This morning, my phone roared to life as it does each day when it awakens from a short but well deserved slumber. Google Mail alerted me that the New York Times had indeed published the article detailing our week long conversation with members of the Pagan Community. And unless you have been around the brewery for the last week, you might have missed these conversations.
You see, they started last Friday October 15th at 12:01 AM when a slew of emails hit our Lost Abbey in box. Many of them were of the cut and past variety and they all were sent to detest our “New” Witch’s Wit label. We thought this odd since the label was first produced in 2008 and has never once inspired anyone to contact us to express their displeasure.
Turns out that recently a very famous member of the Wiccan Community “found” our beer in a store. She was immediately appalled by our use of 16th Century images featuring a Witch being burned at the stake. Blogs, Facebook and Twitter were all employed to mount an assault on our systems. An email campaign was also started and a barrage of very similar emails filled our in boxes for the duration of the weekend.
Many of these emails labeled our Marketing and PR Departments as ignorant, woman hating Cretans. Some claimed that no sane person in their right mind would use an image of a buxom Witch being burned at the stake for commercial gain.
We have a stack of emails asking whether we would show Jews being gassed or African American’s being lynched. Of course not was our reply. Others seemed to think we were responsible for recent incidents in Darfur as well. It was amazing chain of events to say the least.
Apparently, many of the emailers didn’t bother to spend time researching our branding and the positioning of our beers. In blindly denouncing our original art and the satire of our labels, most of the emailers failed to connect with our brands. Looking at these emails, it was obvious that in our desire to tell a great story, we had forgotten to get that information on our website in a meaningful way.
Sitting in my office, I can honestly say it was hard for us to see the forest from the trees.
Since day one, The Lost Abbey has been about original artwork, original beers and original back label stories tying them together. I know this because it’s been my job to develop the beer, commission the original artwork and write the back story for the label. This has been no easy task. Yet, I am very proud of our labels. They are cohesive and constantly work at pushing the boundaries of beer as art.
But we’re still missing some of the storytelling aspects on our website. So we’ll be adding this to our list of things to do in the not so distant future.
But getting back to the Pagan and Wiccan brewhaha that ensued is why I am blogging today. Sage was tasked with answering the communities and in his response he emplored the emailers to approach our beers as a collection of original artistic pieces displaying the struggle between good and evil. As soon as this email began making the rounds, some members of the pagan community responded with more positivity; others were still not placated.
Each day last week, I came to work and wanted to communicate this situation to our Lost Abbey Clergy. I felt it was important to share this with the consumers of our beers who support the artistic direction of this brand. Ultimately, I decided against it as this because I didn’t want to fan the flames of this little wildfire. This was incredibly difficult for me as I received some memorable emails and quotes like this one: “Screw you, you fat ass beer slugging alcoholic Christian Ass Hole.”
But now that the New York Times published a story in today’s paper detailing our situation with the Pagan and Wiccan communities, I typed this blog post to share my thoughts with you. Please go read the New York Times piece. Then please go read the notes I published about our Witch’s Wit Label on our website. When you’re finished, you can use this forum for comments about this beer. We’d love to hear what you have to say about this.
At this time, the only decision that has been made about this label is that we have agreed (as owners) to discuss this label controversy at our meeting in November. We remain committed to the art of story telling and using beer as our medium and hope to keep delivering more amazing beers and stories for years to come.
NOTE: We have enabled comments on this post so the subject may be discussed openly. However, comments that contain profanity or libel or personally threaten anyone — Lost Abbey employee or comment contributor — will be immediately deleted. Thanks.
Wait until the nippleless rapberry whores get out of bed and see the Framboise de Amorosa label ! Well we can always wish …
If you’ve seen the memorial artwork at Dachau by Nandor Glid, you’ll know that horrible depictions can be a reminder of evil, not a promotion of it. Fight the good fight, keep the label.
Please leave it as is. Please. This is absurd and it will blow over, and they will lose interest. They’re certainly not going to run out and start buying your beers just because you bowed to their will. The fact that complaints have never been raised before stands as testament to how little they are involved in what the craft beer community is putting out — which is fine. Let them go picket some other atrocity. I’m going to go buy a Witch’s Wit, damn it. Keep making YOUR product, not theirs.
I read both articles and the Ends do not justify the means here.The label should be replaced out of sheer respect for the Pagan community.’Thought Provoking ‘ labels do not require a hateful image.You can make excuses all day long but ppl are already obviously offended.I am both Pagan and a Craft Beer lover.It is more absurd to keep the damn thing because you are sorely mistaken to think that this is an issue that will just ‘ blow over. ‘
Well, Tomme, I was pretty ho-hum about the controversy until I read your blog post. The “back story” on your label is not just offensive–I’d say it was nauseating. Yum, I love the way you have married the flavor of your ale with the smell of burning hair and flesh. Barfing before you drink the ale! What a novel idea!
I am sure have had a number of comments on the less than savory side, unfortunately such things bring out the worst as well as the best in folks.
However, you just stated you would never depict a holocaust victim or a black person being lynched, yet you still think it is ok, and even good, depict a young female being tortured and killed. Why? What makes that atrocity ok, but not the others? Because it is female? Because it represents a minority religious group whom you think aren’t economically important enough to matter?
We are a larger group than you think.
I did not find out about this from either some well known psychic or the new york times, I found out about this weeks ago from a Pagan who lives near you in their blog. Word is has been spreading for a while now, and will continue to spread. There are large Pagan communities near you, and yes, they buy beer. I bet they wont buy any of your beers again as long as you continue with this label. Nor will their friends or families.
Once again, please explain how you agree it would be wrong and improper to have a label depicting a holocaust victim or the lynching of a black individual, but it is fine to show the torture and murder of a young woman?
Being one of “those” witches who is offended, I read the NY Times statement and I read the Label on the website and I’m sorry, but it’s still offensive to me. No, I didn’t notice the label before in 2008 or 2009, because up until recently I haven’t been interested in craft beers- it’s a new enjoyment of mine and it was a complete accident that I stumbled across your beer in the first place. Like most people, I was standing in the grocery store, looking at the labels and deciding on something to bring home. I don’t sit there and read the back of every beer bottle that I haven’t YET purchased, nor do I go home and google each and every one. People make decisions, for the most part, based on the graphics they see- that’s the whole POINT of the graphic. It’s marketing. And THAT is what I find offensive. I haven’t blamed the problems of Darfur on you, and I know that many in the Pagan Community have not- I’ve read many of the emails that were sent to you and they were all respectful, some strongly stated, like mine; yet, respectful nonetheless. If you’re going to produce an inflammatory (pun intended) graphic, you’re going to get feedback. Plain and simple. What is on your blog and on your site to sell the Tshirt may be dripping with sarcasm, but it’s a sarcasm that is unnecessary and easily misinterpreted. It’s my opinion, yes, and it’s shared by many… including those outside of the “pagan” community. I was with two other women at the grocer’s, neither of whom are Pagan, BOTH of whom were offended by the label. It’s not about the beer, the beer is probably fabulous. It’s about the message that is VISUALLY being sent. A picture is worth a thousand words, and no fine print on the back of a bottle is going to shift that initial impression. We get a bad enough rap… many of us are sane, stable, intelligent women and men who are the furthest thing from the stereotypical “witch” and most importantly we are REAL human beings. At this point it feels like a mockery is being made. There are other ways to get your satirical point across without insulting the Pagan Community. Hell, a green faced hag with warts would be preferable… why? Because that’s OBVIOUSLY far from the truth… but a young, “normal” looking woman being burned hits a little too close to home. It’s your label, it’s your company, it’s your conscience. I won’t patronize your company though, not under those circumstances.
Seriously, do not in any way give into the demands of the overly PC crowd. All of your labels are awesome and tell stories. I wish people could just stop being so sensitive about any and every issue.
I’m still not having a problem with this. I am a witch, I understand satire, don’t drink beer, and think this has been blown out of proportion. I did state in a fb comment that pagans have a sore spot with the “burning times” and maybe Lost Abbey could consider changing the artwork because of that. But changing the label is going to make this one a hot collector’s item. (I would pick one up, because I do collect bottles and interesting advertising, etc.) And as far as Lost Abbey not being willing to depict a black person being lynched, there’s nothing Catholic about that, so it makes sense. I don’t imagine Elysian Brewery that puts out Perseus Porter would either, it’s outside their themes. Oh well, I’m not very politically correct, and apparently not very paganly correct either.
By the way, thanks for clearing up the “wit” part of Witch’s Wit, I’m obviously not the only one who didn’t know it means white in Dutch. And we pagan’s think we’re so smart!
I’m a Witch, and a fan of Lost Abbey. Sorry to hear some people went off half-cocked. It’s unfortunate that the Pagan community is no more immune to kneejerk reactions than any other. If only those so willing to make a “brewhaha” about a beer label would expend equal energy on environment and human rights issues. Anyway, just know that not all Witches agree with the scene that has been made over this.
Could you please send some Witch’s Wit my way before you change the label? 😉 Or at least to a distributor in DC. Thanks!
I already stated my opinion in a polite email. My opinion has not changed. If you do not think it appropriate to have art work that depicts a black person being hanged, and so on, then I do not see why it is ok to depict a woman being murdered in any fashion, witch or no. I do not care what the back story is.
Bottom line – If you don’t like the label, then don’t buy the beer!
Many of these folks bluster about the impact their community will have if they don’t get their way. Chances are, the vast majority of them will never buy a Lost Abbey beer regardless. Well I can ensure that the legion of craft beer lovers is far greater. Please don’t change the label.
Are you interested in making and selling beer or making political statements? The two are not always compatible. You may make good beer, you may not. At this point I don’t know. However, you are certainly not the only brewer selling beer in my local market. There are at least a 100 choices for me. This could have been an opportunity to respond to criticism in a positive way and perhaps gain new customers. Perhaps instead you will just say screw you and your current customers will chuckle and nudge eachother and call us names for being bitches, or nags, or whatever. I certainly do not NEED to try your beer. To be honest I’m curious, but it isn’t a big loss. I can buy any one of those other excellent beers at my local Oliver’s Market. Perhaps folks have not tried your beer yet because they just hadn’t gotten around to trying it. Or perhaps they were annoyed by the picture and passed it up and just never bothered to call and complain. So if you just think we are being unreasonable go ahead and ignore us, and say you don’t care about building your customer base. I mean that might make your current customers happy. Hey you stood up to those uppity you-know-whats. You don’t want uppity you-know-what customers and their uppity you-now-what money. I certainly would never buy a beer with a woman being murdered on the label, especially when it is sitting right next to my favorite cream stout. So good luck to you, and your values and your standards.
I just wanted to add that I have read your ‘back story’ and it is full of inaccuracies. The most important being that of the devil. Witches do not believe in the devil, they do not worship the devil. It is however very convenient for the church to murder women who have no family, “for being witches”, so that the church could then sieze her property. If you want the ‘back story’ to be relivant it should at least be accurate. Don’t you agree?
Hey, now that I think about it I take OFFENSE with the INFERNO ALE label and the depiction of the BURNING MEN that under closer inspection APPEAR TO LOOK LIKE ME ! How dare you . I can almost smell the BURNING FLESH in the first whaff of a freshly poured glass. And hear the SEARING OF FLESH as the tiny bubbles effervesce . I see you as the DEVIL HIMSELF pulling on that ghastly lever like it was one of your infernal TAP HANDLES ! But then if that is you as the Devil doesn’t that make you the PAGAN PRINCE OF DARKNESS ?!?! I demand you stop confusing the issue with those interpretably rich illustrations and LEAVE OUR IMAGINATIONS ALONE !!!
I’ve read through the article in the New York Times and the responses of both communities advocating for the removal of the label and keeping the label. I think people need to take a step back and really look at this issue. Would everyone be pitching such a fit if some famous member of the Pagan or Wiccan community had not made this an issue? No – things would have just continued on as they had since the label was released in 2008. All it takes is for one prominent member to stir the pot and chaos erupts. Can we imagine what would happen if one of the heads of state or the Mormon Faith were to raise a hue and cry regarding Polygamy Porter’s graphic label and took their fight to the New York Times?
People need to really examine the issue and the label for themselves (does it anywhere say look at this women, she is a WITCH!?! – no it is simply capturing an image, unfortunately one that was disgraceful and regrettable in human and Christian history where innocent MEN AND WOMEN were persecuted.). Read the back story. Make educated decisions. Don’t just assume and we all come out of these situations better.
Morale of this story is don’t just follow the leader. Just because everyone else like you feels a certain way doesn’t mean you aren’t free to make your own thoughts.
Enjoy the beer – Forget the politics.
If you believe the innocent burning label is acceptable. I would like you to create an amber, something with a slight coppery after tang. The label can hold a bloody and defeated image of Jesus, still on the cross, with several offically dressed cardinals and priests standing around him collecting his blood in golden cups. Their faces would be twisted to show their greed, Not reverence.
Then I would agree that you are fair and equal with your satirical labeling…
There are hundreds of thousands of Witches in the United States who prefer to support smaller companies and are very loyal, so you absolutely could grow market-share and strengthen your brand by handling this in a positive, professional way. Perhaps you don’t already know that many witches consume beer as part of a “cakes and ale” ceremony during rituals? My local markets all carry your beers and I look forward to stocking up on several cases of a new and improved Witch’s Wit beer next year. On behalf of the “sinners,” I say: walk your talk and don’t let us down!
I would also like to share my support for you guys to keep your art the way it is. This kneejerk reaction is a result of false history(some pagans think their fellow pagans were burned at the stake for some reason), victim mentality, and ignorance.
Don’t let the bullies win!
I am actually a pagan and a woman, and I do not at all feel offended by the label. It is because of this pervasive flaky newage reputation that pagans have that I prefer being called heathen rather than pagan. This latest faux outrage from the pagan community reinforces it.
The same imagery is used within the pagan community as a protest against the “burning times”, which is an exaggerated and inaccurate view of the medieval and spanish inquisitions(they also lump in the salem witch trials even though no one was burned). If they feel ok using this “hate image” then they really shouldn’t be telling anyone else they can’t use it.
What a snarky blog entry.
The reason you have a label is to draw people to buy your product. I couldn’t care less about your artistic pretentions or that you’re a recovering Catholic or your long-winded story at the back of the bottle. This is a picture of someone being burned to death. You are using torture to sell beer.
Jews were burned by Catholics, Zoroastrians too. I dare you to use that in your imagery.
okay, and, P.S., you realize this question will likely stir up a wiccan community with a figurehead to comment here right? Not sure you can trust the comment count at the end of the week
I really wanted to see your side of this, i am not usually one who jumps on the bandwagon with these things, i was almost believeing the whole we want to tell a story angle, until i saw your description and backstory! Then i stepped on the bandwagon, because you and the others commenting here clearly think there is nothing wrong with statements like “such is the life of a witch” and “In honor of your fleeting existence, we brewed Witch’s Wit. A light and refreshing wheat beer, it’s exactly the sort of thing you might expect to find being passed around the center of town on witch burning day. Say hello to the Prince of Darkness for us.” The prince of darkness…..seriously! Would you make a beer for stoning a child to death day so it may be passed around the revellers! Well?
I understand that things get blown out of proportion but you keep adding flames to the fire! For publicity i imagine but at the expense of a picture depicting the worst kind of death and making a joke from it and then telling eveyone is a “serious” story. Just tell it for what it truly is and was, a way to sell beer and make a joke, admit it never even crossed your mind that it would offend and upset others because it did neither to you! Dont stay on the high road with this, is a long way down.
I am really quite pissed about the Ten Commandments beer!
The idiots equating the medieval burning of witches to modern day atrocities don’t know what they’re talking about. There are people still alive who actually suffered racial oppression and survived the Holocaust. My grandfather is one of them. Those wounds are fresh and the world continues to be shaped by them. No witch has been burned in almost half a millennium. And pagans, wiccans, whatever, enjoy the same right of worship that any other religion now does.
Every Halloween you see this fake outrage by a bunch whose only identification with the people who actually died at the stake is that they like to call themselves witches. It makes as much sense as everybody named Jesus being angry at we Jews and the Italians for crucifying their namesake.
Get over it, witches and stop censoring people. If you don’t like the label, vote with your wallet and don’t buy the beer.
Lost Abbey — don’t change the label.
The original label had Harry Potter engulfed in flames but the ABC thought it was directed at minors.
I’m looking forward to your Hanoi Hilton beer with a US soldier being executed on it.
Oh and I’m sure that the Abu Ghraib Cell beer is going to be delish. Can’t wait for the Naughty Priest label. How about a mass grave beer? That one will be great. I’m so sorry I missed the folks burning in hell beer. Why stop with only one depiction of what is worst about humanity? Yes you should notice the sarcasm oozing off your computer screen about now.
Now for something completely different.:
Perhaps the controversy has arisen now because you were finally reaching a larger market. Or perhaps the Pagan Community has just grown. To be honest I’ve never heard of this ‘famous religious person’ you are referring to. A friend asked me a question about your lable and I responded with what I thought. There are really few ‘famous religious leaders’ in the Pagan community few reasons. The first being that Pagans are incredibly diverse. The second being that there is no center of power in the community. We don’t have a “pope” or anything like it, We don’t gather in large enough numbers to have a “Jerry Falwell”. Everyone in my religious group pretty much holds the same rank. There are a few who have been prolific writers or have been very active in creating ritual and music who are better known. However, as far as I know they have not made comment on this subject. Nor would their comment direct me in how to think about it. Wiccans do not hold power over one another. I just thought I should explain since you clearly have no experience with Pagans.
It is clear to me that you have no interest in handling this in a way that is respectful to those who expressed a concern over the label. As I said before I have many other choices for great beer purchases, so I will not miss yours. You will be happy to hear that I’m done paying attention to you now.
I reckon that the publicity produced by this flap, especially the NY Times ariticle will boost Lost Abbey sales more than any advertising you could afford. If you decide to change the label via some kind of contest, as Vince suggested, I reckon you would gain a substantial number of loyal customers from the pagan community. I hereby repeat my offer to help with the cost of new labels.
I just bought a bottle. The First Amendment protects artwork such as this. My website has a picture of the bottle sitting on my patio table.
” You killed her ! ”
” I didn’t mean to kill her . The scare crow was on fire and I just put him out with that bucket of water! ”
” All hale Dorothy !! “
Thought provoking labelling is all well and good. And the kerfuffle is certainly getting you a lot of press attention – what’s the saying – ‘all publicity is GOOD publicity’?
The image is beautiful. If you happen to be okay with scenes of torture and murder. And the story on the back? Well thought out – if you happen to be on the side of the murderers.
You see, the main reason so many Pagans – like myself – are upset with the imagery and words is that we are trying to promote tolerance. Not just for Paganism, but ALL Religions. You say you wouldn’t show images of Jews being gassed, or African Americans lynched. Why? Because you’d be in for such an outcry from those peoples! But it’s okay to show the burning of an innocent woman on the label of a beer.
If you’re trying to show the ‘sins of the Church’, why not make that fact clearer? Maybe instead of a woman being burned at the stake you could have a label that depicts a Priest turning his back on someone in need while the local Wise Woman helps to heal them?
Would it be so difficult to show Witches, either presumed or actual, in a more positive light?
I think perhaps if a more suitable image that does not depict the hardships of our wiccan history, or the fact it depicts hatred and violence to witches and non witches, this would not have been so severe. Is there artworks that perhaps are more friendly and accepting that would go nicely with your brand? All jokes aside, we are human beings too, and do not deserve to be persecuted all over again, just for monetary gain. There is way too much disrespect to many cultures and faiths, and paganism, wicca, witchcraft are not exempt of it. Its just a pity that more people don’t have a little bit more compassion, and thought with their hearts and heads instead of their wallets.
I wish you well in your business and do hope you can understand where we are coming from, not all witches are angry hexing warty types, we are nice people, lawyers, doctors, nurses even politicians and scientists. Mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers the list goes on.
I’m not a Pagan, but I’m very offended by the image of a woman being burned to death and the hateful words on the back. Women ARE burned to death and stoned to death in many parts of the world. I don’t know why anyone finds it acceptable, or why more isn’t done to stop it. I especially don’t understand why anyone considers it entertainment. This has nothing to do with political correctness. It’s about being human. To defend it as “art” makes you complicit with everyone who makes excuses to indulge in violence against women. The fact that alcohol/beer is often a factor in incidences of a man brutalizing a woman is also significant here. It’s bad enough that someone sober can justify intentional abuse, but the rate of violence goes way up where alcohol is involved. Your label turns beer into quite the ticking time bomb, doesn’t it? Please change the label.
The reason I write is very simple, inciting anyone to commit murder and mayhem on any religion, political party, sexual persuasion, or country one lives in is offensive and irresponsible. There are women, children, and men being persecuted and killed for being “witches”. Maybe it hasn’t happen here or in parts of Europe for many years, but the fact remains it is still happening. As a “world citizen” I am offended for them and and embarrassed for your lack of common decency and integrity. It’s bad enough that there is still much misunderstood about “witches” in this country and others, but to portray taking a life on any level gives the impression that you condone such behavior. You have stated that there are some lines you would not cross, I ask you again, why would you cross this one and expect not to get criticism from the Pagan Community as a whole. Oh yes, you have some backers within our community and they are entitled to their opinion, as you are yours, however, they are not marketing a product, and you are. That should mean that you hold yourself to a higher standard than the day to day citizen. I seldom drink, which is why I didn’t hear about this sooner, but I can tell you this, I will never recommend a product that promotes violence on any level to anyone I know. I would hope that you would take responsibility and look at this from a much larger viewpoint and see how this could be misconstrued as promoting violence and not a deterrence thereof. Personally, I fail to see the humor on any level.
I was also going to let this go as mere stupidity on your part, until I read the “backstory” and the label copy. Your “explanation” is what we would call in New Orleans “bullsh*t.” Be upfront, you want tortured chicks on your beer label and you don’t give a damn what anybody says.
I urge you to stick with your label the way it is. Please continue to do what you do. There are more than a few independent breweries I can take my business to, and I will. And you know, I don’t have to talk about the label. I can just tell my friends that your beer tastes like crap. That works just as well.
As an European versed in brewing history, I’m bemused by one thing in the NYT article. Quote :
—
“I like beer,” Ms. Noble said, and as a practitioner of religious traditions that revere the earth and women’s special powers, she also feels a special connection to brewing. “It was the women who brewed beer from ancient times right up to the Reformation,” she says. She thinks some were burned as witches to destroy “the ancient traditions of shamanistic medicine, which in every indigenous culture includes the brewing of medicinal fermented beverages.”
—
Am I right in understanding this as implying women were ejected from the brewing world as a more or less direct result of the Reformation ?
The reason is a lot less glamorous than a protestant (and catholic, during the counter-reformation) conspiration against women. It’s just about greed and making money.
During the 17th Century (that is well after the beginning of the Reformation), beer, which had been a basic foodstuff, and therefore traditionally women’s work, like bread, became a business. It gradually became possible to make money nd a carreer in brewing. Hence it could become a man’s thing.
One interesting example to be mentioned is Katharina von Bora, a defrocked nun who married Martin Luther. When the couple settled on an estate they had been granted, Katharina took care of the day-to-day running of it. Which included baking the bread and brewing beer, to feed the people working on it.
Some catholics may indeed have called Mrs. Luther a witch at the time, but that would not have been in the current meaning…
On the issue of the label ? Well, seen from continental Europe, it just looks like yet another case of US PC gone mad, with a lot of IMHO rather irrelevant comparisons being flung about.
It’ll wind down eventually, but brings a lot of free publicity to the brewery anyway.
Following my comment from before, I have since gotten your beer off the shelves of my local stores. Seems the managers of the grocery centers agree with me about the imagery and are concidering taking all your labels down and not just this offensive one.
Apparently they at least think about the consumers.
I’m a woman and having no knowledge of Pagan beliefs until now, I’m finding this exchange very interesting. Apparently modern “witches” are re-writing history to suit their own interpretations and attempting to lecture you into changing yours to match theirs.
First off, any 1st year student of European history knows that the Roman Catholic church’s campaign against “witchcraft” was directed at Catholics, Lutherans, Huguenots, Anglicans and other members of Christian sects who dared stray from the directives of the Holy Father. “Witchcraft”, “Heresy”, and “Consorting with Satan” were merely charges brought against them — it didn’t make those people “Witches” any more than being accused of being an alien makes you Martian. So pagans, Witch burnings weren’t about you, it was a Catholic thing. Your only connection to them is that you call yourselves “witches”. Butt out.
Second, I read all this stuff about Paganism / Wiccan / Goddess worship being about tolerance and peace, but I don’t see a lot of tolerance or peacefulness in what’s being written by your people. What I read is intolerance of something you don’t like and a concerted effort to censor it. You people are no better than the religious whack jobs on the Christian right. Why don’t you join forces with them? You could all protest outside an abortion clinic or have a nice book burning together and censor all the expression that you don’t like.
Third, it’s obvious these so-called “pagans” don’t get the Lost Abbey at all. The Witch’s Wit art, like all the other Lost Abbey art, is an oil painting, not a beer label. A picture of that painting appears on the bottle label. Pagans are simply trying to censor art they don’t like. I’m sure these are the same people who have no problem with “artistic expression” like a cross in a jar of urine. But, god(dess) forbid that it be a woman.
And speaking of objecting to the Witch’s Wit art, why don’t pagans object to the Lost Abbey Inferno or Deliverance paintings? Surely 40 men on meat hooks being torched in flames or a man being torn by angels and demons is more violent than a single woman with flames lapping at her feet? Oh wait, those are MEN in those paintings, so that must be okay. So the pagans are sexist bigots too. Nice. Very tolerant of you, Witches.
Finally, to The Lost Abbey people. I’m a woman and I get it. It’s art and I’m not offended in the least. What’s more, my husband and I are beer drinkers and will gladly buy your product when we see it. Don’t give into these intolerant, sexist, haters. You have a right to express yourself in any way you see fit and they don’t have a right to not be offended.
Yeah, go ahead and delete my comment….it STILL isn’t gonna just “blow over”. Sad part is, all the “snarky” comments and defensiveness is just gonna make it worse.
As a Christian woman I am offended by another religion attempting to censor your religious beliefs and desire to express them. Here in the U.S. they have a right to worship as they choose, but they do not have a right to dictate to you. If whatever government agency that approves that label says that it’s okay, then it’s okay. If the “witches” don’t like the beer, they don’t have to buy it. As for me, I will buy extra.
It is unfortunate, that some of the people that you hurt with your rhetoric responded with such angry insults. I am also offended with the images and story of your Witch’s Wit. To me, your back label is unclear. The message I got was that you were glorifying the crowd that was passing around your ale at the witch burning. I will not buy your product, but I am sure many will be entertained and buy the beer while making obnoxious jokes about women and witches. I prefer not to encourage that. I wish that people with power and influence would not encourage others to be thoughtless and to promote hateful speech.
My first introduction to this issue was the NY Times article, posted on Facebook. I have now read the aback label and your blog post too. Should a potential customer have to go to your web site to understand what you are trying to communicate on the label? The latest blog post continues the insensitive rhetoric. Social media is very powerful way to share information and so far, you are not looking too good from my point of view. When your board discusses this in November, I am sure you will take this into consideration.
However more importantly, I hope you will also do the right thing and change the hateful messages that you are sending with your images and words.
@Elizabeth See, the government doesn’t APPROVE labels- that would infringe on the First Amendment. Get it? That’s what FREE SPEECH is about- the Government shall not stifle free expression.
When a company makes an article, the public can CHOOSE whether or not to buy it. That is called the FREE MARKET.
Now here, I can see the part about how murdering women because they weren’t catholic enough might just not be perceived as funny. Sort of like murdering Sephardi Jews for not having converted “enough.” At the same time, the murders of alleged witches don’t have the same urgency of recollection as the murders of the Jews or the Blacks in the 20th century. That’s why I can see the sense of the marketing label. At the same time, while few of us can name a relative or friend who was burned (or tortured, or drowned) the general recklessness of the church during those times should probably not be celebrated.
This label passed unnoticed for 2 years without hacking off a Pagan enough to make a stink. Now the stink has been made. Despite some pretty nasty emails, the company are good enough sports to discuss the label for next summer. That seems reasonable. And they may choose NOT to change it. And if you don’t like ti- how about don’t buy any? And if you think it is no big deal, well, how about if you BUY the product in question?
Note to complainers- you really sort of undercut your cred when the first things out of your mouth are hateful epithets. You should have learned that in Kindergarten.
You know what? I’m sorry that the company and its employees are having to deal with this. I read your backstory on the brew (btw – it sounds like a delicious beer) and I honestly think you didn’t mean any harm when you created the label and the back story. I mean no disrespect to any person who is a believer of the Wiccan culture when I say this but I think this has been blown out of proportion. I’m not Wiccan but the few people I have come across in my life who are Wiccan are about harmony and nature. I find it interesting that people are getting so upset about a beer bottle label. What’s next? Targeting all of the Halloween costume stores to make them removed the 20 different types of “witch costumes” from their shelves? Keep your head high Lost Abbey owners and employees. Happy Halloween. 🙂
@jane — not to pick nits as I agree with what you have to say about free markets. But all beer labels DO have to have government approval. Here in California it’s done by the Tax & Trade Board. And there are some things you cannot show on a label. Port Brewing knows that because their Santa’s Little Helper used to have Santa on it, but now it doesn’t because you can’t have Santa on an alcoholic beverage label in this state.
I’m Boycotting your products & Port Brewing for the Label on Witch’s Wit, it is offensive. It really does not matter what is said, or how good the beer my be “A Photo is worth a 1000 words”. The photo is very offensive to me & my beliefs. I am proud of my ancestry, heritage, practices & belief that have been passed down to me through the centuries & generations. In my ancestry a couple of the women were burned at the stake; It’s a horrible way to die.
Let’s mediate the situation right now. Rename the beer “she turned me into a newt.” Follow that quickly with your next beer called “I got better.” Problem solved and I get a new beer from you guys. Keep up the good work.
Were park rangers pissed when brewdog put beer in a dead squirrel?
Thank you for your thoughtful response.
I am a drinker of microw-brewed beer and look forward to the day I can try yours.
I am one of those witches who has been offended and confounded, NOT by your beer label, but by all the silly protesting of your beer’s provocative label. (I wrote about it on my blog if you wish to have a look: http://themediawitches.blogspot.com/2010/10/brew-ha-ha-update.html )
I do appreciate your taking the hurt feelings of some people to heart; but please rest assured, not all modern witches take instantaneous offense at archetypal images of historical fact. I trust you’ll make a decision on this matter that is in keeping with your thought-provoking advertising concepts. I drank a local brew called “NOSFERATU” (Great Lakes brewing) this weekend on my birthday (the 23rd), and I thought of you, not knowing, as I was blissfully away from the internet, that this controversy was heating up even more. I shall drink to you again the next chance I get; perhaps tonight over dinner, with a botle of Magic Hat’s lovely “Hex.”
My best wishes to you all.
Peg Aloi
Media scholar, film critic, witch
Huh, the link in my above post is not working for some reason. Ah well, the blog is called the Witching Hour. Here is some of what I wrote, minus some of the active links:
Over at the The Wild Hunt blog, there’s a discussion happening regarding a label on a bottle of beer. The company is called Lost Abbey, and the beer is called Witch’s Wit. The label depicts a witch burning at the stake, while hundreds of anonymous men look on. Jason Pitzl-Waters provides plenty of links to more information, and some of the remarks being made around the net. Rather oddly, given that the label has been in circulation for a couple of years now, a number of witches are up in arms, calling this artwork offensive. Some have even compared such imagery to depicting a black man being lynched, or a Holocaust victim being burned in the ovens at Dachau.
I am beyond offended…not by the image of the witch burning at the stake, but by the outrageous comparison to lynching or the Third Reich. The last time there were witch burnings in the western world was over 400 years ago. And those martyrs were Christians, not witches and sorcerers. The last time there was a lynching of a black person in the deep South was less than a half century ago. The last Jew burned in the German camps died in the 1940s. To invoke recent history as a parallel to ancient history is not only ignorant, it’s self-serving.
Every year, around this time, we see plenty of sensationalist, stereotyped portrayals of witches. There are those ugly old hag archetypes, straight out of Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages or The Wizard of Oz. Then there are the more modern, titillating depictions: the buxom, beautiful, sexy young witches in skimpy outfits, like Elvira, or the gals in The Craft. The witch, whether beautiful or ugly, young or old, enticing or frightening, is an archetypal image that will probably never go away. Those of us who call ourselves witches, who practice modern witchcraft, should be able to accept that this archetype is part of our history, our culture, and our heritage. Hell, some of us even wear those pointy hats and skimpy black outfits at Hallowe’en! How many of the female pagans protesting this label image have not done that at least once? You can’t have it both ways.
I’m not saying the label from Lost Abbey isn’t sexist, because it is, a bit. But I don’t think it’s thoughtless, nor do I think it’s anti-pagan. Their beers and labeling are thoughtfully conceived and executed with no small amount of humor or irony. Here, for example, is an excerpt from the description for their Inferno Ale: “Your roommate is an axe murderer. Eerily, he’s not threatening. How can he be? The Fallen Angel owns your body, mind and soul. As such, no one can take your life. It’s already been taken. Or was it given? Neither matters. Did you seriously think you were living a virtuous life? At least Satan serves beer in Hell. He brews it himself right there in that flame stoked cauldron.”
Clearly, these is some measure of humor intended here. I think maybe some of those witches choosing to be morally offended should lighten up a little bit. It’s also not really appropriate for modern pagan witches to align themselves with the martyred witches of the European witch craze or the North American witch trials. They were martyrs, victims, persecuted women and men, to be sure. But they weren’t witches! And if they did traffic in sorcery, I promise you, it was a far cry from the invented ceremonial rituals and nature worship that today’s witches practice. Today’s witches are mostly middle class white people, and we’re generally not in danger of being persecuted. We are, however, in danger of being misunderstood and ridiculed. And one way to bring ridicule upon oneself is to get morally indignant about imaginary persecution.
I think the reply from Lost Abbey, sent to one blogger protesting this issue, and posted on The Wild Hunt earlier as an update, is worth reposting here:
“I encourage you to look at all of Lost Abbey’s beers and consider them in context. Each of the Lost Abbey beers features a label which depicts a theme of Catholic excess – good and bad – on the front, and tells a moral story on the back. (Our founder is a recovering Catholic.) (and then I include the rest of your words).
I also find it deliciously ironic that, like the majority of modern pagan witches, the brewery’s founder is a recovering Catholic.
People, we simply have bigger fish to fry. You want to help a witch who’s been persecuted? Go send a donation to the legal funds of the West Memphis Three; three young men wrongfully imprisoned for murder, in part because one of them, Damien Echols, was a practicing Wiccan who wore black and listened to heavy metal music, and was believed to be the ring leader of a satanic ritualistic killing of three young boys, and whose trial was a travesty of ignorance, fear and prejudice. If you want to protest the persecution of witches, then for goddess’ sake, help someone who has actually been wrongfully persecuted in the name of witchcraft.
UPDATE:
I did a bit of research and found some interesting links. I am guessing most of the folks protesting the beer label are not terribly familiar with craft microbrews. They’re very good, and expensive, and therefore not generally of interest to “drunks” or casual beer drinkers. Further, these small independent companies have a long and colorful history of beer names and labels that push the envelope of what some might call decorum, what others might call good taste. They are the indie cinema of beer, if you will. And many of them use supernatural imagery in their names and artwork.
Check out Magic Hat, for example, or the Voodoo brewery in western PA. As for mainstream beers, Miller High Life has been using witch imagery in their advertising for a long time.”
And a later post from my blog The Witching Hour, a few days later:
“So, just when you thought it was safe to go purchase a six pack or two of your favorite naughtily-named microbrew, it turns out that the indignant complaining of some righteous witches might have had an impact on a small sector of the craft beer industry.
I’ve recently learned that the Lost Abbey Brewery, the source of some controversy earlier this week over their label for “Witch’s Wit” wheat beer (which features a young woman being burned at the stake), has decided to respond to the angry emails directed at them by offering to create a new label for the beer, and, what’s more, to host a contest for a new image! (No information on when, where or how this contest will be conducted; stay tuned!)
Considering a great deal of the pagan community’s response has been fairly evenly split on this, with roughly half of them expressing negative emotions ranging from mild annoyance to impassioned outrage, and the other half wondering what all the fuss is about (and wondering why so many witches want to make it look like our community has a persecution complex), this response from Lost Abbey was somewhat surprising to me. Then again, it may help generate some publicity for their products; maybe even more than the recent flurry of media attention over the Witch’s Wit label. Oddly, it’s been two years since the label was first introduced.
Well, congrats, angry witches. You’ve managed to make a small independently-owned company bow to your ludicrous campaign of whiny nonsense. So what’s next? Getting involved in some environmental activism, perhaps? Cleaning up your local park? Volunteering at your local hospital or nursing home or food pantry? What’s that, you say? More protesting of offensive witch imagery during the month of October? Maybe you should head on up to Salem, Massachusetts. I hear there’s a whole lot of tacky stuff with witches on it for sale there.”
Cheers, Lost Abbey. Thanks for your well-reasoned and eye-opening response.
For the record, a lot of us Wiccans think Vicky Noble and a lot of the Pagan and Wiccan correspondents with Lost Abbey overreacted seriously. I’m a lot more offended by Witches who represent our religion with poorly-spelled emails of outrage over, let’s face it, a beer label, than I am by the depiction of a victim of the medieval witchcraft persecutions.
I think the copy on the back of the beer is actually somewhat flattering to us; modern historians stand ready to rebut the idea that modern Wiccans have a connection (other than sympathy) with the victims of medieval persecutions, and that image of the Witch as healer is one that is very dear to our modern hearts.
And even if that were not true, there is such a thing as a sense of humor. I think it would be a good idea if we all grew one.
Whether or not that happens? Here’s one longtime-Pagan who is also a microbrewery fan, who will be happy to buy from Lost Abbey. If only by way of apology for the folly of my peers.
Congratulations on the free nationwide exposure.
While I would like to see this distasteful label gone, especially as I’m Wiccan, I can understand the spirit of the story/artwork also. I wish more members of the pagan/Wiccan community were like myself and could post tasteful, respectful complaints- name calling doesn’t get anything done, and makes the commenter look ignorant and rude.
TOMME DON’T CHANGE A DAMN THING.
this is political correctness run amuck SO STAND YOUR GROUND.
in addition +1 on Brian’s comment…GOOD JOB GIVING LOST ABBEY ALL THE FREE PUBLICITY THEY EVER WANTED YOU F@CKING CRYBABIES.
Pagans killed Christians early on in their existance. Make a label of lions eating Christians and let’s call it even.
Geoff said::
October 25, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Pagans killed Christians early on in their existence. Make a label of lions eating Christians and let’s call it eve
And Christians turned around and fed Pagans to the same darn lions — 2 wrongs don’t make a right — and keeping score isn’t really the issue anyway.
Dear Lost Abbey,
I am a Pastafarian and follower of the One True Creator, The Flying Spaghetti Monster. (May his noddly appendages reach out and touch us all.) I am deeply offended by your labels and the entire nature of this discussion.
Witches were created by Christians to scare children, sell Harry Potter books, and distract the massess from the fact that an invisible and undetectable Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe after going off his meds for a couple days (thus creating the flawed Earth we have today). Our Absolute Devine Beings, the Pirates, have been vilified, outcast and otherwise emotionally damaged by the Christian Church since the Middle Ages.
Witches are mythical. Pirates are real. We are the true victims here.
We demand that you stop creating made-up pictures of mythical creatures to build phony controversy in order to sell a heretical beer. As we all know, Heaven contains both a beer volcano and a stripper factory, and your use of fire with a clothed woman on a beer is a thinly veiled mockery of our core beliefs.
You have seven days to compy with our demands. After that we will unleash the Marinara upon you. You would be wise to cooperate.
May the FSM’s noodly appendages embrace you.
Ramen.
Sorry Lost Abbey –
I DID withhold judgment until I read, at your behest, both the NYT article and the back story of the label — but I’m sorry to say, I DO still find this label offensive.
Not just because of the historical specters it raises — those poor souls who were burned by their family, friends and communities for supposed ‘witchcraft’ — most of whom were innocent girls paying the price for living in a paranoid, vindictive, and superstitious world. I don’t believe it’s melodramatic to akin this to showing African American’s being hung for their race or Jews being burned by the Nazi’s for their religion and race.
It comes down to persecution of often innocent people, who fell victim to a type of mob mentality that still raises its ugly head today, and when it does, it reveals just how evil the human race truly can be.
And it’s perhaps because of that fact, more so than the first, that I decided to voice my offense. Because it is still happening today. Women still paying the price in a barbaric and horrific manner for perceived evils by their ignorant and superstitious community. Young girls burned when their family or husband they are sold to comes to believe they are not virgin. Women accused of witchcraft by a jealous rival or as a way for a superstitious community to explain why the crop failed.
As for your little back story — even while I understand it’s satire, perhaps I find it so offensive BECAUSE so many still believe we pagans and witches ARE evil. That we eat babies and worship the devil. But the devil is a construct of the Abrahamic cultures — not pagans. That if we practice magic or spell casting, it MUST be BLACK magic. And the irony is that most of these women who suffered the fate of the fire had never heard of the Goddess or paganism by ours or the ancient’s context. They were Christians, accused by fellow Christians, for either not being Christian enough, or for supposed defect of morals, or as a type of sacrifice, if you will, much like your Christ — to pay for the sins of the community as a whole.
That said, I DO believe it is possible to voice ones opinion with respect — without making threats, attacking with childish names, etc. — and shame on those who couldn’t do so.
I read about the beers, one of my favorite subjects. I read several of the labels, while I acknowledge and recognize what you are trying to achieve artistically with the labels, I must say your writing sucks.
This is a win-win. You got tons of free publicity. I’ve heard from numerous sources that people are walking into their local liquor stores and asking for Witches Wit. Now thank the people that got you that publicity by running a contest to come up with a new label. It will be fun! You’ll get a whole new clientele who is personally invested in your product. Sell the old labels as collectors items. Choose to be the good guy; it’s easy.
Any word on whether Moylans received any of these complaints? 😉
Ramen,
You are a genius. I bow to your wit.
The Saint
Keep the pimp strong!!!
I think the idea of doing a label depicting the Pagans feeding Christians to lions in an effort to show that you’re unbiased.
I come from the land of microbrews and take offense at the idea of a bunch of self righteous freedom hating (unless it’s their freedom) radical D-bags suppressing the joy of good beer.
I don’t know where to buy your products, but I damn sure plan to find out and make it a regular fixture in all of our fridges.
I “LIKE” the idea, not “THINK” the idea
I can understand both sides of this argument. I am pagan, so I am a firm believer in the free will of the human kind. I also believe that if we do not know the mistakes we made in the past, we are doomed to repeat them. I can also understand where alot of us “pagans and wiccans” would be upset at seeing such a depiction of the worst time in our history.
If this company wants to show a sad and real part of our history as humans on thier bottle, then so be it. The story behind it explains why they chose it.
This then gives us as pagans and wiccans a chance to use that imagery to explain what happened during those dark times. It gives us the opportunity to educate those that might otherwise not understand how sad that time was in “our” history. The fact that they have decided not to change the artwork, but explain the story behind why it was used shows that this company is trying to understand where we are coming from.
I would ask that the comapny does maybe explore other alternative labels for this beer. I know that this costs money, time and energy on your part, but the name of the beer is “Witch’s Wit” which means “white witch” if i remember the translation correctly. Perhaps a nice depiction of a white witch or something along those lines….
Thank you for your time in reading my post.
I had never really heard of Lost Abbey before this. Now I want to go try some beer (the pagan site I was on said it was tasty.) I like your sense of humor Lost Abbey!
Not all witches are evil. Not all magic is black. No beer should ever be fruity. If they burn my ass for believing in nature and a balance between good and evil please remember me with a hearty Scotch from the highlands with a lovely heather undertone. If it has to be beer, make it a good strong dark lager. Your artwork was not overly offensive to me, I actually own a print close to that same scene, until I read your commentary. I can’t say hello to the prince of darkness you moron, he does not exist. There is good and there is evil, there is male and female, yin and yen, are you getting it? I sympathize with you being a recovering catholic. I hear crucifiction of the pope is good for that. Maybe we should raze the Vatican?
I was amused by this whole art thing until you posted these comments:
From that lonely stake, you’ll be left to contemplate your life of spell casting, obscure texts and a world operated between the shadows of night and day.
Convicted of a dark art, the crowd will gather to watch as they raze your earthen existence. An intolerable pain is the cross you’ll bear that day as you are removed from this righteous world. No one will summon the courage to save you in fear of their life. It sucks. But such is the life of a witch. A light and refreshing wheat beer, it’s exactly the sort of thing you might expect to find being passed around the center of town on witch burning day. Say hello to the Prince of Darkness for us.
THIS IS OFFENSIVE.
I read both articles. It’s your First Amendment right to publish this label. However, I won’t be buying your beer as long as this is on the bottle. Glorifying hate crimes in an atmosphere where hate is being tolerated and encouraged by one side of the political debate is not a good idea. More people are going to see the label than are ever going to see your backstory and the image is all they will care about. Don’t glorify mass murder. Harm none.
I agree with Crystal Rose. While it is your right to be ignorant and print offensive material, I don’t have to buy it and will encourage others not to as well. That being said, the controversy gained from the offense of the community probably generated more sales and attention than if we had just stayed quiet. All in all a minority community got offended , slammed and ridiculed then the group doing so profited from it. Same as it ever was.
I fail to see how this could possibly be “satirical”, “humorous”, or even slightly funny. Sorry, I don’t usually get in a tither over stuff like this, but it is OFFENSIVE on so many levels. It uses violence against women as a marketing ploy, and makes fun of a very dark time in history that wasn’t funny at all. It is a sad commentary when a company will defend their stupidity by trying to say something is a joke, when it isn’t.
I thought the Witches’ Wit label was one to be proud of. It was clever commentary, and good art. I like it, and if I get a chance to order a case of the original label, I will. Carry on, overeducated humorists. Carry on.
Why not have a label named Pope’s Pride where the pope is in his popemobile and is shot! Do you think that is funny? Or how about Priestly Pedophilia? Where priests are shown naked around a bunch of children? Do you think that is funny or that you have right to print that? Or is it just because it’s a witch/pagan (a recognized religion BTW) that you feel the need to insult and defame?
Why don’t you take a trip to Salem, Massachusetts and learn about the mostly women and young girls that were murdered because religious christian fanatics thought them to be possessed? When christians were fed to the lions (trying to impose their beliefs on others, sound familiar?), everyone was appalled but hundreds of years later, they turn around and do the same thing but it’s okay-they’re pagans!
For those of you who are going to rush out and buy this beer, it is so typical of your ilk to do this. And of course the typical radical left accusations. This has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with being civilized and thoughtful. But I guess that is too much to ask for from a company that uses torture and murder as its label and thinks it’s funny. How pathetic can you be.
i am wiccan myself but i dont see the reason for the mess.i have been to your website before and seen your artwork on the labels,i find it pretty good.im sorry if you have been attacked.Ive heard some of the responses on our end,and Ive read some of the responses on yours from people,and it kind of saddens me that people are so mean on either side.
It is a problem that both sides should be working on,but it seems easier for most to protest this and that and argue this religion or that then it does to work together.I hope you have many more years of success in what you do and i offer my regrets on behalf of those of us with common sense and no issues.If you wish to respond to me you can but i will understand if you dont,the gulf between the two religions is a deep one and unfortunately getting deeper.i wish it were not so,our goal is the acceptance and uniting of both,believe it or not. thanks for letting me bend your ear.
Satire: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
I am pagan but I will not comment about the religous aspect that seems to have surfaced from this. I have never heard of this lable or company before. I happened to see someone protesting you on a social networking site. I’ve read the articles about this and comments made by others.
I see your satire as being no different than the bottles or cans being thrown at marchers during a “Take Back the Night” rally. Or some of those same spectators who think it is also funny to yell to the marchers that they can rape or assault them if they feel like it. This all being done or said because the spectator thinks it’s funny to submit violence towards women. I’ve seen it happen, I’ve had violence happen to me and I have known one woman who was a gun shot away from being killed because of domestic violence.
I understand this is supposed to be artwork with a history behind it. But that artwork and written history is all about violence against women. There should never be a satire made regarding violence against anyone female or male. Thank you for your time.
Don’t you guys dare change your label! This liberal BS has got to stop, and someone needs to start taking a stand. Since when do we need to be worried about offending witches and satan in this country? I for one would hate to see you be pushed around by these people. Don’t worry about being PC!
Pagan blogger and community organizer here in Austin Tx.. and I think this “controversy” is dumb. A depiction depends on one’s interpretation and that can be chosen as positive or negative. The claim that the artwork somehow condones or encourages burning people is leotarded (as Dan Savage would say). At this time of year as we approach Samhain we remember the “Burning Times”.. and those who died in the past of persecution for being different and having different beliefs. What an awesomely artistic label to remember with and drink a toast for those who have gone before and who will come after. We have many freedoms in this country and all was won with the sacrifices of those who dared to be different and take a different path. And in this time of manufactured fear and the “war on terror”, I can’t think of a better image to dramatize the innocent who suffer due to ignorance and injustice, which we struggle to make better and do right so their deaths were not in vain. It is beautiful, absolutely awesome. I hope I can find me some locally.
I am a Wiccan, and I did read the NY Times piece, and everything else. And regardless what your intentions were with this label, the outcome is that a whole lot of people are offended. The artwork depicts a time that we are trying to move away from, and trying to stamp out in other countries – this STILL HAPPENS in 2010. And it’s not just women they are killing in the name of ‘evil witchcraft’ – its also innocent children. Replace that woman in your label with a child, call it ‘satire’ and see what happens.
I am sorry that some of the emails you received were filled with foul language, but that ought to show you how much emotion and anger this has stirred up in the Wiccan/pagan community. Just because we are not a minority, does not mean people can glorify the massacre of people who believe as we do, or who don’t but are accused of it, behind claims that our ways are evil. It’s not satire, it’s not funny, and it’s not storytelling. It’s just more of the stereotypical BS that we as a religious group have to deal with on a daily basis (especially this time of year) from people who are ignorant of what we actually believe, and too stubborn to actually learn.
Having a meeting to discuss ‘maybe’ changing the label does not show us that you hear where we are coming from. Actually changing it, and issuing an apology would be. If the label was something like others said – a black person hanging from a tree in front of a mob, there would be no discussion. Why should we be treated any differently than any other minority? You don’t want your race or religion being mocked, and neither do we.
This was a ruling from the Supreme Court in 1985 about Witchcraft/Wicca
Witchcraft is recognized in the United States as a legitimate religion. In 1985, Dettmer v Landon (617 F Supp 592) the District Court of Virginia pursuant to rule 52 (a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ruled that Witchcraft is a legitimate religion and falls within a recognizable religious category In 1986 in the Federal Appeals court fourth circuit. Butzner, J. affirmed the decision (799 F 2d 929) Since in most cases Federal law, even case law supersedes state law in this type of matter, the affirmation by judge Butzner clearly sets Witchcraft as a religion under the protection of constitutional rights. The Church of Wicca (or Witchcraft) is clearly a religion for First Amendment purposes.
Now I see nothing funny about the label on Witches Wit or the ‘Little story Line” on the back of the label….. I won;t be buying you beer or ale’s any more
I am a pagan,and really can’t see what the uproar is all about.It’s a fact in history that witches were burned.It’s pictured in art all thru our culture so why fuss about it.Now the say hello to the prince part at the end of the story was maybe a tad much but all in all.I have to say I thought the artwork was ok.the life of a witch has never been a bed of roses..If you don’t like the artwork ,don’t buy the beer its that easy.As for me I have to side with Lost Abbey,its just a work of art not an attack on my beliefs
Anyone who doesn’t see the harm in what you’re doing doesn’t live in the Bible Belt. We work hard here to be understood for the non-violent Earth based religion that we are. People here still insist upon equating witchcraft with Satanism rather than understanding that it is a religion based on belief in the power or intention. (Wayne Dyer gets it but is afraid to call what he preaches by it’s true name because of the mindset that still pervades our society). If you replaced the picture of the witch being burned alive with a leering priest in the background with a black man hanging from a tree with a leering red neck holding a beer and a shotgun in the background it would be pretty much the same thing. Replace the horrific rhetoric on the back with a bunch of red neck rhetoric and it would be the same thing. Intelligent people might get your stab at humor. Most people in this country are more reactionary than intelligent.
Man up, sir, and admit that your label is insensitive and inflammatory. Most of us are smart enough to see through your after the fact excuses. You crossed the line and you know it.
Wanting to be fair (and not even having read the NYT article) I read your website’s backstory on the Witch’s Wit. You could’ve said something like you were spellbound by a Witch’s bravery or…ANYTHING… other than what you actually wrote. Say hi to the Prince of Darkness?! What is that?! I’m glad I’ve never heard of your company before and I hope it stays a very small microbrewery and may that depiction on those bottles curse your entire company.
I am a witch/pagan, and I say dont change it!
This hypersensitivity is ridiculous. Additionally, who are we to be offended? Those poor souls who were murdered have NOTHING to do with what we are, sadly, they generally were not pagans or witches.
I personally see the art as a testimonial to the wrongness of the whole thing.
We pagans believe inrespecting the ideas and beliefs of others so I say “and it harm none-do as you will” make your statement and don’t cave in!
I don’t think that ‘threats’ were the appropriate reaction to your label, certainly not the first ones sent. I was not impressed with your label, but it is that final paragraph on your website, ending with “Say hello to the Prince of Darkness” that truly offended me.
If that wasn’t enough, the last line of your blog said that ‘profanity’ would not be tolerated… can you imagine my disgust, when this is the first comment I read:
“anchor says:
October 25, 2010 at 5:04 pm
TOMME DON’T CHANGE A DAMN THING.
this is political correctness run amuck SO STAND YOUR GROUND.
in addition +1 on Brian’s comment…GOOD JOB GIVING LOST ABBEY ALL THE FREE PUBLICITY THEY EVER WANTED YOU F@CKING CRYBABIES.”
Perhaps it was because this person ‘supported’ your side that you think that allowing this profanity is okay?
It certainly lends a biased air to this situation…and the suggestions of other ‘anti-catholic’ labels are as distasteful as this label is to me.
Thank you for allowing comments on this blog.
ps. I apologize for mistakenly re-posting the information about the label changing. It was in an effort to get the community to stop the negative campaign and it obviously was a waste of my time and energy. (p.s.s. ‘That’ was Satire…)
By the way, I read your write-up by on the image, Tomme. It occurs to me that maybe we see the illustration on Witches Wit differently because you imagine yourself among the crowd observing this event, while I imagine myself being burned at the stake. It’s a very different perspective, let me tell you. I’m glad to know there’s a back story, but as many have said before me, the image speaks louder than the words, and most people will never get to the words. Of course it’s your right to keep the label as is–free speech and all that. But just because we have rights doesn’t mean we have to exercise them when doing so is hurtful to a lot of people. Maybe every woman is not perturbed by this label, but a lot of us are. That’s why the response you’re getting is so visceral.
Whether or not pagans or wiccans or pastafarians are offended, I find the label offensive because the burning times were a time of genocide – a deliberate and organized campaign to manipulate with fear and oppression, the last few hold outs against the church, whether by inference, torture or by breeding fear among the ignorant.
I’m appalled by Lost Abbey’s attempts to defend the tastelessness with the idea that this is a twinkle of irony, a deliberate poke at the church. The idea that we can educated people through the back of beer bottles is certainly an imaginative thought, but even less realistic than seeing a witch on a broom this weekend, I fear.
It’s tasteless, that’s all. Yes it’s easy to be patronising, condescending, and cry about how political correctness is ruining the world for those of you with a ‘real’ sense of humour but the bottom line about the art on the label is that there is NOTHING on the front label to indicate humour, irony or thumbing of the nose at the church. It’s tasteless. Bummer!
“Genocide definition, the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group” – yeah .. that’s so funny …..
Hahaha .. want irony .. I apologize in advance for typing educated when it should have read ‘educate’.
Whatever the story behind the label, the label is promoting the same old stereotypes and in the most brutal fashion. Depicting a woman being burned is supposed to be satire, levity…and wit? To me it seems you can’t put a genuinely witty story together, and so resort to the same old knee-jerk ‘let’s burn the evil witch’ scenario because it’s EASY. You do know that hundreds of thousands of woman were burned at the stake throughout Europe in the dark times?
BTW, it’s cretins, not Cretans. Maybe you wish to offend Cretans too! (And you call yourself a writer…!)
I’m a proud pagan, and I’ve read all the articles, and I’m not offended with the label at all. I find it funny in a Monty Python kinda way, and I would actually buy it, because it seems to be tasty beer, yes I confess, I’m a sinner, now you can burn me too 😛
Beer brewed by pagans would probably have similar labels with vikings killing christians, though pagans prefer mead 🙂 And to tell you the truth this label demonizes christians and not pagans, which is good too. Greedy monks who get drunk and burn witches is quite evil and demonic.
Would you be offended if there was a crucified rotting corpse on the label of beer called Royal Jew Brew?
Probably not…
Christianity is a parody and not to be taken seriously, so I won’t take this label seriously either. Something I really don’t like is that pagans are always being ridiculed and demonized by the church and media… The whole feminist witch movement is ridiculous too, almost an equal number of pagan men were killed for their belief in magic and nature.
People are still being persecuted as witches all around the world. I do not think this label is appropriate. However I am sorry to hear of some of the (ahem) inflammatory comments that have been made in response to it. But I do agree with those who have commented that you wouldn’t show the lynching of a black person or the murder of Jews, so why would you show the murder of a woman?
It’s good to draw attention to the fact that people were and are persecuted as witches, but perhaps you could do so in a less graphic way? Maybe show a positive image of a witch instead? I appreciate that you were trying to draw attention to the evils committed in the name of religion, but I don’t think the image or the text on the label does anything to help with that.
I hope that you will withdraw the label, but I am sorry that so many commenters have assumed that it’s just political correctness. It’s not – it’s just that the label is in rather poor taste.
Having Been fired from a job for “advocating witchcraft” I find intolerance offensive, not your art not your satire. Some people like drama I prefer that it stay on the stage where it belongs. If your beer were available where I live I would buy it and give it to the many friends who are not as narrow minded. I do not even drink the stuff I collect bottles with unusual art work.
Change if you must I understand the pressures of business. But I and many of the people I know have no problem with your product.
Sorry to do the scholar thing here, but I have to make a few corrections. Our information on the European witch persecutions is partial and compromised in a number of ways, but there are a few important things we know with a high level of confidence:
1) Secular courts tried witches too, and tortured, convicted, and killed more of them than the Christian churches did. The Christian churches invented a lot of the theory and demonology, but the actual murders were disproportionately carried out by secular authorities.
2) There is no evidence that the victims of the witch persecutions were practitioners of an alternative religion or even that they were workers of magic (at least not more so than people who were not accused of witchcraft). They are not the ancestors of contemporary pagans in any religious sense.
3) Yes, men were tried and killed as witches too, but again, the victims were disproportionately female. In a few isolated areas the victims were disproportionately male, but the most extensive and vicious witch hunts were in central Europe, and there we’re looking at something like 85-90% women.
Why all the uproar?
Most of the pagans/wiccans have started their comments by indicating that this is artwork. No more / no less. Being judgemental of such reminds me of those who want to cover up the statue of David because he is naked. Appreciate or dislike the art. That is your choice.
Are you offended by the depictions of witches in Monty Pythons Holy Grail? Or do you laugh?
As a person of Irish heritage, and yes a Christian, I find no offense to The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, laugh at Blazzing Saddles when the say they’ll give land to anyone except the Irish (even though many Irish died building the Western railroads and if you want to insert gender – the majority were men), and liked the book Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal – By Christopher Moore. Why? Because I can laugh at the stereotypes of the Irish, appreciate my heritage, and have a strong enough faith not to be offended, and think that we should be able to laugh at ourselves (Perhaps that’s that Irish).
Heck, even Atlanta had a hockey team called the Flames, named after the Civil War burning of the city (The Flames moved to Calgary).
Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhlWddAXSRA
I prefer to take life with a grain of salt, preferably on a pretzel and downed with some fine Lost Abbey brews.
Sheez – lighten up.
I agree with Amy, Steve and Josephine: it is an accurate depiction that we don’t want to repeat, but provides opportunities for discussion. It also sold a lot of beer.
In addition, I’m a huge supporter of the First Amendment. The freedom of religion is intimately tied to freedom of expression. Demanding to remove historically accurate images on the basis of offending a religion is inherently hypocritical and unsustainable.
We live in a culture in which is okay to kill men but not okay to harm women. Change the witch on the label to a man and the controversy will go away.
Cretans — people from Crete. You mean “cretins.” Do you want to have a bunch of angry Greeks after you too?
As for the label, do as you like.
The other really key point here is that during the inquisition, most of the “burning at the stake” activities went toward heretics and martyrs…. and obviously there were no “witches” burned at the stake here in the states…
But regardless, how hard is it to look at this for what it is … It’s a beer bottle/label. It’s a story which could be seen as a look into the mind of someone back then … it’s art…
It’s all the “persecution” talk that does more damage to a group (whether Pagan or otherwise) than this beer ever would have on it’s own. And that is what I find sad and a little scary.
As a Pagan/Wiccan, I say don’t change a thing. If I drank beer, I’d go try it, ’cause other than the beer part, it sounds decent. I love when people and companies are willing to be different. I may point my husband in your direction (since we’re in Escondido).
I have an idea, since the Catholics seem to think that telling the story of events is necessary, why don’t you create a beer and call it Father Feel Good and for the picture, you can have the Catholic Priests molesting boys. That would be fair and definitely not a lie!
As a morally questionable, relativistic, politically charged black gay jew with a history of reading fantasy books I am offended by everything.
As a graphic designer I think the solution is simple: the artwork and write-ups on some of your bottles are retarded. Read the damn label back to yourselves out loud. Some of it is embarrassingly dumb. Its pretty easy to see how someone would get offended enough to use your good positioning in the beer world to turn themselves from a relatively obscure personality into a mini-martyr-hero.
As a beer lover, I say keep up the good work! I am a huge fan of Lost Abbey!
I’m impressed by your skill in marketing and your ignorance in general. First, not only women were burned. Second, most of the people killed weren’t witches, by any stretch of the word, but simply defenseless individuals. I understand that you are trying to make this a satire, but it isn’t satire. Satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. There isn’t irony, sarcasm, ridicule or the like in this label and it is in no way denouncing or deriding vice folly, etc. You are capitalizing on the misfortunes of others and the attrocities of the past. “See look how funny this is we tortured and murdered people.” Way to go you’ve found a new way to make capitalism look horrible.
It’s only advertising conceived with ignorance of the real facts about Wicca/paganism, people! Let’s not get our underwear in a bunch! To the Brewery: Is it possible to get this beer or any of your products in Cleveland, OH? I am a beer aficiando, and would like to try it! Feel free to contact me via my e-mail address, above.
Wow! And just in time for Halloween. I am a witch, but not the “eat your babies” kind, so please don’t be afraid. *cackle*
I can see how people who are not open minded could be offended by your label, however I would think that most of them would be Catholic, rather than pagan. I appreciate the humor in your writing, and the exposure of the flaws of human kind represented in your label back story. In conjunction with your other labels and stories there’s a clarity and presentation of your style of creativity that prevents an individual label from being offensive, but when one has no additional information, the impact of the image is harsh.
Your Witch’s Wit label recalls a dark time in human history, and the tragedy of our fear of anyone who did not conform to the church-held standard resulting in the torture and death of, yes, healers and wise ones, but also of homosexuals, the disabled, and many free thinkers. As an opportunity to increase financial gain, many people were accused of witchcraft and put to death simply because the church desired their property, which defaulted to the church upon their death.
I hope that people who see your label and have questions or concerns will check out your website, see the intent and message, and will be able to sit back, pour an ice cold brew, drink it and relax. Ultimately, life’s too short for anyone to spend this much time worrying about a beer label.
I’m looking forward to tasting Witch’s Wit. And I signed up for your newsletter. And for anyone worrying about my comment, there are NOT any witches out there who eat babies. Witches revere the divinity of life in all things. Blessed Be
I am not a Wiccan. But that does not matter, as you are depicting a person being burned alive on your beer label. Although I’m a beer drinker and a lover of small craft brewing, I would never choose yours, based on that label, if I saw it in the store – even if I had not heard of this boycott.
As a historian, I appreciate your use of historical images. However, a representation of a horrific murder that has actually happened to many, many people seems highly inappropriate for any food or drink – especially a celebratory drink like beer.
I cannot wait to try this beer. Great publicity. So f’n what what the label depicts. Everyone’s politcal correct crap needs to stop. Put whatever the f**k you want on the label.
There seemingly appears to be some disagreement over the owners on the label change. I would hope that the meeting in November resolves this issue once and for all. On my site, I have had a member post an article about boycotting the beer in question. I support this article, the boycott request until a label change takes place, as a Wiccan High Priest. However, should the label change, we will most certainly do an article in a much more positive light about Lost Abby and Witches Wit Beer.
By now you should have realized that this was very bad idea … i am Wiccan … and the people that were burned at the stake for “witchcraft” were usually victims of jealosy and envy. It didn’t take much to accuse someone of witchcraft – sometimes just the fact that they had red hair, or had a green thumb and then it was up to the accused to prove they were not a “witch”. Some of the tests included being forced underwater for a long period of time, if you died, you weren’t a witch, but if you lived, they burned you because you just had to be a witch. These were barbaric and senseless murders. If you want to know what Wicca is about – just pick up a book on it – you might be surprised!
I don’t care that you have a “witch wit” beer – and if you wanted historical pictures, you could have used the witch from the Wizard of Oz!
And to the few that have posted about Pagans kiling Christians – have they ever heard of the “crusades”???? Pagans forced to convert or be slaughtered – holiday traditions stolen and holy sites ravaged. It wouldn’t hurt for some of these people to do a little homework before they post such stupidity.
IRONY – witches performing a witch hunt.
Happy All Hallows Even.
Keep it up! These morons are driving sales and I HIGHLY doubt they have either bought your products or would have bought them in the future. There are plenty of folks just like myself that will now search for it to keep supporting you guys and to fight the craziness that is PC these days!
I mirror Tim in FLA ‘s comment, I can’t wait to try your beer. The only problem I have is trying to find it but I will go out of my way now to do so. Those crybabies that say they will never drink your beer again because of this have most likely never even tried it. Rock on!
My friends, this is still the United States and freedom of speech is still sacred. Please don’t be bullied by these people into changing your label. Folks simply need to get over themselves and stop being so sensitive. If the label offends you, then pass it over in favor of one that doesn’t. I for one am interested–more so now that they are trying to force you into getting rid of the label. Although I don’t like fruit in my beer, send me info on how to try some of your other beers and I’ll buy some just to show my support and protest this attempted stifling of the 1st Amendment.
Some people just like to make a fuss.
I’m a pagan and i’m in no way offended by beautiful, historically accurate artwork and delicious beer.
As a Catholic whose religion is the “acceptable” entity of ridicule in society today, tells those wussies to grow up. It seems their skin is as thin as our current president’s.
the biggest problem i have with this controversy is the implication that this was a “marketing ploy” to sell more beer. an extremely large portion of the population of this country had not even heard of this brewery before the article was written. the proof is in the fact that this label has been in use for TWO YEARS!! even the most successful craft brewers in this country only benefit from a tiny market share of the total beer sales in the US. if you wanted this brewery to fail horribly, you should have never brought it to the attention of the ENTIRE country! the way i see it, this is equally a ploy by wiccans to get the word out about their religion.
i like beer. i don’t care what’s on the label as long as it tastes good. i have no earthly knowledge of wiccan people (other than what i learned in the lessons in this thread) and formed absolutely no new opinions from viewing a burning witch on a beer label. people are far too sensitive these days and obviously insecure about the choices they have made religiously. do you really think some halfwit would think its ok to burn someone alive because they saw it on a beer bottle? if someone is psychotic enough to burn another human being, they don’t need the approval of beer label artwork. let’s get real here people.
Keep the label the way it is. Please don’t cave in to more political correctness pressure. Most of the complainers probably don’t drink your beers anyway, they are just using it as a venue to call attention to themselves. They just need to lighten up and take the label for what it is, a tongue in cheek humorous piece of art.
It won’t stop if you change the label, the PC’ers will just move on to something else. You will have to review all your labels and make them bland with no character. Hell, after caving on the label and making it acceptanble to the masses, you might as well cave on your cutting edge beer and just brew some pissy yellow beer that everyone will like too. If you change the label as a result of this I will truley be disapoointed…
John
Personally I do think its in bad taste – many innocent people – women AND Men were brutally murdered after being accused of witchcraft. In places this persecutution continues.
I feel is distasteful in exactly the same way i would feel it distasteful if the label depicted the KKK burnings / hangings or jews being persectued – or Christians being thrown to Lions. Its not so much about the pagan aspect of this label – more over the way its felt its ok to depict these horrendous crimes as “artwork”
I support your idea of artistic freedom. Don’t change a thing. If you start changing your label everytime somone complains it will just make everyone think they can get their way.
Listen up Wiccan’s “stop crying like a bunch of little children”. Christians get bashed everyday of the week. Your outrage won’t make anyone tolerate you anymore than they would already. If anything it will make people think your all a bunch of crybabies. So when real bigotry happens everyone will be so tired of hearing you whine no one will care.
Grow a set.
Keep the label Witch’s Wit… and then think about doing one called “Dante’s Draft”. Make that a COOL beer. Go on the offensive. Maybe a “Martyr’s Mead ” made with honey. (I’ll drink ANY honey beer). I see nothing but good national advertising for you. Keep brewing good beer and people will buy it regardless of the label.
I am disappointed that the owners caved to the pressure to change a beer label. What the hell is wrong with America? When everytime you turn around someone is being offened by someone else. It is time to cowboy up, get a thick skin and relize that the beer label was never meant as offensive it clearly looked liked an honest intent on doing something unique and there is a small….very small population that got their feelings hurt. I have the orginal image and the next time I make a batch of homebrew, you can bet that I will be putting that the label on the bottle.
Like most of the folks in the World I had never heard of your beers before but now I will HUNT YOU DOWN!
to find and try your beers that is!!! 😉
Do not let these politically correct, freedom hating “pagan” morons get you!
and you “pagans” out there: you ever heard the expressions:
ANY PRESS is GOOD PRESS?? or THERE IS NO BAD INK???
you and the NYT have just made these folks one of the most famous small breweries in the world! You have increased their sales more than anything they could have done! Way to go!
I truly hope these guys are laughing all the way to the bank!
Doug
Get over it. Not everything is meant to be offensive, or demeaning to a particular sex or race. It is a creative name and original artwork for a good beer. “Witches” were burnt at the stake, its a historical fact. Just because it is a woman in the picture doesn’t mean anyone has anything against women. Please don’t change the label or the name. If anything you just got another customer to purchase your brew.
Beer = Delicious
Art = Awesome
Witches performing a ‘witch hunt’ = Irony
Beer + Art + Witch hunting witches = Hilarity of unparalleled proportion.
I’m in Iraq. I don’t get delicious beer out here. Enjoy it while you can and Mr Brewery Man don’t you dare change that label!! Or else I’ll call the dark one to assist in your burning at the stake….. if he’s not too busy enjoying your beer.
Funny – but Bad Medicine to join up sexy women and torture in the public psyche: And there are enough eejits out there who will miss the satire – I’m talking about creeps, not Wiccans.
While I understand the satire I have to say that the label is a bad mistake. I was raised catholic with crucifixes everywhere at home and at school, and sure, as teens, we made jokes about stuff, but it was really a coping mechanism against all the heavy, obedience-oriented indoctrination that had been laid on us as five-year olds; the overall effect of exposing kids to crucifixes is not healthy – I mean, look at all the sado-masochistic art that has been “inspired” by catholicism, eg.Max Ernst’s Blessed Virgin Chastises the Infant Jesus (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SqhhJb_P3Kk/S_nnWWghmeI/AAAAAAAAMBk/SkjUUGW2Y-8/s400/Mary+spanking+Jesus.jpg). Might make a better beer label (Puts color in your cheeks etc) or perhap not – it might suggest an abusive alcoholic mother. Anyway it certainly inspired our art teacher to a little inappropriate touching prior to him beating the living daylights out of us. No . Sorry. Tis beer label is unhealthy. All the comparisons to Nazi ovens, KKK lynchings etc are valid.
Do not be moved by the opinion of the wiccan. This is a typical move to cover some tracks from sliding from the light side of magic to the dark side. The wiccan’s have been using this trick a long time and its time to teach the pony a new trick. Funny as a person of interests in both sides of the magic to hear from a “female” leader of the group since most of them are actually male unless the person/wiccan switches from white to dark magic frequently. And yes your wording of the bottle on the back is more accurate than you know. If you review the wiccan bible carefully, you will find that vicki noble is not sticking to her religion or practicing the typical wiccan craft. So if she is a spin off from that religion i would love to know what craft she actually follows! People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Remember one thing. There is white magic and there is black magic. There is no middle magic Those who find it offensive are like the child caught with its hand in a cookie jar. Trying to justify the deed with misdirection to keep others from knowing the truth. So i only ask of vicki noble, what side are you on? White magic or dark craft?
It’s fortunate for your company that Christians can appreciate a good brew or you’d also be in trouble for most of your other labels and the “Lost Abbey” name. I only wish that I could buy your beer in Florida so that I could offer support for what I’m sure is a fine product with some of the most creative labeling I’ve seen in some time. Your labels are right up there with the Franziskaner monk, and he’s pretty cool.
Don’t take this brewhaha too seriously. Read almost any Wiccan book and there will be a portion devoted to the witch hunts. They focus on that chapter of history as a way of teaching new Wiccans how awful Christianity is and contrasting it with the purity of Wicca. Keep it up and maybe Lost Abbey and its “fat ass beer slugging alcoholic Christian Ass Hole[s]” will get a chapter in the next Wiccan book. Cheers to that!
I am not a pagan or anything of the sort, but I do find the artwork on the beer label of a woman being burned at the stake very offensive. What disturbs me the most is that you think this is ok. When is torturing a woman ever ok? Isn’t there enough violence against women all over the world already? Do you really need to depict violence against women? Please use something else.
KEEP IT! Don’t change a damned thing. I’ve had every one of your beers I could get my hands on and loved most of them, but if you crater to this politically correct BS I will find myself forgoing your brew.
yah know on second thought I would be ok with a label change, if you were to use a burning duck, or maybe a very small pebble floating on water…
I am sick and tired of seeing every place in America being subjet to this ridiculous political correctness. We were founded on the premiss that the majority rules!! When will we stop cowering to the small minority that hs to be offended at everything and anything. This is not every remotely close to the lynchings of black americans or gasing of Jews in Europe, that correlation is totally absurd!!! Other than a few cases through out history of witch burning there isn’t a time when we killed thousands or millions of so called witches. Witches aren’t even real, they are people playing make believe and doing their little spells and midnight moon dances. DON’T CHANGE YOUR LABEL!!!! PLEASE FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYTHING AMERICAN AND THE MAJORITY!!!! DON’T COWER TO THIS STUPID SO CALLED POLITICAL CORRECT BS!!!!! Thank you and my husband loves your beer!
Please don’t change it! Our society needs to stop caving in to the demands of the overly sensitive and thin-skinned by stifling creativity. The artwork is beautiful and if some Wiccans don’t like it, then they don’t have to drink it!
Just one more confermation that this has turned into a anal society were a few wack jobs who need too grow up get on twitter with other losers like the who need to grow up start attacking anyone even remotely suggestive not even that i mean theres art pices that show that kind of stuff what the wickens laying down in front of art museum doors its just another way to make abnormal behavior into normal behavior…..in fact i ask if the company if they can send me a label
Wiccans? Who cares. I am sick and tired of society being forced to kowtow to any and all of the insignificant groups out there. I will be looking for your beer as my way of showing support. Chalk up one more victory for ‘any publicity is good publicity’ and be sure to thank your local wiccans.
Note: no wiccans were burned to transmit this note.
I’m so glad this story came to light, I had almost forgotten that Wiccans existed. On the other hand I buy The Lost Abbey’s amazing beer every week from BevMo. In the race to stay relevant I think the Wiccans are losing.
Don’t change your labels. Ever. For anyone.