Perhaps in a similar vein, I've never named my beers. They are usually referred to as something like, "that one stout with the oak in it that I brewed last fall, or was it in the winter? Whatever, it's probably that one." But friends and other recipients of my beer always want to know what a particular beer is called. I once named an all-Fuggle hops bitter "Fug 'em" but in general people don't know what Fuggle is, so they didn't really appreciate it.
But I'm starting to think that the beers I give out need some names. It's fine for me to have in my head, "The lager I made with German Pilsner malt and Hersbrucker hops" but most other folks don't have any such reference point. And honestly the name of a beer does have an effect on the drinker's perspective. If I called it "Butt-stank Lager" you'd all probably tell me, "I'm getting some sulfur notes in the finish." But weirdly some of the worst sounding names are also some of the best, like Moose Drool or Face-puncher IPA, or this awesome limited release from Lagunitas called Lumpy Gravy. Some styles have odd yet popular names just by themselves, like Nut Brown Ale (doesn't contain nuts, doesn't have to taste like nuts) or Black IPA (somehow both black and pale at the same time, apparently).
So, what I'm getting at is: How do you name a beer? And while we're at it, what is your beer called?
If I am the sole consumer of a batch, then no name is needed other than "stout" or "porter" or "wow, this ipa is really tasty IPA". If the general public will be drinking the beer then I try to get creative and play words off of the style or whatever tickles my fancy. As an Iron Maiden fan, "Run to the Helles", "The Trooper" and "Fear of the Dark" are my favorite names for a helles lager, british ipa and belgian witbier respectively. "Puddin' Bowl Porter" is another past favorite in homage to an overly full outhouse on a camping trip with some friends. The puddin' bowl was full before the porter was made, fyi.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started brewing I named and created labels for all of my beers. After I switched to kegs that all stopped. Now I only name beers that I send in for competition or take to a festival. Part of that's because I'm getting lazy but also because I use it as a teaching tool. When someone asks the name I just tell them the style and then give them some information about the style.
ReplyDelete#1, #2, #3...you get the picture. I never said I was creative!
ReplyDeleteI named my Barley Wine after my Brother "Tim" who tends to Fall over after a few too many. So it is named TIMBER!!!
ReplyDeleteWe gave beer as Christmas presents last year. It was a porter with chocolate and peppermint flavors. I called it Peppermint Patty Porter. The label had a picture of the Peanuts character raising a mug of beer.
ReplyDeleteI like names that have nothing to do with the taste or the style. Keep 'em guessing.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem. I love brewing the beer, i love coming up with recipe tweaks, and my own recipes......but naming the beers is next to impossible for me. Help!
ReplyDeleteMy names come from things that are typically related to the brew day. For instance, I made an IPA last week where we decided to have a little fun and continuously hopped in small amounts for every minute on the minute during the boil period. We named it "Minute Man IPA".
ReplyDeleteI made a chocolate chipotle stout last month, and the reactions I got were typically astonishment when I told them what kind of beer I was making. Holy Moly is a term for surprise, Molé is a chocolate chipotle sauce used in cooking and pronounced the same as Moly. So the name became "Holy Molé Stout"
As a bit of counterpoint, sometimes I've come up with a name, and then followed that name with a beer. A couple examples:
ReplyDeleteAn IPA I brewed for recovering from an injury, IBUprofen (heavily hopped with summit and horizon backed by an interesting munich-backed malt bill)
Environmental Protection Ale, an EPA on the high end of the BJCP limit for IBUs and ABV, but balanced by a sweetening honey addition (recently reworked to be an organic brew)
People have been trying to get me to name my beers as well, but as I mainly use kits (been brewing for almost a year now) I didn't feel as that I should. I finally tried making beer of my own. A belgian wheat with the juice of about a dozen oranges added to the secondary fermentation. It came out with a lot of orange flavor so I called it the Agent Orange. I think people liked it more because of the name.
ReplyDeleteThe only beer I've named.
ReplyDeleteI brewed it with a boyfriend. We split up during fermentation, so I made him bottle it before giving me my brew kit back.
Then I went around calling it
Break-up Brew
I have to say it seems like a good idea to start naming your beers too. I think it provides another level of creativity in the brewer and chances are if someone smiles as they pour out the beer, they will probably be in a more receptive mood to whatever taste you have bottled. My own personal habit is usually to have a picture of one of our pets and a referece to it in the name such as "The Stout Hamster" or Chipins Choice Pale Ale (A Chihuahua/Miniture Pincer cross), or La Chihuahua Borracha (drunk in spanish, for my mexican style beer)
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think, and good luck.
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Odyssey Ales
I do Google searches on what I find funny and can make into a label to stick on my kegerator. So I just made your Innkeeper and was watching How I Met Your Mother. The episode is called the Sexless Innkeeper and thus a beer name was created. Found a screen shot online and had my label all photoshopped up. I made an IPA with honey and Called it Hippa with a picture of a hippo on it.
ReplyDelete