A Buckfast knockoff called ‘King William Fortified Wine’ has been asked to rebrand its divisive packaging.
A company behind a drink rivalling Buckfast has been ordered by a watchdog to change the “sectarian” branding on the label following complaints.
The Independent Complaints Panel ruled “King William of Orange could be intrinsically linked to sectarianism, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland".
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They also said the repeated mention of ‘16.90% ABV’ is likely in reference to the 1690 Battle of the Boyne which was a “turning point... in relation to sectarianism”.
Director of anti-sectarianism charity Nil by Mouth Dave Scott, who made the complaint, told Moncrieff the wine was “almost like a kind of Brew Dog version of bigotry”.
He said the company, Belcondie, presented the wine it as a way to “honour” King William – but it was “100% an attempt to cash in on sectarian tensions in Glasgow”.
“I understand sectarianism. I understand identity,” he said. “I also understand that when we can laugh at things.”
Mr Scott said sectarianism is “a cocktail of three things: passion, pantomime, and poison”.
“Symbolism is the very DNA of sectarianism,” he said. “These things matter to people.”
Alcohol levels
Mr Scott said the manufacturers were “hiding” behind the joke to mask the real alcohol-fuelled sectarian violence that can occur in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
He said using sectarian labels on alcohol is a “peddler for identity politics”.
A spokesperson for Belcondie recently said that there has been a surge in sales for King William Fortified Wine since complaints were upheld - likely because people want to buy the wine before the labelling changes.
“This doesn't encourage responsible drinking, it doesn't create responsible behaviour,” he said.
“[The manufacturers] will have to maybe think about the alcohol content that comes up and they will have to have dialogue with the industry as to what to do.”
Honouring history
Mr Scott said there’s a “legitimate place” to honour and understand King William as a historical figure.
Despite that, he said the repeated use of the year 1690 in reference to the Battle of the Boyne is “irresponsible”.
“People think it's where the Protestants beat the Catholics and that's how people see it,” he said.
“Talk about William of Orange and his heritage, celebrate him if that’s your thing,” Mr Scott said. “But to actually put it as cheap alcohol is a cheap stunt.”
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