Business Notes Marketing

To boost sales, breweries have been trying to entice certain customers by offering more buzz for the buck. But a new malt liquor served up last week may be packing too much punch for its own good. Marketed by G. Heileman Brewing, the beverage, called PowerMaster, is drawing flak for its high alcohol content and for being targeted at low-income minorities. PowerMaster is 5.9% alcohol by volume, vs. 4.5% for the typical malt liquor and 3.5% for regular beer. Urban community leaders claim PowerMaster goes too far. Declares the Rev. Calvin Butts, a Harlem pastor: "The breweries are no better than crack dealers who prey on poor people." The Federal Government is raising objections about the word power in the label, which may violate a law prohibiting the marketing of liquor based on its alcoholic strength.