The beer industry has come a long way in the past 20 plus years. We’ve seen bourbon barrel-aging work its magic on stouts, the IPA has birthed multiple substyles, and the number of craft breweries in the U.S. has grown nearly 10-fold. Of course, with more breweries comes more beer, and subsequently, more beer names.
Naming beer is an integral part of any brewery’s marketing. It’s the first thing a potential customer sees when eyeing a taplist or browsing the beer aisle, and therefore can make or break a potential sale. However, as the craft beer industry landscape has reached a point of near-saturation, many breweries have opted to take a more subversive approach to the name game. Regardless of whether or not this tactic works, we’ve encountered some delightfully bizarre beer names along the way. Here are 10 of the weirdest.
Burial Beer Co.: I Once Left My Mind In A Bed-Stuy Juice Bar
When North Carolina’s Burial Beer Co. teams up with Brookyln’s Other Half Brewing, we can expect some top-notch suds. Apparently, we also get a pretty puzzling beer name. We’re not sure what events inspired this triple IPA’s title, but we certainly have some questions.
DuClaw Brewing Company: Sour Me Unicorn Farts
DuClaw made headlines in 2019 when it released its inaugural batch of Sour Me Unicorn Farts, a “glittered sour ale” brewed in collaboration with fellow Baltimore-based business Diablo Doughnuts. In the brewery’s defense, the “Unicorn Farts” title comes from a vanilla-frosted, Fruity Pebbles-coated doughnut that Diablo makes year-round. Still, the name doesn’t exactly scream “delicious.”
Evil Genius Beer Co.: Purple Monkey Dishwasher
While Purple Monkey Dishwasher from Philadelphia’s Evil Genius Beer Co. is a chocolate peanut butter porter, it’s impossible to glean that — let alone anything about the beer — from its name alone. Regardless, the name is likely a Simpson’s reference that depicts how words can be warped in a game of telephone.
Evil Twin Brewing NYC: HEY DAD, DID YOU CHANGE THE PASSWORD ON OUR DISNEY+ ACCOUNT? MY EX-GIRLFRIEND IS TRYING TO USE IT AND CAN’T GET IN.
Evil Twin Brewing NYC has a habit of giving its beers wild, tongue-in-cheek names, but this one goes above and beyond in both sheer length and absurdity. It’s hard to imagine anyone actually taking the time to say this double IPA’s full name when ordering a pint, but we’ll admit that it’s pretty funny regardless.
Gigantic Brewing Company: The Cat Ate My Stash & Pissed On the Christmas Tree
We’ve all been there before, right? Released annually during the holiday season, this IPA from Portland, Oregon’s Gigantic Brewing Company leaves little to the imagination with its absurd moniker. We just hope it isn’t based on anyone’s personal experience.
Gilman Brewing Company: Intergalactic Dad Pants
Ever since Galaxy hops became commercially available in 2009, we’ve seen a fair number of punny, space-themed beers hit the scene, but few names are as memorable as Intergalactic Dad Pants. In the height of the pandemic, California’s Gilman Brewing Company gave locals some comic relief with this pale ale — best enjoyed while wearing an ill-fitting button down, baggy blue jeans, and Nike Air Monarchs.
Other Half Brewing Co.: Double Potato Spaghetti Town
Other Half Brewing has made countless IPAs named after food items over the years. There’s Broccoli, Bagel & Schmear, Gouda, Hot Dog, Baked Ziti, Sweet Potato Fries — the list goes on. Somewhere along the line, though, the folks at OH took the name game to the next level and gave us this word salad of a beer title. As the brewery itself admits, “Yeah, we don’t really know why it’s called this, either.”
The Veil Brewing Co.: I’m Derek Jeter
Even though The Veil Brewing Co.’s @_natureboi and Lord Whangdoodle would have been fitting additions to this list, we’re giving the spot to the brewery’s I’m Derek Jeter double IPA. While the name could be referencing this scene from the 2010 comedy “The Other Guys,” we’re not totally sure what inspired the brewery to claim the identity of the famous New York Yankees shortstop — let alone give the beer such strange can art.
Thirsty Planet Brewing Company: A Hot Mess Inside A Dumpster Fire Inside A Train Wreck
Released at the tail end of 2020, this Pale Ale from Austin’s Thirsty Planet Brewing Company gets its name from a phrase that journalist Jake Tapper used to describe the first year of the pandemic. We’re not going to argue with the sentiment here, but it still makes for one hell of a weird, long-winded beer name.
Young Blood Beer Company: The Jon Wick of Cheeseburgers
With brews bearing names like Slayer Owes Me $16, I Got My Cicerone On Untappd, and Everyone Looks Like Guy Fieri, it was hard to pick just one wild moniker from Wisconsin’s Young Blood Beer Company. Our favorite, though, has to be The Jon Wick of Cheeseburgers. Not only did the brewery spell “John Wick” incorrectly — probably to dodge a cease and desist — the name just makes absolutely no sense.
*Image retrieved from @giganticbrewing via Instagram
