Beer Friday: Mel Gibson Puts the Kibosh on “Braveheart” Beer

Mel Gibson, frothing actor and filmmaker, has succeeded in his campaign to prevent small Danish brewery Midtfyns Bryghus from naming one of their beers “Braveheart,” despite historical precedent of the name exists previous to its use in Gibson’s 1995 film.

But the brewery’s 72-year-old owner Keld Andersen initially refused to give in to pressure from Gibson, and only backed down after consulting with the Danish Patent and Trademark Council.

Andersen claimed the filmmaker couldn’t possibly copyright the name as a Romanian king from the 15th century was called Braveheart and a silent film from the 1920s was titled Brave Heart.

It is clear from the label [also pictured here] that the brew was inspired by Gibson’s film, but it’s also clear that Midtfyns Bryghus is a tiny brewery selling almost exclusively in Denmark. One could argue Gibson had need to protect his decade-old brand, I suppose, but when it comes down to picking between a notorious racist paranoid and an independent brewery, I’ll be sticking with the beer. It’s a lesson I learned from Braveheart.

Mel Gibson may take our beer, but he will never take our freedom!

Mel Gibson Puts A Stop To ‘Braveheart’ Beer [StarPulse.com]
Company Page [Midtfyns-Bryghus.dk]