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(Courtesy Adroit Brewing)
Adroit Theory Brewing, a northern Virginia craft brewery renowned for their challenging beer projects and fearless boundary pushing, recently released a new variety pack that they maybe wish they could take back.
Adroit Theory’s Murder Box contains four different beers boldly emblazoned with the names and faces of four of the most infamous twentieth century criminals in in the US.
According to the Drinks Business, “Ramirez” is branded with the face of Richard Ramirez, the serial killer and prolific rapist who targeted adults and children in California from 1984 to 198.
The Pilsner is named after Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer who murdered 17 men and boys, in some cases committing necrophilia and cannibalism. The other two beers in the box are branded with Edmund Kemper, nicknamed the “Co-ed Killer,” and John Wayne Gacy, who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boy.
And following the brewery’s twitter announcement, the online backlash was immediate and equally brutal…
Beer writer Melissa Cole tweeted: “A new low here…glorifying rapists, murderers and pedophiles – yeah, I’m sure folks will absolutely love it, you disgusting empathy vacuums.”
Michael Graham, co-founder of Austin Beerworks, asked Adroit Theory: “Are y’all donating all the proceeds to the victims’ families or just profiting off their torture and deaths?”
Beer writer Jason van Rassel stated on Facebook:
“I started writing about beer as a hobby in about 2006 or so – at the time, my “real” job was working as a crime reporter…During that time, I covered hundreds of homicides and other horrific crimes, often speaking to the loved ones of murder victims, witnesses and survivors, and I saw their pain and trauma firsthand. Anybody who thinks it’s fun or good marketing to glorify serial killers, no matter how much time has passed, doesn’t have a working moral compass.”
Another user suggested
that the decision to brand beer cans with criminals could be reimagined for a more useful purpose
“If you’re going to do this, at least name them after wanted fugitives on the FBI most wanted list. Putting their pictures on your cans will at least be doing some kind of net positive by spreading awareness.”
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(All image credits Adroit Theory Brewing /Beertographee)
