Name that barleywine!
Brewing was a rousing s ccess last night. We currently have 10 gallons of a Christmas barleywine in fermentation. I also have a new favorite smell: boiling barleywine. In addition to the 30+ lbs of grain (which will give it an alcohol content in the teens), we also added candied ginger, cloves and Allspice. It was a sweet, spicy mess all up in my nostrils.
So now we need a name! All suggestions are welcome. Our theme is pretty much that the name has to be awesome – and revolve around some sort of interesting person/character. Other names that have originated from blog readers have been the Weiss Guy Hefeweizen (gangster) and the Cow Tipper Cream Ale (cow tipper). My suggestion of Eskimo Barleywine was received with underwhelming applause, so the polls are open.
Jonathan, Joel & Jeff
July 10th, 2007 at 10:20 am
The challenge is finding a character that is something other than Santa, isn’t an elf or a reindeer, but still is somehow related to Christmas. I’m thinking Christmas movies…what about “Chevy Chase Barleywine”? Or “It’s a Wonderful Barleywine”? Or “Tim Allen as Santa for the Fifth Time Barleywine”?
July 10th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Uncle Scrooge Barleywine
July 10th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I’ve got an interesting Christmas character:
Jesus,
You may have heard of him.
If you are not impressed by the market for a Messiah themed beer here are some other good theme suggestions:
Bah Humbug Barleywine
Something “A Christmas Story” related, “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out” or you could have a kid with his toungue stuck to a pole or something
The Grinch
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Home Alone
July 10th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Jesus is always a good fallback.
What about trying to turn the “Humbug” into a character? Like Humbug’s Christmas Barleywine?
July 10th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Although I do like the idea of a kid with his tongue stuck to a pole as the character. Frozen Flagpole Barleywine!
And I think I’d rather steer clear of overtly Christmas names and move towards more winter-y sounding names. So that this thing could be sold during ALL the winter months. Including January.
July 10th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Building on #5, how about “Triple-Dog?”
http://www.somatonedesign.com
July 10th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Triple Dog. I love it. With the image of a kid with his tongue on the pole. Triple Dog also has connotations of a higher gravity beer, which the barleywine most definitely is.
July 10th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
I second Ben’s suggestion. Everyone knows what a triple-dog-dare is!
July 10th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Triple Dog is cool. Triple dog also works since you keep talking about the three spices, but there is actually also cinnamon, so it actually doesn’t work.
But that doesn’t matter, I like it.
July 11th, 2007 at 1:26 am
Another idea,
playing on the fact that it has to ferment for so long how about:
“Don’t Open ’til Christmas Barleywine” there is no character and it’s not as funny, but it is appropo.
I bet girls will like it more. And old people.
July 11th, 2007 at 8:36 am
And we make beers mostly for girls and old people. Like Jonathan, who is both.
July 11th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Hmmm…..Triple Dog is good.
Drunk Santa Barleywine (too Christmas-y, I know)
Yellow Snow Barleywine (a drunk writing it in the snow with his….well…urine?)
July 11th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Triple Dog is going to be hard to beat, but it’s nice to know you’ve got such a solid safety.
The only other idea I had was the second half of this winter cliche: “Colder than a ______’s _______.” Yeah, I know, that won’t fly, but it’s funny to imagine what Jonathan could do for a label. Like that truck-mudflap bimbo silhouette, but with a witch’s hat. And maybe some icicles.
July 11th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Wow, the best part of that amazing post (#13) is that it comes from an ordained minister. Genius.
July 12th, 2007 at 1:03 am
The problem with “scrooge” is that we know how much you spent on grains, so it would be somewhat hypocritical. :)
Witch isn’t a bad word, but the problem with that name is that barleywines are best once they’ve warmed up. I suppose the same could be said for, well… nevermind.
The polar bear/eskimo graphic is awesome. If you don’t use it for the barleywine, save it for an Eisbock.
July 12th, 2007 at 7:18 am
How about “Roasted Chestnuts Barleywine”… again, would love to see Baker’s creative genius at work with that one. I like Triple Dog, but it conjures images of the Basejumper Double. What’s next? The Iverson Quadruple?
July 12th, 2007 at 8:02 am
One other concern with Triple Dog - it makes me think of Flying Dog, who has a Double Dog pale ale. I like the concept, but Flying Dog uses “dog” in pretty much every beer they make.
July 13th, 2007 at 7:51 am
[...] But we’re not there yet. We’ve had some great reactions thus far (thank you!), but the one resounding name, Triple Dog Barleywine, has been ruled out for a very good reason. Because of Flying Dog Brewery, who “owns the dog space,” as we might say in marketing. [...]
July 14th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I don’t have a single brilliant idea, but here are some more wintery words to toss in to the idea pool:
Toboggan
Longjohn
Snowman (Frosty or Abominable)
Red Nosed (as in Rudolph, The)
Cousin Eddie (is that copyrighted?)
Turtleneck (as in Cousin Eddie’s dickey)