Breaking News - Road Dog Rides Again
April 12, 2001 -- Freedom of Speech Wins Out in Flying Dog Label Dispute
Nearly six years after Colorado Liquor Enforcement Director David Reitz declared the label of Flying Dog Brewery's Road Dog Ale to be "obscene or profane in nature", the brewery has received approval from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) to use the controversial artwork in national distribution.
The Road Dog Ale label features an image from artist Ralph Steadman that includes the contentious phrase "Good Beer No Shit. The brewery was not about to take this lying down and resisted the censorship. The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado (ACLU) took up the case on behalf of the Flying Dog crew.
In what appears to have been an effort to avoid a final court ruling on whether the censorship was legal, Colorado authorities changed their regulations and abandoned the practice of reviewing beer for "offensive" material. Instead, Colorado merely requires that brewers comply with the BATF regulations for interstate labels and obtain clearance from the BATF.
New labels have been produced emblazoned with the original Steadman art. Consumers can expect to see them on the shelves of package stores throughout the 29 states where Flying Dog Ales are distributed.
For more information, check out the the Flying Dog website http://www.flyingdogales.com or call Lori Tullberg-Kelly of Pit Bull Marketing at 303-861-2545.
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