Short's to Rebrand Aphasia Old Ale Over Criticism

Bellaire's Short's Brewing Company announced Sunday evening that it would immediately rebrand the Aphasia Old Ale, named after a communication disorder that results from damage to the portions of the brain associated with language. The rebranding is a conscious response to criticism from consumers and language disorder advocates.

"We made this decision upon receipt of thoughtful communications from people who learned of the beer's release and informed us that our branding for this beer was in poor taste," representatives from the company say via a release. "We should have resolved this issue early in the creative process, but will learn from this mistake as we move forward. We express our heartfelt regret to those whom we have upset. It is never our intention to offend any group of people, and we sincerely apologize."

The company will rebrand the recipe under a different name and release it with new artwork. Additionally, Short's will make a $2,500 donation to the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Aphasia Old Ale was sold under the tagline "Some things are better left unsaid," and is described as a "medium bodied dark brown Old Ale with a sizable nose of molasses and alcohol.  Predominantly sweet, with unique flavors of plum, figs, and brown sugar."