A whisky brand is stirring up controversy with its new Capsule Collection, which look like Tide Pods.
The Glenlivet, a 195-year-old Scotch whisky distillery, has introduced “a collection of edible cocktail capsules made from seaweed, meaning no need for glass, ice or a cocktail stirrer,” the company shared in a video posted to its social media channels.
The pods contain 23 ml of Glenlivet whisky and come in three flavors, according to a Facebook event page.
“To enjoy them, pop the capsule your mouth and take a bite to release the delicious cocktail ingredients,” according to the video, which had been viewed more than 8.6 million times on Twitter as of 6:25 p.m. ET Monday.
No ice. No stirrer. No glass. We're redefining how whisky can be enjoyed. Introducing The Glenlivet Capsule Collection #noglassrequired pic.twitter.com/F4MGErsfZM
— The Glenlivet (@TheGlenlivet) October 2, 2019
While the concept is leaving some with a bad taste, the capsules are only available at one London bar during London Cocktail week, which ends Sunday, the company shared with USA TODAY in a statement.
It’s unclear what the alcohol content is in the pods, or how many of them you would have to ingest before you would be over the legal limit to drive.
“The Glenlivet only promotes responsible drinking, and the capsules are designed to be enjoyed in moderation by adults in a regulated and licensed environment,” the statement said. “The cocktail capsules are not for sale and there are no plans to make them available in the United States or any other market at this time.”
The Glenlivet also posted an update on its social channels saying the seaweed capsules are not available anywhere but London.
According to the Facebook event page, the whisky company partnered with Notpla, a packaging start-up, “to create an original consumption experience.”
“The seaweed used grows at a speed of around 1m per day and if discarded, the capsules biodegrade in 4-6 weeks, faster than fruit peel, meaning no waste,” the company said.
Many who commented on social media talked about memories of the Tide Pod challenge where teens were ingesting the colorful detergent packs as dares.
“Does it do laundry too? Who thought this was a good idea?” Twitter user @JohnGeyerman wrote.
Twitter user @jaboukie wrote, “you know gen z is getting older when they’re selling alcoholic tide pods.”
In 2017, poison control centers received reports of more than 10,500 exposures to highly concentrated packed of laundry detergent by children 5 and younger, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
Read more at usatoday.com.
