Potent Caffeinated Wine Symbolizes Scottish Drinking Problems

A sweet, caffeinated, high-alcohol wine has become a symbol of the growing drinking problems in Scottish society, the New York Times reported Feb. 4.

Buckfast Tonic Wine goes by a number of popular names that reflect its reputation, including “Wreck the Hoose (House) Juice,” and Scotland’s former industrial heartland is sometimes referred to as the “Buckfast Belt.” One study found that 43 percent of youth offenders drank Buckfast before committing their crimes, and in one district alone the wine was mentioned in more than 5,600 crime reports over a three-year period.

Buckfast is not a new product, but contains a potent mix of 15 percent alcohol and as much caffeine per bottle as eight cans of Coca-Cola. It’s particularly popular among groups of young male hooligans, Scots say.