Alcohol Charities Warn of 99p BuzzBallz Shot

Alcohol charities in Britain are warning that a new 99p BuzzBallz shot is being marketed in a way that could appeal to children and teenagers, intensifying pressure on regulators to tighten rules on alcohol pricing and promotion.

The criticism centers on a new ready-to-drink product from the company behind BuzzBallz, the brightly colored cocktails sold in spherical containers that have gained a following among younger consumers and on social media, especially on TikTok. The new shot is being sold as a nostalgia-themed product and promoted through an ice-cream van called the 99 Liquor Whip, which has been taken to university campuses this month. The company says the campaign offers “unapologetically fun flavour experiences.”

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 pointed to the sweet flavors, TikTok-style branding and use of an ice-cream van as signs that the campaign was aimed at young people. He said cheap prices and heavy marketing are two of the biggest drivers of alcohol harm, and argued that a 99p shot combines both.

Roberts said alcohol industry rules already state that products should not particularly appeal to children, but added that examples like this continue to appear. He called for stronger regulation, saying youth drinking has fallen but that Britain still has some of the highest levels of heavy episodic drinking among young people in Europe.

Joe Marley, executive director of Alcohol Change UK, said alcohol companies keep finding new ways to make drinking seem central to having a good time. He said the BuzzBallz campaign would first reach students on campus and criticized what he described as playful tactics, bright colors and cultural trends used to embed alcohol in young people’s lives. Marley also raised concern about advertising outside campuses, including in busy public places such as bus stops and high streets.

He said price matters, especially during a cost-of-living crisis, because low-cost alcohol paired with aggressive marketing can shape drinking habits and normalize alcohol use. He called for stronger controls and sensible limits on how alcohol can be marketed.

The Sazerac brand, which manufactures the drink, said it takes concerns about underage drinking seriously and that all activity is governed by strict British alcohol marketing, retail and age-verification standards. The company said price alone does not determine whether a product appeals to minors and argued that responsible marketing, clear adult targeting and strong retail compliance are what matter most.

It said the new product was designed as an adult-only alcohol activation centered on flavored spirit shots, nightlife occasions and legal-age consumers. The company also said its creative approach draws on nostalgia trends commonly used to reach adults who identify with 1990s and early-2000s culture.