Do you know what really gets my goat?
Thanks to the Family Guy for inspiration!
I’m sure that you, like myself, were pretty excited to hear the news recently that Sierra Nevada were releasing a new Imperial IPA hopped with whole cone hops. Let’s face it, chances are that if someone’s going to do a good job with this beer style, it’s Sierra Nevada. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet but I’m looking forward to it, I hear it’s really good. But the name … groan … Hoptimum! Seriously, can we not get past the hop-pun type names by now? How many are there out there now … way too many I think! When the likes of Victory’s Hop Devil first came out it stood out, great name, great label. Now there are, what, a million of them? I’m not referring to the beer, there are some incredible brews (Hopslam anyone) but do we need more of these names … Hop Hound, Hop Stoopid, Hopocaplypse, Hop Trip, Frog Hop ad nauseam, and now Hoptimum!? I’ve joked about this before on the blog … the working title of the Strongman Pale Ale was Hoptimus Prime (you can see it, can’t you? The giant hop cone Transformer!). Of course my English Brewer’s resraint prevents me from happily shoveling hops into the brew kettle with happy abandon as is the want of some of my American counterparts and the Strongman is only about a paltry 60 ibus, next to nothing compared to some of these beers. I’d love to make “a Hopslam”, in anything but name, but I just can’t seem to do it! Hats off to local heroes Heavy Seas and Flying Dog who have avoided falling into this rut. “Loose Cannon” is a great name, strong brewery identity and suggestive of something a little bit “out there”. Flying Dog refer to their Imperial IPA with the single hop designation … simple /classic and let’s face it, for the marketing machine that is Flying Dog, maybe a little surprising. I hope that one day I will produce something with a big hop profile but I can guarantee that the word hop will not enter into it’s name. maybe I’ll just call it “Trevor”!
Oh, and by the way, I know that many of you love these names … it’s just my opinion and hey, I’ve got a snow day so i’ve got to occupy my time!
Ohhh, letting those little yeasties do their work unsupervised? How daring.
Yes the hop name thing has gotten a bit out of hand (see, not only Englishmen can do understatement). May I present to you 21st Amendment’s Hop Crisis. Do you really want to label your beer “Crisis”?
Of course this is coming from somebody who, no matter how good the beer is, won’t order a “Raging Bitch”.
Peter, forgetting about Red Brick Station’s Daily Crisis IPA, are ye?
+1 on not ordering the Raging Rhymes-With-Witch, as I call it.
Could not agree more. I love the idea of walking into a local and saying “pint of Trevor, please.” Perhaps an aside, but I immediately thought of Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek when he tells Jonah Hill to take a hit off of the “Geoffrey.” A completely different concept but perhaps an equally understated name for something that packs a wallop (insert hop-wallop joke here).
Not to be overly technical. But as I was recently snowed in watching a Family Guy marathon, I believe you meant… “ya know what really grinds my gears” Not gets my goat. Not that I want to take the much deserved attention away from your goat…. just thought you’d like to know…. FYI… drinking the Hopslap right now that you gave me… and its super awesome!!
Naming your hop bomb “Trevor” sounds like a fabulous idea!
Raging Bitch is a great beer with an attention getting marketing plan around it. What’s wrong with that?
Ah yes Mr. Dvorkin, which I was why I thanked the Family Guy for inspiration! I wanted to put my own spin on it, of course. And do you know what else really gets my goat ….
My Favorite hop pun…Ska Brewing’s Modus Hoperandi.
Creature Brewing’s HOLY HOP (H)IPA was inspired by Robin from the Batman series in the 60s. He was always shouting something along the lines of “Holy Calculus Batman!”
That and we pray to Gilgamesh with each hop addition.
HOLY HOPS BATMAN!
but by far the BEST hop pun name is Legacy’s Hoptimus Prime