Weird, quirky labels for weird, quirky bottles
By Laurel Borrowman, Life & Style Editor
There are many reasons one may choose to buy a particular beer. It may be cheap. It may taste delicious. You may have lost a bet and owe your buddy a six-pack. You may be experimenting with autumnal cooking that requires a brew or two to give the recipe that missing zing-pow. Here’s another good reason: the label looks goddamn cool.
While we may have been taught not to judge a book by its cover, here’s one instance where I recommend saying phooey to that. There’s a recent trend with craft brewers that’s decorating shelves in an oddball way, and making for some pretty great conversation pieces at the same time. From laser-beam-eyed bears to sparkly unicorns, breweries like Phillips and Parallel 49 have got a bunch of brews that not only taste delicious, but will also easily fill that awkward silence when you run out of witty remarks to woo that hottie at your next house party.
Here are three I’ve laid my eyes on recently:
Phillips White Unicorn: This white IPA is nothing short of magical, both inside and out. Legend goes, it’s “best enjoyed while riding a mystical mono-horned laser beast, racing through the galaxy to the sonic backdrop of screaming metal guitars.” How can one argue with that? This 6.5% brew is smooth, hoppy, easy-drinking, and fantasmagorically fun to look at.
Parallel 49 Old Boy Ale: Not only is this beer actually ridiculously good-tasting, the label is also hilariously entertaining. Never before has a mug of beer been personified so well. It’s true, you could put a mustache and a monocle on almost anything and it would be instantly funnier, but the character on this label also sports a cane, top hat, and a face that looks wise beyond his years. Old Boy takes jaunty to a whole new level.
Phillips Pandamonium, The 11th Hour Anniversary Ale: Last year, Phillips celebrated their tenth birthday by crafting a special 10 per cent double IPA. So for its eleventh birthday, how better could they celebrate than upping the ante? They brewed the Pandamonium 11th Hour Anniversary ale, an 11 per cent IPA clad by a laser-beam-eyed, city-ravaging, snarly-mouth panda bear label. That’s the only way to celebrate such an occasion. It’s hoppy. It’s strong as heck. It’s got a King Kong-mimicking panda bear on the label. ‘Nuff said.
