Brewer Behind 'Mouth Raper' Beer Denies Any Involvement

Hop Valley, the brewer behind a beer either offhandedly or deliberately named “Mouth Raper” (depending on who you believe) responded to a recent Jezebel article on the issue, denying the beer in question was ever called that. However, a current employee of the brewer disputes their claim.

After the article ran, Hop Valley pulled the beer in question and, via their Facebook page, issued this statement:

We have a series of draft beers named Mr. Orange, Mr. Black and Mr. IPA. It has come to our attention that an urban myth and street name has emerged surrounding Mr. IPA. We take this very seriously and are sensitive to these issues. Accordingly, we have pulled the product and are instructing our distributors to replace any remaining kegs with other offerings. We apologize for any harm or misunderstandings this has created.

Except, not so fast says an employee who contacted me after reading the original story:

[The] brewers really were calling it Mouth Raper. I was having a
stressful day the day that was tapped and one of the brewers said, “oh you need to go in the walk in and try that raper.” That made me uncomfortable, but…I wasn’t trying to stir up trouble…so I didn’t say anything.

It’s an endless
string of dudebro, douchey bullshit around there. I just called it
“Mouth…Ruiner” rather than say that terrible trigger word to any
customers if it being an acronym came up.

More details about the beer: it was originally
brewed for the GABF imperial ipa category. Beers need TTB approval to
cross state lines so it was entered as MR IPA (but not “Mr. IPA”) We do
also have beers called Mr. Orange and Mr. Black but I am 100% certain
among the brewers, my staff, and apparently also some of our accounts,
the “real” name was indeed Mouth Raper.

First off—the names “Mr. Orange” and “Mr. Black” are clearly references to characters from Reservoir Dogs. However, I don’t seem to recall any “Mr. IPA” in that movie. That’s kind of a random referential jump, but OK, Hop Valley.

“[The] bigger story than the particular brewery I work for being brotastic
(not news around these parts…) is that the really icky boys’ club in
the craft beer industry is sales and distribution,” said our source. “It was one from
brewers/owners to sales/distribution to this accounts ‘around Oregon that
the name spread. Very few women in that game.”

To that end, witness the reaction of seller/distributor The Beermongers to the outcry over the name. For those that don’t recall, The Beermongers was the original bar cited as openly using the name.

The Beermongers took to Twitter last week to ask patrons what they thought of the controversy they were tied up in, possibly expecting a outpouring of support and “yeah, this is nothing but a bunch of feminist faux rage, bro!” type responses from their clientele. Turns out, the craft beer community in Oregon is none too pleased with the idea that a beer was named “Mouth Raper,” nor with an establishment who sells it being flippant about the growing outrage.

Relax and have a beer, everyone.

“We’re talking about beer, which is fun, not actual rape.” Oh yikes. Look, we know what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about businesses that either casually or quite deliberately refer to a product by making a joke out of the word “rape,” and when called out for it by tons of people—patrons who enjoy this product, not just activists or feminists, mind you—the criticism falls on deaf ears. Because LOL they were just having “fun.” Except it’s not “fun” to call your product “rape” anything. But don’t take my word for it. Listen your loyal customer base and fellow craft beer enthusiasts who are sickened by it as well.