Help me name my Sake Brewery.
October 8, 2011 1:45 PM   Subscribe

I am working towards starting a sake brewery. I am using 'Chucks Brewing' for the company name and 'Sidecar Sake' for the first product. No money for branding professionals (yet...) Are those names good enough for now?

My most intelligent wife suggests that I ask the hive-mind before going further down the rabbit-hole of acquiring domains, forming an LLC, drawing up logos, launching that Kickstarter campaign, etc.

I understand that this is exactly what branding professionals can help with and I expect to go that route sooner rather than later, but right now all I can afford to do is to ask for people's freely given opinion.

My profile has a link to what I've been able to come up with so far (thank you Wikimedia for the picture of a sidecar!)

I intend to market hand-crafted premium-grade sake (ginjo and daiginjo) to restaurants and the public local to San Diego and Orange Counties, California as well as further via distributors.

I will need a brewery name and a separate brand name because I would like to be able to branch out into other products such as shochu or even a pale dry lager beer!

So, thumbs up/down for the names 'Chucks Brewing' and 'Sidecar Sake', and if thumbs-down, what are some better ones?
posted by Captain Shenanigan to Food & Drink (45 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
If someone said "this Sidecar Sake is pretty good" I would try it. I mean, I drink beer called "Pliny the Elder". A name has never put me off any alcoholic beverage before.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 1:47 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


If someone said "this Sidecar Sake is pretty good" I would try it. I mean, I drink beer called "Pliny the Elder". A name has never put me off any alcoholic beverage before.

See, I would worry that if someone said "this Sidecar Sake is pretty good" that people would hear "sake sidecar" and order some sake and Cointreau drink (which sounds pretty awful to me, but who knows).

Also, "Pliny the Elder" works because there's a certain market segment that looks for unusual beer names, the fact that the name sounds weird is a feature, not a bug, in that case.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 2:04 PM on October 8, 2011


Chuck's brewing is way too generic. I'm more then pretty sure there's more than a few Chucks who brew. Sidecar is a good name, the name of the company should be interesting too. Think about a logo, Sidecar is easy but Chuck's is hard. Is it just a picture of you? Just some lettering? Maybe a picture of a Woodchuck? Obscure and or boring come to mind. Go imaginative and or funny or abstract. Something that reflects some more abstract elements of your business (words like hand crafted, artisan, small run, passion, artist owned, etc) that could be seen as representative of your company's approach. Obviously, you'll be much more focused on the product than the backend but don't saddle yourself with an unsupportable company name, you may need to use it later.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:10 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


To my ears, sidecar suggests that you are drinking the sake as a chaser or similar with beer.
posted by biffa at 2:10 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


Sidecar Sake = thumbs up! Sounds unpretentious. I'd absolutely order it at a restaurant.

Chuck's Brewing = thumbs down. Makes me assume that your primary product is beer, which would make me overlook a web link if I was looking for handcrafted sake, wine, or spirits. I like the name Chuck. I also like "handcrafted" as a descriptor.
posted by dchrssyr at 2:23 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]


I suggest:

Chop Sake

Suckerpunch Sake

Knockout names. Catchy, easy to remember. Humorous.

Last but not least: For God's Sake
posted by effluvia at 2:30 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


Chuck plus alcohol makes me think of upchuck, which may not be the mental association you are going for.

Sidecar sake I like, good alliteration.
posted by Forktine at 2:39 PM on October 8, 2011


If I made sake, I'd brand it Pete's.
posted by scruss at 2:43 PM on October 8, 2011 [6 favorites]


Sidecar Sake would definitely pique my interest! Chuck's Brewery, not so much.
posted by futureisunwritten at 2:50 PM on October 8, 2011


Effluvia - I hope you do branding for a living!

No to Chuck. Yes to Sidecar. Chuck is, meh. A fine name, but not for a company. Need something more distinctive.
posted by zagyzebra at 2:53 PM on October 8, 2011


Response by poster: Clearly I need a new brewery name. I'm listening...
posted by Captain Shenanigan at 3:01 PM on October 8, 2011


How about Sidecar Brewing and then something like Sidecar Sake Original and variations after that?
posted by papayaninja at 3:09 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


Well, a common tactic is to ferret an unusual but meaningful name from some other hobby or subject that you enjoy. What other hobbies and subjects of study do you enjoy?
posted by TheRedArmy at 3:09 PM on October 8, 2011


(For instance, I'd probably try to make a chess term work, or some sort of heavy metal reference, or military history....)
posted by TheRedArmy at 3:11 PM on October 8, 2011


Response by poster: I wonder if Fusion Brewing is taken.
posted by Captain Shenanigan at 3:13 PM on October 8, 2011


No to both. "Sidecar" is already a drink (and doesn't say "sake" at all), and "Chuck" is just boring (sorry). What else do you have -- location, interests, hobbies, mascots?
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:14 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Carlsbad California, nuclear fusion, science fiction, Jane Austen, Mars... Eclectic Brewing Company? This naming stuff is hard.
posted by Captain Shenanigan at 3:20 PM on October 8, 2011


Response by poster: Danger Brewing? I call my beer Danger Beer.
posted by Captain Shenanigan at 3:30 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


I like 'Chuck's ' as a sake producer, just without 'brewing'. In my mind, it's inexorably connected to beer, regardless of the processing similarities. But I like 'Chuck's' as an unexpected producer of sake, it's quirky and seems new somehow.

And I like the alliteration of Sidecar Sake (you hit two S's and the K sound twice), that's pretty phonetically appealing.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:31 PM on October 8, 2011


Brainstorm on those subjects. Just list particular books, scientists, scientific concepts, Jane Austen book titles/characters.

Then when you have a big messy list, find the most (tastefully) punable.

I bet if you give a list here you'll get some honest tries from me and others. MetaFilter is good at variations on a theme.
posted by TheRedArmy at 3:49 PM on October 8, 2011


Wifey here.

Captain Shenanigan's looking to keep the "Brewing" bit. Is there anything that makes a clever lead-in to that? "Danger Brewing" and "Storm Brewing" are taken, and "Fusion Brewing" doesn't quite mesh with the very traditional methods he'll be using (makes me think of fusion cuisine).
posted by moira at 3:51 PM on October 8, 2011


Response by poster: I also like dead french philosophers. But I'm probably the only one who would buy a Deleuze Brewing Company's Rhizome Sake.

Hmm... Rhizome brewing company? Any biologists out there know if barley and rice are rhizomes?
posted by Captain Shenanigan at 3:56 PM on October 8, 2011


I like Captain Shenanigan's as the brand and Sidecar Sake as the product. Captain Shenanigan's Sidecar Sake has a nice ring to my ears.

I also like Captain Shenanigan and the Electric Sake Company for the brand.
posted by dantodd at 3:59 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Pneumatic Brewing Company? I could use high-pressure air to move things.
posted by Captain Shenanigan at 4:03 PM on October 8, 2011


Best answer: They are not rhizomes. Rhizomes are tubers like ginger, galangal and tumeric. I have to weigh in - sidecar is already a drink, and I don't know, it sounds a bit too gimmicky and cheap to me - but I don't know what your target audience and demographics are. Go to a big bottleshop, and have a look at brands selling spirits and liquors in the price bracket you're shooting at, I think you'll get a feel for the names.

Who is the kind of consumer that buys American Sake? How do they want to feel for buying it? How old are they? How much do they earn? How sophisticated are they? Will they be drinking it in a restaurant or at home, or somewhere else? Will they drink it alone, or at parties, with meals or by itself? You need to build up a picture of your buyer and then build a name around them; doing it the other way is horse before the cart.

I totally understand the need to have a brand name for a brewery, too, but just be aware of "brand confusion" here - you don't want too much branding on or associated with your product, especially if it's more boutique (which this most assuredly is!). This may mean that your brewery name makes it onto the sake, but sans logo, and it's in plain font at the back. Also, if the brewery is something wacky/zany/quirky and your sake is expensive/high class/etc that will create more dissonance for the consumer.

Also, just generally, zany is over-rated. It's a good mnemonic aid, but there's are plenty of aids you can get without having to be heaps jokey. Generally not a lot of people will pay good money for something too jokey (I grant you, beer does seem to be an exception to this). Look at Grey Goose vodka - very catchy, very classy. Little bit of alliteration + good marketing is all it takes. As branding, it's very clean. And it's not too long. Don't be "Ma Kettle's Brewerin' and Beerin' Drinking Comestibles and Funstuffs". Keep it short, whatever you decide. Eg, why "X Brewing Company"?, why not just "X Brewing"?

Anyways, that's some food for thought.
posted by smoke at 4:40 PM on October 8, 2011 [6 favorites]


I think both of those names are not so good. I'm sure you know the way sake is named in Japan.
The name of the brewery is the same of the sake. Just call the brewery "Chuck" or "Chuck's". Chuck's California Ginjyo. Chuck's Daiginjyo.

To me brewery means beer (ok technically sake is beer)
To me a sidecar is a cocktail
posted by Infernarl at 4:51 PM on October 8, 2011


Rice Rocket Sake?
posted by twblalock at 5:00 PM on October 8, 2011


I would make a sake called FFS, but I don't think I'd call my company Chuck's Brewing.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:27 PM on October 8, 2011


Gaijin Ginjo?
posted by otterpop at 5:27 PM on October 8, 2011 [4 favorites]


Northanger Sake?
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 6:21 PM on October 8, 2011


Alliteration good. Puns bad bad awful bad avoid at all costs!

A little dissonance would be ok, I think: Chuck's Artisan Sake sounds unexpected but not unbelievable. Chuck's California Ginjyo sounds pretty good in that way too.

Rice Rocket Sake makes you sound racist because "rice rocket" isn't necessarily a nice/affectionate thing to say. Gaijin Ginjyo is cute, but a little tough for this non-Japanese speaker to pronounce.
posted by clavicle at 6:24 PM on October 8, 2011


How about "Songs Brewing," with a logo evocative of the two domes?
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 6:31 PM on October 8, 2011


Buena Vista Brewery? -alliterative

(Chuck's reminds me of 4 buck chuck)
posted by edgeways at 6:59 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


I like the word Brewage... Incorporating your dead French Philosophers..

'Simulacra Brewage' ? Then you have Simulacra Sake, Simulacra Pale Dry Ale, etc... Might be too close to Similac...

Deconstructed Brewage. If you're doing stripped down, minimal versions of the beverages, this might work.

Semiotic Brewage. I kind of like this one...

You could also do something like French Philosopher Brewage, I suppose.
posted by Jacob G at 8:14 PM on October 8, 2011


"Chuck's" sounds too much like Vermont brewer Woodchuck to me. I don't know if that's an issue for California - here in New England, though, I see their cider all over the place.
posted by cadge at 9:01 PM on October 8, 2011


"Rocket Sake" (no rice) sounds amusing when I say it out loud. Sci-fi names have a lot of potential. Astro Sake, Robot Sake, Future Sake...?

If you want a pun, nothing beats "Sake Monkey" or "Sake To Me". But you don't want a pun. Trust me.

More seriously, are there very many California Sake makers? If your local-ness is a unique feature, maybe you should embrace that. Any interesting local lake/river/mountain names? Local animals? Local varieties of rice?

(hi Chuck!)
posted by mmoncur at 12:10 AM on October 9, 2011


P.s. I really like "Sidecar Sake". Any train-related brewery names?
posted by mmoncur at 12:12 AM on October 9, 2011


Smoke makes some good points: Relate your market and your product to the name.

If you plan a premium product and premium pricing, the name should be somewhat sophisticated (which can still be simple, but isn't "Chuck's).

"Captain Shenanigan's" doesn't suggest "premium," but "Captain's" does.

Some other options:
1775
1817

Abelard
Admiral
Alpha
Alta
Astral
Atomic
Auguste
Austen

Bahia
Balboa
Ballena
Barco
Bay
Buena or Bueno

Cabrillo
California
Camino
Camino Real
Capitan
Carolus
Carlito(s)
Carlos(s)
Carlsbad
Chaparral
Charles
Clipper
Coastal
Cogito
Comte
Costa
Costero

Delfin
Diego
Ferdinand
Fuse
Harbor
Junipero
Laguna

Mansfield
Mansfield Park
Marina
Mejor
Mission
Navegar
Neptune
Northanger
Northanger Abbey

Omega
Omni
Pacific
Padre
Playa
Poseidon
Positronic
Proton
Puerto

Real
Rey
Royal
San Diego
Shark
Templado
Torrey Pine
Trident
X

You can make more variations, with plurals, possessives, and Spanish articles.

Also, consider making up nonsense words. I think "Xerox" was one such.
posted by maurreen at 2:41 AM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]


Also 1542.
posted by maurreen at 2:44 AM on October 9, 2011


Fusion Fiction Brewing. SciFi Sake.
posted by MexicanYenta at 4:31 AM on October 9, 2011


Also, because I just woke up and have not yet had caffeine- Califusion Brewing.
posted by MexicanYenta at 4:33 AM on October 9, 2011


Further suggestions:

Tengoku Sake (Heaven)

Ni Ten Sake (Two Heavens) This is Miamoto Musashi's sword name.

Ikemoto Sake (essence of water) equivalent of distilled spirit.


A "chop" is a pun of the Japanese term for signature and the punch, so Chop Sake is nice that way. It would also make a nice link with the huge film fight chopsocky fan base.

My former partner grew up in Japan, and I will tell you that he used to make his friends and family belly laugh spontaneously by telling them that the Japanese translation for sake is "rice wine". I never figured out why they all thought that was so hilarious.
posted by effluvia at 7:33 AM on October 9, 2011


Oh, dead French philosopher = Bricolage Brewing?
posted by clavicle at 9:26 AM on October 9, 2011


For amusement value, I plugged the above list of words into my ancient yet still functional web-hosted Markov-chain-based random word generator, which resulted in the following output (each word below is a single result):
CALBOR CLIFIEGO CAPITO TEMPLARK
ABELADO AUGUSE CAMINE POSITO
PUENT JUNE ATON POSTE
PLARLOS COASTE TEMPLAYA CARD
ADMIC ATOMTE PADO PINANGER
NORTHAPARK CHAND LAGUSE PLARK
TRIDON DELAYA AUSE CARILLO
AUGUNA CAPARIDON PARLES DELADO
NORTO ABELFIN BARLOS POSTA
HARLOS BALIFORTO NORTHAND BALBOR
CABRINA NORNIC DIELD MANSFIN
PUENO FERO NORNIA MAND
LAGUSTA TRINAND PUENA AUSTAL
NAVEGA NORRAL PACIFIN PROLUS
BALLO CARLES PACIFORNIA MARLES
PRONIC BALIPER ASTRONIC MANSFIC
COMIC CAROTON CARIDON COSEIDENA
CARK CARBOR LAGUSTE CLITAL
COSITO JUNIPPER CHAPITO CAMIC
FERTHAND FUSTAN CHARK MARLSBAD
FUSTEN PINANSFIN POSTROTON TRINO
COSION ADMINAND OMEGAR PACIFORRAL
CAPARD SHAND COSTEN COSTAN
BUERDINE CAPARK TRILLO CHARBOR
FUSTE JUNA CHARLIPPER CABRINE
How about Baliforto Brewery and Caparidon Sake... among many other possibilities. Put other words in, you get different results.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:30 PM on October 9, 2011


Sidecar is kind of a nice name, but as other folks have pointed out, it's already the name of a cocktail. I would guess, and this is just a guess, that people who are likely to be interested in artisanal sake already have that association to "sidecar."
posted by OmieWise at 12:44 PM on October 11, 2011


« Older No more hacktivation for me... I'm going straight   |   Squarespace: scrolling Twitter feed? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.