Michael Berry

Michael Berry

Michael Berry has drunk homemade moonshine from North Carolina with Robert Earl Keen, met two presidents with the same last name, been cussed at by...Full Bio

 

“Fok Hing Gin” Told They Must Change Name If They Want It Sold In The UK

The Hong Kong made “Fok Hing Gin” has come under scrutiny by an alcohol beverage making trade body in the UK after they received complaints.

The booze is actually named after Fuk Hing Land in Hong Kong. The company says they even changed the name from “Fuk” to “Fok” to make it less offensive. 

The complaint was made to the Portman Group – a trade body composed of alcoholic beverage producers and brewers in Britain.

The company responded to the complaint on social media writing:

"To the Karen who got offended by our name..
We're genuinely sorry.. that you haven't had the experience of different cultures and their unique diversities. We'd be delighted to show you around Hong Kong one day (if you ever make it past its borders!)"

They then went into the history of the name and finish with “Thank you, you’ve helped us go viral and generated more press and traffic we could ever imagine—more effective than a PR agency! Might we suggest a new hobby?”

The South China Morning Post reports:

“The complaint was made in relation to rule 3.3 – that a drink’s name, its packaging and any promotional material or activity should not cause serious or widespread offence, according to a statement on the Portman Group website.
It is the first time a complaint about a drink’s name has been upheld in relation to causing serious or widespread offence.
Commenting on the decision, the chairwoman of the Independent Complaints Panel, Nicola Williams, said: “This is the first time since the addition of the rule on serious or widespread offence that a product’s name and packaging was considered under the rule in terms of offensive language.
“The name of the product is clearly intended to shock and be pronounced as an offensive term,” the person making the complaint said.
“Personally I wouldn’t want to see this product on family supermarket shelves or being promoted in an environment where children have access – such as most social media sites.”

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content