This Craft Brewery Realized Its “MILF” Beer Was in Poor Taste, so Get This: They Actually Changed It to Something Positive
Photos via Mothers Brewing
For all the efforts made by pioneering women in the craft brewing community, it’s hard to shake the stigma of beer as the perennial boys club. Although the overall demographics of the industry continue to draw closer to egalitarianism, we’ve still had to write pieces over the years about the troubling use of female sexuality in craft beer advertising, or one cidery’s incredibly sexist marketing, which stated that the cider market came about to serve “the girlfriends” of craft beer drinkers. Even with groups such as the Brewers Association’s Diversity Committee working to help bring more parity to the industry, we get constant reminders that there’s still a long way to go.
Still, with that said, it’s really refreshing to see a brewery recognize a mistake, own up to it, and then actually change it for the better rather than doubling down in defense of something tacky. That’s what happened recently at Springfield, MO’s Mother’s Brewing Co.
For years, Mother’s had been producing and marketing a well-liked, barrel-aged imperial stout by the questionable name of “MILF.” The name had never really come under any particular fire from the brewery’s audience, but over time, it seems the brewery simply realized that “MILF” lacked a certain air of elegance for one of the brewery’s most sought-after products.
The old MILF label. Certainly could have been worse, in all fairness.
And so, the brewery just came up with a better name: “Materfamilias,” while simultaneously admitting a degree of fault and rationalizing the change to their audience. As stated in the brewery’s official post on the subject:
Starting with the 2019 release, this coveted beer will be known as Materfamilias. Why would we make such a drastic change to a brand that has been a consistent winner over the course of our seven years?
The original name is based on the joke that likely needs no explanation. When we were a fledgling brewery, ‘MILF’ fit the irreverent stance we were introducing ourselves with. Over time, we’ve come to realize that what first seemed cheeky and funny no longer fits us or this beer. Nor does the name ‘MILF’ reflect the effort and devotion we put into making the liquid. This is our most time consuming and labor intensive beer. It’s the beer we choose as the fitting end to a perfect evening with friends and family. It is a beer that we will confidently put alongside any beer in the world. It deserves a name that reflects its pedigree.