Hooper's Hooch
Encyclopedia
Hooper's Hooch is an alcopop
that was most popular during the mid-1990s. The name Hoopers refers to William Hooper
, inventor of the hot water bottle
and manufacturer of lemonade in the 1840s whose trademark was owned by Burton-on-Trent-based brewer Bass. Launched in Britain in 1995 by Bass as an alcoholic lemonade, it was initially very popular leading to the development of orange- and blackcurrant-flavoured versions.
At its peak 2.5 million bottles of Hooper's Hooch were sold each week in Britain, and it was the market leader for alcopops with up to 70% of the market. However, alcopops became less popular, and the drink was discontinued in the UK in 2003. The drink is still sold in the US by United States Beverage in Hard Lemonade, Hard Orange, Hard Berry and ICE (citrus) flavours.
Hooper's Hooch is mostly notable for being one of the first alcopops
. Its success began an industry-wide trend of incorporating lighter, less calorific drinks with alcohol equal to the amount found in a standard beer or glass of wine. As a result products such as Bacardi Breezer
and Mike's Hard Lemonade are, depending on location, commonly found in pubs and bars today.
for appealing to underage drinkers. In 1997 the drink was relaunched with an 'unambiguously adult look' and a reduced sugar content to tackle that criticism, while Co-Op Supermarkets, Iceland
, J D Wetherspoon and Whitbread
stopped selling alcopops.
Alcopop
Alcopop is a colloquial term describing certain flavored alcoholic beverages, including:#malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added...
that was most popular during the mid-1990s. The name Hoopers refers to William Hooper
William Hooper
William Hooper was an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina from 1774 through 1777...
, inventor of the hot water bottle
Hot water bottle
A hot water bottle is a container filled with hot water and sealed with a stopper, used to provide warmth, typically whilst in bed, but also for the application of heat to a specific part of the body....
and manufacturer of lemonade in the 1840s whose trademark was owned by Burton-on-Trent-based brewer Bass. Launched in Britain in 1995 by Bass as an alcoholic lemonade, it was initially very popular leading to the development of orange- and blackcurrant-flavoured versions.
At its peak 2.5 million bottles of Hooper's Hooch were sold each week in Britain, and it was the market leader for alcopops with up to 70% of the market. However, alcopops became less popular, and the drink was discontinued in the UK in 2003. The drink is still sold in the US by United States Beverage in Hard Lemonade, Hard Orange, Hard Berry and ICE (citrus) flavours.
Hooper's Hooch is mostly notable for being one of the first alcopops
Alcopop
Alcopop is a colloquial term describing certain flavored alcoholic beverages, including:#malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added...
. Its success began an industry-wide trend of incorporating lighter, less calorific drinks with alcohol equal to the amount found in a standard beer or glass of wine. As a result products such as Bacardi Breezer
Bacardi Breezer
Bacardi Breezer, Breezer for short, is a rum-based alcopop with 4% alcohol It comes in a variety of fruit flavours: lemon, peach, pineapple, apple, ruby grapefruit, lime, orange, blackberry, watermelon, cranberry, coconut, raspberry, blueberry, pomegranate and mango...
and Mike's Hard Lemonade are, depending on location, commonly found in pubs and bars today.
Creation
Hoopers Hooch packaging was created by KLP Scotland, the marketing and packaging agency for Bass Brewers. The original team involved with the packaging, advertising and creating the lemon character and all subsequent flavour extensions were Del Sneddon (now owner of design agency Pocket Rocket), Mark Fowlestone (now owner of marketing agency Multiply), and Logan Hill (now freelance designer for WaterBros. International).Criticism
At the time, along with other alcopops, the drink received criticism for encouraging underage drinking by appealing to children due to its sweet taste and using cartoon-like advertising. In 1996 an advertising campaign for Hooch was criticised by the Advertising Standards AuthorityAdvertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)
The Advertising Standards Authority is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances...
for appealing to underage drinkers. In 1997 the drink was relaunched with an 'unambiguously adult look' and a reduced sugar content to tackle that criticism, while Co-Op Supermarkets, Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
, J D Wetherspoon and Whitbread
Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...
stopped selling alcopops.