On Breakfast Beer

“Look at cultures like Germany where a lager in the right circumstances is part of the culture, or Italy where the grappa is used as a morning pick-me-up. Cultures around the world consume alcohol in the right way, and that includes breakfast.” A cherry-flavored wheat lager from New Zealand’s Moa brewery is being marketed as a “breakfast beer” and thus causing a stir akin to Taco Bell’s “fourthmeal.” Some pros and cons:

Con: “It’s a completely irresponsible stunt from a health and addiction perspective, because it is normalizing pathological behavior.” — The director of New Zealand’s National Addiction Centre.

Pro: “Some breakfast beers are taste enhancers … it doesn’t mean I’m going to have 10 drinks.” — Person on the street.

Con: “Here we have fools seeking to profit from encouraging the behavior. This sort of nonsense is not a reflection of New Zealand’s poor attitude to alcohol, it is an example of what is driving it.” — An advisor for New Zealand’s Alcohol Healthwatch.

Pro: “Drinking beer for breakfast isn’t the end of the world.” — A different person on the street.

Sounds like a tie. Thoughts? The beer describes itself as having “a subtle, sweet cherry aroma and taste” as well as “hints of almond, banana and vanilla.”