Beers without nicknames

I generally appreciate clever turns of phrase/odd word pairings and such so I suppose that can be something of a plus for me on the subtle marketing side of things.

This can quickly turn to annoyance though if they don't have a description on the damn container somewhere to explain what the hell it actually it is. Pick up a cool looking can, search around it for info, come up empty, put it back down and go on to the next one. It doesn't happen super frequently, but I'm surprised it happens as much as it does.

 

Your thread was confusing because you're actually not talking about nicknames at all... you're talking about actual beer names. "Zombie Dust" is not a nickname. PBR is a nickname.

All the time. Stupid, kitschy or long names are more of a turn off than generic ones. But I buy the beer I want regardless. The one downside for me for breweries that stick to a naming convention of brewery+style are cases where confusion is caused due to such a brewer having too many IPAs.

 

The most annoying aspect of it is the fact that it corresponds with the new canning fad. It's a lot easier to read the brand name/style on the side or end of a sixpack "basket" or, even if you have to, to pull out a bottle from that sixpack and read the label for more info. But with cans, you've got to pick up the entire 4/6-pack, and then spin one of the cans to be able to read the label - a two-handed operation!

It doesn't happen often to me, because I started ignoring all those canned beers from new breweries with the (supposed) "clever" names and "cool" graphics until I read otherwise. Such as this example:

WTF? I guess it's some kinds of beer from some brewery...

 

Well, you do have a problem with using (to be obvious) "IPA" as your name and descriptor if you have 4 IPAs available. What if Founders made two porters? One has to have a name other than just "Founders Porter" for differentiation.

The actual naming, well, that's where trademarking come in and having to come up with a (for the most part) unique name among 6000+ other breweries also brewing beers.

All that said, the more info on the package, the better, regardless of brewer or naming convention they use.

 

My favorite beer is Gibb's 100 Blind Man's Paradise Greensboro Pale Ale. It's a long winded name and a gorgeous beer. BFD...

 

Ya could just call it Porter #1, Porter #2, etc.

 

Agreed... but Marketing 101 will tell you that is limiting. From a grander, not "in the know [local] beer geek" world, who would know the difference? It also doesn't beg an easier recognition. So yes, but I'd be hard pressed a business advisor would rightfully argue for this technique until you're already established (see FW Luponic Distortion).

 

I read descriptions and if it seems compelling, I’ll buy. At the very most, a name can cause me to not buy the beer.

 

I couldn't disagree more.

 

On which part?

 

"Drink Tree Frog Beer and you'll feel great and have lots of friends."
Gilbert Shelton, via The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.

 

What I get a kick out of is a beer with a style in the name, but it's actually a different style. Here's one;

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/429/1309/

 

I buy both. Breweries that are just starting off might mark a specific beer as their flagship pale ale (for example Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) then down the line develop another pale ale (for example Sierra Nevada's Sidecar Orange Pale Ale). While some people might see that as being lazy, it is almost more a sign of respect from the brewer that they are saying "this is our namesake ____ beer."

The same goes for packaging; a smaller brewery might not be able to afford a big marketing team or an artist. Williamsburg Alewerks (Alewerks Brewing Company) has, for the most part, always had simple labels and simple names. Over the years they've expanded the artwork on their labels and had a few more creative names.

On a side note there is the question of professionalism versus creativity and how you approach your customer. Consider a customer who is looking for a beer on the shelf and doesn't listen to heavy metal, doesn't read comic books, and just wants a good craft beer. Maybe they don't want to carry around a six-pack of Todd McFarlane.

 

I see that so often with American alts. Rising Tide's Ishmael "Copper Ale" or Long Trail Ale anyone?

 

On the whole I'm lenient to the point of disinterest regarding graphics so long as they're not so immaturely gross as to picture a dirty diaper on a brown ale.

 

Suppose they're not alluding to the Red Ale style, just the red color

 

Like Brown Note? Yeah, don't think I'd buy that. Also - have you wanted to order a tap of a beer but the name is so idiotic that you can't bring yourself to say it, so you order it by style or number on their board?

 

No I haven't but I will ask "what's that thing on the third tap".

 

I have to say I'm a sucker for a beer just called by it's style. Gimme a helles called Helles and a bitter called Bitter. The new habit of beers having a sentence-long name reminds me of the era of mid-2000's metal/hardcore band names. *shudder*

 

Sometimes I've wondered if you won't call it what it is then what are you trying to hide.