Portman Group, a third-party UK organization that evaluates alcohol-related marketing, ruled Flying Dog Brewery‘s Easy IPA Session India Pale Ale‘s packaging artwork “…directly or indirectly encourages illegal, irresponsible or immoderate consumption, such as binge drinking, drunkenness or drunk-driving.”
Portman Group said it will issue a Retailer Alert Bulletin Oct. 15, which will ask UK retailers not to place orders for the beer.
Flying Dog rejected the ruling, said it will continue to distribute Easy IPA in the United Kingdom.
“Not surprisingly, the alleged complaint – by a sole individual – that a product labeled ‘Easy IPA Session India Pale Ale’ might be mistaken for a soft drink was, we believe, correctly dismissed by the Portman Group,” Jim Caruso, Flying Dog CEO and cofounder of the nonprofit 1st Amendment Society.
“That should have been the end of it. However, the Portman Group then went on to ban the creative and carefree Easy IPA label art by the internationally renowned UK artist Ralph Steadman.”
Steadman has illustrated all of Flying Dog’s labels since 1995. In the ruling, the Portman Group claims that the artwork of this low-ABV beer “could be seen as encouraging drunkenness.”
“Without question, over-consumption, binge drinking and drunk-driving are serious health and public safety issues, and Flying Dog has always advocated for moderation and responsible social drinking,” Caruso said.
“At the same time, there is no evidence to suggest that the whimsical Ralph Steadman art on the Easy IPA label causes any of those problems. We believe that British adults can think for themselves and Flying Dog, an independent U.S. craft brewer, will not honor the Portman Group’s request to discontinue shipping Easy IPA to the UK.”
Portman Group signatories include Heineken, Guinness, Bacardi, Molson, Carlsberg and InBev (among others).
Because James Clay, Flying Dog’s importer and UK wholesaler, isn’t a signatory of the Portman Group, the beer will remain available in the UK market for customers to purchase as they choose.