Just in time for my Samhain installment of the “Magic of Beer,” there is on-line controversy about California Brewery The Lost Abbey. I first read about it at The Wild Hunt and followed the conversation to the original blog.
The Brewery has used this image of a witch burning at the stake for the label of their “Witches Wit” wheat beer. Many Pagans are upset by the use of this violent moment in history to market beer. In spite of her anger over the label, Ocean of the Deaf Pagan Crossroads did follow up with the brewery to find out their side of the story. And The Lost Abbey Responded.
Hello and thank you for your email.
I encourage you to look at all of Lost Abbey’s beers and consider them in context. Each of the Lost Abbey beers features a label which depicts a theme of Catholic excess — good and bad — on the front, and tells a moral story on the back. (Our founder is a recovering Catholic.)
In the case of Witch’s Wit, the back label is a story of the bad consequences of religious intolerance and oppression. The woman on the front is referred to as a “healer” on the label and accuses the Church of being narrow-minded and violent, threatening the same fate to anyone who would help the woman. The label ends with a note that this beer — a light, sweet and golden ale — is brewed in honor of that woman (and all those who died for their convictions).
Our other beers — Devotion, Deliverance, Judgment Day, Inferno, The Angel’s Share, etc. — all have similar messages of morality. Unfortunately, the people who started this meme either didn’t bother or didn’t care to actually read the label and simply chose to fan the flames of ignorance and intolerance — which, ironically, is what the beer is actually against.
Best regards,
:: Sage
I have my own thoughts on this topic and have expressed them at the Deaf Pagan Crossroads:
Thank for posting this- I got here from The Wild Hunt. I am a fan of microbrew beer and I have been doing a series about the craft of beer at the Juggler.
I appreciate very much that you took the time to ask the brewery about the label. I think it important that we follow their response and view this label in context. A microbrewery has a very different market and intention than a mass produced beer. Many small breweries have themes and the label reflects that. Heavy Seas, for instance, has a pirate theme. I personally don’t like the art on this label simply because [I find it kind of ugly] but I feel that their explanation is reasonable especially when you consider the rest of their beer themes. When I enjoy a craft beer I am just as interested in the story behind it. Assuming the text on the label says what they say it does I respect their use of this theme.
I wanted to open this discussion up to The Juggler readers. What do you think about this situation or the use in general of images like this to sell a product?
I don’t think that the brewery picked that label image to irk Pagans or advocate any sort of hate crimes. But I also don’t think that the image itself is neutral or certain not to provoke an antagonistic response from some Pagan sensibilities.
What I’m hoping is that local San Diego Pagans can talk things out with the brewery and both can achieve some sort of good outcome.
Here’s another instance where a more or less casual event–label design for a small brewery–leads us to tap into a much deeper current in and around greater Pagan culture and concerns.
Well, I can appreciate what they were going for, but I don’t think it was executed properly, since it didn’t communicate right. It sounds like it only makes sense if you see a row of them lined up on a shelf, or bother to read the fine print. Graphic design needs to communicate very quickly and immediately. They probably should work on letting them stand on their own better.
It’s still a mood-killing image.
Very disturbing label. I agree that the company wasn’t doing anything hateful. There response is backed by their other bottle labels. If the art was on a wall in a museum, you could work through the image and the symbolism. But as a beer label – I think it needs to be done in a bit less disturbing way. Although this is not the first of its kind… I’m working on an article to this affect. :>
A friend is currently vacationing in Utah and came across a beer called “Polygamy Porter.” You can see the label here: http://www.wasatchbeers.com/beers.html
I have to wonder what Mormons think of this, especially since their religion forbids drinking alcohol. And the beer’s theme: “Why have just one?” is not flattering.
Both beers have poorly executed graphic designs. The Witch’s Wit could focus more on the “Catholic excess” and less on the human suffering to make it’s point. I agree that the image should speak for itself instead of relying on a printed label that only true beer lovers read.
It looks like there’s a custom of competition among artisan breweries to come up with clever or witty/punning or poke at the established local scene or go all outrageous labels. And, have labels that look good printed on T-shirts and other merch. Our consumer culture in action!
“Polygamy Porter” from a Utah brewery is a witty poke at the Mormon culture. “Witches Wit” is a not as clever poke at some strand of American Catholicism, is what I have learned from all these posts around the Interwebs. And “Monty Python’s Holy Gr-Ale” jokes about being “tempered over burning witches.”
Honestly, I find the Python slogan more vexing than the burning witch image. There’s not a hint of history in that slogan, It could be talking about today’s BTWs, for all we know.
But I know that the Python’s do this sort of humor sans frontieres, That tempers my response to the cruel slogan. (I confess that, if they brewed it, I would buy Monty Python’s Spanish Inquistion beer, and the T-shirt, too!) I am coming to suspect that The Lost Abbey Brewery just does not have the comedy troupe rep or stand up comedy chops to nudge us to see the intended cleverness in their label before we see the flames.
[...] and they decided to have a woman being burned at the stake as their label. Unsurprisingly, the internet got mad. Shocking, I know, right? And then news outlets weighed in. And then someone posted on the [...]