(Papillion, NE) – In the end, it was all just a joke.
With the introduction of the Nebraska Inception Series a while back, some (myself included) did a double take at the labels which have a similar shape to the unique labels of The Bruery. Another Inception Series beer, Microbe Rue, made its debut in bottles this past weekend and questions around the branding rose once again. Rue is the last name of The Bruery’s founder, Patrick Rue.
Well, a Beernews reader started a thread on Beer Advocate and Nebraska Brewing Co-Owner, Paul Kavulak, addressed drinkers head-on.
Hey gang – I have to say, I’ve been entertained by the thread. I am the founder and the creator behind the name Microbe Rue. Some of you absolutely get it – and some of you kinda miss the fun behind it.
Patrick and I had a discussion in Denver at Rare Beer Tasting where I told him of the name I’d selected for our beer – and I told him it would fuel the whole Bruery / Nebraska fire contained within this thread. We got a good laugh at what was coming and we’re actually trading some of this beer with his because we enjoy each other’s work.
That aside… I am a former Marine – an Arabic Linguist by trade. I love the whole play on words thing. Take a look a some of our brands. Melange a Trois (blend of 3. Oak, Wine and Beer) Melange means blend people and it plays off of Menage a Trois which Sutter Home was kind enough to take issue with. Wick for Brains sorta rhymes with Shit for Brains and in a pumpkin, there is a candle in the head – a wick for a brain. Romancing the Cone IPA… Well, I think you get the playful nature behind some of the branding.
So here we are with our entire production of 18 whole cases of Microbe Rue. (at $12 per bottle which is accurate as some people have stated) This is a brewery only release as it was an experiment in the barrel aging line. Yep, it’s 2 years old. Which really means nothing relative to price but our experimental line retails for $12 per bottle – some might be cool, some might not. This one is pretty cool. Every single beer in this experimental line retails for $12 – regardless of the name.
So – to the name. I appreciate the people who got it. It’s a play on words and I have to tell ya people – my name rhymes with Cadillac but I don’t take issue with every car driving down the street – and guess what – we came before the car.
This is a sour beer. Microbes and the bugs play a heavy hand in dealing us the beer we wound up with. Rue is the French word for street. And when you have to explain a joke – it’s no longer funny I guess.
Microbe Rue plays to both Microbe Street (referring to the bugs) and the whole rhyming thing with Microbrew.
Enjoy the beer gang – it’s really what matters.
Rue has not yet commented in the thread.
If nothing else, the controversy over the labels is just drawing more attention to the very limited amount of bottles in existence.
The borders actually remind me of the Harris Teeter Grocery Store brand beer…barrel something. So this truly spans one end of the beer world to the other.