NC Brewery Forced To Pull Horny Reindeer Labels

Hey it’s not like the images of reindeers in sexual positions were prominent, but they were all over the beer cans.

And the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission was having none of it.

On November 23, Sycamore Brewing took to Facebook to announce a special holiday release, a 7.5% ABV cream ale that the brewery promised was “bound to make Santa jolly.”

And although the beer was named Christmas Cookie Winter Ale, it did feature several small images of reindeers in a number of sexual positions which generated an anonymous complaint to the state’s ABC commission.

Responding to the complaint an official was sent to the taproom to inspect the labels and the beer’s sales were stopped. Amazingly Sycamore Brewing had not sought approval from the Commission before releasing the cans with frolicking pixelated reindeers done in ugly sweater style

The brewery changes up its winter ale label art annually and Sycamore co-owner Sarah Brigham calls this year’s imaging “animal Kama Sutra.”

Unlike the ABC commission, who stood firm on the issue reindeer sex, social media reaction was decidedly mixed. Beer fans came to support of both Sycamore Brewing and reindeer rights!

Michael Hall commented on Facebook that “nothing wrong with Deer frolicking. The cans themselves will become collectables.” Others asked where they will be able to get hold of the lewd holiday beer.

The Queen City Nerve is reporting that some of the “reindeer sexy” made it to two Harris Teeter stores in North Carolina where it was not displayed but “sold by request only.” (You’ve gotta love that.)

Then on Friday December 6 the Charlotte NC-based brewery took to social media again to explain that the beer would go back on sale over the weekend after they have “been re-labeled with last year’s G-Rated can art.”

And not surprisingly Sycamore Brewing sold the remaining 1,900 cans of the controversial Winter Ale at a festive pop-up event later that weekend.

It is not the first time the state’s authorities have come down hard on lewd beer labels.

Last July the puritanical commission banned the sale of a popular Utah beer called ‘Polygamy Porter’ on the grounds that polygamy itself is illegal.