Boston Beer Aims to Trademark "Boston Strong 26.2"

Boston Beer Company, the maker of Samuel Adams, has been brewing up a special beer, "26.2 Brew," for the Boston Marathon for years. Now that the marathon has taken on a wider social significance in the weeks after the bombings, the company would like to change the brew’s name to "Boston Strong 26.2 Brew" and has applied for a trademark, the Boston Globe reports.

The plan is to use money from the sale of the beer to help victims of the tragedy. Boston Beer says it won’t hog the trademark but allow other beverage companies to use it as well as long as they commit to giving 100 percent of profits to charity.Continue reading...

Secretary of State Brings Home 24 Canadians

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry found himself to be the proud owner of a case of Molson Canadian Thursday after settling a bet with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird.

The pair had wagered cases of beer over who would win the women’s world hockey championship and the US came through on Tuesday with a 3-2 win. Baird will have to live without the case of Sam Adams, brewed in Kerry’s home state of Massachusetts, that would have been coming to him. 

They made the exchange in London, where they are holed up for the G8 conference, leading one to wonder if they each always travel with a case of brewskis—just in case.Continue reading...

MillerCoors Selling Gear Via Mobiles

Whether you are high in the Rockies, out on a fishing boat, or at a party at somebody’s house, if the mood strikes you to purchase some MillerCoors-branded gear, it won’t be hard to do (as long as you can get your Smartphone working).

MillerCoors has unleashed a mobile site to sell merchandise for its brands, according to Mobile Commerce Daily. “MillerCoors wanted a fast, stable, integrated mobile commerce site that could harness the real-time data of their ecommerce site, but also be a separate, distinct channel for engagement and sales,” said Wilson Kerr, vice president of business development and sales at Unbound Commerce, Boston, which created the site, according to MCD.

Beware of drinking and shopping, of course.Continue reading...

Newcastle Gets Real

Newcastle has taken a new tack in its advertising and it’s all about turning old beer advertising on its head. Beer marketers love to throw “heritage” imagery at consumers to make beer drinkers feel like they are part of something bigger, so Newcastle decided to go back to its roots, the English town of Newcastle, where residents—known as Geordies—are filled with humor and realism. The result? Newcastle’s “No Bollocks” ad campaign.

“If you look at the Geordies, they’re very friendly, down-to-earth; they don’t take themselves too seriously, and tell it like it is. We figured that is a really interesting space for us to be in," says Newcastle Brown Ale Brand Director Charles van Es, according to Fast Company's FastCoCreate blog. "We wanted to use that wit and dry sense of humor as our brand voice. We want to be transparent about the fact that we’re marketing to you and the fact that our beer comes from England.”Continue reading...

Islamic law forbids the use of alcohol — and that means about a quarter of the world's population cannot enjoy the taste of whisky. At least not until now.

Enter ArKay — the world's first alcohol-free whisky-flavored beverage that has been halal-certified (halal signifies the substance in permissible under Islamic law).

The brand came about when a group of friends were drinking and sharing ideas, according to Zeshan Ahmed, VP of Sales for Arkay Beverages. "They felt there was a hole in the beverage market that needed to be filled with something like this," Ahmed told brandchannel. "They were looking for a flavor that would be well known and universal. The flavor of whisky came to mind. It took five years to develop the rich flavor and smell that is the trademark of ArKay."Continue reading...

Trade Talks May Have Liquor Brands Toasting

International trade negotiations could be a boon for alcohol brands, especially American and Scottish whiskies. The U.S. is talking with South Korea about getting rid of a 20% import duty on bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, while the European Union is trying to reach an agreement with India to reduce high tariffs on foreign spirits. With whiskies growing in popularity worldwide, lower tariffs would certainly translate to higher sales. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, if tariffs are cancelled, U.S. exports to Korea could rise to about $17.6 million a year, up from about $6 million in 2009.Continue reading...

Vodka has stepped out of Siberia and into the disco, reports OMMA magazine, which highlights Smirnoff (and its recently-wrapped global Nightlife Exchange Project), its Diageo sibling Ciroc, and the new Wódka vodka brand as brands getting their boogie on. (We'd add Britain's vodka vixens and Sweden's Kanon organic vodka to that list).

Besides music, art and alcohol are a natural fit. Absolut vodka has also partnered with New York artist Krink to create 15 individual custom-designed bottles using Krink's signature ink in black, white and silver.

Martell cognac also just collaborated with modern architect Jean Nouvel to create the Martell Amber Lamp, 50 of which will be produced and installed in venues such as art galleries around the globe.Continue reading...

Selling No Mine Before Its Time

British design firm Unreal has turned one of the top global stories of 2010 — the Chilean miners who spent 69 days trapped in a mine — into slightly silly Christmas presents for clients: Limited-edition bottles of "Chilean Winers" wine designed by the firm itself.

Although the subject is a little random, you have to admire the detail here. The 33 different bottles have each been named after one of the miners and the miner's story is included on the back. A vertical line on the front of the bottle is a representation of the mine shaft and how far the miners were underground. The tube packaging is designed to evoke the Fenix 2 rescue capsule and the bottles are packed in a pile of gravel.

No word on whether the wine is any good or not, but actual alcoholic beverages brands might want to take note. In the right hands, event-specific limited editions could be a gold mine.

After the jump: Getting floored, Miller Lite's holiday ride campaign and a vodkat fight.Continue reading...