It seems that $5.3 billion mega-coffee-corp Starbucks has managed to land itself in hot water, so to speak, with its new Starbucks-branded premium coffee liqueur product that’s currently being test-marketed in Denver and Austin, Texas.

It seems that out of the few who know about the new alcoholic Starbucks drink, some are more than a little annoyed at the Seattle based Coffee giant for getting into a liquor market, even if it is just a liqueur.

According to the Rocky Mountain News, one such person is 46-year-old Zach Mann who owns a pizza place in the mountain outpost of Paonia. Mann feel that Starbucks should not be in the liquor business, as the brand is heavily aimed at the lucrative coffee-sipping youth market. He says “This is the equivalent of McDonald’s putting a beer stand in front of their playground.”

Mann goes on to say “I have no problem with alcohol, I have trouble with irresponsible use of alcohol, and so, irresponsible marketing of alcohol.” And it would appear that he isn’t short of passion. Along with others opposed to the new drink, Mann spent $5,000 renting a vacant lot near a Starbucks then filling it with more than 2,400 crosses to represent youths aged 15 to 20 killed in auto accidents across America in 2003 due to underage drinking. He has also set up a website to further his protest at stardrunks.com.

Starbucks themselves rebut the claims made by Mann, stating that the liqueur cannot be purchased in Starbucks stores and won’t be advertised there either. Speaking for the company Audrey Lincoff said “It [the liqueur] is clearly directed toward a mature consumer.”

The premium coffee liqueur product will be available for sale at licensed establishments, such as restaurants, bars, and retail outlets where premium distilled spirits are sold. The product will not be sold in Starbucks retail stores.

“Extending the Starbucks brand into new channels is part of our long-term growth strategy,” said Orin Smith, Starbucks president and CEO. “Many of our customers already enjoy coffee liqueur and would consider a Starbucks-branded coffee liqueur to be best-of-class.”

The Jim Bean Starbucks-branded liqueur is set to be launched across America in March 2005 if the current market tests are successful.

FOOTNOTE: As per the Pulp Fiction “Royale with Cheese” quote, it’s worth noting that across Europe (though not in the UK) McDonald’s do actually sell beer with their combo-meals. As yet no studies have proved that Euro-kids are any more likely to become ‘fall down drunks’ than American kids. The legal age to purchase alcohol across Europe is also far lower than America (from 16 – 18 years old).

Starbucks Coffee
Zach Mann’s Stardrunks.com
Marin Insititute
Rocky Mountain news article
Poshcoffee