So as I’ve stated, quirky interesting packaging can grab my attention, especially if it’s containing a good beer. So one day a year or so ago when I walked into State Line Liquors, I had no choice by to pick up a bottle of Stone Brewing’s Lukcy Basartd. Yeah no, that’s not a typo. Here’s why…
One of the many internet “myths” that gets circulated once in awhile is a supposed study done by Cambridge University which shows that if you scramble all letters in a word, leaving the first and last letter where they belong, your brain can unscramble the word so fast that you can read the jumbled paragraph with hardly a pause. Here’s an example text of the email that usually gets passed around:
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsatltteer be in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?;
Now I use the word myth in quotes because there is obviously a small grain of truth to the story as most of you probably had no problems reading the message. Which isn’t surprising after all, the best myths have a basis in truth. However, like many myths they also have their share of falsehood. First, it isn’t from Cambridge University as claimed. Second, it doesn’t seem to work with really complex words or in all languages. For a detailed run down of the origins you can go Matt Davis’ excellent article here.
Anyway, someone at Stone obviously got one of these emails and decided to drive beer label readers crazy. Their Lucky Bastard (unscrambled) is a blend of Arrogant Bastard Ale, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale and Double Bastard Ale made for the brewery’s 13th anniversary. The back of the bottle has a screened on passage scrambled like the one above. Here’s a photo of it:
Sadly, if this has peaked your interest I have some bad news. Lukcy Basartd was a one time release back around November of 2010. But if you search hard, you still might find a bottle of it out there somewhere. I know I’m always keeping an eye open. Now I wonder how long it will be before a beer company puts out a label based on this new one that is circulating around Facebook:
7H15 M355463 53RV35 70 PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1N6 7H1N65! 1MPR3551V3 7H1N65! 1N 7H3 B361NN1NG 17 W45 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 L1N3 Y0UR M1ND 15 R34D1N6 17 4U70M471C411Y W17H 0UT 3V3N 7H1NK1N6 4B0U7 17, B3 PR0UD! 0N1Y C34R741N P30PL3 C4N R34D 7H15. R3 P057 1F U C4N.
Time for another beer! Coming up, Halloween! A holiday made for beer!
The Dogs of Beer 