Crafting a Perfect Brewery Name, Logo, and Slogan

Favorite craft brewery names/logos/slogans and why they are so good:

*BEST NAME:

Stormcloud Brewing of Frankfort, MI – This is my all time favorite name for a brewery and they have a great logo, as well. If you’ve ever seen a fierce Lake Michigan storm coming ashore, you know why this is such an awesome name for a brewery that no one should ever forget. The name has just the right mix of local flavor, with an eclectic and memorable brand name. Their logo is an excellent representation of the name.

I love Stormcloud, particularly its original location in downtown Frankfort and the fact that they give so much back to the community. The owner bought adjacent Garden Theater and has had it restored. Stormcloud has even installed an outdoor, full-size competitive curling sheet next to their downtown brewpub for lessons, leagues, and parties.

On a side note, we actually went to Stormcloud the evening of our wedding day back in 2014 and were applauded by the crowd (we hadn’t changed out of our wedding clothes yet) and were given a free flight of beers by the staff.

Here’s a sample flight of some other well-crafted brewery names (listed alphabetically):

Akronym Brewing of Akron, OH – Here’s an example of using your city’s name in a catchy and amusing way without just saying, “Akron Brewing.”

Ancient City Brewing of St. Augustine, FL – A name that highlights the long history of St. Augustine and subtly hints that they have been in business for a long time.

Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op of Los Alamos, NM – The name alone gets your attention. Curiosity about the name and the interesting history of the vicinity where they are located helps draw you in. Then, it is up to the quality of the beers and the customer service. I am looking forward to visiting this brewery in September.

Brewery Vivant of Grand Rapids, MI – If you have ever visited Brewery Vivant, you would know why this name is perfect – its located in the historic chapel of a former funeral home and they only brew Belgian style beers. You literally feel like you are in Europe when you are in the brewpub. Have visited here several times and have taken their tour.

Cannonball Creek Brewing of Golden CO – If that name does at least catch your attention, nothing will.

Canuck Empire Brewing of Abbotsford, BC – With this globally recognizable name, this brewer likely intends to go places and not just be a micro-brewer.

Flagship Brewing of Staten Island, NY – great name for a product in a community with a seafaring past and the term “Flagship” relates to it being a leading product.

Flying Bison Brewing of Buffalo, NY – What else goes better with Buffalo Wings than a Flying Bison? Great name and product linkage!

Great Dane Pub and Brewing of Madison, WI – If you didn’t know better, you would think this name only relates to the dog breed, but lovely Madison, Wisconsin is located in Dane County, so there is a nice local tie-in too, without directly referencing the county in their name.

High Ground Brewing of Terra Alta, WV – The name doesn’t sound too intriguing until you see where they are located. “Terra Alta” translates to “High Ground.” The term “high ground” can also be interpreted as they have high standards too. Nice double meaning, though I am not a big fan of the logo. It looks too much an Anheuser-Busch logo.

Kaktus Brewing of Bernalillo, NM – Cute play on the word cactus. Also, I love their logo – it may be my all-time favorite. I am also looking forward to visiting they brewery located just north of Albuquerque in September and likely buying some swag.

Liquid Riot Bottling/Brewing of Portland, ME – Anyone who loves beer should love this name, but let’s spice up the logo some, eh?

Lager Heads Brewing of Medina, OH – Love the pun. Would probably be better suited to a place with a logging industry past or where Loggerhead turtles nest, but the name is memorable. The logo is my least favorite on this list – what the heck does an angry wart-hog have to do with lager or logger?

Lost Coast Brewery of Eureka, CA – just mysterious and localized enough to be intriguing and certainly fits with the mystique of the Northern California coastline. Visited here in 2012 – love their Tangerine Wheat!

Mad Anthony Brewing of Fort Wayne, IN – terrific name for a brewpub based on the nickname of the general for whom the city of Fort Wayne is named – General “Mad” Anthony Wayne.

Mother Road Brewing of Flagstaff, AZ – Actually a great double entendre – Mother Road can refer to Route 66 or it can relate to this place being the route to great beers. Tried to visit here in May, but they are closed on Mondays, I did enjoy one of their beers (Kolsch) at Relic Road (see below) in Winslow.

Ore Dock Brewing of Marquette, MI – Great name for a brewery/brewpub in a great town, where the ore docks are definitely iconic. Their logo is another one of my favorites.

Prairie Sun Brewery of Saskatoon, SK – To me, this is a very refreshing and inspiring name that harkens of good times, fun in the sun, and other great images.

Relic Road Brewing of Winslow, AZ – Great name for a place that fronts on Route 66 itself. Visited the brewpub after standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ. It was such fine place to be. Only downer is that I could not find a logo online to include.

Whiprsnapr Brewing of Ottawa, ON – Fun name that plays on generational differences. They have a terrific logo too.

BEST LOGO (links provided to those not linked to above):

Kaktus Brewing of Bernalillo, NM
Ore Dock Brewing of Marquette, MI
Stormcloud Brewing 0f Frankfort, MI
Whiprsnapr Brewing of Ottawa, ON
Daredevil Brewing of Indianapolis, IN (Rad helmet and tie-in with the Indy 500)
Bathtub Row Brewing of Los Alamos, NM
Flying Bison Brewing of Buffalo, NY
Night Shift Brewing of Everett, MA (Cool owl)
Baffin Brewing of St. Clair Shores, MI (Cute and fun-loving dog who the brand is named after.)
South/Norte Beer of San Diego, CA (nice design and juxtaposition of shapes and wording)

BEST SLOGAN (not all craft brewers have one/links provided to new ones):

“Don’t Float The Mainstream” – SweetWater Brewing of Atlanta, GA – Great way to say craft beers are better than the national brands without being snarky.
“Love It Madly” – Mad Anthony Brewing of Fort Wayne, IN – Terrific adaptation of The Doors famous song title.
“Superior Sourced” – Ore Dock Brewing of Marquette, MI – Simple and memorable, while also noting its great water and taste source.
“Beer Speaks, People Mumble” – Lagunitas Brewing of Petaluma, CA – Funny and memorable.

If there are other brewery names, logos, or slogans that you think should be on this list, feel free to pass them along. While the lists are not meant to be comprehensive, we are always happy to hear about new, innovative and fun names. Cheers!

Here are a couple of books that are available through Amazon* that may be helpful when deciding whether to start a craft beer business:

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