“In recent years malt liquor is mostly for teenagers, alcoholics needing a fix, and broke people, even though its success still depends on the black (and now Latino) community. Due to negative press from the hip-hop and scientific communities (a 40 actually contains as much alcohol as five shots of hard liquor), it just isn’t very “cool” to guzzle such swill. The advertising for malt liquor proper has all but disappeared, and my guess is that’s because the stuff pretty much sells itself (as anything with the nickname “liquid crack” ought to). The $1.00 - $3.00 price can’t be beat, and with brand extensions like fruit-flavored “St Ides Special Brew,” which I’ve heard called “faggot forties,” because of how gently they go down, why bother advertising when the price and bright colors sell the product on it’s own?

The End.”
Malt Liquor: A Historical Examination
by Tembi