A pub sparked a furious public backlash after naming a cocktail after notorious date-rape drug Rohypnol.
The Catherine Wheel pub in Norwich posted a photo of the lurid green drink ‘Rolyhypnol’ standing on a table in the venue on social media on Friday.
Offering it as its £5.50 cocktail of the month, it said the ‘devilishly smooth’ drink ‘goes down way too easily’.
Appalled members of the public immediately attacked the crass stunt, with one person commenting online: ‘What a scummy pun at the expense of people who have suffered real trauma through date rape.’
Another said: ‘Just imagine some guy trying to pass off that he gave Rohypnol with consent because of this drink… or even just being on the receiving end of jokes saying you’ve been rohypnoled… just gross and offensive.’
One wrote simply: ‘Grim. Offensive. Belittling.’
The drink, which was to have been the pub’s cocktail of the month for April, contains melon liqueur Midori, peach schnapps, tequila and lemonade.
Following the outcry after the image appeared on Instagram, its name was hurriedly changed to Lil’ Mexican Peach.
Research shows 13 per cent of women and nine per cent of men believe they have been the victim of drink spiking. Substances commonly used include Rohypnol, GHB and ketamine.
But a poll by Drinkaware and Anglia Ruskin University nine in ten don’t ‘see the point of reporting it to police’, despite the risk of those targeted falling victim to sex crimes, robbery and theft.
In February, the Home Office said it was introducing a new law that makes spiking a specific criminal offence under the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, with a maximum ten-year jail term.
Previously, it was prosecuted under other offences, such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
It followed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying in November: ‘We must do more to bring the vile perpetrators who carry out this cowardly act, usually against young women and often to commit a sexual offence, to justice.’
The Home Office is also allocating £250,000 to train up to 10,000 pub and bar staff and ‘bouncers’ to spot the signs of a potential offenders, protect victims and preserve evidence for police.
Dawn Dines, chief executive of the charity Stamp Out Spiking, said: ‘It is very disappointing to read of this cocktail being named after the date rape drug Rohyphol. It was obviously meant as a joke but it is in rather poor taste.
‘This is why we believe urgent training is needed across the hospitality sector, to educate on the severity and seriousness of these cowardly crimes.
‘We are also very pleased to read that they have now changed the name.’
The Catherine Wheel said in a statement that the idea for the name was ‘a customer suggestion, based on the name Roly, and never intended as a serious acceptance or approval of a drug’.
It added: ‘The cocktail has been renamed as a result of the online backlash. The Catherine Wheel apologise for an offence caused.’
Norfolk Police said they were not investigating the incident.