The Flying Fish Brewing Co. recently unveiled a new beer series (their newest brew, Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat Ale, hit bars today) that has the NJ Turnpike Authority and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) on edge.
The Exit Series™ of beers is a multi-year brewing experiment to brew a series of beers as diverse as the great state of New Jersey. These big beers–in size as well as flavor–will celebrate each exit of the state-long artery that connects us. Each beer will focus on a unique aspect of an individual exit.
M.A.D.D. raged against "Exit Series," telling the AP: The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense...This is almost a mockery.
The NJ Turnpike Authority had a calmer reaction, ensuring that Flying Fish made no mention of the Turnpike on the web site (besides the disclaimer at the bottom).
The rebuttal?
In an interview with NY Magazine's Grub Street, owner Gene Muller said:
We all agree that drinking and driving is a bad thing. But we thought a lot about it and made sure that there wasn't anything about the beer would give the impression that is was about that. I mean, there are Budweiser billboards on highways and there's a Budweiser logo on a NASCAR racecar going 200 miles an hour. We're a little company and if someone wants to beat someone up, it's going to be the little guy.
Hm, playing the "little guy" card. Ok. Maybe he has a point. But still. While I'm sure this will merit many fist pumps from in-staters, it's going to take a lot more than a decent beer to make me disassociate the NJ Turnpike from the traffic congestion horrors, foul smells, and asshole drivers that plague it.
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