Australian Bottle Shops Begin Removing Colonial Beer Co From Shelves Due To Name

Bottle shops in Australia have decided to remove a brand of beer from their shelves due to the name.

There have been calls for anything that could be deemed controversial to be removed or changed so that it doesn't offend people, amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

Some have targeted Australian cheese brand Coon (despite it being named after American creator Edward William Coon) because the name is also a racial slur. But that's not the only brand copping some backlash.

A bottle shop chain in Melbourne has also started to not stock Margaret River brewery Colonial Beer Co because the word colonial doesn't sit well with some citizens.

Colonial Beer Co

Blackhearts & Sparrows' owners said they have been influenced by what has been happening around the world and didn't want to be associated with a problematic word.

"While we appreciate that the people behind Colonial Brewing had no malicious intent in their choice of brand name, words have power. We've had discussions with Colonial in the past with concerns about their name, but with their branding remaining the same our decision was clear," they said.

"'Colonial' is still a problematic word that speaks to a broader history of colonialism and colonisation that has caused irreversible harm to the First Nations people in Australia and Indigenous populations around the world."

The brewery has spoken out about the furore and said they have never wanted to cause offence.

Colonial Beer Co

Colonial Brewing Co Managing director, Lawrence Dowd, said the name isn't even related to the colonialists that sailed to Australia.

He said the word was picked for it's relation to the company being the first to be established in Western Australia's wine region.

Speaking to the Today Show, he said: "I think actions speak louder. It's what you do in the community and where you create change.

"We do that as a business as well. We have probably got to promote that more. We are into real action and that's where the change happens. It's not just on a name that doesn't really mean that much to us, but to some it does."

Colonial Beer Co

But, on the flip side, Mr Dowd says he's open to having a discussion about branding in the future.

"We have had significant messages and comments regarding our name, we want you all to know: we hear you," he said.

But it seems like politicians in the state aren't a fan of changing the name due to the current atmosphere in Australia.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said: "I don't agree with that, I think that's unnecessary, I think that might be taking it a bit far.

He was backed up by West Australian Indigenous Affairs Minister, Ben Wyatt, who said: "I don't think anybody has really looked at the name of that Colonial and seen it in any form of race way at all."

Topics: News, Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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