Letter prompts Northern Ontario brewer to change beer names

Friendly Moose and Angry Moose are no more.

After being contacted by Moosehead Brewery recently, and told that their Friendly Moose and Angry Moose beers were infringing the brewery's copyright, Sudbury company Stack Brewing set out to change the names of the two beers.

“There was no point in crying over it and beating my head against the walls,” said Stack Brewing owner Shawn Mailloux. “We just went about doing the renaming.” 

During a celebration held at Fromagerie Elgin Dec. 18, Stack revealed that Friendly Moose has been renamed Shattercone and Angry Moose has been changed to Stack '72.

Mailloux said Shattercone fits well with one of its other beers, Impact, as they both refer to the bolide that slammed into the earth 1.8 billion years ago, creating the Sudbury crater.

A customer suggested the name Stack '72, referring to the year the Superstack was completed. 

“It kind of worked,” Mailloux said. “Our company is Stack Brewing, and we thought it would be kind of neat to tie in one of our beer brands.”

While the names have changed, the beer itself hasn't. Both Shattercone and Stack '72 are India pale ales. Shattercone has a 5.5 per cent alcohol content, and Stack '72 is its stronger cousin, with a nine per cent alcohol content.

For more information, visit stackbrewing.ca.