No commemorative beer for submarine (USS New Hampshire)

[u-5075]

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... -1/FOSNEWS
Shows photo of proposed beer can.

No beer for submarine

By GEOFF CUNNINGHAM Jr.

Article Date]www.ussnewhampshire.org[/url].

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http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/09/n ... t_091108w/
Feds sink New

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/09/n ... t_091108w/
Feds sink New Hampshire’s special brew
By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted ] associated with the armed forces,” which is prohibited by law.
Portsmouth, N.H.-based Smuttynose Brewing Co. was expected to release about 18,000 bottles of the Granite Ghost Ale, named by the Virginia-class sub’s crew, in time for the commissioning Oct. 25 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Company president Peter Egelston wrote in a blog that he “was aware that regulations would not permit us to use an official Navy seal or insignia,” but the federal Tax and Trade Bureau argued the label design, which featured a submarine and the state of New Hampshire, was still inappropriate.

“After several days of back-and-forth, we received an answer from the Navy’s lawyers. In short, although they were enthusiastic about the idea of a commemorative ale and applauded our efforts, they refused to provide us with the written permission that the TTB had required, for fear that it could be construed as the Navy’s endorsement of a Smuttynose product,” Egelston wrote.

The company considered redesigning the label but determined there was not enough time to meet all the requirements and still release the product in time for the commissioning, according to the blog post.

“I am not opposed to pulling a rabbit out of a hat from time to time, but this would have required extracting entire flocks of bunnies from everyone’s hats, with a couple of miracles along the way,” Egelston wrote.

The 22-ounce bottles of the special pale ale were supposed to raise money for the commissioning, but the Navy is holding out hope that it will be able to proceed with all scheduled events.

The USS New Hampshire Commissioning Committee hopes to raise $300,000 for the ceremony, although it has just over half that amount now.

“We are proceeding with the full intentions of the events that we outlined and hoping that, as generally happens, some generous soul comes forward at the last minute,” committee spokeswoman Stephanie Seacord said. “We want this to be a world-class event to reflect the gold standard of the naval shipyard. It will be a wonderful commissioning that everyone remembers very fondly.”

Despite the disappointment, Egelston and the rest of the Smuttynose crew are not bitter. Egelston closed his blog by wishing the sub’s crew the best of luck.

“With or without the Granite Ghost Ale, the New Hampshire’s commissioning is going to be a terrific event, the result of the hard work of a group of dedicated people. Let’s raise a toast to them, and toast to the Granite Ghost!” he wrote.

Granite Ghost is the sub’s non-classified call sign.