Seasons of Grace
The barley, the malt sugars, the yeast and…what? The chocolate, the peanut butter? Those are the familiar flavors which, when mixed in an unfamiliar way, turn heads and win customers to Sweet Baby Jesus beer.
“Sweet Baby Jesus” is the creation of Baltimore-based DuClaw Brewing Company. According to its founder, Dave Benfield, the brew was so delicious that it made the brewers think, “Sweet baby Jesus!” after partaking. Benfield told Cleveland.com that the company has received occasional complaints from people who think that Jesus’ name should not be found on a beer–but he assured that they have no plans to discontinue the brand.
I’m sure that’s an understatement. DuClaw Brewing is noted for its cutting-edge titles, with beers such as Bare Ass Blonde Ale, Ravenwood, Bad Moon Porter, Misfit Red and Venom. Recent features on their website are Morgasm grapefruit-zested ale, and the soon-to-be-released Mayhem.
But the brewery’s customary naughty-but-nice names have run up against public opinion in Ohio, where Heinen’s Grocery Stores pulled the beer from shelves in their 22 stores in Ohio and Illinois, following customer complaints.
Was the name intended to offend? Fox News quoted DuClaw’s Benfield:
“We liked the phrase, which, at least to us, is a phrase of excitement or astonishment…. It’s not meant to be offensive, it’s not meant to be derogatory. If we thought we’d stepped over the line and offended people, we probably wouldn’t have done it in the first place.”
Sorry, Mr. Benfield. Where I come from, the phrase refers to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and is a phrase of devotion and awe.
Photo credit: By Len Rizzi (photographer) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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