Buckfast might summon to the mind visions of marauding Scots pillaging the local off licence but in a bold new strategy it is being touted as a sophisticated tipple.
Overturned tables and bar stools hurtling through pub windows earned Buckfast the nicknames ‘Wreck the Hoose Juice’, ‘Commotion Lotion’ and more bluntly ‘What the hell are you looking at?’
Some upstanding members of society claim the 15% fortified wine is a scourge in Glasgow but the monks who brew it in England believe there is a new calling for it.
Based in Devon the Benedictine monks will see their product advertised as a dinner party option to wash down canapes in an effort to clean up its image.
‘Buckfast Tonic Wine captivates the senses with its deep full-bodied velvety flavour and lingering warm vanilla finish,’ a new advisement campaign reads.
It continues: ‘While Buckast Tonic Wine can be savoured on its own, its versatility truly sets it apart.
‘Simply try it over ice or get creative as this exceptional drink serves as an extraordinary foundation for a whole host of cocktails.’
But the task is not an easy one as shown by Scotland’s recent outing to Germany for the European Championships.
Fans of the Tartan Army piled crate upon crate into the back of their cars and coaches before descending on the streets of the host nation.
This street drinking image is at odds with the new glossy ‘Buckfast Royale’- a mixture of the tonic wine and sparling wine. Best served chilled.
While the ‘Buckfast Bramble’ is a cocktail with lemon juice, blackberries and Grenadine over crushed ice.
And now the potent drink is being used in cooking with Buckfast onion tarte tatin, spiced Buckfast mushrooms and Buckfast Blunos Bourguignon.
Buckfast can also call upon the singer Lewis Capaldi amongst its fans.
Capaldi, who is from Glasgow, accepted the ‘Best Song’ award at the Brits with a bottle in his hand as he went on stage.
Some criticised the rockstar for swigging from the bottle at the exclusive party but Capaldi was undeterred.
‘Imagine having a drink on my first night off in months after winning two Brit awards, can you believe it!’ He joked when challenged.
Monks have been brewing Buckfast since 1897 and sell roughly six million bottles a year.
Buckfast Fizz
250ml Buckfast Tonic Wine, fresh chopped fruit of choice. Juice of one orange, topped with soda water. Pour over crushed ice into a highball glass and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Buckfast Bramble
1 part Buckfast Tonic Wine, 2 Parts Lemonade – serve over ice cubes and garnish with a slice of lemon.
Shake for 10 seconds with cubed ice to chill.
Buckfast and Lemonade
1 part Buckfast Tonic Wine, 2 Parts Lemonade – serve over ice cubes and garnish with a slice of lemon.
Buckfast Chilled on the Rocks
Simply served neat over ice and garnished with orange peel.
Originally the drink was sold for medicinal purposes as a general fixer-upper under the slogan ‘Three small glasses a day, for good health and lively blood’.
In the 1930s the monks were struggling to obtain a licence under new laws brought in after the First World War.
According to the drink’s website, a travelling wine merchant visited the monks in their abbey and learnt they were selling their final bottles.
The merchant, Robert Joyce, offered to sell the product on behalf of the monks and the company J Chandler & Co (Buckfast) Ltd was established.
In recent years the drink’s reputation has been linked to anti-social behaviour in Scotland and across Britain.
When he was Labour First Minister, a role similar to that of Prime Minister in Scotland, Jack McConnell described it as a ‘badge of pride amonst those who are involved in anti-social behaviour’.
While one judge, Sheriff Alastair Brown concluded in 2016: ‘There is in my professional experience a very definite association between Buckfast and violence. The fact is some people drink far too much of it and get violent.’
In 2013 Les Gray, who was then the head of the Scottish Police Federation said: ‘They drink it to excess because of the alcohol and caffeine content and it basically drives them crazy. They spend half the night running amok.’
The drink is very popular in the west of Scotland and the towns of Airdrie, Coatbridge and Cumbernauld in Lanarkshire are called the ‘Buckfast Triangle.’
J Chandler has denied these claims and argues the drink is targeted unfairly.
According to Buckfast’s website the drink is a versatile option for a range of social occassions.
‘Buckfast Tonic Wine’s distinctive flavours and aromatic profile lends itself to endless possibilities,’ the marketing team say.
‘Why not try some of our easy to make suggestions to tantalise your taste buds?’