Clown Shoes and Beer Labels: What Sells? What Repells?

Last night at the Brewfest, I spent a few minutes talking with one of the representatives from Clown Shoes Brewing Company. I had recently read several articles about controversy surrounding their bottle labels, specifically Lubrication, Brown Angel and Tramp Stamp. 

My thoughts as we were sampling these really tasty beers were that a company, if it was to make really good, quality, wonderful beers, can serve their brew in plain labeled bottles. The "need" to grab attention by putting up labels that piss buyers off either by being overtly sexy, possibly dirty, isn't necessary.

Yes, the craft brewing market is a tight one. Breaking out and getting a name is hard. It is an age old argument -- "Bad publicity is still publicity..." and it seems that Clown Shoes has chosen the route of  let's get people talking about us so they're curious, and get them in that way, instead of let's brew beer that blows their floppy footwear right off their big assed feet. 

Personally, the label on Lubrication doesn't offend me the way it does others.

I see the gas station attendant robot/oil can man as the creative team intended it -- an old school 1950s kind of style gas jockey with a gas pump handle in his hand, NOT a "dong." I'm more put off by the Tramp Stamp and the Brown Angel (the angel with those creepy assed clown shoes on is enough to give me nightmares. I don't care that her boobs and ass are showing). Sex sells to guys, and that's their audience. In the end, if I were buying just by labels here, the Clementine would suit me fine.

And this further reinforced WHY I prefer beer on draught at a restaurant. I do not CARE what your label has on it. I want to know what your beer tastes like.

There are dozens of articles out there if you want to read them, just google Clown Shoes Label Controversy (and you can even spell Controversey wrong and get some good articles) if you want to research it further.

Just my two cents in the world of beer shenanigans.

Newburyport Brew Fest - Yankee Homecoming 2011

Dave and I skipped our weekly daytime shenanigans because we had a special trip planned.

Last night, Doug and I took Dave to the Brewfest at Yankee Homecoming. Each year, the city of Newburyport puts on a two week long rollicking festival filled with happenings, music, events and the awesome Brewfest. We bought our tickets online last week, and I'm glad we didn't wait because for the second straight year the event sold out.  We got there pretty much right at 5 when the shindig got underway, and I figured we'd be dragging Dave out at the time of closing at 9pm. This kind of thing is right up his alley.

No Shenanigans Today...

Because tomorrow, Dave, my husband and I are going to the Newburyport BrewFest, part of their annual Yankee Homecoming Celebration.

My friend Stu said they should change the name to Brewburyport for the day. I like that. So ... a full wrap up and disclosure of the adventures and shenanigans in Brewburyport will follow, most likely on Sunday afternoon.

Cheers!

Hot Hot Heat and the Grog

Yesterday we headed to The Grog again for our Friday lunch. My daughter Jessica has a job in  downtown Newburyport. Walking over to meet us at the Grog is an easy thing for her to do. She has joined us for Shenanigans three or four times, and is always a pleasure to have about.

We cozied up to the bar which was kind of hard to do because no one was cozy yesterday. Record breaking heat had spread across the region. The restaurant and bar were hopping, because of the sweltering temperatures.

Found our our lovely English barmaid is named Leslie. We'll remember that. She was incredibly busy yesterday - working the bar and filling drinks for the waiters.

Dave started with a Newcastle Brown Ale (more on that later) and I went with Rogue Dead Guy. Starters were Pork Dumplings for me and Dave got his favorite half dozen oysters.  Lunch was lovely - I got a burrito which was too huge to deal with and Dave had steaktips and fries.

Jess joined us at about 2pm for a Turkey Club (Leslie always offers her a menu and she doesn't need it, that's her go to lunch at the Grog, that Jess) and we had a fantastic time talking.

Jess is taking a bartending class, so we talked a lot about different mixed drinks, how Dave isn't allowed to have those and it kills him... because he is a big fan of the Manhattan. We talked about glass sizes and pour counts. Jess watched Leslie making her mixed drinks and counted along.

A gentleman down the bar from us ordered a Bloody Mary. I am not a huge fan of Bloody Marys. The name itself makes me throw up a little in my mouth, and thinking of Tomato Juice and Vodka in any sort of slurry together disgusts me. He left the bar shortly before Leslie served it, so it sat there, by itself, for a long time. A sword of three huge olives sat on top, and a giant stalk of celery shot out of the top.

Hating on James May

I was watching TV the other day, and a show was being advertised for BBC America.  Called James May Drinks to Britain, it chronicles the adventures of Top Gear's James May and Oz Clarke as they toodle about Europe in a fancy schmancy car, sampling boozey goodness,  getting soused and learning about life along the way.

I personally am very mad at them, because I think that such a show featuring Dave and  me would be a real blast. The Shenanigans with Dave program could feature us going on the Maine Brew Trail, or hitting all the hot spots that Dave remembers from his Bowdoin days (if they're still there), or hey -- what is happening Beer Wise in the Pioneer Valley? 

We also have access to some fine vintage automobiles, notably my friend Jo's Jaguar, code named Panther, which would be an excellent Shenanigansmobile.  We would even have our own awesome soundtrack, which we would argue about frequently.

Oh well. I guess we can keep pretending in our little minds. All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players, after all...

Mohawks and Golf at the Tap

On Friday, Geoff was all set at camp in Newburyport and I didn't need to have Jess come meet us after work in Newburyport, so we could go elsewhere. 

We headed over to The Tap/Haverhill Brewery in downtown Haverhill.

We've been here a number of times, including our first day of shenanigans back in February. 

Jon, the bartender, has gotten to know us pretty well over time. He is generous with the samples, especially of the new ones on tap. Pictured to the left here is my Whittier White with orange and lemon, a perfectly wonderful light summer brew, and Dave's Schwartzbier, out of the cask, made with Czech Saaz. Dave and Jon go at it a little bit over the concept of the "Black and Tan." The beers at the Tap don't have the same properties as Bass and Guinness, so they don't make the magic non-mixture that is a half and half. Dave insists that Jon can do it if he pours slower and uses the spoon. Jon has tried. He said that it HAS worked in the past, with certain beers that they don't currently have on tap. But that right now it just isn't working that way.

The Plum Island Beachcomba, Fun with the Summer Sun

We had a twofer this week. Here's part one!

On both Thursday and Friday we had shenanigans. That has not happened ... ever. Because my son is in day camp in Newburyport, I am liking to stay close and not head too far afield until after he's done around July 29th. 

We dropped Dave's son Matt and his girlfriend Jess off in town, and decided we would head out to the Plum Island Grille. We had tried to go there in June but they weren't open yet. This time, there was absolutely nowhere to park. Strike two for the Plum Island Grille I guess.

I drove up the road a little bit and noticed that there was a "new" spot on the left. The PI Beachcomba looked freshly painted, doors wide open, and had a dog laying out on the front step.

They also had a huge, empty parking lot across the street. So I figured we'd give them a chance. We pulled in and headed into the bar. Every seat was taken, so we ate in the restaurant side. 

They only had three beers on tap, Guinness, Blue Moon and Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat, which we thought was weird. Dave had a Blueberry, noting that it wasn't Wachusett and he didn't really like that. I went with a Blue Moon.

The Grog in Early July

We enjoy the Grog greatly. 

Our lovely English barmaid was there, and we sat down to enjoy lovely lunch. Dave got oysters (a half dozen on the half shell) and plate of ahi tuna appetizer. I got a gorgeous huge salad, with spicy chicken. Dave had a Black & Tan, a Newcastle, and a Wachusett Blueberry, what he often refers to as his "nap beer." I enjoyed a Rogue Dead Guy (hats off to the Rogue Brewery in Oregon. I remember them from 1988 when we were living in Ashland how awesome they were), and the Victory Summer Love brew.

The Ale House, Amesbury MA

One of the better spots for grabbing a unique brew in the area is in Amesbury. The Ale House is a beautiful space, with exceptional food, and brews on draft from all over the world.

Dave loves to come here, because they always have different foreign beers on draught, and they give you a sheet of paper with all the beers on it where you can check off what you like, what you've had, what you want to have again. Dave takes notes in the margins, and keeps track of what he has had or where he "wants to go next."

Bubbles, lace, beauty.

The bartender is awesome. He's super friendly and is really entertaining. He's quick with the samples in the tiny glasses so you can decide if you want something like the Dieu Du Ciel! Route Epices (no, you don't. It's awful).

There are so many beautiful and tasty options here. Most of them have too high an ABV for me to enjoy. For those of you who don't know, ABV is alcohol by volume. Check out the picture for the Mikkeller Black Hole from Denmark there. 13% is crazy too high for afternoon lunch drinking but that didn't stop me from having a sample. Most of the beers that we're used to up around here are between 4.5% and 5.5%, so if you have a couple of 8% and 13% brews you'd better have a designated driver.

And I'm pretty much the driver. SoI limit my intake to 2 beers usually. And Dave will enjoy a few more than that. He plots out his orders using the menu, like he's reading a road map, and he greatly enjoys the trek around the globe.

This particular day at the Ale House, Dave had a pizza and I had a Chicken Quesadilla (one of the best in the area). I enjoyed brews from the local Somerville outfit Pretty Things, and their Field Mouse is a perfect pair to the lovely Quesadilla. 

Dave had a Chimay, new on draught this month. It hadn't been there before on tap but only in the bottle. 

I took a lot of pictures on this trip, the lighting seemed lovely and we were there quite a while enjoying the atmosphere and the journey.

My lunch -- tremendously delicious.
With a Pretty Things Field Mouse Farewell, which I wish was in a glass that didn't bear another brewer's logo.

Chimay! Dave's Fave.  Served in its own glass.