Every year, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approves more than 100,000 labels for beer, wine and spirts, according to Robert C. Lehrman, founder of the law firm Lehrman Beverage Law in Oakton, Va. “In these approvals you can see the bursting efflorescence of the American (and the world) economy,” he writes. In order to help distill (his pun, not mine) the best of these labels, he has started a surprisingly entertaining blog, bevlog.
Here, for example, you can find the label for Plumbers Crack Ale, which was not named for Joe. Other intriguing finds include Weed Lager (a smoky taste?), Recession Red table wine (“Times are tough. Toast the simple pleasures”), Illegal Cognac, and the one that makes my taste buds turn and run, Budweiser & Clamato. Check out this new blog — just don’t operate heavy machinery afterwards.