Stone Brewing Takes Down an Instagram Troll

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stone brewing instagram troll
Credit: Stone Brewing

While you were busy spending the day after Halloween convincing yourself not to dig back into your kid’s trick or treat candy (but just one more Fun Size Snickers won’t hurt, right?!) Stone Brewing’s social media team was turning the table on a troll on its Instagram feed.

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Stone Brewing posted an Instagram photo of its Xocoveza Imperial Stout, a beer the brewery says is inspired by hot chocolate. The post, meant to celebrate diversity, reads: “Feliz día de los Muertos! Celebra con Stone #Xocoveza, nuestra stout imperial de 8.1% inspirada en el chocolate caliente Mexicano.”

Día de los Muertos, which translates into Day of the Dead, is a three-day celebration at the beginning of November that honors the deceased. The celebration has roots in Mexico and some Mexican-American communities have brought their tradition to the U.S. and other countries.

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Instead of simply scrolling by a photo he didn’t like, Instagram user @idabbedtoday took time to leave a rather insensitive response: “Wtf is this America or Mexico? I liked your beer but wtf is up with all the Spanish ads ? Back to Lagunitas and grapefruit sculpins !”

If you’re like us, you’re probably rolling your eyes for so many reasons (including the user adding an annoying extra space between the last word of a sentence and punctuation — #editorpetpeeve). But don’t worry. The troll is about to get trolled.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba9emfgjAsx/?taken-by=stonebrewing

Stone, an independent beer brand that’s never shy about throwing around a bit of attitude — remember, these are the creators of Arrogant Bastard Ale —  calls out the user: “@idabbedtoday Since this is a traditionally Mexican holiday, we figured we should give our many awesome Spanish-speaking fans a nod. Also, if you’re only interested in American-owned beer, we’ve got some bad news about the two brands you just mentioned.”

Zing. California-based Lagunitas is owned by Heineken, a company headquartered in the Netherlands. The makers of Grapefruit Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point, are owned by Constellation Brands headquartered in Victor, New York; its ownership by Constellation means it doesn’t technically qualify as an American craft brewery (a point that piqued Redditer in-fighting).

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Stone’s underlying point is that neither is made by a small and independent brewer, and I’d say it was a point well-made. A good troll takedown will always make my day.

Now, where did I hide those Fun Sized Snickers …

Jess Baker walked into a beer fest in 2010 and realized beer had come a long way from what her dad had been drinking since the 70s. She served as editor-in-chief of CraftBeer.com from spring 2016 to spring 2020, bringing you stories about the people who are the heartbeat behind U.S. craft brewing. She's a runner, a die-hard Springsteen fan, a mom who is always scouting family-friendly breweries, and always in search of a darn good porter.

CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.