Flying Solo on responsible marketing.

Honestly, what’s the fuss all about?

No, not the Matildas, they’re def’ fussworthy, the brouhaha over Solo going hard.

Look, if a bloke wants to paddle his canoe down rapids and over waterfalls half-cut after swigging a can of Hard Solo, half of which will spill down his hairy front anyway, he should be allowed without woke, leftie, green, solar-hugging, Yes-voting naysayers banging on about how it will lure kiddies.

Of course it will, that’s what kids want, but banning it will make them want it more.

It’s just another Labor plot to overturn the universal capitalist maxim of selfregulation.

Solo and owner, drinks mega-conglomerate Asahi, aren’t doing anything wrong, they are just trying to satisfy market demand and have clearly delineated the branding of the new alco-Solo from the kiddiesafe soft stuff by putting it in really smart, sexy, stylish, alluringly black can with the word ‘Hard’ boldly emblazoned on the front which just happens to be what kids like. You can’t blame Solo.

This government regulation thing has gone too far.

We didn’t need the banking Royal Commission, they would have sorted it out themselves. Just ask Comm Bank chief and $10millionman Matt Comyn who says their record profts are to ‘help those struggling when times get tough’. labels on food telling us it’s full of sugar and salt, one bite would tell you that.

Okay, there is no known instance of a bank helping anyone except themselves since banking began, but that’s irrelevant.

We didn’t need a Royal Commission into paedophilia, the churches were working on that.

Struth, when we were kids Coco-pops were nutritious as were the Fanta and musk sticks that you put on them.

The food industry was at the forefront of self-regulating nutrition warnings, wasn’t it, except all those extra labelling costs sounded the death-knell for their industry.

Max Crus

enough? Okay, the industry even fought that but they would have come around on their own.

True, the drinks industry fought hard against any warnings such as ‘alcohol harms your baby’, or how much alcohol they contained, or some additives were deadly, because again, the labelling costs would crush the industry… wouldn’t they?

How do kids afford this?

Tastes way better than normal Solo despite an artifcial sweetener character after a couple of mouthfuls although the label says sugar. Says reconstituted lemon juice too, not crushed lemon. Kids will quickly tire of this and move on. 8/10. Briar Ridge Wrattonbully Stonefelds Vineyard ‘Big Bully’ Cabernet Sauvignon,2021, $65 (Bottle No.0957). 14.7 per cent alcohol qualifes as big bully, but it’s a subtle-ish bully and anyway who doesn’t like big cabernets? Luckily kids can’t afford this kind of bang for your buck, unless Daddy’s rich.

9.5/10.

Briar Ridge Hunter Valley ‘Dairy Hill’ Shiraz 2021, $65 (Bottle No. 0979). This is about as Hunter as red wine gets, you can almost taste Wine Country Drive in it. Lovers of the creed will love it and it’s a got a cork for the nostalgists.

9.4/10.

Sidney Wilcox SA Vine-

We didn’t need warning

Dried Shiraz 2021 $25. The cow on the label hints at what you’re in for, but the 16 per cent listed on the back will clarify. See if you can fnd a giant, fat steak that Americans like so much. It’s also pretty fruit sweet, so one glass is enough in all regards. 9.4/10.

Sidney Wilcox SA Reserve Riesling 2021

Surely telling people to gamble responsibly is

Struth, check the warnings of the back of these : Hard Solo Alcoholic Lemon Made with Crushed Lemons (18+), $24 (four-pack 375ml).

$25. The chook on the label would work, however this is smart enough to just have on its own, indeed is a classic riesling in a somewhat old style. Like what rieslings tasted like in the 90s. Delicious. 9.5/10.

Hear Me Roar Gin Barossa Dry Gin (A distillation collaboration) NV $80. From the fundraising mob who brought us Hear Me Roar Shiraz comes an uber-trendy gin to raise money and awareness and other good stuff for women in the wine industry, and the girl-power cause generally. Move over Gordon and Johnnie Walker, the girls are coming. Have a gin thing with the Matildas. 9.5/10.