A UK brewery, Mitchell Brewing Co in Lincolnshire, found itself in the midst of controversy when their Osama Bin Laden-themed beer went viral and quickly sold out. The beer, cleverly named Osama Bin Lager, features a cartoonish caricature of the notorious Al Qaeda leader on its label. The brewery received an overwhelming response to the beer, with thousands of notifications and phone calls flooding in, prompting them to shut down their website temporarily due to the high demand. Despite the frenzy around the beer, it is unclear if the increased interest was due to sympathizers on TikTok.
The controversially named Osama Bin Lager is not the only beer with a provocative title at the Mitchell Brewing Co. The proceeds from each barrel sold of this beer are donated to charity benefiting victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. According to the BBC, the brewery specializes in giving their beers tongue-in-cheek names to poke fun at “horrible dictators.” Other similarly controversially named beers include Putin’s Porter and Kim Jong Ale. While some may find these names offensive, the owner, Luke Mitchell, believes that people usually find them humorous and that no one has been offended as far as he is aware.
In another instance of provocative food or drink names, a fast food restaurant in Argentina sparked outrage among Jewish groups for naming dishes after the Holocaust. The menu included items such as “Adolf fries,” which were fried potatoes topped with bacon and cheddar, and an “Ana Frank burger” made of ground beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise. The restaurant was criticized for being offensive and disgusting by these groups who found the names inappropriate given the historical significance of the Holocaust and the atrocities committed during that time.
The Mitchell Brewing Co’s Osama Bin Lager and other similarly named beers may be pushing boundaries with their provocative titles, but they are not the only ones facing backlash for the names of their products. The brewery’s decision to donate proceeds from the beer to benefit 9/11 victims suggests that there may be layers of intention behind the controversial names, intended to provoke thought and possibly raise awareness about the events they reference. The controversial names may be seen as part of the brewery’s brand identity, catering to a specific audience with a sense of humor that appreciates the irony behind such names.
While the Mitchell Brewing Co’s beers with controversial names have garnered attention and even admiration from some for their boldness, they have also faced criticism for potential insensitivity and poor taste. The fast food restaurant in Argentina that named dishes after Adolf Hitler and Anne Frank faced harsh backlash from Jewish groups and others who found the names offensive and inappropriate given the historical context. The debate around the ethics of provocative food and drink names continues, with some defending them as harmless jokes and others condemning them as disrespectful and hurtful.
In the realm of food and drink, the use of controversial and provocative names has sparked debates about where the line should be drawn in terms of taste and appropriateness. The Mitchell Brewing Co’s beers, along with the fast food restaurant’s dishes in Argentina, have ignited discussions about the impact of names that reference historical events and figures in a casual or humorous context. While some may find these names amusing or thought-provoking, others perceive them as disrespectful and offensive. The controversy surrounding such names highlights the complexities of balancing artistic expression, freedom of speech, and sensitivity to potentially harmful or hurtful content in the public domain.
