Outrage over Flying Fish Brewery's "Exit Series"

MADD is apparently outraged over Flying Fish Brewery's "Exit Series" beers, which are designed to celebrate the great Garden State of New Jersey by naming a beer after each one of the infamous NJ Turnpike's exits.

Here's the AP article:
The Associated Press: NJ brewery draws ire for naming beers after exits

Mindy Lazar, executive director of New Jersey's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving stated: "The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense," she said. "This is almost a mockery."

Somehow, I don't think Flying Fish was trying to promote drunk driving with this concept

Wow... I am not even sure how they can have a jump of logic like that. From the name of a beer to endorsing drunk driving? Thats lunacy..

Yeah, I read that earlier today on delawareonline.com. That quote from Ms. Lazar of MADD has to be the stupidest thing I've read today.

Shoot, the Jersey Turnpike might be easier to drive if everybody was drunk.

I know, we should make alcohol illegal. That solution is sure to make everything better....

wait, didn't we try that already.

Sorry, I just can't take MADD seriously. They are like PETA. No one will listen to you when you are crazy.

I agree with drinking responsibly and not drinking and driving..... But c'mon that's like christians *no offense to any* and gay marriage arguement. Sometimes it goes just to far to prove a point. At that point of the arguements, no one cares b/c people will be people regardless.......

sam from dogfish had problems with them before, too... he made a short film called "lupulin madness" (like reefer madness) and caught some major flak.... its in his book and it was pretty hilarious.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

Sorry, I just can't take MADD seriously. They are like PETA. No one will listen to you when you are crazy.

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agreed. I love animals and had a tiny bit of respect left for PETA, until they had something to say about Obama killing a fly in an interview. i mean come on...

I never take fringe groups like peta, greenpeace, madd, etc. seriously. Their causes are good for sure, but they take it to such a level it's impossible to take them seriously.

I hate MADD they have become ridiculous. Sadly though, people still take them more seriously than groups like PETA.

Luckily here in WI the Tavern League is way more powerful than MADD.

It's funny how groups like MADD and legislators from states like Alabama and Utah fail to acknowledge that these beers are appealing to a generally older, more responsible demographic of craft beer drinkers, not irresponsible, young binge drinkers. No underage kid is gonna drop $10 on a sixer just to get wasted and drive on the NJ Turnpike.

MADD has truly gone mad

jennieD said:

It's funny how groups like MADD and legislators from states like Alabama and Utah fail to acknowledge that these beers are appealing to a generally older, more responsible demographic of craft beer drinkers, not irresponsible, young binge drinkers. No underage kid is gonna drop $10 on a sixer just to get wasted and drive on the NJ Turnpike.

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i will second that statement.... i didn't start drinking craft beers until i met a guy who brews his own.He's now my brother from a different mother. Now, i'll buy a sixer on the way to his house or take my own... Before then i was a die hard Bud Light guy... I thought beer was just to get trashed, laid, in trouble, etc...... Now, i have an appreciation for the different beers and i now drink for not to get drunk but in the name of research...... I'm sure you guys can agree.....

I think DAMM (drunks against mad mothers) needs to sponsor a beer for this exit off I-75 in Michigan.

^ absolutely priceless.

jennieD said:

MADD is apparently outraged over Flying Fish Brewery's "Exit Series" beers, which are designed to celebrate the great Garden State of New Jersey by naming a beer after each one of the infamous NJ Turnpike's exits.

Here's the AP article:
The Associated Press: NJ brewery draws ire for naming beers after exits

Mindy Lazar, executive director of New Jersey's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving stated: "The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense," she said. "This is almost a mockery."

Somehow, I don't think Flying Fish was trying to promote drunk driving with this concept

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It doesn't matter what the intent was. In our "culture of complaint" (I highly recommend the book of that title by Robert Hughes), the number and variety of professional bitchers just grows exponentially. As Lewis Black said, "There, I finally got to use 'exponentially' in a sentence. It's a word I learned in math class, and it means crappier, and crappier, and crappier."

I've just about lost all respect for MADD this year. Here in SLC they proposed a driver's license scanning database so the State would be able to track drinkers and the number of drinks they drank.

Thank God they lost that one.

The mother who started MADD left the organization years ago after they started to become a prohibitionist organization.

Cool idea for a series of beers, not surprising that MADD flipped out.

And if they hate that, they'll really hate my idea for an automobile themed bar called the Drink & Drive...

I got Exit #4 of the series, letting it settle for a few days before I drink it. I think it's crazy that they are madd about this.

The irony if this is that myself (and thousands upon thousands of others) never would have heard about this series of brews if MADD hadn't complained and turned it into news.

The number of people that were GOING to purchase these beers, but changed their minds after being enlightened by MADD is exactly zero.

The number of people that hadn't heard about it, but that are going to do their best to obtain some now that they know about it is much larger than zero.

Good job MADD.

I belonged to a temperance league for a couple years. They were trying to prevent children from being exposed to alcoholic beverages by drinking everything themselves. I couldn't keep up.

The Turnpike Authority already was pushing to have FF stop marketing the beer before DDAM got into the picture....their participation should guarantee the beers are a publicity grand slam success.

Orlando said the authority has already asked the Cherry Hill, N.J., company to halt marketing the Exit series, and that the agency had consulted with an attorney to press its objections.

"We haven't heard back from [the brewery], yet, but they're still out there promoting it," Orlando said.

Flying Fish president Gene Muller confirmed that he'd spoken with the authority: "They told me they're not real happy with this because they don't want anyone to think the Turnpike is responsible for making beer. I said, 'That's good, because I don't want people thinking Flying Fish is responsible for all the toll hikes.' "

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N.J. wants to roadblock 'Exit' brew | Philadelphia Daily News | 06/19/2009

hopvine said:

The irony if this is that myself (and thousands upon thousands of others) never would have heard about this series of brews if MADD hadn't complained and turned it into news.

The number of people that were GOING to purchase these beers, but changed their minds after being enlightened by MADD is exactly zero.

The number of people that hadn't heard about it, but that are going to do their best to obtain some now that they know about it is much larger than zero.

Good job MADD.

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That's for sure - "there is no such thing as bad publicity." You know the guys at FF (where, by the way, they make some damn good beer) are just eating this up. There is NO way on earth they could have afforded this kind of publicity if they had to pay for it, and they really have been kind of overshadowed in the Philly area by Yards, Victory, DFH and maybe a couple of other locals. This could put them front and center again.

If this was intentional on their part, it was brilliant.

r3dn3ckstyl3z said:

I agree with drinking responsibly and not drinking and driving..... But c'mon that's like christians *no offense to any* and gay marriage arguement. Sometimes it goes just to far to prove a point. At that point of the arguements, no one cares b/c people will be people regardless.......

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Not sure how that has anything to do with making beer. Stick to the subject matter...if I wanted politics I'd go read the NYT.

This is the same organization that tried to get Grand Theft Auto 4 an AO rating for allowing drunk driving - never mind that it was a bad idea since you couldn't steer straight and it sent the cops after you. And never mind that they were fine with all the killing, drugs, and other atrocities in the game. MADD might have a good cause and all, but like most such groups, they're not really possessing or welcoming of perspective.

Killer_Robot said:

This is the same organization that tried to get Grand Theft Auto 4 an AO rating for allowing drunk driving - never mind that it was a bad idea since you couldn't steer straight and it sent the cops after you. And never mind that they were fine with all the killing, drugs, and other atrocities in the game. MADD might have a good cause and all, but like most such groups, they're not really possessing or welcoming of perspective.

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MADD does not have "-a good cause and all," at least not any more. They had an excellent, very focused approach when they started, but have turned from an anti-drunk driving organization to one of the "new drys." And if you think Prohibition couldn't happen again, you haven't read the history of how it happened the first time.

brewt00l said:

Flying Fish president Gene Muller confirmed that he'd spoken with the authority: "They told me they're not real happy with this because they don't want anyone to think the Turnpike is responsible for making beer. I said, 'That's good, because I don't want people thinking Flying Fish is responsible for all the toll hikes.' "

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Haha, that's great.

hopvine said:

The irony if this is that myself (and thousands upon thousands of others) never would have heard about this series of brews if MADD hadn't complained and turned it into news.

The number of people that were GOING to purchase these beers, but changed their minds after being enlightened by MADD is exactly zero.

The number of people that hadn't heard about it, but that are going to do their best to obtain some now that they know about it is much larger than zero.

Good job MADD.

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I'm sure this is true! This is on Flying Fish's website:

THANKS FOR STICKING UP FOR US
You may have seen or heard one of the many national news reports about Exit 11 and how MADD was mad. We appreciate the hundreds of folks who emailed us expressing support and incredulity that naming a beer after an exit promoted drinking and driving. Fortunately common sense prevailed and we are full speed ahead (on the production line that is).

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Boerderij_Kabouter said:

I know, we should make alcohol illegal. That solution is sure to make everything better....

wait, didn't we try that already.

Sorry, I just can't take MADD seriously. They are like PETA. No one will listen to you when you are crazy.

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I have to second that! That is the most sane explanation I have heard in a while, some of these groups are quite off the deep end of logic.

TexasSpartan said:

The mother who started MADD left the organization years ago after they started to become a prohibitionist organization.

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The founder of Greenpeace left that organization years ago, saying that they were more interested in "celebrity causes" (things like "saving" dolphins and forests) to the detriment of responsible environmentalism (things like cutting powerplant greenhouse emissions to virtually nil by phasing in nuclear power, or responsible management of timber- the only truly renewable resource on the planet).


Crazies are crazies, whether they're enviros or prohibitionists.

Crazies are crazies, whether they're enviros or prohibitionists.

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Word.

Most likely MADD hasn't had any recent publicity and they were looking for something - anything - to jump onto.

Editorial: Don't drink it and drive | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/18/2009

The Philadelphia Inquirer has weighed in with a voice of humor and reason!

MADD jumped the shark when they decided that stopping drinking and driving wasn't enough. That fact that it's ran by a man now also doesn't make much sense.

I was driving home from a bar a couple of months ago and I heard a story on the "Exit Series" on NPR. This was before all the silly MADD stuff. I'm glad NPR found a craft brew topic so interesting, despite the fact that there was apparently no major controversy at that time.

Beernik said:

I've just about lost all respect for MADD this year. Here in SLC they proposed a driver's license scanning database so the State would be able to track drinkers and the number of drinks they drank.

Thank God they lost that one.

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Actually they didn't fully loose that one, the legislature still passed the id scanning database (but no drink tracking) and it is in effect now. Now in order to enter a bar here they have to scan your id to "ensure it's valid" but they store the information for 7 days on site and that information can be accessed by any member of law enforcement during that time.

Thanks allot MADD!!!

My only hope is that with the threat of an onslaught of privacy rights violations lawsuits that the legislature takes the database away after paying to fight it in court.

You know it seems to me all these kind of groups are anymore are big buisness. Make a big stink and you make big bucks. MADD PETA and the like make millions in controbutions. I think the only thing they care about is makeing money and dont mind doing it at others expence. JMHO And if they outlaw booz again guess I have a head start to get Kennedy rich the same way they did. lol We can all open our own speak easy's

sub-zero said:

You know it seems to me all these kind of groups are anymore are big buisness. Make a big stink and you make big bucks. MADD PETA and the like make millions in controbutions. I think the only thing they care about is makeing money and dont mind doing it at others expence. JMHO And if they outlaw booz again guess I have a head start to get Kennedy rich the same way they did. lol We can all open our own speak easy's

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I agree it's all about making money, but not in the get rich quick kind of way. Instead they want to make as much money as possible to influence politicians. The worst part is you'll hear about the big national pushes, but you rarely hear about the massive amount of money these people drop at the local and state level.

Don't forget this includes groups like MADD, PETA, NRA, MoveOn, etc. So no mater what side you stand on any issue, there is probably a group out there that will take your money and drop it in the pockets of a politician. That's not to say the leaders of these groups don't take their cut. Five to ten percent of millions is in the hundreds of thousands.

Whenever I see that some large lobbying group has taken a stand on a major issue I usually either ignore the issue or take the opposite stance.

Hey maybe we need to start our own. I like money and Im good at bitching and the money is rite. lmao

I'm down. What publicity stunt, I mean, what cause should we champion first?