LBC, 25 May 2026; by Cristina Diciu
BuzzBallz, ready-to-drink cocktails sold in a colourful, spherical container, have become popular with Gen Z in recent years, particularly on TikTok, where tasting videos and cocktail hacks have gone viral.
The company who created the popular drinks, Sazerac, has now pitched a new product positioned as a ‘nostalgia buy’, rolling out an ice-cream van called the 99 Liquor Whip. The travelling ice-cream van served complimentary soft serves infused with shots at university campuses this month.
However, Jem Roberts, head of external affairs at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said the launch “looks like a product entirely designed to appeal to children while hiding behind a thin ‘nostalgia’ label”.
He told the Guardian: “Sweet flavours, TikTok-style branding, and even an ice-cream van, it’s hardly subtle.
“We know two of the biggest drivers of alcohol harm are cheap prices and heavy marketing. A 99p shot promoted as fun and shareable combines both. And while youth drinking has declined, the UK still has some of the highest levels of heavy episodic drinking among young people in Europe, so this is not a problem we’ve solved.”
Read the full article and see the pictures of the product: link
Related
