writing/witty/funny

Remember when Nixon said “You won’t have Nixon to kick around any more”? Well, we bet Plata Wine Partners is bummed that Sarah Palin is not around at the moment. They jumped on the news and came out with half a dozen “Lipstick on a Pig” labels in September of 2008. They were so enthused about the prospects here, that they claimed trademark rights to this name. Plata certainly moved quickly; President-Elect Obama referred to lipstick on a pig (without pointing to or naming any person) on September 9, 2008, and Plata filed with TTB nine days later. Governor Sarah Palin may have opened the door to some of this ridicule with her famous or infamous joke about hockey moms and lipstick. But we hasten to note that Plata’s actual label does not make any direct visual or textual reference to Palin, and we further note that she looks better in lipstick than we do. The label does say:  “The origin of ‘Lipstick on a Pig’ is a mystery. But it has captivated the public’s attention like few other phrases in recent history.”

This beer defiantly celebrates the 2005 investigation and shut-down of the Lagunitas Brewing Company. After a two-month undercover investigation, the California ABC ordered the Petaluma, CA brewer to shut down for 20 days. The ABC found evidence of pot smoking on company premises. The label packs a lot of good writing, and a good story, onto a small label. Tony Magee, the company founder, and a former reggae musician, wrote the label:

We Brewed This Especially Bitter Ale In Remembrance of the 2005 St. Patrick’s Day Massacre And in Celebration of Our 20-Day Suspension. … Whatever. We’re Still Here. … The extra large B. Franklin said it well that you can tell the strength of a society by the paucity of pages in its book of laws. Today we are all surrounded by … laws that make large and small criminals of us all.

Many thanks to Lance M. for bringing this label to our attention.

For all those occasions when Cisco or Schlitz Malt Liquor is far too classy, may we heartily recommend this fine almond flavored wine? Even if this is not a big seller in the US, this page vaguely suggests that this winery makes a similar product for export.