Four Loko

Four Loko
TypeMalt beverage
Country of origin United States
Introduced2005; 19 years ago (2005)
Alcohol by volume 6–13.9
FlavorVarious
Related productsTilt, Joose, Sparks
Websitefourloko.com

Four Loko is a line of alcoholic beverages sold by Phusion Projects of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Four Loko's recipe formerly included caffeine. Phusion operates as Drink Four Brewing Company.[1] Four Loko, the company's most popular beverage, debuted in the United States market in 2005 and is available in 49 states, and in 21 countries including Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, The Bahamas, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, China, Canada and some countries in Europe.[2] The name "Four" is derived from the original drink having four "key ingredients".[3]

Four branded products have been the object of legal, ethical, and health concerns related to the company allegedly marketing them to underage drinkers and the danger of combining alcohol and caffeine.[1] After the beverage was banned in several states, a product reintroduction in December 2010 removed caffeine, taurine, and guarana as ingredients, and the malt beverage is no longer marketed as an energy drink.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ChicagoTrib was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Schelle, Charles (April 14, 2006). "Horny, hyper and happy: That's what most people want to feel when they drink alcohol, right? The unofficial slogan is what the makers of Four hope for". The Ball State Daily News. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  3. ^ Builder, Maxine (August 8, 2018). "The Oral History of Four Loko in New York". Archived from the original on August 13, 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference kesq was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Kranc, Lauren (November 17, 2020). "Four Loko Is Still Cemented in Drinking Legend 10 Years After It Cut Out the Caffeine". Esquire. Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.