The Future of Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks

FDA had issued the Warning Letters because the Agency’s position is that the products named in the Warning Letters are being marketed in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FFDCA).
FDA is issuing Warning Letters to four manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages.  All of these products are alcoholic malt beverages to which caffeine has been directly added as an ingredient. The manufacturers and their products are:

• Charge Beverages Corporation, which makes “Core High Gravity HG Green,”  “Core High Gravity HG Orange,” and “Lemon Lime Core Spiked;”
• New Century Brewing Company, LLC, which makes “Moonshot;”
• Phusion Projects, LLC (doing business as Drink Four Brewing Company), which makes “Four Loko;” and
• United Brands, which makes “Joose” and “Max.”

The agency has not approved the use of caffeine in alcoholic beverages at any level, and based on the information FDA has reviewed, the agency does not consider the use of caffeine in the beverages listed above to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS).  The Warning Letters should not be interpreted to mean that FDA considers other alcoholic beverages to which caffeine has been directly added to be in compliance with the law.