Favorite beer slogan or branding element?

Jan 13, 2011   //   by Jonathan   //   Blog, Perspectives, Revelry  //  9 Comments

palo-santo-marron

So I’m sitting here drinking a Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (quite good, by the way). I’m reading the description. The last few sentences go:

At 10,000 gallons each, these are the largest wooden brewing vessels built in America since before Prohibition. It’s all very exciting. We have wood. Now you do too.

Quite subtle, Dogfish Head. They really snuck that sexual reference in there. While this wordplay isn’t quite Monday Night’s style, it did get me thinking about little branding elements or slogans other microbreweries employ. Craft breweries generally have more free reign than most companies with this type of thing. Though Terrapin did mysteriously rename their Wake-N-Bake the Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout for no apparent reason.

Do you have any favorite phrases from craft beer branding?

  • Mark

    I was drinking a Palo Santo Maron when I pulled this up on Google Reader. No joke!

    I liked “Everybody loves a hummer” from the now defunct Sweetwater Hummer.

  • http://www.justgowest.com Hilary

    I don’t have a beer slogan to share, but how about a beer name?

    “Old Chub” from Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, CO.

  • http://twitter.com/clstokes @clstokes

    Some of my favorites are:
    - Don’t float the mainstream. – Sweetwater
    - Beer from around here – Red Brick
    - Off-centered ales for off-centered people – Dogfish Head
    - Brewed For Us. Enjoyed by Everyone. – Founders
    - Inspired Brewing – Bells
    - Good beer, no shit – Flying Dog

    I think the most successful of these appeal to some emotion, either feeling special, being part of a community, etc.

    From what I’ve heard, Terrapin’s renaming of Wake-N-Bake was mandated by TTB due to the “drug reference”.

    -Cameron

  • http://www.beerPHXation.com olllllo

    I’m partial to
    Monday Night Brewing – Your Mom.

  • http://www.barlowbrewing.com Jamey

    In terms of sheer marketing, DFH?s ?Off-centered ales for off-centered people? slogan is brilliant. In a really short sentence, they are saying that they are unique and unusual from all the other breweries. But, more importantly, they are complimenting you and your uniqueness in choosing their ale. Solid messaging.

  • http://www.roswellbrew.com Andreas

    BREW FREE! OR DIE from one of my favorite beers, 21ST AMENDMENT brewery.

  • wallace

    After I split my head open on the brewhouse floor, ABC gave me one of our “Crack open a skull” Laughing Skull t-shirts

  • http://noblesquarebrewing.blogspot.com Señor Brew?

    Slogans I have used on my home brew labels:

    “It’s Wheaty!” for my Beat the Heat Wheat

    “Because of Jesus” for my J&H Birthday Lager (the J stands for Jesus)

    “Bad Dog, Good Beer” for my Bosworth Brown Ale (Bosworth is the family wonderdog)

    “Red on Head…” for my Irish Red Ale.

    I also have another slogan, it’s not on any label, I usually just announce it while serving my home brew, “Drink all you want, I can make more”.

  • BB

    There is a brewer in Asheville, NC, right by the French Broad River, called the French Broad Brewing Co. (naturally), and my favorite sign there reads: “Party with a French Broad”.