Editor’s note: Oliver Gray is one of better writers in the beer blogosphere. His prose are elegant and fun to read. In this piece, he uses Satire to great effect to discuss the current issue in craft beer around misogyny and beer labels. The Brewers Association, craft beer’s trade group, has come out against such labels and will be discouraging their members from using and creating labels that are sexist and/or demeaning. Naturally, there has been some outcry from a small element decrying an infringement of their freedom of expression. Oliver handles the ridiculousness of the situation well. This is exactly what satire was invented for. Enjoy!
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Chicago, Illinois – Even though the owner’s native language is arguably the most malleable and creative in all spoken linguistic history, a new startup brewery in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago has decided to name their flagship citra dry-hopped India Pale Ale: “IP T&A.”
James Grimshaw, former homebrewer and founder of Barkin’ Big Dawgs Brewing Company – who speaks perfectly acceptable English and apparently even read a Shakespeare play in college – explained the reasoning behind the names. “We brainstormed for like an hour but kept coming back to these,” said Grimshaw, seemingly unaware that literally the entire lexicon of the English language was available to him at the time he chose the names. “I think it will really resonate with the… (Continue reading here at Literature and Libations)