Brewery’s Hilarious Response Letter to Beer Censor Goes Viral
Words: Violet
Sometimes, it is just not possible to hold it in. Earlier this week, all niceties went out the window when Scottish brewer BrewDog wrote a hilariously sarcastic and scathing press release. It was in response to the Portman Group, a UK alcohol industry standards group, who had rejected the company’s Dead Pony Club Ale stating that the packaging encouraged antisocial behaviour and binge drinking. It was this that caused BrewDog to sidestep the normal polite formalities and released this on their blog instead. Titled #sorrynotsorry, this press release has gone completely viral and, once you read it, it is not hard to see why. Enjoy.
On behalf of BrewDog PLC and its 14,691 individual shareholders, I would like to issue a formal apology to the Portman Group for not giving a shit about today’s ruling. Indeed, we are sorry for never giving a shit about anything the Portman Group has to say, and treating all of its statements with callous indifference and nonchalance.
Unfortunately, the Portman Group is a gloomy gaggle of killjoy jobsworths, funded by navel-gazing international drinks giants. Their raison d’être is to provide a diversion for the true evils of this industry, perpetrated by the gigantic faceless brands that pay their wages. Blinkered by this soulless mission, they treat beer drinkers like brain dead zombies and vilify creativity and competition. Therefore, we have never given a second thought to any of the grubby newspeak they disseminate periodically.
While the Portman Group lives out its days deliberating whether a joke on a bottle of beer is responsible or irresponsible use of humour, at BrewDog we will just get on with brewing awesome beer and treating our customers like adults. I’m sure that makes Henry Ashworth cry a salty tear into his shatterproof tankard of Directors as he tries to enforce his futile and toothless little marketing code, but we couldn’t give a shit about that, either.
The Portman Group took objection to the phrase “rip it up down empty streets”? Mr Portman, you seem to like taking things literally. Can you please explain how something can be ‘anti-social’ if the streets are empty? Anti-social is defined as ‘contrary to the laws and customs of society, in a way that causes annoyance and disapproval in others.’ If the streets are empty, there are no ‘others’ to annoy.
As for not agreeing with “we believe faster is better”, well I think the archaic existence of the Portman Group proves just how bad “slow” can really be. Maybe they should try and catch up with the rest of the world instead of insulting the intelligence of consumers with such a thin veneer of impartiality. It is an embarrassing condemnation of the mega brewers who provide their funding, the same mega brewers whose pricing reaps havoc on society., Mr Portman, we’d be appreciative if you could now kindly save some trees and stop sending us meaningless letters.
We sincerely hope that the sarcasm of this message fits the Portman Group criteria of responsible use of humour.
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