocacy groups and more than two dozen state attorneys general accused the company of targeting underage drinkers with its Spykes advertising and brightly colored packaging. Some referred to Spykes as a youth starter drink.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called Anheuser-Busch’s decision to cease sales of Spykes a significant victory in the fight against underage drinking.
