# Witch's Wit Ale



## Evil Andrew (Nov 6, 2009)

What do you think about witches becoming an offended minority ?










http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/us/23witch.html

To me it's political correctness run amok. The beer is well brewed, and the artwork is first-rate ! I plan to drink as much Witch's Wit as I can in support of Lost Abbey!


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## spinwitch (Jun 14, 2009)

Mmmmm--I just don't like a picture of someone being burned alive. Surely they can come up with something else witch-oriented. and the beer sounds interesting.


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## autumnghost (Sep 12, 2009)

The beer may be good but the picture needs to go. Wiccans are people too and no one wants to see anyone tortured that way (at least I hope they don't).


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I wonder if this company also brews "On the Rack Ale", "Drawn and Quartered Ale", and "Thumbscrew Ale"?:googly:

I'd say the bigger issue is that a lot of folks might find a torture scene on a bottle of brew to be in poor taste, regardless of the group pictured. I think the company would be wise to pursue the idea of having a contest to come up with a really good label, as mentioned in the article. I don't care for beer, but when I'm in a wine & beer store, I do enjoy looking at the artistic and entertaining labels many brands have.


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## Evil Andrew (Nov 6, 2009)

Some additional information from Lost Abbey

http://www.lostabbey.com/lost-abbey-beers/seasonal-beers/witchs-wit/

_When I imagined this beer, I thought of two perspectives that would make for the best story. The first story could have been told from the Point of View of our Witch (or Heroine depending on the story). Ultimately, I think I like not knowing her story is better. How she got there is a big part of the mystery.
I became more fixated on the guilt of the crowd. There would surely have been people (the faceless souls) who could have/ would have wanted to help. There also would have been some righteous people smug with satisfaction knowing another "witch" leaving their world.
The Point of View for this back story label is about that smugness and righteousness in light of a horrific atrocity against mankind. It's written in a modified 3rd person Omniscient Point of View (partly a member of the crowd and my own voice). I knew that most people wouldn't spend the time delving into the mystery of the piece I wrote but at the same time, I wanted a voice of reason (or counter reason) to be present for this beer. Specifically, we knew this to be a thought provoking original art piece.
_


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## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

as a society we have a bad habit of trivializing the past. Burning someone at the stake isn't funny and shouldn't be used as an advertisement. I'm really not sure why they chose this image at all, it doesn't say "Witch" to me it says "Wrongly accused, innocent women born into a fearful, ill educated world which graphically and painfully kills anyone who doesn't fit in with the rest of us." It's not really a witch/Halloween stereotype since it's a real, true, historical event.

Edited after reading the post above this:
is the company serious??? It is a beer lable, not a piece of art that will be looked at and studied and have deep thought put into the meaning of it. The only meaning a beer label would ever have is to catch the eye so you will buy it.


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## randomr8 (Oct 24, 2009)

And yet no one complained about this label.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...US372&biw=1501&bih=653&tbs=isch:1&um=1&itbs=1


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## autumnghost (Sep 12, 2009)

Geez. I never saw that one. It's just as bad.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

It probably goes well with Holocaust oven bread. Poor taste. Label should be changed.


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## Zurgh (Dec 21, 2009)

I though some of the purpose art was to stimulate thought and provoke ideas & feelings (both good and bad)... Not just 'look nice', 'be well composed', and/or 'aesthetically pleasing'.

Are we now so weak in our beliefs that it is better to not be offended? Has challenging ones beliefs become bad? 

I personally don't find this controversial. There are far more horrible atrocities going on now in this world that could be better to correct than a beer label depicting a 200?+ year old witch burning. If this label the biggest problem in someones life, then I would love to have that life. Misuse of what is inside the bottle is more concerning to me. I don't here much about witch-burnings these days, but I do here an awful lot about drunk-drivers.

I can't say I burn witches, drive drunk, burn drunk driving witches, practice witchcraft while drunk driving or any combination thereof. 

The passed mistakes & actions should be learned from, not forgotten. Even if it may offend someone. Is a beer label the best place to do this, probably not...

If the brewer changes the label, whatever. If not, it doesn't bother me in the least. It's a minor brewers label on one of his products, not a call to exterminate Wiccans, witch-craft, or seemed in any way 'hateful' on the brewers part. Someone could have gotten offended if the brewer portrayed an inaccurate depiction of a witch, too.

If you don't like it, don't buy it. I won't be buying this because I just shouldn't be drinking & not an ale fan.

I do agree that burning people is generally wrong, regardless of why. I think religious (or racial, or cultural, or gender, or ancestral) based persecution is bad. I also believe people are entitled to there own opinions & beliefs, even if they differ from my own. It's kinda funny that I even responded, as it only serves to help advertise a product that I don't support.

Evil Andrew, I too see this as PC going wild. The biggest victim to PC may be the smallest minority of them all, the individual.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

happy happy joy joy!


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