Cohasset Brewer Worried About FDA Warning

COHASSET (CBS) -- Rhonda Kallman was one of the founders of the Boston Brewing Company, which produces the popular Sam Adams Beer. But she's now started another brewing company that produces a craft beer called Moonshot.

That pilsner beer has the usual amount of alcohol, four percent, and a small amount of caffeine, 69 milligrams -- about half a cup of coffee.

"In 2003, I saw that consumers were starting to drink a lot of beverages that contained caffeine, like Red Bull, and even Mountain Dew," said Kallman. "So I came up with Moonshot, for people who like beer, and a small dose of caffeine."

All was going well, until the now-notorious Four Loko and Joose became popular on college campuses. Those drinks contain high amounts of caffeine and alcohol.

The FDA has issued warnings to its producers, but that FDA net has also snagged Kallman's Moonshot.

She may have to remove the caffeine from the traditional pilsner beer.

"Those other products are like a speedball...but my beer is nothing like those."

Still, the Cohasset brewer fears that if Moonshot is shot down by the FDA her fledgling company will go down with it.