Always been somewhat interested in beer labels, and animal beer is a thing. It’s when the bottle features a wild animal, often crudely drawn. The beer is rarely the best or priciest one in the company product line.
My favourite was a cheapo Canadian beer called Wildcat. Commercials featured what looked like a zoo creature walking through a meadow. Picture on the bottle looked like it was drawn by the ad agency’s son to console him after being turned down for pottery by the Academy. What’s your favourite example? How good is the beer?
It’s been awhile since I had a Moosehead. But I recall it wasn’t that bad, not great mind you but not bad. Surprised to see they still make it as I don’t see it in my local party store. Haven’t drank one in maybe 30 years.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have Moose Drool, which is really good. And as I went looking for this picture, I see all of Big Sky’s beers feature animals on the labels. However, this is the only one I’ve had.
If I recall, Moosehead is the oldest brewery in all North America, and even though I haven’t had one for at least a decade, I always loved its distinctive (slightly skunked, even in cans) taste.
There is a Czech beer called Zubr (“Bison”) which is pretty good, much better than the Buckhorn of my misspent youth which was $3.99 for a 12er of cans in the 1980’s
Now, if it’s crudely drawn animals you want, look no further than Flying Dog with it’s unique style of art.
When I used to sell Flying Dog in my store, I wouldn’t bring in this one:
It had oysters in it, so there was that, but as much as I don’t mind somewhat offensive labels*, that seemed to be pushing it just a bit far for my clientele. Here’s one that I almost can’t keep in stock right now.
Back in 1995 or 1996(?) my friend moved up to Missoula to attend grad school at U of M, and I drove up with him in the U-Haul to help him move. After he got settled in he found out that his new apartment was 2 blocks from a modest little storage unit complex where a couple of kids had started brewing beer calling themselves Big Sky Brewing Co. Todd became one of their earliest customers, and after would take me over whenever I would come up to visit, by which point they they set up a taproom and later a full-on brewpub.
Chang is the Thai for elephant hence Chang Beer displays elephants on its label so mark that down as another elephant beer.
In Thailand it was the cheap stuff (or it was when I travelled there) and it would guarantee a hangover, known as a ‘Chang-over’. The export version doesn’t have rice as an ingredient and I would be happy to recommend it. But if the label says ‘Chang Classic’ I would avoid except for scientific or reminiscent reasons.
Slovakia’s best selling beer Zlaty Bazant (“Golden Pheasant”) is also worth checking out if you like lighter, crisp lagers, although like similar beers, it doesn’t travel well, so maybe a trip to Bratislava is in order, just to be safe.
I haven’t had one yet, but a) I want to, and b) I’m often told my dog looks ‘just like’ the dog on the label [NB: Yeah. Maybe after you’ve had a few … ]
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