Band Extensions: British Brewer Rocks Out with Band-Branded Beer

When plenty of people go to a concert, they are ready to shell out for a beer or three, so why not drink a brew that is all about the band that you’re seeing?

The United Kingdom’s Signature Brew is answering the call. Instead of just partnering with a band, sticking their name on some random brew, and selling it to the willing masses, Signature has gone a different route, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The idea is to meet with indie musicians and get a sense of what kind of beer they like and brew something up that actually represents them. As an added bonus, the musicians learn a thing or two about the beer business along the way, too.

Signature is currently only distributing in Europe but is trying to figure out a way it can get those beers to the States easily. After all, America has got a boatload of beer drinkers (even though the U.S. is only 13th on the the list of amount consumed per capital).

The first band to sign on with Signature was The Rifles, whose members tasted 20 beers before they figured out what they wanted their beer to taste like. (Sounds like a fun night.) The brew that came out that, The General, was named after one of their songs and went on sale on the band’s website and at its shows this past winter, Businessweek reports: “Signature Brew’s initial run of 6,000 bottles sold out so fast the company is still scrambling to fill new orders.”

The company’s second partnership came with the frontman of The Hold Steady, Craig Finn, who just released a solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes. The result of his taste test and six weeks of experimentation in the brewery is Clear Heart Ale and it will be sold on the European leg of his tour.

Signature has six more bands lined up for taste tests, Businessweek adds. There is no doubt that this will be some of the most fun they’ll have working on a brand extension.

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