The 10 Weirdest Craft Brewery Names in the U.S.
Brewers have released countless beers with strange names over the years, but doing so is a rather low-stakes endeavor. If a name doesn’t resonate with the public, brewers can simply scrap it and come up with a new one for the next batch. The same can’t be said, however, for the names of their businesses.
Every brewery needs a name, obviously, and coming up with one is among the first steps to getting any business up and running. Unfortunately, not all founders are great at marketing, and in the beer industry, it’s commonplace for business owners to use inside jokes or obscure references as inspiration. The result can sometimes be a quirky, memorable moniker, but often it winds up being something that comes across as puzzling or nonsensical to those on the outside looking in.
Concerning those that fall into the latter camp, we tracked down the strangest of them from across the U.S. and explored the stories behind each one. From the arcane and cryptic to the utterly immature, here are the 10 weirdest brewery names in America.
Angry Chair Brewing
Tampa, Fla.
Anyone who grew up watching the children’s show “Blue’s Clues” will be familiar with the concept of a thinking chair. For those who didn’t, it’s a seat that’s set aside for contemplation and working out issues. A chair reserved for being angry, though? Not something that ever appeared in the show — nor real life, as far as we know. But it is the name of this Tampa-based brewery, which is known for its decadent, adjunct-laden pastry stouts. According to the brewery’s website, “the angry chair is symbolic of a place, time, or situation that you have experienced. It is something you have had to overcome or something that sparked a change in your lifestyle.” Although people generally don’t make sound decisions while angry, if the emotion inspires a positive change, we’re here for it.
Ass Clown Brewing Company
Cornelius, N.C.
An Urban Dictionary entry defines an “ass clown” as “a person who is so silly and embarrassing that neither the word ‘ass’ or the word ‘clown’ can properly describe them.” Why this N.C.-based brewery chose the hybrid insult as its name is a mystery. Regardless, the fact that the brewery has a whopping 31 draft lines running seven days a week is evidence that the folks behind Ass Clown take their work seriously — if not themselves.
Big Sexy Brewing Company
Sacramento, Calif.
In a 2020 interview with The Sacramento Bee, Big Sexy Brewing Company co-founder James Thompson explained that “Big Sexy” was a nickname given to his best friend Mark. “It took [on] a life of its own, so we became Big Sexy Brewing Company,” Thompson said. “We thought people would connect with a cool name — something fun and approachable.” Unfortunately, the brewery wasn’t quite sexy enough to survive. It closed down in 2024.
Grandma’s House
Denver
Not “Grandma’s House Brewing Co.” or “Grandma’s House Brewery.” This small, cozy brewery in Denver was simply named “Grandma’s House,” and the decor made it feel just like a typical grandparent’s home. The taproom was decked out with old mismatched furniture. The shelves behind the bar were lined with trinkets and vintage ceramic figurines. And the tap handles even had cutesy knitted covers. Apparently, the beer was nothing to write home about, but the vibe was immaculate. Sadly, Grandma’s House also shut down in 2024.
Hoof Hearted Brewing
Marengo, Ohio
At first glance, there’s nothing too strange about Hoof Hearted Brewing’s name. That is, until you’ve said “Hoof Hearted” out loud a few times. Then, the words morph into the question, “Who farted?” This isn’t just something that fans of the brewery discovered on their own. The wordplay was intentional from the beginning, as confirmed by Hoof Hearted’s head brewer and co-owner Trevor Williams in an interview with VinePair back in 2018.
Lord Hobo Brewing Company
Woburn, Mass.
Lord Hobo Brewing Company’s name is the product of an inside joke. The story goes that brewery owner Daniel Lanigan was out one night with his best friend Nathan Hobbs (nickname: Hobo), and Hobbs started acting a bit unruly. His behavior inspired Lanigan to proclaim that his friend “really is the lord of hobos.” To honor his buddy and that fateful night, Lanigan opened a craft beer bar named Lord Hobo in Cambridge, Mass., in 2010, and used the same moniker for the brewery he opened five years later. Lanigan has since left both the bar and brewery, but the Lord Hobo name remains — at the brewery, at least.
Ponysaurus Brewing Co.
Durham, N.C.
The rationale behind the Ponysaurus Brewing Co.’s strange name is actually quite heartwarming. Co-founder and brewmaster Keil Janson is a former special education teacher, and according to a 2017 interview with the team, there were “a lot of ponies and dinosaurs in the curriculum.” The idea to combine the two animals pays homage to both Janson’s previous career and the brewery’s fantastical approach to brewing. As co-founder Nick Hawthorne-Johnson told Our State Magazine, “You take water, grain, and hops into the back, you do alchemy, and out comes this magical thing. It’s a reminder to loosen up, that we’re involved in a magical endeavor.”
Quaff ON! Brewing Company
Nashville, Ind.
Quaff is an antiquated verb that means “to drink heartily and with gusto,” so the owners of Quaff ON! Brewing Company could well have named their business “Keep Drinking Brewing Co.” While the latter would be more absurd, Quaff ON! isn’t exactly a creative or catchy name, either. The worst part is that the brewery was originally called Big Woods Brewing Company — arguably a better name — but the owners switched to Quaff ON! in 2012.
Salty Nut Brewery
Huntsville, Ala.
A bowl of salty nuts is a great companion for a pint, but naming a brewery “Salty Nut” is a bit of an odd choice. In a 2016 interview with food and travel blog The Wandering Gourmand, brewery co-owner Jay Kissell explained that the moniker was actually inspired by The Salty Nuts, a band name that some of the owners adopted while playing the popular video game “Rock Band.” After the name got banned by the PlayStation network, the owners decided to keep it alive through their new brewery.
Tripping Animals Brewing Co.
Doral, Fla.
According to the brewery’s website, “‘Tripping’ stands for ‘having fun’ which for us is mandatory and ‘Animals’ represents you, us, and everybody.” Given that the majority of the brewery’s cans depict cartoonish animals with half-opened, orange eyes, it’s likely that the owners have a specific type of “fun” in mind. The title could also be a nod to the drunken monkey hypothesis, but it’s an oddball name for a brewery regardless.
*Image retrieved from @assclownbrewingcompany via Instagram
The article The 10 Weirdest Craft Brewery Names in the U.S. appeared first on VinePair.