Retailers Have Been Asked To Halt Sales of These Gun-Shaped, Mafia-Themed Whisky Bottles — Here’s Why
The packaging for Cosa Nostra Scotch Whisky has received sanctions in the UK (Photo: Portman Group)
Cosa Nostra Scotch Whisky, a spirits brand packaged in a gun-shaped bottle, has been faced with sanctions in the United Kingdom as a result of a complaint against the product. Retailers across the United Kingdom are being asked to stop selling and ordering this whisky.
On Thursday, The Spirits Business reported that complaints labeled the packaging as “deeply irresponsible,” due to the rising gun-related crimes taking place in the U.K. These complaints were upheld by the Portman Group’s Independent Complaints Panel, an organization geared towards encouraging responsible drinking habits amongst alcohol consumers.
Cosa Nostra Scotch Whisky is packaged in a gun-shaped bottle meant to replicate a Thompson “Tommy” Gun. According to All That’s Interesting, the distinctive gun was a firearm of choice for Prohibition-era gangsters in the U.S., particularly the likes of Al Capone.
The whisky brand’s name is derived from the infamous and deadly Italian Mafia, also known as La Cosa Nostra, which translates to “Our Thing.” According to the BBC, the Cosa Nostra rose to power in the United States and earned its nickname as the Italian “Mob” by controlling the alcohol trade in Chicago during Prohibition.
The whisky is produced by Bartex Bartol, which has a history of bottling its spirits in gun-shaped vessels. In 2014, Bartex Bartol manufactured a “Red Army Vodka,” which the complaints panel in 2014 deemed “entirely inappropriate,” according to in Beverage Daily.
Nicola Williams, the chair of Portman Group’s Independent Complaints Panel had some thoughts about the producer’s decision to promote firearms.
“I hope Bartex Bartol takes note that such products are completely unacceptable,” Williams said, according to The Spirits Business.
Gun violence has been on the rise in the U.K. According to an article in The Guardian that was published in September, two out of three police force divisions in England and Wales are experiencing a rise in gun crime. Twenty-nine of London’s total 43 police force jurisdictions have seen an increase in gun crime, and in eight jurisdictions it has more than doubled.
The U.S. has its own, graver issues with gun-related violence. According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 375 mass shootings in the U.S. this year.
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