HARTFORD, Conn. – A beer label that shows an elf firing a slingshot at Santa’s sleigh has state officials concerned – not about Santa’s rear end, but about underage drinking.
The state believes the label on the British import Seriously Bad Elf could entice minors to drink. State liquor regulations bar alcohol advertising with images that might appeal to children. The regulations specifically mention Santa.
“There are certain symbols and images that appeal more strongly to children and this regulation includes the most obvious among them,” Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said. “The state has wide discretion to regulate the sales of alcohol.”
The state Liquor Control Division notified Massachusetts-based Shelton Brothers distributors that it was rejecting its application to sell the beer, a bitter winter ale brewed at the Ridgeway Brewery in England.
Dan Shelton cried foul. After all, his company had no such problems when it sold Bad Elf and Very Bad Elf in previous years. It sells the beer in 30 other states and none complained.
“We even had a beer called Santa’s Butt last year,” Shelton said. “They didn’t notice Santa’s Butt, but they notice this one. How can you miss that big red thing? Minors are not going to be looking to buy beer because Santa Claus is on the label.”
Pleasant odor in New York City alarms many
NEW YORK – New York City has many odors, but when the city began to smell a little too good, New Yorkers became alarmed.
Residents from the southern tip of Manhattan to the Upper West Side nearly 10 miles north called a city hotline to report a strong odor Thursday night that most compared to maple syrup.
There were so many calls that the city’s Office of Emergency Management coordinated efforts with the Police and Fire Departments, the Coast Guard and the City Department of Environmental Protection to find the source of the mysterious smell.
Air tests haven’t turned up anything harmful, but the source was still a mystery.
“We are continuing to sample the air throughout the affected area to make sure there’s nothing hazardous,” said Jarrod Bernstein, an emergency management spokesman. “What the actual cause of the smell is, we really don’t know.”
Although many compared the smell to maple syrup, others said it reminded them of vanilla coffee or freshly baked cake. All seemed to agree that it was a welcome change from the usual city smells.
“It’s like maple syrup. With Eggos (waffles). Or pancakes,” Arturo Padilla told The New York Times as he walked in Lower Manhattan. “It’s pleasant.”
From Herald news services
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