Surly Brewing's Overrated IPA Label Rejected for Unicorn, Rainbow Images

According to The Full Pint, Minneapolis-based Surly Brewing Company was recently denied permission by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to use the proposed label design for its new West Coast-style IPA, Overrated.

According to an exerted newsletter from Surly, the original artwork displayed a pink-colored unicorn with a bright rainbow in the background. If it’s not obvious why an image that leans hard on rainbow and unicorn imagery might get a rejection from the TTB, the newsletter stated: “they [TTB] said it was too appealing to underage drinking, as if adults can’t be into unicorns and rainbows?! Pfft. It’s a little over the top, that’s the joke…”

The new label for their 16 oz. can displays a more traditional presentation: the company’s logo and the name of the IPA perched on two columns while fireworks dot the sky and an enthusiastic crowd cheers below.

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