Fuller’s ESB – Fuller’s Griffin Brewery
Since London is hosting the Olympics I thought it only fitting to review a British beer label. Fuller’s ESB proclaims that it is a ”Champion Ale” with some graphics of gold metals to support this claim. No, these metals are not Olympic Golds, but rather represent the winning of CAMRA’s (Campaign for Real Ale) Beer of the Year Award many times. This label is regal indeed; it has a royal color palette of red, blue and gold. The label has a classic shield shape and a heraldic griffin that sits on top defending a keg of beer. I think the thing I like most about this label is that it has all the stylings of a classic, historic brew, but the look doesn’t feel dated due to its very crisp and vibrant design. A shiny paper stock and a healthy dose of what I like to call “God Rays” (those rays of light shooting out from behind) makes for a label that would make the Queen Mum proud. To bad beer drinking isn’t an Olympic event, that would be fun although we would have to rethink the whole standing on a podium thing.