Beer for kids

by Jonathon Morgan (Subscribe to Jonathon Morgan's posts) May 30th 2007 12:28PM

Categories: Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Eating & Nutrition

Kids like pretending to be grown-ups, right? So next time you're having a dinner party, or just cracking open a Budweiser after a stressful day at the office, let your kids join you -- with fake beer.

I'm not sure how well this idea would go over in most countries, but it's apparently been very successful in Japan. That's where a company called Sangaria created a line of fake alcoholic drinks intended specifically for children -- they've made beer, wine, champagne and cocktails. Apparently, you can even by six-packs, and the beer (flavored like apple juice) foams at the top when you pour it into a glass.

Puts the sparking grape juice you give the kids on New Years Eve to shame, doesn't it?

I wonder what happens when the kids get older, and realize that beer, in fact, packs a little more punch than the apple juice they were used to.

[via Neatorama]

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Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

M4Mommy 5-30-2007 @ 1:30PM

Nope, no way no how. I tell my daughter constantly that both drinking and smoking are bad for her. We dont drink around her at all. So the thought of giving her a ""fake"" alcoholic beverage just, to me anyway.. seems to be sending the wrong message

Sandyone 5-30-2007 @ 2:07PM

Well, the Japanese businessmen are all a bunch of alcoholics, anyway. Maybe they just want the kids to get a good jump start.

Kate 5-30-2007 @ 4:25PM

I don't know, it doesn’t get them addicted to beer - and wow will they be surprised when they drink REAL beer and it tastes nothing like apple juice! Maybe it just makes them addicted to various carbonated fruit drinks? I don’t see what’s wrong with a drink here or there as an adult. If anything, I want my child to learn that it is an adult beverage and requires responsibility and maturity. I held the hair of too many kids in college whose first taste of alcohol resulted in numerous drunk/sick weekends.

SKL 5-30-2007 @ 7:46PM

As a kid, we had "near beer" (Kingsbury brew) which tasted about as awful as real beer. We wasted our allowance to drink it because it seemed cool at the time. None of us are alcoholics - I myself am a teetotaler - so I guess it didn't lead to addiction to the hard stuff. If anything, it just reinforced the line between what's OK (nonalcoholic) and not OK (alcoholic) for minors. I really don't think pretend alcohol is a problem, unless a family is philosophically or religiously against alcohol for adults as well as children.

Kirstie 5-30-2007 @ 8:30PM

It's a little strange, but I'm sure it's harmless. And it's CERTAINLY not the strangest think Japanese children see ... there is a celebrity over there called Hard Gay, who thrusts himself at people, small children included.

Strangely enough, that's okay - he's apparently very well liked. I love the Japanese culture :)

Kirstie 5-30-2007 @ 8:30PM

http://www.michaelduff.net/blog/2006/10/hard-gay-fathers-day.html

^ A video clip for anyone completely confused by the Hard Gay thing.

Tamyu 5-30-2007 @ 11:49PM

I personally don`t see anything wrong with it at all.
It`s not flavored like beer, and is only packaged in a way to look like it. I don`t see any harm in letting a child *PRETEND* to do things. I certainly wouldn`t want my child to grow up and do extreme flying jumps off bridges in the car, but I have no problem letting him pretend to do just that.

These kids most certainly aren`t drinking this everyday - only at specific special occasions. What is the harm in giving a child a "children`s version" of an adults-only item? Telling them it`s evil, and to never touch the stuff seems pretty hypocritical if there are adults who do, even occasionally, have a drink. I think it`s more effective to tell children that it`s an adult`s only thing, and allow them to pretend with a children`s version.

I have nothing against responsible, adult drinking.

Ginny 5-31-2007 @ 9:55AM

Sure...and let's give 'em candy cigarettes too while we're at it...

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