For Californians who can’t get enough of bodybuilder turned film star turned governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a brewery in the neighboring state of Oregon is offering a new full-bodied beer labeled “The Governator.”
Portland-based MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co., which brews a popular regional beer of the same name, came up with the idea for the strong brew just before the holidays last year and has seen brisk demand for the ESB, or extra special bitter ale.
Called “The Governator Ale,” the label features a man flexing his muscles beneath a logo of the state of California with the words “Pumping Iron Brewing” superimposed on top.
“The big surprise is that The Governator, behind its novelty packaging, is actually top-notch,” MacTarnahan’s chief executive Jerome Chicvara said in a statement issued when the beer went on sale. “We’re hoping this is a sign of things to come in Sacramento.”
The beer, which is also higher in alcohol content, comes in oversized 22-ounce (625-ml) bottles that retail for about $2.99 each. It is available in California but, so far, distributors in the states of Oregon and Washington aren’t interested, said company spokeswoman Renee Daniels.