# What the heck is a "Malt Beverage" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120 "2002-06-26T22:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120/21 "2002-06-28T10:18:33Z")
Agreeing with **postcards** , one of the reasons they’re named after Bacardi, Skyy, etc., is to allow the liquor brand to be easily advertised. When they advertise, it’s not just for the malt beverage, it’s for the liquor too. It also works well for brand recognition, since a lot of people already know the names, it’s easier to remember. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120/22 "2002-06-28T13:28:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > \*\*I bought some SKYY when we had guest one weekend. I took one sip and spit it out. I detected a strong taste of vodka, and I hate vodka. I knew it had vodka in it, but I didn’t think the flavor of it would be so strong. It wasn’t that strong alcohol wise, just flavor wise. Vodka! Blech! \*\* But there isn’t any vodka in it. And vodka pretty much has no taste. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120/23 "2002-06-28T14:03:17Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originially posted by Telemark_ > A google search turned up a bunch more articles confirming [that]…there isn’t any distilled alcohol in those drinks. This would confirm why Miller refers to the “stuff” they receive from the distillers as “flavoring”. Thanks for the research and the links **Telemark**. I am puzzled by my friend’s adamant insistence that this “flavoring” contains alcohol. In his words, “of a very high proof”. I admit I came to the conclusion that if it came from Stoli, and it was high proof alcohol, it must be vodka. Especially since if you purchase Skyy off the shelf even today, you can still get bottles that have the original label stating that it contains vodka. I have trouble believing that Miller would state that if it weren’t true. On the other hand, they’ve changed the labeling to remove this statement. I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that they removed it for reasons other than the possibility that it didn’t really contain any vodka (see my earlier posts). I haven’t had a chance to challenge him yet about all this. It remains an interesting discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Doctordec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doctordec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctordec)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120/24 "2002-06-28T15:49:19Z")
I went to the grocery yesterday and read the labels on all the major “malt beverages”. The only one mentioning containing distilled spirits was Skyy, which says (paraphrasing here, I didn’t write it down) “made with Skyy vodka”. Others mention “the flavor of” but don’t say they’re actually made with the spirit. I didn’t realize there were so many of them now. Before I have to buy some to find out can someone tell me what the Captain Morgan “malt beverage” tastes like ? ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120/25 "2002-06-28T16:07:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doctordec \* > I went to the grocery yesterday and read the labels on all the major “malt beverages”. Now _that’s_ the kind of hands-on research I admire! ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120/26 "2002-06-28T20:01:20Z")
just don’t do too much, erm, ‘research’. i mean, there’s double-blind, and then there’s _ **double blind** _! jb [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-malt-beverage/116120.md?page=1)