Florida Brewery slammed over Epi Pen peanut butter beer. ‘Discriminatory and ignorant’
A brewery promoting its annual peanut butter beer week came under fire for an item on its menu: an ale called Epi Pen.
Playalinda Brewing Company was hit with a wave of backlash when it began marketing for peanut butter beer week, which will run March 29 through April 7. At the top of its beer list for the event is Epi Pen ale 5.3%.
McClatchy News reached out to the brewery April 4 but did not immediately receive a response.
The Titusville-roasted ale has been featured in promotional material for the micro-brewery. In a video posted on the business’s social media March 29, cases of the beer are carried over the bar with the words “Epi Pen” printed in white on the colorful label.
The name comes from the life-saving auto-injector that uses epinephrine to treat severe allergic reactions that can induce anaphylactic shock.
The brewery has since received negative reviews on Facebook and Tripadvisor from critics saying they don’t recommend the place for its “insensitive” ale.
“Walked out when we saw ’epi-pen’ peanut butter beer option,” one patron wrote online. “I’m guessing whoever thought it was funny to name it that has never seen their child almost die from an allergic reaction. Disgusting.”
The beer isn’t a recent addition to the menu, but this year’s promo has drawn new waves of backlash.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves. Epi Pen beer?” one Facebook user posted. “I hope none of you or your staff ever has to be in a situation where your child is hooked up to monitors and almost dies and needs an epi pen.”
Another person called the beverage “discriminatory and ignorant.”
When one social media account dedicated to peanut allergy safety posted about the beer, some people came to the brewery’s defense.
“As an adult who has a peanut allergy my entire life — I find this hysterical,” one person wrote responding to a post slamming the company. “It’s dark humor! Sometimes you have to laugh at things. I genuinely do not think this company was trying to be hurtful.”
Others said the name would serve as a warning sign to those who should avoid peanuts.
“This would stop my son from drinking the ale,” another person responded. “I’m all for it. Complete transparency to the point of blatancy.”
On the social beer-rating app Untappd, the ale has generally favorable reviews, with 3.85 out of five stars.
Titusville is the seat of Brevard County, about a 40-mile drive northeast from downtown Orlando.
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