Mitchell Brewing Co, a brewery in Lincolnshire, UK, has recently gone viral on social media due to its controversially named beer, “Osama Bin Lager.” This beer quickly became a hot topic among netizens, leading the brewery to disconnect its phones and temporarily shut down its website for reservations. In an Instagram post about “Osama Bin Lager,” Mitchell Brewing Co asked, “Pints of beauty are doing a poll over on Twitter. What are we thinking, Carling or Osama Bin Lager? Can’t be a difficult choice, can it!”
Run by the husband and wife duo, Luke and Catherine Mitchell, the brewery also offers beers named after other notorious figures, such as Kim Jong-Un and Vladimir Putin, branded as Kim Jong Ale and Putin Porter, respectively. Luke Mitchell explained to the BBC, “They’re all tongue-in-cheek names – a nicer outlook on some horrible dictators. We’ve woken up the last couple of mornings with thousands and thousands and thousands of notifications. Everyone laughs when they see the names on the bar. As far as I’m aware, no one’s been offended, but I’m sure there is someone out there.”
Catherine Mitchell shared similar sentiments, telling the BBC, “It’s been crazy. The phone just hasn’t stopped for the last 48 hours.” Despite the overwhelming response, she acknowledged the potential for offense. “I think there’s always a risk of somebody being offended,” she added.
To address possible backlash, Mitchell Brewing Co donates £10 from every barrel of Osama Bin Lager to a charity supporting victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The brewery’s bold marketing strategy has undeniably sparked widespread attention and debate.
