Bar defends ‘offensive’ cocktail after backlash

A Scottish bar has defended a new cocktail on its menu after a charity claimed that the drink made light of drug addiction.

The drink, named ‘Cooncil [Council] Lilt’, is an alcoholic pineapple-flavoured cocktail with a cherry sours-filled syringe chaser. According to The Smoking Goat Bar & Grill in Ayr, Scotland, it is: “…like your mither [mother] used to buy from the corner shoap [shop]”.

But the gimmicky beverage has been slammed by Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs CEO Justina Murray for reinforcing “lazy stereotypes”: “At risk of playing into the alcohol industry marketing textbook – in that any publicity is good publicity – I would have to say that this seems like an unnecessarily offensive way to brand and market a drink.”

“The Smoking Goat team seem to be mocking anyone in Scotland who rents their home from the local authority and anyone in Scotland who takes drugs via injection – even though their own customers will include many people who are part of one or both of these communities,” she continued.

In response, a spokesperson for the bar said: “These drinks are all over Glasgow and Edinburgh, I hope they are also having a go at them as well. It was these venues – some of which have won some top awards – that we got the idea from. It was never aimed at anyone at all, we have not mocked anyone who rents their home or even mentioned it or anything about injecting drugs? People forget that syringes can be used for more than just taking drugs.”

The statement then went on to point out various charity initiatives the bar is involved in, and concluded: “There are many cocktails, shots, etc that have different names that everyone could get offended by. If people are offended by this then we are sorry but it was never intended to do that.” However, since issuing that statement, the Instagram post with the Cooncil Lilt in has been taken down. db has reached out to ascertain if this means it is now off the menu.

Other drinks on The Smoking Goat’s menu include the ‘Irn Bru Mojito’ and ‘Fanny Bomb’.

Last week it emerged that one Scottish pub might be forced to change its historic name as it is “too offensive”.