International Beverage Company

A new law in Michigan now requires purchasers of kegs to provide their name, address, and a copy of their driver’s license so that a keg found at underage parties can be traced to its owner. However, retailers and consumers alike aren't convinced that this new "tagging" system will benefit keg beer sales.

The first worry is that underage consumers will acquire other, more risky, bottled alcohol instead of buying kegs. Secondly, retailers aren't going to want to deal with tagging and re-tagging the kegs, and could possibly stop selling kegs all together. Lastly, of-age consumers may find that buying a keg is too risky with the consequences involved if an underage drinker is found drinking from the keg, and will choose to buy bottles or cans instead. 

Underage drinkers should never consume alcohol, but with the new law in place, of-age drinkers might not want to drink keg beer anymore either.

What about Four Loko, another drink that has been popular with the underage crowd in the past? It's been reported that Phusion Projects, the makers of Four Loko, have reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission over the discrepancies of serving sizes. The FTC warned that the size of the can could be deceptive as far as how many serving sizes it contained. Phusion Projects agreed to add a resealable top to the cans as an indication that the drinks hold multiple servings.

The makers of Four Loko have recently removed the energy stimulants in the drinks in order to comply with the FTC regulations that banned the original drinks from the shelves.