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It’s getting tougher and tougher for breweries around the world to name themselves and/or their beers without getting into trouble with someone somewhere.
And now two craft breweries in Buffalo, NY breweries have apologized and pulled a collaboration beer they did together after the Hindu community protested its name.
At issue was a beer named Aqua Shiva, an 8.5% ABV Hazy IPA that was crafted by Western New York’s Pressure Drop and Big Ditch Brewing who were quick to put an end to the project.
Matt Kahn, President & Co-Founder of Big Ditch Brewing issued a “joint response” to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed who spearheaded the protest…
“We very recently became aware that our collaborative beer, Aqua Shiva, was offensive to Hindus. We deeply apologize to the Hindu community for this poor choice of our beer name and artwork. We simply did not put enough time into thinking about this beer name and artwork and what the use of the name Shiva means to the Hindu community. This beer is discontinued and will never be made again…
Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention, as we will learn from it. Again, we deeply apologize to you and to the Hindu community; we meant no harm,” Kahn added.
(Rajan Zed is watching U)
Rajan Zed, the conservative leader of the Nevada-based Universal Society of Hinduism, has led several efforts over the years aimed at breweries and beers that he felt were offensively named.
In 2014 he took on Odd 13 Brewing over the Lafayette, Colorado-based brewery naming an Imperial IPA after the Hindu God Hanuman. In 2018 a Salem, VA brewery, Olde Salem Brewing incurred Zed’s wrath after it also named a beer after the Hindu Deity. (Note to breweries: Don’t even think about naming your beer Hanuman)
And in 2019 Zed criticized Walhalla Craft Beer, a small brewery based in in the Netherlands for its Shakti Double IPA arguing that Shakti (a general term for the Goddess) is highly venerated in Hinduism and not meant to be used in selling beer.
“Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously,” Zed shared with American Craft Beer. “Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled.
