I've drunk their beer regularly all the thirty years that I've lived in Amsterdam. And their labels are good, too. Distinctive, and with an underlying design theme.
You've probably spotted the underlying egg theme. Ij sounds like "ei", the Dutch word for egg. Fun, slightly quirky labels. I really like them.
But when they introduced an IPA, they went with something very different in style.
I don't feel very comfortable with the image. It's also a pretty crap design and doesn't fit with the packaging of any of their other beers.
I've no idea why they came up with this label. It put me off trying the beer at first. Unfortunately. I quite like it. Should I keep buying it? Are my continuing purchases encouragement to keep the current design?
Being who you are, you could probably ask the owner directly, couldn't you?
ReplyDeleteSend them an email, Ron. I would ifit were a brewery I liked.
ReplyDeleteForm your own opinion. If you care about the image look into the artist and brewers then see why they chose it. Outrage culture from the lobotomized twitter gestapo is so 2016.
ReplyDeleteI can understand buying a bad product because of it's packaging. But not buying a good product because you don't like it's packaging? Doesn't make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteYes, an email explaining your discomfort with the merchandising and referencing the recent change in the opposite direction for Castle Rock Elsie Mo should get them at least thinking about what they're doing.
ReplyDeleteI would not, but it depends on your personal politics.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty awful. Boycott and stick to Struis, I should. It's no Abt, but what is? (I've drunk both of those in the past week, as it goes.)
ReplyDelete"I've no idea why they came up with this label. It put me off trying the beer at first. Unfortunately. I quite like it. Should I keep buying it? Are my continuing purchases encouragement to keep the current design? "
ReplyDeleteIt certainly seems rather tone-deaf in the current environment in the UK, at least. I'd talk to them, pointing out your discomfort and the fact that it will probably cost them sales in the UK and US. Ask them if they will bring out a male equivalent?
Plus it's just bad art - the poor girl appears to have a double-jointed right hip.
As for the beer - shurely it should be an Indonesian Pale Ale? Was there a history of exports of special beers to the Dutch colonies?
Given following anonymous advice that includes such tinfoil hat blurt as "outrage culture from the lobotomized twitter gestapo" sorta now requires you to boycott lest ye be tarnished with the stink of the dope.
ReplyDeleteIt's appears to be an irony. The image of the girl is one of the oldest, classic tattoo designs. Yet she herself has tattoos.
ReplyDeleteI would in no way let any beers label stop me from drinking it if it's good.
I believe that they served this at the President's dinner in the UK.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you find the label uncomfortable? Perhaps you should contact the brewery, as has been suggested, and point that out. I don't; but then I see it as tattoo art type of theme rather than being about ladies norks. But that's just what *I* see. If most people see something else, possibly offensive, possibly something the brewery have missed in good faith, then let them know.
ReplyDeleteBetter calm, informed people like you doing this, than the squeeling and wailing of the permanently offended Twitter mob organising an online lynching. If we had less of that, and more of sensible people like yourself explaining that the brewery may like to think again, the world would be a better place.
And of you don't like / believe the brewers response to your email, then perhaps then stop buying the product?
There are so many beers to try out there, that I cannot cope with, I would enjoy the luxury of having an excuse to let one go!
ReplyDeleteYes. Ignore my advice about creating an informed opinion. You should do what Alan says unless you want to be tarred with guilt by association from an anonymous commenter.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't act on your 2008 article about self censorship but rather conform to any opinion which drives internet traffic (outrage culture). Note to Alan: all "sides" use this marketing technique and it's getting old hence the "so 2016".
Me? I did a 2 minute search before I commented and was greeted to abundant information about the artists brief on several websites. Since you want to be spoon fed:
http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2012/6/6/brouwerijt-ij-ipa.html
http://lovelypackage.com/brouwerij-%E2%80%98t-ij-ipa/
It appears it might have been plagarized or as another insightful commenter wrote, highly influenced by other art.
Like I said, form your own opinion and write what you want. It's your blog and no one would be commenting if they didn't find it interesting.
I wouldn't buy it, buying it is condoning it and, indeed, advocating it.
ReplyDeleteTim Hampson attacked the brewery over this label at the European beer bloggers' conventon in Amsterdam in 2016. It was clear from the look on the face of the guy from 't IJ that he had no idea why Tim was angry. Boycott it. This isn the 21st century, for fuck's sake – women are allowed to drink beer now.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a lot of important discussions abound at a "bloggers" convention, including exciting topics like use of syntax and who manufactures the most ergonomic keyboard. Oh yeah, and beer labels. And who the F is Tim Hampson?
DeleteAh,the Twitchforkers smell blood.
ReplyDeleteRather like the beer blogging couple who censored my harmless joke about the non-binary transgender craft beer worker and his/her views on growlers this is risible stuff.
Like those cretins who protest about Churchill's record at the Blighty Cafe in London.
And Great Ormond Street Hospital giving back half a million quid to the President's Club.
Get over yourselves.
It's like sniggering at the cock on Michaelangelo's David.
I'm surprised at you Ron - I never had you down as a snowflake.
qq,
ReplyDeleteyes, the Dutch exported beer to the East Indies.
The ostrich is still there - as a tattoo on her right arm.
ReplyDeleteI'd still drink the beer if I liked it.
But hey, you're a big boy, Ron. Make your own mind up.
Calm down, boys! Just remember that while you may have been offended by what has been drawn, you should defend to the death the right to draw it.
ReplyDeleteHow sad that this topic has drawn more comments (all seemingly from cis men)than any other post for yonks.
Ignore the licentious pervs. Labels like this are a core part of the problem. Pretty simple.
ReplyDeleteBrando V,
ReplyDeleteTim Hampson is chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers.
She's not bad... she's just drawn that way.
ReplyDelete“Inspired by a tour of US microbreweries, Amsterdam’s Brouwerij het IJ decided to create their own US-punk-style IPA. Branding studio Redthumb was given it’s shortest ever brief (simply “Tits, tattoos, and skulls”) and created a design with enough punch to match the full flavoured brew. The design picks up on the the brewery’s rebellious nature and is a homage to east coast streetart and artists such as Rebel 8. Hand drawn in-house at Redthumb, the label reflects Brouwerij het IJ’s reputation for producing beers full of character and tongue-in-cheek attitude.”
ReplyDeleteThe irony is it's a brewery in Amsterdam.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the bedwetters avert their gaze and tut-tut in disgust as they perve their way past the half-naked hookers in the windows as they make their " pilgrimage " to De Wildeman ?
Some people are just not happy if they haven't got something to get outraged about.
It's a beer label for goodness sake.