We are outraged by our cider could be banned because it truly is ‘too sexual’

A cider maker has been remaining outraged soon after the UK’s alcoholic beverages sector regulator threatened to ban one of its beverages mainly because the identify and logo is ‘too sexual’.

The Bearded Brewery, based mostly in Cornwall, states the complaint is ‘utterly disgraceful’ – immediately after alcoholic beverages trade physique the Portman Group stated the imagery, identify and slogan could be witnessed as referring to the ‘pursuit of a youthful woman’s virginity’.

The cherry-flavoured Unshaven Maiden cider is apparently ‘too sexual’ – with its symbol demonstrating a mermaid figurehead on a pirate ship, her breasts partly covered by her extended crimson beard and hair, and its slogan saying: ‘Search for the cherry’d treasure’. 

Bearded Brewery co-founder Robbie Langouroux-Fay stated the regulatory entire body has been attempting to pressure him to ditch his CAMRA award-successful cider for a couple many years immediately after a Guardian foods and consume columnist initial took offence at the title.

Since then, the 4 for each cent ABV cider has been in the firing line for its overt ‘sexual content’.

A cider maker has been still left outraged soon after the UK’s alcohol field regulator banned one of its drinks simply because the identify and logo (pictured) is ‘too sexual’

Robbie reported: ‘I’m a dad of an 11-calendar year-previous and five-yr-outdated girls. I am a household male. The criticism is ridiculous. What the Portman Group have prepared again to us is very surprising. 

‘They’re implying that our merchandise and our brewery aid people today wanting to rest with underage women. It can be completely disgraceful.

‘This is a darkish location. It can be some thing we had not even thought of when we came up with the title. Who thinks that? It just reflects back again on them. I informed them as a lot.’

A statement from Matt Lambert, CEO of The Portman Group, insisted the trade body’s selection was ‘provisional’ fairly than ‘final’, and that the brewer has the option to attractiveness the determination. 

The Bearded Brewery in St Mawgan, which was co-founded with Mark Lengthy, has been generating a title for alone for nearly six a long time, buying and selling on the beards, tattoos, bikers and pirates imagery since working day 1. 

Among the the ciders the brewery generates are the 6.2 for every cent Storm Problems, the 5.5 for every cent Swallows Relaxation and the 8 for every cent Tanker Slapper as well as the Moustache Mango cider, Shaky Todd or Pink Fluffer.

Even so, it is the Unshaven Maiden which captivated the ire of the Portman Team with a formal hearing pursuing a next grievance by a further craft cider maker ahead of Xmas.

In its letter to the Bearded Brewery, which has been witnessed by CornwallLive, the Portman Team claimed the mermaid was as well popular when compared with the rest of the ship, and far too life-like. 

It also explained the name and the impression of a half-naked lady merged with the tagline ‘search for the cherry’d treasure’ was much too sexual and could result in prevalent offence.

The Bearded Brewery, primarily based in Cornwall, says the complaint produced by the Portman Team is ‘utterly disgraceful’. Pictured, founders Mark Prolonged and Robbie Langouroux-Fay at the Bearded Brewery in St Mawgan with their cider ‘Unshaven Maiden’

The complaint – dated November 2022 – that Unshaven Maiden is ‘unnecessarily sexual’, was produced underneath the Code of Exercise on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks which states that a ‘drink, its packaging and promotional product need to not in any direct or indirect way propose any association with sexual activity or sexual success’. 

It was also built below one more short article of the code that no drink really should be produced that leads to ‘serious or popular offence’.

Robbie reported he tried to argue that the bearded mermaid was in the context of his business’s name – Bearded Brewery – even though the tagline is a participate in on the words and phrases ‘search for the buried treasure’ as properly as a reference to the cherry flavour of the cider.

The letter from the Portman Group reads: ‘The panel pointed out that “maiden” could relate to a virgin or an single youthful woman. 

‘Furthermore, the panel thought of this together with the tagline “search for the cherry’d treasure”, which strengthened the perception that the name referred to a pursuit of a younger woman’s virginity.

‘The total impression conveyed by the merchandise packaging intended that the overriding which means communicated was a deliberate double entendre with potent sexual connotations. 

‘Furthermore, the panel expressed issue that “look for for the cherry’d treasure”, when recognized in the broader context of looking for a youthful virgin girl, prompt that searching for out virgins was in some way acceptable.’

The Portland Group’s letter added: ‘When contemplating these elements in mix, the panel concluded that the identify, the tagline and prominent depiction of the partially nude, everyday living-like mermaid all connected to a sexual innuendo of searching for a young woman’s virginity, and designed an oblique affiliation with sexual action. 

‘The panel concluded these kinds of messaging was offensive, and detrimental in the broader context of gender stereotypes, which was out of position with societal values in 2022.’

The Portman Group upheld the complaint from last year’s preliminary listening to at a more modern assembly this thirty day period. Robbie explained he’s submitted one final attractiveness and is awaiting the consequence.

It is the 2nd time the brewery has been in trouble around the name of its products and solutions. 

In 2019, the cidermaker experienced to halt creating its 7.8 per cent Suicyder due to the fact it was considered to portray a connection among liquor and suicide.

Robbie added: ‘We made that cider especially to increase recognition and dollars for psychological wellness charities like Intellect and Person Down in Cornwall. 

‘After the most up-to-date criticism, I actually really feel like creating ciders that are as offensive as doable so they continue to ban us and give us totally free publicity. The complete factor is just absurd.’

Underneath the guidelines, drink makers have many possibilities about how to proceed. Most producers will make variations to their packaging to provide it in line with the code or voluntarily clear away it from the United kingdom marketplace. 

On its web page, the Portman Team stated that if producers do not choose action inside 3 months, the team can issue a retailer notify bulletin which would quit the sale of any problematic item.