Sign of the Apocalypse #72: Dead animal beer bottles

By Michael J.W. Stickings

My brother, who lives in the U.K., sent me this BBC article earlier today. I almost wish he hadn't. I'm disgusted:

A beer served in bottles made from stuffed animals has been criticised as "perverse" and "pushing the boundaries of acceptability".

The End of History, made by BrewDog of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, is 55% and £500 a bottle.

The bottles have been made using seven dead stoats, four squirrels and a hare, said to be roadkill.

However, Advocates for Animals and Alcohol Focus Scotland both condemned the marketing.

BrewDog claims the beer is the world's strongest and most expensive.

Its co-founder James Watt said: "We want to show people there is an alternative to monolithic corporate beers, introduce them to a completely new approach to beer and elevate the status of beer in our culture."

I'm all for strong beer, but 55%? And I'm all for alternatives to "monolithic corporate beers" -- I don't drink Bud or Coors or Molson or Labatts and prefer micro-brews -- but come on, seriously? This is ridiculous -- and completely unnecessary, and quite revolting.

"It's just bad thinking about animals, people should learn to respect them, rather than using them for some stupid marketing gimmick," said Libby Anderson of Advocates for Animals. "I think the public would not waste £500 on something so gruesome and just ignore it."

Well, one would hope so, but I have little confidence that "the public" will stay away. Sure, £500 is a lot of money, but someone will splurge, if only for the sheer novelty of drinking stupidly strong beer out of a dead animal.

It's gross, it's disrespectful, and it's SOTA #72.

(I've been remiss with respect to SOTA-blogging, but I'll try to get back to it. For other SOTAs, see the list on the right sidebar or click here.)