BrewDog Debuts the World's First 'Non-Binary, Transgender Beer'

ashley.rae | November 4, 2015
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(Image source: BrewDog)

The craft beer brewery BrewDog has announced the creation of the world’s first “non-binary, transgender beer.”

According to BrewDog’s blog, “No Label is the world’s first ‘non-binary, transgender beer’ designed to reflect the diversity of the area and champion inclusivity.”

BrewDog has allegedly incorporated principles of transgenderism and non-binary genders into its brewing.

“This 4.6% ABV Kölsch has been brewed with hops that have changed sex from female to male flowers prior to harvest. We have used these to emphasise that, just like humans, beer can be whatever the hell it wants to be, and proud of it,” BrewDog states.

 “As befits the Kölsch style, we have brewed No Label with ale yeast and then cold-conditioned to give characteristics of a lager – a beer that blurs boundaries between the binary worlds of lager and ale. The beer draws parallels with individuals who identify themselves in a similar ‘non-binary’ way, as neither exclusively male nor female – a community of people that is still largely under-acknowledged by society.”

“We have also looked at the traditions of brewing – where female hop plants are used and male hop bines discarded (as the flowers don’t grow into full cones). For No Label, we have sourced Jester hops – a varietal naturally prone to altering sex whilst growing – and brewed No Label with 20kg that have undergone this change and grown male flowers; to add diversity, rather than restrict it.”

BrewDog also announced the new beer in a post on Instagram:

(Image source: Instagram)

Tags for the Instagram post regarding the announcement include “#lgbt,” “#lgbtq,” “#lgbtqi,” “#transgender,” and “#postgender.”

BrewDog’s online shop describes No Label as “postmodern, postgender non-binary brew; the world’s first beer made with transgender hops.”

BrewDog notes, “All profits the sales of this beer will be donated to LGBTQI+ events organisers Queerest of the Queer.”

The association with Queerest of the Queer comes after BrewDog came under fire for a “transphobic” advertisement in September.

Queerest of the Queer, a concert organization collaboration between “the Meth Lab, Wotever World and the Queer Embassy,” responded to BrewDog’s advertisement by releasing a video. The video accuses BrewDog’s advertisement of being anti-transgender, anti-sex worker, and anti-homeless.

In a statement on Facebook about the No Labels beer, Queerest of the Queer remarked, “[W]hen BrewDog responded to our challenge to talk about their fundraising video and how they could seriously re-engage with and make amends to the LGBTQ+ community they weren't taking the easy track.”

“We met and started to talk about levels of oppression and how Cis, White, Rich, Gay men are not the only voice, even if they are a loud voice. There are other lived experiences. We had long animated discussions, including how charitable money doesn't often end up going to the grass roots organisations that help LGBTQ+ youth, especially when they are supporting the homeless and refugees.”

“So we ended up where we are today, with No Label - a beer with our name on it. A beer without anybody’s name on it. A beer, as it were, without a name,” Queerest of the Queer wrote.

According to Queerest of the Queer, “Money is going to the Albert Kennedy Trust, Micro Rainbow who support LGBT asylum seekers, and we are working with Mosaic Youth and other youth charities to run a LGBTQ+ youth ball in the new year.”

No Label will be debuted on Nov. 6 at BrewDog Soho in London. A bottle of No Label can be purchased online for £1.95 ($3.00).

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