Buckfast

I cannot even think of what that title might mean to anyone living outside of the UK. Well, yes I can. In America, it could make you think of what broncos do in a rodeo. They jump and buck and try to rid themselves of that inconvenient rider.

But in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland it is a wine that was originally created and sold by the monks of Buckfast Abbey. The monks no longer sell it themselves and it is no longer known as a tonic nor advertised as having health benefits (it once was!).
I only heard about it yesterday when listening to the BBC Scotland and as I researched it today, I saw that the controversy did not begin yesterday but has been going for years.
I think that the new attention is due to a documentary being aired in the UK that speaks to the significant number of crimes in Scotland that have some association with Buckfast. Buckfast is also called Buckie and some other names ("wreck the hoose juice" is my favorite). In fact, it sort of reminds me of the cheap, sweet wine that teenagers drank in my coming up years, Boone's Farms.

The difference is that Buckfast has double the alcohol content of Boone's Farms and also contains a significant amount of caffeine. Buckie is sold in a green and a brown bottle with a bit of a variation in alcohol content and caffeine. The caffeine is 35-55 mg per 3 ounces and the alcohol is near 15% for the same. In the USA a wine serving is supposed to be 4 ounces and is usually served as 6-8 . (also, coffee has on average 60 mg of caffeine)

The controversy involves where to pin the blame for the high crime association. The news regards a report that a particular precinct in Scotland had over 5000 incidents which included mention of Buckfast, that nearly half the people involved in them were drinking it before hand and that the bottle itself was used as a weapon over one hundred times. The numbers are for a recent three year period.

The arguments made include that the alcohol itself is the problem and should be banned, that the people drinking it are the problem, that the area where the report has come from is the problem and that caffeinated alcohol is the issue. We have had that last concern come up in America and the USA was noted in that regard in at least one article. Others say that it isn't fair to pick on Buckfast and that comparison statistics for other beverages should also be put in the press.

Scottish politicians are concerned over proliferation of the drunken Scot stereotype. This reminds me of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite authors in my all time favorite books, Diana Gabaldon and the Outlander Series. Now I must say, the reason I listen to BBC Scotland is partly because of these books, but more so because it is my heritage. My ancestry is Scotch, Dutch and Italian. If you've taken a look at my profile picture it is likely no surprise to you that I did not list them in order of amount!

Anyways, I am going to add to the stereotype with absence of malice and in honor of my Scotch/Dutch father.
" The only time you'll find a Scot not drinking is at a funeral - and that's only if he's the one in the coffin. "