Life is chaos contained by a thin, gossamer membrane of order. In a similar spirit this column shall be the thin line between meaning and cosmic absurdity. It’s a difficult task. It’s one that should be familiar to those of us who inhabit the world of beer.

Brewers have long put weird things in beer for marketing purposes. And why not? It always seemed to garner headlines, but now people have mostly gotten used to it and all the weird concoctions get lost in the froth of gimmicks vying for our attention. Still, every now then something resonates with people. The most recent to make headlines in the U.S., where the gimmick game is at its most absurd sometimes, is Texas brewery Martin House Brewing Company. They released a “Buffalo wing sauce sour beer” called Buffalo Wangz (“wangz” is how “wings” sounds in a Texan drawl). Yep, it’s a sour beer but with Buffalo wing sauce added in the brewing process. On which side of the thin line does this fall? The side of meaning. If it tastes good.

Usually, we prefer food we love paired with the beer, not in it. Like pretzels and beer. For those mourning the cancellation of Oktoberfest this year, two companies came together to provide a beer and pretzels set. Snyder’s of Hanover, an international pretzel producer based in Pennsylvania, USA, teamed up with New York’s Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. to create a “Pretzel Keg”. The contraption holds a five-liter keg of the brewery’s Oktoberfest Marzen (a malty lager like a pretzel in liquid form), and twenty-seven ounces of pretzel rods. It retailed for just under $50 and we totally wish we had one for a bullet train ride. What would a Japan version be? A kakipi and dry lager keg? This ‘keg’ is not absurd; it’s perfect.

Now here’s a ‘pairing’ you don’t see everyday. Two retailers in Montana, USA have offered a free beer with a flu shot in an effort to support immunization efforts. As the Missoulian (local media) reports, Cranky Sam Public House, inspired by another business, recently hosted an event called “Get a brew, not the flu”. A licensed pharmacist brought 200 doses and everyone who got a shot received a coupon for a free beer. The flu is especially problematic this year because of potential overlap with COVID so efforts like this are highly encouraging. When a COVID vaccine becomes available, brewers might have to ramp up their production for events like this. Meaningful? So meaningful.
You probably know if you read this column that not all branding works out so well, despite the best of intentions. Multiple media outlets have reported that a beer appeared over the summer whose name colloquially means “pubic hair”… at least in te reo Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, which is officially recognized as a national language, too. The Canadian brewery Hell’s Basement chose the name Huruhuru, believing the word usually meant “feather”. The beer used New Zealand hops and had a light body. Apparently, many businesses in New Zealand use te reo Māori names for products, but usually consult with speakers of the language. Some don’t and make similar gaffes. What is the te reo Māori word for absurd?

Let’s talk about more wholesome things… COVID has impacted some countries more than others. It’s often citizens and private businesses that rise to the challenge of helping society in times of crisis. In South Africa, the government implemented some of the world’s strictest measures, including a controversial one banning the sale of alcohol starting March 26th. From June 1st, breweries were allowed to begin selling takeaway during limited hours, but the ban was reinforced from mid-July to mid-August. As Simpsons Malt reported on its website, one of its clients, the brewery Woodstock, decided to become a soup kitchen to help less fortunate citizens who were suffering the economic impacts of the pandemic. Even prior to the pandemic, nearly one-third of the population was unemployed. The brewery repurposed its equipment to make nutritious soup. Other food producers have stepped up to donate soup ingredients and bread. According to Operations Manager Mark Mohr, by mid-August, the brewery had produced a whopping 2.4 million meals. Volunteers have also helped the staff of Woodstock. The project has been dubbed The Mother Soup Project and it additionally solicits donations online for continued production. All of this is absurdly awesome.

Let’s stick with the good news, why don’t we? In Oregon, USA, there is an organization called Keep Oregon Green whose mission is to help prevent human-caused wildfires. As many know, wildfires have ravaged much of the Western United States this year. While some of it is the result of nature (lightning) and perhaps climate changes bringing dryer, hotter environments, humans often play an unfortunate role in causing devastating fires. Portland-based brewer Baerlic released a Keep Oregon Green IPA in October, 100% of the proceeds of which will be donated to fire relief. 80% will go to Oregon’s 2020 Community Rebuilding Fund, while the remaining 20% will go to Keep Oregon Green. All of the ingredients, from the malt to hops, were also grown in Oregon. We’re guessing Oregon is not going to be facing any alcohol bans.

It may seem absurd to move forward with retail plans right now, depending on where you are, but if a business practices good sanitation, social distancing, and other preventative measures, then the show can–and should–go on. That seems to be the thinking behind BrewDog opening a beautiful new facility on the campus of its headquarters in Aberdeenshire, UK. The new addition features a two-floor taproom, beer museum, and an outdoor beer garden. The taproom features a beer shop, shuffleboard tables, and space that looks like someone’s living room. One menu item that caught our attention: deep-fried Oreos.

Let’s shift our attention back to the Land of the Rising Sun (and hope that, indeed, the sun rises tomorrow–you never know because, well, it’s 2020…). Nothing much to see here, and that’s probably a good thing. Life is slowly returning to normal, whatever that means. One development that caught our eye is that Coedo beer teamed up with Shibuya–yes, that’s right, the ward in Tokyo–to create a city beer: Shibunama Yeast Diversity Ale. Fitting for one of Japan’s most diverse neighborhoods, it’s a creative brew fermented simultaneously with three different kinds of yeast: ale, wine and sake. Every city and ward in Japan should have a beer. That would be both absurd and wonderful. Again, assuming they taste good.

Keep absurdity at bay, folks. Practice the meaningful pursuit of health, happiness, and beer. These three things can definitely coexist with the right discipline.

This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.