Mark
Posted on 05/20/2008 6:59:56 AM PDT by crazyhorse691
I recently read a piece by John Foyston in The Oregonian relating how five bottles of an ultra-rare beer named Hair of the Dog Dave sold separately at auction for a combined $2838.30. Had there been a sixth, Foyston points out, it would have amounted to a $3,500 sixer.
After cringing a bit, I had to laugh. If it had been a wine, the name on the bottle would have been something pompous sounding like Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne. However, these bidders shelled out up to $719 per 375ml for a tipple named Dave. You have to love the working-class ethic of the craft beer community.
Thinking about the humble name given to such a pricey beer led me to consider how many odd names exist in the craft beer world. I'd like to offer my take on the 10 coolest beer names:
10. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde How can you not love a beer that calls itself "End of the World?" Fortunately, the only thing that will end after enjoying this complex brew is your ability to make do with just any beer.
9. Harveistoun Old Engine Oil Mega-breweries spend millions of dollars on image building, cultivating a look, image and an enticing name that's not distasteful. Then there's the Harviestoun brewery in Scotland that simply looked at its tasty old ale and named it after the first thing that came to mind: Old Engine Oil.
8. Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout The name refers either to living happily ever after or the beer's great finish. It has nothing to do with massage parlors. Would a brewery that also has beers named Donkey Punch and 420 go there? I think not.
7. Ridgeway Santa's Butt A butt is a wooden keg of beer. The picture on the bottle of jolly St. Nick's butt crack peeking out from his baggy pantaloons ensures no one misses the double entendre. It has the distinction of having been banned in Maine and New York.
6. Buffalo Bill's Alimony Ale Billed as "the bitterest beer in America," this India Pale Ale is clearly the brainchild of someone disenchanted with the notion of till death do us part.
5. Dogfish Head Golden Shower Originally named Prescription Pills, the brewery was forced to change the name, lest someone think it was a pharmaceutical. Golden Shower saw one release before the government folks figured out what they'd approved. The beer is now known as Golden Era.
4. Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Pooh Coffee The coffee added to the beer is pooped out by a civet (a catlike mammal that loves coffee). A bit literal? Yes. But still funny.
3. McQuire's I'll Have What The Gentleman On The Floor Is Having Barley Wine The name is a subtle hint that at 12 percent alcohol by volume, this beer is meant to be sipped. If you can drink it faster than you can say it, slow down!
2. Avery Collaboration Not Litigation This beer typifies the spirit of the craft brewing community. Vinnie Cilurzo of Russia River Brewing and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing realized they both had beers named Salvation. Showing a selfish disregard for the financial health of America's lawyers, the two brewers decided that instead of suing each other, they'd team up to brew this bold beer.
1. Wasatch Polygamy Porter The slogan explains perfectly why this is the coolest beer name ever: "Why have just one?" I have big love for this beer's name.
— Joey Redner is a Tampa resident and world beer traveler.
Stunningly beautiful labels!
I’m certain the beer is equal!
After 25 years of homebrewing, I ought to have learned how by now!
Thanks for the kind words,
Cheers,
knewshound
Mark
Mark
Hmmm....no. Doesn't ring a bell. And I can't seem to figure out the punch line to that one. There is a punch line...right?
1. Dogfish head 90 minute IPA
2. Stone IPA
3. Long trail unfiltered IPA
4. Old Smutty Nose IPA
(I like IPA). ;-)
When I said “complain about the brand” I was referring to euro ale lager malt black mollassis with a fancy lable and impossible to pronounce name.
When not at work, I pretty much have a AB product close by at all times.
I’m just a BudLight/BuschLight kinda guy.
I guess it’s just what you’re used to. When I was younger, everyone drank domestic ultra-light lagers, and I thought I didn’t like beer, because it tasted so bitter to me.
Then, I discovered, it was just that there was something missing: a malty body. Once that’s added, the bitterness has something to balance it out.
That’s why some of us like “fancy” beers, and even brew them ourselves. In fact, I don’t even really like to drink store-bought beer much anymore; I prefer my homebrew.
Bartenders tell me about this mysterious drink called ‘Youvehadenoughnow’ . Never seen it though .
Are some of those beers from Massachuasits ? I had some lovely beers from around there when I was over your place .
I always heard it was like making love in a rowboat, probably for the same reason. Something about being close to water, no?
A friend of mine has been musing about this brew for some time. I almost lost it when I saw your picture here. Needless to say, a copy has been sent for his amusement!
I like IPA, too. Will agree on the Dogfish Head, Stone, and Smutty IPAs, but not so much on the Long Trail. I used to love the NW IPAs when I lived there, but of course, cannot get them so easily anymore. I will tell you about the one I brought back to my buddies on my last visit: Southern Tier IPA (from Lakewood, NY) it was worthy of my hard-drinking friends!
The "Old Frothingslosh Brand" was developed' by a local morning radio host named Rege Cordic back in the 50s. The guy aired all kind of skits with fictional characters and did spoof advertisements. (Same kind of stuff everyone from Saturday Night Live to Limbaugh do now, but Cordic was probably the first.)
Cordic, BTW, was the the inspiration for a guy named Adrian Cronauer who interned at the station during his high school years. Cronauer went on to some sort of fame as the character played by Robin Williams in the film 'Good Morning Vietnam'.
All the characters and skits you saw in that movie were inspired by the stuff he (and I) heard every morning on Cordic's show back in the 50s. It was really funny stuff.
I’m from NH, not Mass! ARghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
(Long trail is brewed by hippies in Vermont, Dogfish is from Delaware, Stone comes from the West Coast, I believe Oregon, and Old Smutty Nose is brewed right here in the Live Free or Die State. )
Sorry, by ‘your place’I meant the US in general . Last time I visited New York, and found myself almost living in a couple of bars around West 14t St & 6th Ave.
I’m sure I had Dogfish , and a lethal , sweet one called Rattlesnake from Louisiana .
Any way , I’m planning to go over to NY again in July , so maybe I can sample one beer from each state !
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