Alcohol Marketing Research Articles

Digital alcohol marketing and gender: A narrative synthesis.

Alcohol marketing on social media platforms is pervasive and effective, reaching wide audiences and allowing interaction with users. We know little about the gendered nature of digital alcohol marketing, including how women and men are portrayed, how different genders respond and implications for gender relations. This review aimed to identify how males, females and other genders are targeted and represented in digital alcohol marketing, and how they are encouraged to engage with digital alcohol marketing content. A narrative synthesis approach was employed. Academic literature and research reports were searched for studies on digital alcohol marketing published within the previous 10 years with a range of methods and designs. We reviewed the studies, extracted data relevant to gender and synthesised findings thematically. The review included 17 articles and 7 reports with a range of designs and methods, including content analyses of digital material, interviews, focus groups and surveys. Our analysis identified three conceptual themes that captured many of the gendered results, namely: (i) leveraging a diversity of idealised femininities; (ii) amplifying hegemonic masculinity; and (iii) infiltrating everyday gendered life. Alcohol marketing on social media is highly gendered and is designed to embed itself into everyday life in agile ways that reinforce traditional and evolving gendered stereotypes, activities, lifestyles and roles. Gendered engagement strategies are widely used to link alcohol to everyday gendered activities and identities to encourage alcohol purchase and consumption. This marketing normalises alcohol consumption and reproduces harmful gender norms and stereotypes.

Policy Approaches for Regulating Alcohol Marketing in a Global Context: A Public Health Perspective.

Alcohol consumption is responsible for 3.3 million deaths globally or nearly 6% of all deaths. Alcohol use contributes to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, as well as violence and injuries. The purpose of this review is to discuss, in the context of the expansion of transnational alcohol corporations and harms associated with alcohol use, policy options for regulating exposure to alcohol marketing. We first provide an overview of the public health problem of harmful alcohol consumption and describe the association between exposure to alcohol marketing and alcohol consumption. We then discuss the growth and concentration of global alcohol corporations and their marketing practices in low- and middle-income countries, as well as in higher-income societies. We review the use and effectiveness of various approaches for regulating alcohol marketing in various countries before discussing challenges and opportunities to protect public health.

Socio-cultural origins of beer naming in the Kirov region

Russia in its history has experienced completely different attitudes of the population towards alcohol consumption and, at times, diametrically opposite approaches of the state to its regulation: from dry laws to widespread encouragement, from the northern type of alcohol consumption (dominance of strong drinks) to the southern type (dominance of low-alcohol drinks). In this sense, today we are experiencing a unique situation: in modern Russia, beer (a low-alcohol drink) is taking the lead in the alcoholic beverage market. Beer is again becoming, in fact, a people's drink. This circumstance makes interesting and relevant the question of studying beer consumption in the historical context. How has the consumption of alcohol in the past influenced its consumption today? Is there any cultural connection between the eras? Or is today's beer culture starting from scratch? We have tried to answer these questions by studying modern beer naming.
 In this article the socio-cultural origins of modern beer names are analysed on the example of draught beer shops in the city of Kirov. The names are analysed in the context of successive major Russian historical epochs. The study was conducted using a content analysis method of three hundred and seventy beer names collected by the authors in the first half of 2023 in twenty-two beer shops in the city. Three strategies used for naming beer were identified: pre-revolutionary (these names are closely related to the names of varieties from various Western European countries), Soviet (built on the negation of the pre-revolutionary strategy, based on the development of new, unique names) and post-Soviet (modern names that do not correlate with either the pre-revolutionary or Soviet strategy). The study revealed that the most popular strategies are pre-revolutionary and post-Soviet (38 per cent each of all names considered), while the least popular is the Soviet strategy (24 per cent of all names considered). In addition, the coefficient of uniqueness of the strategy used is introduced, which allows us to understand how diverse the use of a particular strategy in sales is. It is shown that pre-revolutionary and post-Soviet beer naming strategies are most often used in beer sales, while the Soviet strategy is the least popular, which indicates the special characteristics of the beer consumer community.

Children are exposed to much more alcohol advertising when a liquor store is sited near a school

The physical location of liquor stores near schools can strongly influence the chances of youth accessing and consuming alcohol(1). As children transit to and from school, it is feasible that the presence of liquor stores near schools could also increase their exposure to alcohol advertising. Cumulative exposure to advertising influences alcohol attitudes, intentions and alcohol use(2), so reducing children’s exposure to alcohol advertising is important to delay the initiation of drinking and reduce future harms. As this has not yet been investigated in Australia, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a liquor store near a school was associated with an increased prevalence of outdoor alcohol advertising in Perth, Western Australia. We identified all outdoor alcohol advertising within a 500m radius (audit zone) of 64 randomly selected primary and secondary schools from low and high socio-economic areas across metropolitan Perth. We recorded the size, type, setting, and location of each advertisement during field data collection. Each zone was categorised by the presence or absence of at least one liquor store within the school audit zone, and results compared across these stratifications. Over half (56%) of the 64 school audit zones had at least one alcohol advertisement. On average, there were 5.9 alcohol advertisements per zone. School audit zones that contained a liquor store (59%) had over thirty times the average number of alcohol advertisements compared with audit zones that did not contain a liquor store (9.7 vs 0.3). The majority of all the alcohol advertisements identified (63%) were located outside a liquor outlet as opposed to other food businesses (2%), along the roadside (31%), on a bus shelter (3%) or on/outside another business (0.5%). Our findings that Perth schools with a liquor store nearby had more outdoor alcohol advertising within a 500m radius, compared with schools without a nearby liquor store, were independent of school type (primary or secondary) or the socio-economic status of the area. This poses significant concerns about the exposure of underage populations to outdoor alcohol advertising, and the resultant influence on alcohol use. These results underscore the necessity for policy interventions to mitigate children’s exposure to alcohol marketing, especially during the daily school commute, by regulating the location of liquor stores and alcohol promotion near schools. It will be important to incorporate the voices of children when developing future policies to assert their right to be consulted, heard and appropriately influence their environments.

How frequently is alcohol advertised on television in Canada?: A cross-sectional study.

Alcohol marketing is a commercial driver of alcohol use, including among youth. This study sought to quantify and characterize alcohol advertising on broadcast television in Canada. Open-source television program logs for January to December 2018 submitted to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission by 147 stations with alcohol advertisements were analyzed. Overall, 501628 alcohol advertisements were broadcast. Four companies accounted for 83% of advertisements, namely, Anheuser-Busch in Bev (33.7%), Molson Coors (22.7%), Diageo (16.1%), and Arterra Wines Canada (10.8%). On conventional stations, advertising was highest on French-language stations [Median (Mdn) = 3224; interquartile range (IQR) = 2262] followed by those with programming in foreign/mixed languages (Mdn = 2679; IQR = 219) and English-language stations (Mdn = 1955; IQR = 1563). On speciality stations, advertising was most frequent on those primarily focused on sports programming (Mdn = 8036; IQR = 7393), movies and scripted shows (Mdn = 7463; IQR = 5937), and cooking (Mdn = 5498; IQR = 4032). On weekdays, 33% of alcohol ads aired from 6 to 9a.m. and 3 to 9p.m. and on weekends, 52% aired from 6a.m. to 9p.m. when children or adolescents are more likely to be watching television. On youth-oriented stations (n = 4), 7937 alcohol advertisements were broadcast with most airing from 9p.m. to midnight (44-45%) or 12-6a.m. (50%) on both weekdays and weekends. While few alcohol advertisements were broadcast on youth-oriented stations, young people in Canada are likely exposed to such advertising on programming intended for older or general audiences (e.g. sports). More research is needed to ascertain the extent to which broadcast television constitutes a source of alcohol advertising exposure among youth and to inform policies aimed at protecting them from the influence of such exposure.

Alcohol industry-sponsored music festivals, alcohol marketing and drinking practices among young Nigerians: Implications for policy

IntroductionThe global alcohol industry sponsors social/music events targeting young people; however, existing literature focuses on Westernised contexts. Given the decline in young people's drinking in many Western countries, it appears that multinational alcohol companies are importing the strategies they have used in high-income countries to the Global South countries like Nigeria to recoup profits. This study aims to examine the Guinness Show- a free one-month annual music festival, alcohol marketing at the festival and the extent to which the event encourages diverse drinking practices among its attendees. MethodsWe observed the music festival before collecting data through 53 interviews and 3 focus groups (N = 26). Data were analysed to generate themes with the aid of NVivo 12 software. FindingsOver 6000 participants attend the Guinness Show daily, and participants gave detailed descriptions of the music festival, alcohol marketing activities that occur in it and the drinking practices of attendees, indicating that they were highly knowledgeable of the event. The Guinness Show attracts famous music artistes and other entertainers. Therefore, young people attend to see them perform free of charge. However, diverse alcohol promotions (e.g., quantity deals, low prices, giveaways) that happen daily, the strategic use of young women as ‘beer promoters’, and the pleasure the event induces by fusing music/entertainment into alcogenic environments, encourage drinking and drunkenness. All the attendees drank alcohol, and some engaged in impulse buying, while many consumed excessively due to promotions (e.g., buy-two-get-one free), which facilitated intoxication and the loss of control. ConclusionsGuinness Nigeria organises the event for strategic brand communication, generating brand capital, and encouraging alcohol purchases and consumption among young people. Policymakers should reconsider self-regulation and implement national alcohol control policies and other public health interventions to restrain the alcohol industry from sponsoring such events.

Advertising and Marketing Strategies of Alcohol Brands at BharatGP: Assessing Awareness among Riders and Attendees

This research investigates the effect of alcohol product marketing within the motorsports industry on the lifestyle choices of adolescents and young adults in India. Employing qualitative in-depth interviews, the study included experts such as professional motorcycle racers, racing team coordinators, sponsors, organizers, journalists, and parents aged 13 to 45, who attended Bharath GP in Delhi from various locations. Thematic analysis was applied to the interview data, revealing key themes related to the influence of alcohol advertising on lifestyle choices, brand loyalty, and purchasing behavior of young consumers. Findings indicate a pervasive influence on lifestyle choices and increased alcohol consumption associated with alcohol product marketing at Bharath GP. The study underscores the necessity of regulatory frameworks for alcohol marketing in motorsports events, specifically emphasizing the importance of responsible advertising strategies within the context of Bharath GP.

Commentary on Manthey et al.: No more missed opportunities-We need to address the absence of robust and comprehensive evaluations about the real-world impact of statutory restrictions on alcohol marketing.

Commentary on Manthey et al.: No more missed opportunities-We need to address the absence of robust and comprehensive evaluations about the real-world impact of statutory restrictions on alcohol marketing.

Qualitative analysis of UK women's attitudes to calorie-based alcohol marketing and alcohol calorie labelling.

Mandatory standardized nutritional information on alcoholic drinks such as energy, or calorie labelling, is a population-level public health measure aimed at addressing obesity and alcohol consumption. In the UK, such measures are not a statutory requirement, but some alcohol brands do include references to calories on their products and in their marketing materials, as a marketing strategy to encourage sales and consumption. This article presents findings of semi-structured individual (N = 43) and group (N = 9) interviews with 78 women living in the UK that aimed to gain insight into their attitudes towards calorie-based alcohol brand marketing, and alcohol calorie labelling (ACL) as a health policy. Three themes are presented that outline how women rejected calorie marketing and labelling; the potential positive and unintended impact on alcohol consumption and dietary/eating practices; and how views on calorie labelling were intertwined with women's attitudes towards marketing that draws on calorie messaging. A feminist anti-diet discourse, as well as a discourse of pleasure through alcohol consumption, was at play in women's accounts, which may limit the intended aims of ACLs. It is concluded that ACLs should be considered within the wider commercial context of alcohol marketing that draws on calories to promote sales and consumption, consideration of the gendered factors that may lead some to reject ACLs as a health policy, and the potential for unintended consequences.

НЕКОТОРЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ АКЦИЗНОГО НАЛОГООБЛОЖЕНИЯ В РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

The scientific article examines current issues of excise taxation in the Russian Federation. It is noted that currently the main source of revenue generation for the budgetary system of our state is taxes, and an effectively operating modern tax system is of decisive importance for the successful functioning of the domestic economy. It is quite obvious that the reforms carried out in Russia have demonstrated that gaps in the tax system are one of the significant reasons for the controversial issues in the state of the country’s economy. Of course, this required the development of a new fiscal policy, which plays a major role in the system of measures of government influence on the economic situation in the country. And of course, a key place is given to a tax system that meets the requirements of a market economy, that is, a system that stimulates rather than suppresses economic growth. In the scientific work, the authors examined the determinants of excise tax, although each of the taxes in the tax system has its own functional meaning and difference from other taxes, depending on the purposes, methods of calculation and collection, as well as the degree of impact on the economy and subjects of tax relations. At the same time, the article pays attention to excise tax as an effective component of the financial system and taxation, since excise taxes are used in almost all states, being one of the most important sources of budget revenue and, thus, the most effective mechanism of state regulation of the tobacco and alcohol market sector. The functional components of the excise tax as one of the most important taxes in the tax system of the Russian Federation are summarized. It is noted that taxation is a rather complex and sometimes contradictory process. Here it is important to maintain a balance between the interests of the state and the taxpayer. But the main strategy, of course, should be the life of every citizen of our country, its quality and completeness.

МИФОПОЭТИКА ВИНА КАК ИМАГИНАТИВНЫЙ АБСОЛЮТ ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСКОГО БЫТИЯ

the article introduces a new concept at the intersection of philosophy, aesthetics, literary criticism, history, oenology and branding: mythopoetics. Mythopoetics of wine is understood as a special method of wine analytics that takes the perception of wine beyond the narrow classification of color, bouquet and taste with elements of terroir into the area of image formation: the harmony of historical fact, myth, terroir, poetry, symbol, which are quintessed in a certain wine brand. The article is a continuation of the efforts of José Ortega y Gasset, Massimo Dona, Eric Asimov, Rauf and Alexei Akchurinov in creating an approach to the philosophical understanding of wine. Wine is defined as an essential element of human intellectual and emotional life, firmly embedded in religious practices, secular culture and various genres of art. An important fact is the strong incorporation of wine into the economic structure, especially in the great wine regions of France, Italy, Spain, and Germany: from wine tastings and wine tours to the formation of a solid segment of the alcohol market in the wholesale and retail trade networks. Mythopoetics of wine allows creating its legendarium, project myths about life and death, beauty and ugliness, harmony and chaos onto a specific brand of wine, form the image of a particular wine producer, enhancing the tasting value of wine, increasing interest in thecourtliness of drinking wine, stimulating the tourist development of various regions, bringing the topic of wine to the level of the most pressing problems for interdisciplinary research, both in the field of fundamental knowledge and at the level of applied results.

Under the influence: system-level effects of alcohol industry-funded health information organizations.

There is now an established body of evidence that the alcohol industry seeks to obstruct public health policies that could affect the availability, affordability or marketing of alcohol. In parallel, the alcohol industry is active in funding corporate social responsibility initiatives, with a particular focus on 'responsible drinking' campaigns, often facilitated by national-level charities established and/or funded by the alcohol industry and associated organizations. While evidence continues to grow regarding biases in the content produced by such health information organizations, they remain active in partnerships with government health departments on national health promotion campaigns and provide a range of health-related information to the public, community organizations and schools. To understand the implications of such access for policymakers, researchers and the public, there is a need to consider the wider, system-level influences of such organizations and their place in wider alcohol industry strategies. In this article, we describe evolving evidence of the direct and indirect strategic effects of such organizations and demonstrate how they serve key roles in the alcohol industry through their existence, content, partnerships and public profiles. We end by considering the implications for how we conceptualize charities established or funded (entirely or partly) by harmful commodity industries, and to what extent current conflicts of interest guidelines are sufficiently effective.

Social disparities in alcohol consumption among Canadian emerging adults.

Young adult drinking is a public health priority, but knowledge of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators and alcohol use among emerging adults (EAs; aged 18-29 years) is primarily informed by college samples, populations in their late teens and early twenties and non-Canadian data. We compared the association of three different SES indicators with monthly heavy episodic drinking (HED), less-than-monthly HED, no HED, and no drinking among Canadian EAs. We pooled the 2015 to 2019 waves of the Canadian Community Health Survey to include participants aged 18 to 29 years (n = 29 598). Using multinomial regression, we calculated weighted estimates of alcohol use by education, household income and area-level disadvantage, adjusting for adult roles and sociodemographic characteristics. Approximately 30% of EAs engaged in monthly HED, whereas 16% did not drink at all in the past year. Compared to those in the lowest household incomes, being in the top income quintile was significantly associated with increased relative odds of monthly HED (e.g. in combined SES model, RRR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.04-1.39). Higher levels of education, being in higher income quintiles and living in less disadvantaged areas were significantly associated with reduced relative odds of no HED and not drinking. Adjusting for adult roles did not substantially change the associations between SES and alcohol use. Higher SES was associated with HED among EAs, although the magnitude of association was small. Universal prevention measures addressing the affordability, availability and marketing of alcohol could be complemented by interventions targeting EA populations at higher risk of HED.

The role of the state in consumer culture: the case of “Operation Vin” in Sweden

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the market dynamics that led to a shift in Swedish consumers' alcohol preferences from schnapps to wine. Specifically, the study investigates how the Swedish state influenced consumers' alcohol habits and highlights the role of governance units in shaping consumer culture.Design/methodology/approachThe study reconstructs the historical memory of the “Operation Vin”, a strategic marketing campaign implemented by Systembolaget from 1957 to 1985, to conceptualize the past and to uncover the structures and change dynamics of the Swedish alcohol market system. Following this approach, the research contrasts historical data from multiple sources with market-oriented ethnographical data and traces the trajectory of how the consumption of alcohol has changed as a consequence of the Swedish state’s initiatives.FindingsThe study offers two contributions to the literature in marketing and consumption history. Firstly, it uncovers the lines of actions (framing and settlement) involved in creating marketing systems and shaping consumer culture. Secondly, it explores how the state strategically leveraged its social skills to promote a specific type of alcohol consumption (wine) and to induce the Swedish consumer to cooperate in the refashioning of the alcohol field.Social implicationsThe authors aspire for this paper to offer valuable insights into how a state, as a governance entity, can shape consumer culture through a strategic blend of various regulatory measures, both gentle and forceful. The authors emphasize the pivotal role of social skills in fostering cooperation during the implementation of a new alcohol policy.Originality/valueThis paper provides valuable insights into the role of the Swedish state in shaping consumer culture and explores the strategic actions and marketing systems involved, contributing to marketing and consumption history literature.

Alcohol consumption patterns, suppliers and online alcohol marketing: Before and during COVID-19 alcohol bans

COVID-19-related alcohol sales bans and stay-at-home orders prompted the alcohol industry in South Africa to increase their online alcohol sales promotions. We investigated changes in alcohol-related behaviour and the drivers of illegal alcohol sales through a self-reported Facebook survey that ran from July to November 2020. Questions included socio-demographics and comparison of alcohol purchasing behaviour and intake during 2019 and 2020. Statistical tests were applied to find associations between illegal alcohol purchasing and alcohol-related behaviours. A total of 792 participants took part in the survey, 69.7% of whom were female. During lockdown periods, most participants (55.3%) bought alcohol illegally from illegal outlets or friends. Online alcohol-delivery marketing increased by 20 percentage points from 2019 to 2020, with participants stating that they saw a lot of advertisements per day and 80% of persons under 25 years were not asked to verify their age in 2020 upon delivery. Home-brewed beer and vodka intake increased in 2020 during the alcohol sales bans. Men from the Western Cape who engaged in daily or weekly heavy episodic drinking were more prone to purchase alcohol illegally. The Western Cape, which is South Africa’s most prolific wine-producing region, had the highest odds of people buying alcohol illegally, with wine being found to be the most frequently bought alcohol online and consumed by these participants. There is a need for further research into the differences in alcohol-related behaviour affecting illegal alcohol purchasing according to income group, proximity to alcohol producers and underage alcohol sales and marketing through online applications. Significance: Alcohol sales bans have the potential to reduce and stop the alcohol intake of moderate drinkers, but may make heavy episodic drinkers drink more than usual. During COVID-19 lockdown, illegal alcohol sales were taking place through unlicenced alcohol outlets and friends, and not through licenced online applications. Unlicenced alcohol outlets need to be addressed to prevent future illegal alcohol sales. Stricter regulations aimed at legal online alcohol sales applications should be put in place to prevent alcohol sales to minors and those who have already consumed too much alcohol. There should be a ban on marketing of addictive substances, such as alcohol.

A missed opportunity for public health: How impact assessment shaped EU rules on the marketing of unhealthy commodities to children

BackgroundThe 2015-2018 revision of the European Union's Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which governs the marketing of alcohol and unhealthy food to minors, failed to align with international best practice. Previous research has explained this ‘missed opportunity’ with reference to deficient political will, difficulties advocating for health, and industry pressure. We explore another explanation: the role of the impact assessment (IA) process in shaping decision-making. MethodsWe first conducted an in-depth comparison of three versions of the IA report, employing qualitative content and framing analyses to establish what changed in the substantive content, framing, and evidence cited. Second, we used process-tracing, a qualitative method drawing on multiple data sources, to explore causal mechanisms, to assess why these changes occurred. Data sources include policy documents published proactively and obtained through access-to-document requests. FindingsPreviously unpublished versions of the IA report show that stronger rules on advertising were preferred early in the policy process but later abandoned, and that concern for ‘balancing’ consumer protection and competitiveness shifted to focus on the latter. Following review by the Regulatory Scrutiny Board, a revised IA report narrowed the policy options, removing a requirement for member states to prevent childrens' exposure to alcohol advertising. Consequently, decision-makers were provided with an IA that did not offer adequate information on available measures to protect children. InterpretationChanges made during the IA process, which determines the policy options presented to decision-makers, side-lined health concerns. We argue that engaging with the institutional structures which shape decision-making is crucial for those working to further public health.

“The uniqueness of one apple versus another.” Exploring producer perspectives of hard cider in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States

ABSTRACT Hard cider is growing in popularity throughout the United States (US). Though many scholars have investigated quality and trends in the expanding US cider industry, still little is known about cider producers’ opinions of the products that they make. How do American cider producers value and emplace value onto cider as the industry grows and competes with the broader alcoholic beverage market? This study explored producer perceptions of American hard cider by employing 21 semi-structured interviews with cider-makers throughout Virginia, Vermont, and New York – three leading cider producing states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic US. Interview sessions were subject to reflexive thematic analysis for themes related to preference, consumption, and cider-making. Results suggest that cider producers broadly prefer complex flavors and cider made with cider-specific apples. Yet, cider producers ascribe to a diverse spectrum of values related to the cider-making process, agriculture, and business goals, which influence their preferences and the experiences that they create for other consumers. This research also identifies a chasm in how American “cider” is being constructed and valued, offering broad implications for the domestic cider and apple agriculture industries as well as a template for bridging the divide between producer- and consumer-based food studies.

Stakeholder perspectives on fairness in the marketplace: Empirical evidence from the Kenyan alcohol market

Issues of fairness relate to distributive justice (DJ), which is concerned with how a society distributes benefits and burdens. Whilst marketing theory has considered fairness in the distribution of basic goods, we lack insight into stakeholder perspectives on fairness for goods such as alcohol, which can be problematic, due to their global health and social burden. This study examines stakeholder perspectives on fairness from the Kenyan alcohol marketplace. Using longitudinal ethnographic data, we draw on two DJ theories, (egalitarianism and prioritarianism), to examine fairness perspectives of different stakeholders, their problem diagnosis, and proposed solutions to fairness challenges in the alcohol marketplace. By so doing, we give voice to previously unheard stakeholders, and expose some of the potential theoretical foundations for competing notions of fairness. The study also exemplifies the linkages between different forms of fairness and proposes a fairness chain as a framework for evaluating fairness in the marketplace.

Falling through the cracks: How do policies for alcohol marketing apply to zero alcohol products in Australia?

There is a decline in youth drinking, but also a causal link between alcohol marketing and drinking among young people. Therefore, novel alcohol marketing strategies should be scrutinised, particularly where children are exposed. This includes marketing for zero-alcohol products (ZAP) (containing 0.00% to 1.15% alcohol by volume), which has expanded considerably in recent times. This review examines how the current industry-managed regulatory approach to alcohol marketing applies to ZAPs in Western Australia. The marketing mix (four Ps of marketing: product, promotion, place, price) was used as a framework to examine federal and state government policies and industry managed codes. Policies were included if they applied to marketing of alcohol products, for example, product labelling, promotion and advertising across various media, the place of purchase and pricing measures (taxation). ZAPs were inconsistently defined, meaning that products between 0.05% and 1.15% alcohol by volume were covered under some but not all alcohol policy measures, and application to products under 0.5% alcohol by volume was limited. Government policy should more clearly define alcohol marketing and whether ZAPs and other alcohol brand extensions should be treated in the same way as alcoholic products. In Western Australia, the ways in which alcohol policy measures apply to ZAPs are limited and close attention must be paid to how ZAPs may provide additional marketing opportunities for the alcohol industry.

Methodology for the development of identification criteria of stone fruit brandy

The need to develop identification criteria for fruit brandy is connected with the prevention of the sale of counterfeit products on the Russian alcohol market. Due to the variety of factors affecting the final product, the solution to this problem requires the use of a methodology based on an integrated approach. The work is devoted to its first stage — the assessment of the influence of the biochemical composition of fruit stone raw materials, as well as various technological factors on the formation of essential (identification) characteristics of products. Fresh fruits of apricots, cherry plums, cherries, dogwood and plums, as well as samples of fermented raw materials were used as objects of research. The biochemical composition of fresh fruits was assessed by the content of sugars, free organic acids, amino acids and pectin substances. It has been found that the values of all main indicators of the biochemical composition varied widely in the samples of initial raw materials. At the same time, significant differences were noted between the types of fruit raw materials in the content of free amino acids (dogwood, cherry plum up to 0.08% and 0.12%, respectively; cherry, plum and apricot up to 0.19–0.30%) and pectin substances (cherry, apricot up to 0.6–0.8%; cherry plum, dogwood, plum up to 1.2–1.3%). The following factors were studied in the work as technological factors: a method of primary processing of raw materials (obtaining pulp or juice extraction); a maceration method — without enzyme preparations and with treatment with enzyme preparations; a fermentation method — without fermentation activators and using fermentation activators. It has been established that the method for primary processing of raw materials affects the concentration of methanol, esters and higher alcohols in fermented raw materials. The use of fermentation activators contributes to an increase in the concentration of higher alcohols and esters in them by almost 2 times, and the use of individual complex enzyme preparations — by 16% and 80%, respectively. It has been shown that the methodology for developing identification criteria for fruit vodkas at the first stage should include an assessment of the physico-chemical composition of initial raw materials and individual technological factors at the stage of preparing them for distillation.