No Skull-shaped Bottles o' Vodka for LCBO Stores

[The Bread Guy]

Only on Ontario, literally  : - I like how Dan A. is taking the "forbidden fruit" approach.

From the Globe & Mail:

The clear-glass skull gazes out from the liquor shelves with a decidedly un-cadaverous smile. Save for the inch-long spout and knobby cork that protrude from its pate, Crystal Head Vodka’s distinctive bottle shape looks remarkably life-like, a curiosity you’d expect to see in a droll chiropractor’s office.

Or maybe that should be remarkably death-like, because that’s the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s interpretation. And human remains do not convey the most tactful marketing message when your goal is to be a virtuous vendor of beverage alcohol.

In a stark departure from every other state and province on the continent, one of the world’s hottest new vodka brands has been banned from Ontario stores. Yes, outlawed in Ottawa, banished from Brampton, taboo in Toronto and verboten in Verner.

The funny thing is, the brand’s creator, Canadian-born actor Dan Aykroyd, doesn’t seem to be losing his head over it all.

“I like it, it kind of makes the product more appealing in my view,” Mr. Aykroyd told me over the phone last week from Texas. “This is a decision that’s been made reflecting the appeal of the product, because the board is rightly concerned that under-aged drinkers may go to illegitimate means to obtain a bottle of Crystal Head, maybe steal it or whatever.” ....

 

[PMedMoe]

Amazingly "life-like", eh?  I don't know, how many crystal skeletons are there in the world?  Looks more like a prop from an Indiana Jones movie.

Idiots.  :

 

[chrisf]

Dan Akroyd is insane

http://crystalheadvodka.com/

(Watch their promo videos)

 

[GAP]

Dan Akroyd is RICHLY insane

http://crystalheadvodka.com/

(Watch their promo videos)

 

[chrisf]

Touche.

 

[Michael OLeary]

In a stark departure from every other state and province on the continent, one of the world’s hottest new vodka brands has been banned from Ontario stores. Yes, outlawed in Ottawa, banished from Brampton, taboo in Toronto and verboten in Verner.

Watch for this summer's rash of smuggling charges as people try to bring bottles back into Ontario for all their friends.

What the provinces loses on potential sales taxes, it will make up in fines.    :

 

[HItorMiss]

You can if you are traveling outside if the country buy them at the Duty Free in Toronto and Ottawa Airports. That was as recent as April. I kick myself for not having bought one then now I guess I will have to travel to Quebec 

 

[Jungle]

I kick myself for not having bought one then now I guess I will have to travel to Quebec 

There are some advantages to living in La Belle Province... like beer and wine at Costco, for example...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Welcome to the Dulard McSquinty world of Bantario. Leave it to the deranged adolescents in Moronto to impose their twisted morality on the rest of us yet once again.

 

[Sig_Des]

You can if you are traveling outside if the country buy them at teh Duty Free in Toronto and Ottawa Airports. That was as recent as April. I kick myself for not having bought one then now I guess I will have to travel to Quebec 

I'll see if I can find a bottle here, and bring it down when I'm in Ontario at the end of the Month

 

[SeanNewman]

Welcome to the Dulard McSquinty world of Bantario.

1.  Awesome word: "Moronto" (tm).

2.  I can not see how this is possibly as it is written (can be mistaken for a real skull) and there are not other factors at play behind the scenes.  My money is on Dan having upset the wrong person at some point and this is revenge on him.

 

[armyvern]

You can if you are traveling outside if the country buy them at teh Duty Free in Toronto and Ottawa Airports. That was as recent as April. I kick myself for not having bought one then now I guess I will have to travel to Quebec 

Well, with my recent requirement to do trips to Chapeau - Petawawa each weekend to ferry about the eldest & his girlfriend ... and given that I do owe you a beer anyway (f'n Bruins) ... I'll seek one out for you.

 

[SeanNewman]

If anyone from the Centre of The Universe wants one of these, PM me.

 

[HItorMiss]

Vern, BW you guys rock Ironicaly I require 2 anyway, one for display on the bar and of course one for drinking.

Let me know the cost and I will COD  ;D


BW PM inbound

 

[Thompson_JM]

...2.  I can not see how this is possibly as it is written (can be mistaken for a real skull) and there are not other factors at play behind the scenes.  My money is on Dan having upset the wrong person at some point and this is revenge on him.

Someone who Reeeeeeeeeally Hated the Ghostbusters Series or possibly Sci-Factor?

My Money is on Sci Factor.... I mean how could anyone hate Ghostbusters? I mean its right in the song.... "Bustin(Ghosts) makes me feel good"

 

[GAP]

They're at it again

'Santa' beer on Ontario's naughty list
Article Link
Drew Halfnight, National Post  Published: Thursday, May 27, 2010

Ontario's alcohol regulator has moved to ban an Austrian beer favoured by connoisseurs because its name, Samichlaus, means St. Nicholas in Swiss-German.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has decided the beer's label contravenes rules against advertising to children. It features the name of the beer, Samichlaus, a Swiss-German nickname for the saint behind the Santa Claus legend, and a small black-and-white bearded figure.

Vlado Pavicic, co-owner of Burlington-based Roland and Russell Importers, called the decision "insulting to the average Canadian."

"It's quite a stretch to assume that the average consumer or child can translate from German to English," he said. "As for the image, I fail to see how the picture even resembles a children's character. The man depicted looks like an old fisherman."

Or a weather-beaten hobo. Either way, he bears little resemblance to the man Canadian children know from movies and Coca-Cola ads.

Greg Clow, a beer writer with the Toronto food and drink website Tasteto.com,said the province's notoriously strict labelling requirements limit consumer choice and add costs and delays for producers and importers. "It's a lot red tape, a lot of headaches, and frankly, it's caused a lot of producers to say they won't deal with Ontario," he said.
More on link

 

[PMedMoe]

I says WTF?  ???

Doesn't look like Santa to me.  :

 

[mariomike]

Santa Claus works for Coca-Cola.
The old-timer on the beer bottle looks like Heidi's grandfather.

 

[1feral1]

Its all about being politically correct, and thats pathetic.

I'd love the Santa beer and the skull bottle.

I wonder if the SLB back in dear ole Saskatchewan has these in their specialty shop? If so, I'll have to get a friend to get me some, and pick them up on my next trip home.

I remember back 30 yrs ago when my Dad tried to get RYE 7UP for his number plate for the car, the Sask govt even back then said NO, yet they allowed me AK-47 for my Jeep in 1983, and MP5 in 1985 for my Bronco.  Go figure.


OWDU

 

[SeanNewman]

So far I have spent 29/33 years of my life in Ontario but home is looking dumber and dumberer every day.