Poor Four Loko. The makers of this delightful beverage have been forced time and time again to alter their product and their packaging to appease the fun-hating SLA, FDA and general party-poopers across the country, and now, they're being made to adapt once more to the growing tide of naysayers. This time, Phusion Projects is bowing to the demands of the Federal Trade Commission, who accused the company of falsely advertising the potency of the beverage. But will the new labels deter customers, or just get them even more psyched to pick up some Blackout in a Can? more ›

It just isn't enough that all the pep has been sapped from our fallen friend Four Loko. So what if a few bodegas here and there in the East Village need to make ends meet by selling a few dusty cans of the old brew? Can't we just let Loko make its long, inebriated ride off into the sunset? A new paper released by the Annals of Emergency Medicine continues to stoke the fires of outrage nearly 9 months after the original recipe of the drink was taken off the shelves. more ›

Discerning and discreet customers never really had to pry their white knuckles off cans of the old, psychosis-inducing recipe of Four Loko that was taken off the market because it was never actually taken off the market: five brave bodegas throughout the East Village still sell it to a satisfied public. But these heady days may be numbered, as the same Local East Village that went all Serpico on our stash last week has awoken the New York State Liquor Authority. "We'll have to investigate how this product is still on the shelves," a spokesman for the agency told the blog, "If someone is selling that stuff illegally, it's something we're going to look into." *Ahem* or they could just "look" into this paper bag full of money and forget the whoollleee thing. more ›

In a town where you can pretty much buy whatever the hell you want, is it shocking that one can still pick up the zesty alco-caffeinated version of our fallen friend Four Loko? The Local East Village reports that you can still find the banned version in neighborhood bodegas. Also still available in the East Village: heroin. But only one of those substances turns your poop blue! more ›

Just like that old Harry James song goes, it's been a long, long time since last we locked lips with Four Loko, the frothy, sugar-caffeinated alco-backwash drink of our youths eight months ago. After the the drink was neutered, and the creators began getting nostalgic about their glory days, we thought it was the end for Loko. But it seems there's one politician who is doing everything in his power to keep the flailing drink afloat: “This company makes a product for sale in New York that's cheap, tastes sweet and packs a six-pack punch in a 22-ounce can,” State Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx) waxed rhapsodic. more ›

State Senator Jeffrey Klein has proposed legislation that would stop the sale of sugary "alcopops" in bodegas, relegating them to liquor stores, and make it downright illegal to sell caffeinated beverages like Four Loko anywhere in New York. But NYC Health Commissioner Thomas Farley says Klein doesn't go far enough, and he testified at a City Council hearing yesterday that he wants to banish from bodegas all "premixed, carbonated, flavored malt drinks with alcohol content as high as 12 percent." This would include such fun, magical elixirs as Mike's Hard Lemonade! At a hearing in Albany, his assistant commissioner, Daliah Heller, lined up malt beverages in the cross hairs: more ›

Now that Four Loko is unpopular and "this close" from being banished to liquor stores forever, The Fix decided it was time for its creators to tell their side of the story. For instance, did you ever wonder where Four Loko got its name? For that we take you back to the late '90s, when Red Bull and vodka was the rage, and three guys decided to make their fortune by ripping off Sparks. more ›

When Four Loko was pushed to remove caffeine from their formula, we wondered: is it even worth drinking anymore? Apparently the answer is no. Senator Klein and Commissioner Farley can stop worrying about removing the drinks from bodega shelves, because everyone realized that without the caffeine high they were just drinking jolly ranchers dissolved in malt liquor, and that's disgusting. more ›

Earlier this week, the city health commissioner jumped at the chance to further alienate lovers of beloved alco-caffeinated-sugar goop Four Loko, by backing State Senator Jeff Klein's legislation to ban all alcopop drinks from being sold in groceries and bodegas. But the politicians' attempts to marginalize the liver-burning sewer swill has only inspired and motivated its most ardent devotees, who are now coming to its defense...in the name of Democracy: "Taking away Four Loko is an attack on our freedom and way of life," said Brooklyn DJ Anton Glamb. more ›

Last month state Senator Jeff Klein introduced legislation to "shift the point of sale for high alcohol flavored malt beverages from grocery and convenience stores to liquor stores" in an effort to keep drinks like Four Loko out of the hands of underage drinkers. It was a smart idea, and now city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley is on board. In fact, he wants to take the ban one step further, moving the sale of even low-alcohol alcopops to liquor stores. Thank God icing is over, otherwise this could be a real problem! more ›

Man, when will Four Loko catch a break? After being blasted for "causing" death and injury with its volatile combination of caffeine and alcohol, Phusion Projects changed the drink's recipe to eliminate caffeine. But that's just not good enough for Senator Jeff Klein, who not only wants to move all booze over six percent ABV into liquor stores, but wants to ban "alcopops" from the state entirely. Asked about the divisive issue by the Daily News, one 18-year-old said, "Four Loko is for people who don't have enough money and want to get a drink. It still looks really cool." You're not helping! more ›

Now that Four Loko is back with a vengeance weaker formula, the state is cracking down on bodegas selling the drinks to teens again. But Senator Jeff Klein has a brilliant idea that could change the Four Loko trade forever! In a bill introduced on Wednesday, Klein suggested making the drink, which is about 12 percent ABV, available only in liquor stores. Wow, why did no one think of that before!? Oh wait, we did. more ›

It's been a few months since beloved alco-caffeinated backwash drink Four Loko was neutered by the FDA, forced to remove the caffeine from its sugary equation, thus denying millions of teens the chance to get blacked out and make soapy skateboard videos. But as we spotted in Dumbo recently, the new caffeine-free version is in stores! But will people still buy it? more ›

In November, the makers of Four Loko decided to remove caffeine from their recipe because apparently consumers couldn't put two and two together and understand that consuming both an upper (caffeine) and a downer (alcohol) could make you feel funny and should probably be done with caution. But apparently November wasn't early enough. One New Jersey man is suing the company after drinking two-and-a-half cans of original-recipe Four Loko gave left him with heart arrhythmia, which isn't exactly a normal consequence of knocking back a couple cold ones. more ›

Just because Four Loko has been effectively neutered doesn't mean it's not popular. According to the Awl, at least one Brooklyn deli is now stocking just the alcoholic version (no caffeine) in large numbers. Which got us thinking about that homemade Four Loko recipe and how much easier it is to make now. Simply grab a can of new Four Loko, add a caffeine pill and voila, instant blackout! No more waiting for those Jolly Ranchers to dissolve! We haven't tried this out, nor can we officially encourage anyone else to, but if you're 21 and just happen to drop a Vivarin in one of these cans, let us know how that goes for you. more ›

Going through Four Loko withdrawal? You may only be able to find the stuff in select East Village delis, but now eBay is offering the equivalent of a Four Loko nicotine patch to ease your shakes. Behold, the Four Loko cover sleeve! Just slip it on any 24 oz. canned beverage for that instant Four Loko look and feel. One seller advertises, "Piss your teachers off. Drink it at the skate park. Drink it at the mall. Show this off to people and become the popular funny person, or don't reveal the secret so everyone just thinks you're bad." more ›

Now that the Four Loko ban is in full effect, its black market price is skyrocketing. Three women were arrested in Mahwah, New Jersey yesterday in a Four Loko buy and bust after detectives posed as college students trying to get their hands on cases of the cloying concoction. The three defendants were arrested and charged with selling alcohol without a state license or permit after selling the "students" three cases of Four Loko for $330, which included a $47 delivery charge! Dealers are always trying to rip you off when they know you're trying to stock up for a storm. more ›

This morning the city saw that there was no need to panic over the night's snow, but yesterday we were in a state of emergency, and Bloomberg was urging people to stock up and lay low. So this East Village deli decided to advertise that they were stocking the essentials. Who needs a plow when Four Loko gives you the energy to shovel the street your self and makes you too drunk to care if you're cold? more ›

We suffered a heavy loss last month when caffeinated, alco-sugary backwash Four Loko was taken off the shelves after a ban on all alcohol-caffeinated drinks. But what happened to the last of the Loko supply? In a loathsome turn of events, it's currently being recycled into ethanol and other non-blackout-inducing products. Which means Four Loko will now be powering our cars! more ›

Tomorrow, Four Loko will be pulled from the shelves forever, so if you've wanted to stock up it's time to hit your corner bodega (or Craigslist). Bwog readers had a brief scare after a tipster reported that the last case was gone from their local deli, but later learned that "cases and cases" of the stuff were being unloaded into the store. Crisis averted. And if you can't find any, you'll just have to hope Santa stocked up enough to leave some in your stocking. more ›

There is no joy in Mudville today: it is the last day that NY retailers can receive shipments of Four Loko, the frothy alco-caffeinated drink of kings blacked-out college hooligans. After today, retailers can still sell off their remaining stock, but there can be no more purchases from the Loko company, who have already promised to neuter the sweetly-sickening beverage by removing the caffeine in the future. Loko followers are upset, and have begun demanding answers from their deities: "Sometimes people need a drink and a little energy boost at the same time," Maria Perez, 24, told the News. Because who among us haven't wanted to get wasted while half-asleep? He that is without Loko among you, let him cast the first stone. more ›

We are now only 11 days away from the permanent neutering of college students' favorite alco-caffeinated beverage, Four Loko. Forget 2012: these are the dark days now. Shepherd of the Loko flock Eddie Huang has been shut down, despondent teens are crashing their cars all over, and even dear, sweet Bobbi Kristina, daughter of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, was caught in pictures in a tornado of Four Loko-fueled lesbian experimentation. Some unscrupulous individuals have even taken to selling the heart-achingly sugary drink on Craigslist; thankfully, as you can tell from the picture above, a few NYU students still remember the historical and spiritual significance of the eight nights of Four Loko. more ›

We're just 12 days from Four Loko being pulled from the shelves, which means everyone NYU students are scrambling to stock up. Enter Craigslist. The Daily News reports that some people are selling off their "collections" on the site at prices like $7 a can (some delis sell them for $6), and one guy is selling six cans—two each of Watermelon, Fruit Punch and Blue Raspberry—for $50. Throw in a Cranberry Lemonade and you've got yourself a deal! more ›

Eddie Huang, the Flavor Flav of the downtown dining scene, has abruptly closed his popular Orchard Street restaurant Xiao Ye after barely four months in operation. Business seemed to be good at the funky little joint, and though critical reaction was mixed, the positive end of the critical spectrum was really positive. (The Times called it "an artful misfire," declaring that "Xiao Ye could almost be the right place to eat right now.") But Huang tells Eater that he's "vacating the space as we speak," and he says the SLA's Four Loko-related crackdown is to blame. more ›

Giving fuel to Chuck Schumer's flame, a 17-year-old from Marion, NY crashed his car after drinking two cans of Four Loko. Timothy Taylor, who is not yet a licensed driver, had been "driving around the yard" of a residence in Arcadia around 7 a.m. on November 19th, lost control of the vehicle and crashed through a fence. He told officers he drank two cans of the controversial beverage a few hours before, and he now faces DWI charges. The man who sold him the Four Loko was charged with first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child. Thank goodness these products are being pulled from the shelves—now no teenager will ever drink and drive again. more ›

We've been spiraling deeper and deeper into a depression ever since the FDA demanded that Four Loko cut off its nose to spite its face by removing all the caffeine from its deliciously disgusting jolly rancher by-way-of urine brew. Some store owners have said that they have been stocking up on the beverage, and plan on selling out their remaining cans after the ban in two weeks, provided that they received the shipment beforehand. But according to the News, the FDA now says that the drink should be "completely removed" from store shelves by Dec. 13. more ›