Australian drink named Methanol Moonshine labelled ‘deeply insulting’ to memories of mass poisoning victims

Company says branding was created well before the 2024 Laos tragedy and reflects its ‘motorsport heritage’

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Bethany Clarke is still grappling with the unimaginable loss of her childhood best friend, Simone White. In November 2024, the 28-year-old British lawyer was among six tourists, including 19-year-old Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, to die after a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos.

Clarke, an Australian who was travelling with White and survived the poisoning, was shocked when she heard about an Australian alcoholic beverage named Methanol Moonshine.