They’re really lowering the bar.
A UK tavern has been ripped as “offensive” and “gross” for naming one of their drinks after the notorious date rape drug Rohypnol, as detailed in an eyebrow-raising Reddit Post.
“I’m not the sort to be easily offended but maybe a pun on a date rape drug isn’t the best route to go down,” the aghast Redditor wrote.
The controversial beverage was purportedly spotted at the Catherine Wheel in Norwich, which bills itself on Facebook as the city’s “friendliest most fabulous lgbtq pub, welcoming the community.”
Dubbed “Rolyhypnol” — a play on the aforementioned “roofie” chemical — the drink was touted on Instagram as the watering hole’s “cocktail of the month” for April, the BBC reported.
They described the $7 drink as a “devilishly smooth” blend of melon liqueur, tequila, peach schnapps and lemonade that “goes down way too easily,” the Daily Mail reported.
Reddit commenters accused the Catherine Wheel of seemingly making light of Rohypnol, which predators use to spike victims’ drinks to incapacitate them so they’re easier to sexually assault.
“What, and I cannot emphasize the next word enough, the F–K?” spluttered one, while another dubbed the promotion “offensive” and “belittling.”
“How anyone thought that would be acceptable is beyond me. Disgusting,” declared a third.
One appalled viewer fumed: “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, now I can do what I want with you, just gross and offensive
Others thought that it minimized the horror endured by sexual assault survivors. “What a scummy pun at the expense of people who have suffered real trauma through date rape,” accused one.
Following the backlash, the Catherine Wheel changed the name of the cocktail to Lil’ Mexican Peach, and released a statement in which they claimed they didn’t mean to offend anyone.
“The Catherine Wheel apologize for any offence caused,” they wrote.
