Craft Beer Controversy: Brewery Forced to Withdraw ‘Barely Legal’ IPA From Festival Over ‘Inappropriate’ and ‘Sexist’ Labeling
An 18.1%-ABV IPA has been withdrawn from an upcoming craft beer festival after its labeling sparked controversy. (Photo: Instagram)
On Thursday, Australian brewery Blackflag Brewing was forced to withdraw its Barely Legal IPA, which was marketed as a “boozy” 18.1%-ABV brew, from a craft beer festival after it was deemed “inappropriate” and “sexist,” according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Beyond its marketing, which also referred to it as “something to tell your friends about,” the craft beer sparked controversy over its label, which resembled the logo for pornography website PornHub.
Originally scheduled for release at the Great Australian Beer Spectacular (GABS) festival in Melbourne, the IPA’s marketing campaign for the beverage was abruptly pulled on Thursday following a wave of negative feedback on social media, ABC reported.
The Independent Brewers Association took the matter seriously, highlighting a violation of its Code of Conduct. Kylie Lethbridge, CEO of the association, confirmed that discussions had begun with relevant parties to promptly address the issue and ensure its non-recurrence, noted ABC.
Critics emphasized the problematic nature of the beer’s label, asserting that the term “Barely Legal” had strong associations with young women and explicit content. According to the report, Jayne Lewis, co-founder of Two Birds Brewery and a member of the Drink Agents For Change group, which urged the GABS festival to reconsider the beer’s marketing, labeled the design as sexist and expressed concerns regarding the sexualization of minors and young women. She stressed that such marketing had no place alongside an 18.1%-ABV beer.
“These are the kinds of things that feel like a real punch in the guts for a lot of women,” Lewis added, per ABC.
Tiffany Waldron, president of the Pink Boots Society Australia, a non-profit organization supporting women and non-binary individuals in the beer and fermented beverage sectors, pointed out that inappropriate and sexualized marketing can lead to unsafe environments at beer festivals and similar events, according to the report.
“Think about it not only from the punter’s point of view, but how many women and non-gender-conforming people are also working on the other side of the bar,” Waldron stated, per ABC. “As you can imagine, at a place where people are drinking, the comments can get a little out of hand.”
Despite unveiling underlying issues within the beer industry, industry leaders and the GABS festival have demonstrated a positive trend by addressing the raised concerns. Lewis, reflecting on the incident, acknowledged the impact of public feedback and expressed satisfaction that appropriate action was taken in response to the criticism, ABC reported.
Responding to the backlash, Blackflag Brewing wrote on social media: “We acknowledge that a single marketing theme, which was intended to be light-hearted and engaging, unfortunately missed the mark and inadvertently conveyed implications that were offensive.”
“The marketing theme in question has been discontinued, and we are conducting a thorough review of our marketing processes to ensure that such missteps do not occur again in the future.”
According to Crafty Pint, a spokesperson for the brewery added, “the idea behind the beer name was around the alcohol volume. 18.1% was the resulting ABV which led us to drive the ‘just over the legal age’ barrier for becoming an adult.”
“We designed the imagery around what is a known brand after you turn 18.”
“Many apologies,” the spokesperson continued, per Crafty Pint. “But no ill intentions were considered. We were just aiming at taking the piss of turning 18.”
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