Mother’s Brewing explains why it rebranded its MILF beer

We want to give a shout out to Mother’s Brewing for a rebranding it recently took upon itself. One of its flagship beers for years has been named MILF, which is juvenile but as far as offensive craft beer names go isn’t so bad. The brewery received no flak from the vaunted PC POLICE for it either. The brewery just internally made the decision to change the beer’s name to Materfamilias. So, if it wasn’t an overt problem why fix it? Here’s the super thoughtful explanation from the brewery’s blog:

The craft brewing industry is not static and breweries are constantly evolving. This is a big reason that US craft continues to lead the world in the future of beer. Your Mother’s is no exception. Since 2011, we’ve changed the beers we offer, we’ve changed the packaging they come in and we’ve even changed the recipes for beloved favorites. One thing we have not changed is our core philosophy: we brew love.

That philosophy has led us to make another change. Our barrel-aged imperial stout MILF will be getting a new name. Starting with the 2019 release, this coveted beer will be known as Materfamilias. Why would we make such a drastic change to a brand that has been a consistent winner over the course of our seven years?

The original name is based on the joke that likely needs no explanation. When we were a fledgling brewery, ‘MILF’ fit the irreverent stance we were introducing ourselves with. Over time, we’ve come to realize that what first seemed cheeky and funny no longer fits us or this beer. Nor does the name ‘MILF’ reflect the effort and devotion we put into making the liquid. This is our most time consuming and labor intensive beer. It’s the beer we choose as the fitting end to a perfect evening with friends and family. It is a beer that we will confidently put alongside any beer in the world. It deserves a name that reflects its pedigree.

Materfamilias is Latin for ‘female head of the house.’ No other beer we make commands as much attention and devotion as she. From the brewhouse to the barrels, your Mother’s remains at the service of this exquisite imperial stout. In the aging process, the beer’s interaction with the wood of bourbon, rye whiskey, rum, and brandy barrels dictates the composition of the final blend. Materfamilias cannot be rushed. It cannot be forced. It brooks no compromise. The result is a stout of such complexity and nuance that you, too, will recognize the authority of your Materfamilias.

Love it. As expected when change like this happens though, sensing the PC POLICE may have stepped in and ruined the course of history, the BUT I WASN’T OFFENDED MILITIA gets ironically super offended and is sure to let everyone know how they feel (even though they hate feelings). The militia did turn out on social media to support the old branding, but Anne Mauldin, marketing manager at Mother’s, tells us those comments were dwarfed by thoughtful support like this:

“The overwhelmingly positive response to changing the name of MILF to Materfamilias has been heartening,” Mauldin said. “We knew that we would agitate a certain number of fans of the old name, and they have not been hesitant to express their disapproval on social media. Facebook and Instagram comments are pretty clear: for every negative response there are so many more positive ones. It was important to let our fans know that, as an independent brewery, sometimes that independence means following your heart. Most of our Mother’s lovers value our independence. They appreciate the fact that we express ourselves, both through our beer and our brand, in a way that honestly reflects our values.”

If you’ve been feeling like a beer — even a best seller — doesn’t reflect your brand or put your brewery in the right light anymore, take a cue from Mother’s, don’t worry about the what-ifs and change course.