Today this beer blog stands in solidarity by protesting SOPA, PIPA, and any legislation which tries to censor the web. Cheers to everyone who is helping out by raising awareness and contacting their representatives!
In the last year, censorship has become a bigger issue in the beer community as well, as brewers are increasingly not allowed to sell beers under names of their choosing, in certain states and countries. A few of the beer brands currently facing censorship:
Lagunita’s “Kronik Ale”, as seen above with the “Censored” labeling
We think brewers deserve the right to name, brand, and package beverages however they express their creativity through making tasty beers, especially for a product which is already highly regulated in its distribution to an adult audience. Just like adults (of age) are allowed to choose (or not) a beer of their liking through their own purchase decisions…
Besides brewing tasty beers, there are lots of other choices a brewery can make that impacts not just the beers we choose but how we enjoy them. Especially when we’re trying new beers, marketers have an opportunity to use original branding to help their beer stand out on the refrigerator case. But there are a number of choices beyond the label, like what kinds of bottles or cans to use, that can also effect the taste. On Quora, here are some answers from beer lovers about what makes a great brand great; what characteristics do you think help make good beer into a memorable brewery brand?
I found this creative work designing labels for an imaginary beer, and have to wonder: what creativity might be untapped (pun intended) in the craft beer community? To be sure there is a ton of creativity poured (pun intended) into the brewing process itself, not to mention the marketing and packaging of it. Still I’ve noticed beer names and logos tend to appeal to those of us who already know and love craft beer, so I’m glad designers are trying out new ideas for labels and packaging that might interest those outside the core audience of beer lovers to give craft beer a try!
I designed this beer label for my next homebrew (a dubbel) through a new website using their WYSIWYG editor. They also give the option to have your design printed out, either by ordering a set or DIY with your home printer.
When picking out a new beer at the store, sometimes the only information I have about the beer comes from it’s label. I’ve seen the same phenomena with wine drinkers who pick a bottle based on the label alone, although at least they’ve usually grouped by wine type.
We’re all prone to favoring beers with catchy names or trusted breweries, which is arguably why the major brewers are still so dominant in this business. Do you ever pick out one beer over another based on its label?
