A British gin distillery – known for its controversial marketing – has been slammed after after posting a tweet that suggested rioters favoured their gin due to its flammability.
The now deleted tweet from Bristol Dry Gin read: “When the shooting starts the looting starts. Voted No.1 gin by rioters for its complex botanical mix and high flammability.”
The company said it was “just poking a little fun” at US President Donald Trump when it put out the post on social media referencing rioting and looting.
The post on both the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the Bristol Dry Gin Company was an advert for one of its products, and referenced a quote from Donald Trump he made over the weekend.
An image of a flaming gin shot and two bottles, one with a rag hanging like a Molotov cocktail, accompanied the tweet.
Within an hour of deleting the Twitter and Facebook posts, a spokesperson from the company posted on Facebook that it was sorry “for any offence caused”.
“We were just poking a little fun at the recent tweet by Donald Trump,” the spokesperson said.
“We only have a small following on social media, so the backlash was a bit of a surprise.
“Our intention was not to cause any offence, and we sincerely apologise for any offence caused, by adapting Donald Trump’s tweet,” they added.
However, social media users were quick to call out the brand for glorifying violence during a time of unrest as Black Lives Matter protests continue across the US following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
One person tweeting in response: “Explain this. Don’t just delete it. Explain what went through your heads to post something as absolutely tone deaf. No ‘we’re sorry we offended’. Lay it out. The thought process, how do you ok this c***?’
Another added: “Hi Bristol Dry Gin, your tweet seems to be deleted by it’s still on Instagram. Just wondering when you’re going to make a donation to Black Lives Matter and apologise. You’re not edgelords – you’re just really shit people.”
Another said: “I’m just utterly astounded that in 2020 someone sat and decided to take that photograph and add that caption. The rioting is absolutely no laughing matter, people have been seriously injured and murdered.”
