A UK brewery found itself in the spotlight after their beer named 'Osama Bin Lager' sold out rapidly following a viral social media post.
Mitchell Brewing Co., based in Billinghay, Lincolnshire, experienced such overwhelming demand that they had to unplug their phones and temporarily shut down their website.
Luke Mitchell, who runs the brewery with his wife Catherine, told the BBC, "We've woken up the last couple of mornings with thousands and thousands and thousands of notifications." The demand was so intense that staff struggled to keep up with orders.
The controversial beer features a cartoon caricature of Osama Bin Laden, the infamous Al Qaeda leader killed by Navy SEALs in 2011. Despite its provocative name, Mitchell explained that the brewery specialises in giving beers "tongue-in-cheek names" to poke fun at "horrible dictators." Other beers from the brewery include 'Kim Jong Ale' and 'Putin's Porter'.
View this post on InstagramView this post on InstagramMitchell noted that customers generally find the names amusing. "Everyone laughs when they see the names on the bar," he said. "As far as I'm aware, no one's been offended, but I'm sure there is someone out there."
His wife added, "I think there's always a risk of somebody being offended."
In a positive twist, the brewery donates £10 from each barrel of Osama Bin Lager sold to a charity supporting victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This has somewhat mitigated the controversy, with proceeds going towards a good cause.
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