Hooper's Hooch (often simply referred to as Hooch) is an

alcopop An alcopop (or cooler, spirit cooler n South African English">South_African_English.html" ;"title="n South African English">n South African English or malternative

n American English N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

is any of certain flavored alcoholic beverages with relati ...

that was most popular during the mid-1990s. The name ''Hoopers'' refers to

William Hooper William Hooper (June 28, 1742 October 14, 1790) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, and politician. As a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina, Hooper signed the Continental Association and the Declaration of I ...

, inventor of the hot water bottle and manufacturer of lemonade in the 1840s whose trademark was owned by Burton-on-Trent-based brewer

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

. Launched in Britain in 1995 by Bass as an alcoholic lemonade, it attained immediate popularity, 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. Research by the

Prime Minister's Strategy Unit The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit (often referred to simply as The Strategy Unit) was a unit based in the UK Cabinet Office between 2002 and 2010 (with its predecessor unit, the Performance and Innovation Unit, dating back to 1999). The Strategy ...

found that between 1995 and 2001, alcopop consumption by children "grew markedly", while between 1992 and 2001, consumption of alcohol among 11 to 15-year-olds rose by 63%. It was reintroduced in 2012 in a lower alcohol formulation. The success of Hooper's Hooch 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.

Creation

The packaging for Hooper's Hooch was created by KLP Scotland, the marketing and packaging agency for the Bass Brewery.

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 use of cartoon-like advertising. With an ABV of 5.0% it was actually stronger than most lagers. In 1996 an advertising campaign for Hooch was criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority 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.

Re-introduction

Hooch was reintroduced to consumers in the UK in July 2012 following a nine-year absence, with the new marketing slogan "refreshment with bite!". Its bite, however had been reduced from its original nineties formulation with the new version having an ABV of 4.0%, compared to 4.7% previously. It is sold in the UK by Global Brands Ltd and in Asia by Resolute International Marketing BV under licence from Hooch owner Molson Coors. In 2014, new adverts emerged on television featuring Keith Lemon ( Leigh Francis) entering a bar and asking for "'ooch" in his trademark Northern accent, with the bartender unable to understand what he means.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Alcopops British brands Products introduced in 1995