Best Label?

Hop Culture, the allied beer writing arm of Untappd, came out with their best beer labels of 2023, which you can check out right HERE.

With a few exceptions, I was not in agreement with picks because there was a certain gothic swirly tattoo darkness to a lot of labels plus Humble Sea whose labels for sure stand out but are not for me.

But enough of my side eye, I want to point out that two of my favorites from SoCal were on the list. Brouwerij West and Everywhere Beer Co. A tip of the hat to them.

A New Sticker

As far as radical label re-designs go, Westvleteren has probably caused a stir by simply adding labels on all of their bottles.

Why? It is for the first time in 75 years. Personally, I think the round splash of color is distinctive and classy and different from bottles out there.

I wonder the reaction if the ever decide to can Westy 12.

Cool Beers and/or Labels for September 2021

You do not see the Grissette style often, and this subtle and light colored label from Mumford really matches the style. I really like that it is not too busy with lots of light green space.

You could say the beer should be named “It’s Beer a Year” +. I am super critical of beer names but this one is really cool and perfect for an anniversary beer. Kudos to Whittier Brewing.

Cool Beers & Beer Labels for August 2020

Mixing the mundane with the outer space is this cool label from Mason Ale Works. I really like it when breweries use equipment in their beer names over ingredients because the latter always tends to end up as a bad pun. Adding a moon mango is a great little design touch too.

This new Deschutes beer has just the right antidote for the depressing times. Beer as hug therapy. Very cool.

Fun Labels for a July 2020



I am staying local for the July edition of fun beer labels, starting with Professional Human Being a Hazy IPA Double Dry Hopped with Nelson, Citra and Wai iti from Ambitious Ales in Long Beach.

I like the simple color stripes and the brainiac / scientist and the name is fun and ironic considering how inhuman some people are acting like.

Nearby-ish, Burnin Daylight has a beer from somewhere else…

…which is appropriately hopped with Galaxy (and Simcoe). What I like is the Cosmos colors and mirrored names. It works really well and as a Sci-Fi nerd, anything about parallel universes is fun.

Fun Beer Names / Labels for May 2020

I am not a fan of copyright infringement or cheap branding ideas but I do like the name of this beer from Listermann Brewing Company

…yeah, the image is janky and crossing movie franchises in a bad way but the name is golden. “I’ve had it with these motherfucking IPAs at this motherfucking brewery” is just funny even if hidden in a weird vertical format.

Speaking of lightsabers, a better and fully executed concept comes from Swamp Head Brewery with their Imperial Entanglement…

…brewed for May the Fourth, the design is simple but I really like the addition of their tree logo to the star field and the tie fighter look is retro arcade which is super cool superimposed on the Death Star.

Tweetable

Brewers and breweries scanning for beer names that are original and won’t create a future cease & desist letter might have thought that the Twit-in-Chief would provide fodder for them like he has late night comedians.

And I have seen a few…

…and the obvious…

..and what Bob Mueller probably drinks.

Not to stomp all over a person’s creativity but to me, it is too depressing and too easy considering what a vainglorious psychopath SCROTUS is and the damage he is inflicting which won’t come out in the first wash when we get a presidential President again. The first chuckle and grin is just followed by, ugh.

My suggestion, start putting actual good Presidents on labels or an Obama quote instead.

50-2

I have mostly done hard pass when it has come to Kickstarter over the past 1/2 year. Too many gimmicky items or items that had surpassed their funding goal on Day 1.

But, since I love a good label, the 48 Beer Project caught my eye.

If this comes to pass, it will be a great look into the design process.