By Gurmukh Singh
Toronto, Jan 19 (IANS) An Indian Canadian-owned beer is getting a little too frothy for Canadian regulators and the competition.

They are taking exception to Boxer Beer, produced by Minhas Creek Brewery Co - owned by sister and brother Manjit and Ravinder - for promoting the brand with a scantily clad female boxer in front of a beer can on their web site.

The brewery, which is based in Alberta province and introduced its Boxer Beer in Ontario province here recently, has received notice from the authorities about the name of the Boxer which they say could mean the use of sports to promote liquor.

In a letter to the brother and sister, the Toronto-based Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) which regulates licensing, says that “someone” has complained against their company for showing the skimpily clad female boxer in front of Boxer Beer cans and the tagline: Beer of Champions. The regulators have cited rules on liquor advertising which do not allow ads which link “consumption of liquor with … any other activity that requires care and skill or has elements of danger.”

The ad on the brewery website suggests that “you require alcohol to obtain or enhance athletic prowess. It is part of the lifestyle aspect,” Lisa Murray, a spokesperson for the AGCO, was quoted as saying in the local media Monday.

Now who could have complained to the regulators? Obviously, the established Canadian brands as 12 cans of Boxer Beer are available for just $16 as against much higher price one pays for their brands.

And there are double standards as known Canadian beer brands endorse sporting events and their advertisements regularly show their association with sports. In fact, Molson Coor, Canada’s oldest brewery is the official brewer of the Vancouver Winter Olympics next month. Alleging double standards, Ravinder Minhas said, “Beer and (ice) hockey seem to have been going together as long as they have existed” in Canada.

“Go to any of our major competition’s websites, and you will see ‘Molson Canadian Hockey, Heineken, and soccer, Budweiser is synonymous with football.’ And now we have an issue with Boxer and beer?” he has been quoted as saying in the Globe and Mail.

The brother and sister say they are surprised at the notice as they have not flouted any regulations on beer advertising. Having turned a US-owned brewery - which they took over not very long ago - into a success story in two other states, the duo plans to fight it out.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)