Home

COMING SOON!

The Legend of the Wrestling Bear

Deep in the suburbs of Northeast Ohio, there is a legend that has been passed down for probably only one generation among the customers of bars from throughout the area. It's the tale of the mighty Wrestling Bear.

Back in the late 1900s, there was a black bear (who we called “Magnum”) that visited bars looking for opponents. He was an absolute mass of a being - standing over 8 feet tall and weighing nearly a thousand pounds. The bear was infamous for his ferocious strength, natural wrestling abilities, love of licking women, Wendy’s cheeseburgers, and eating crates of apples in one sitting. Any man (or two women at the same time) brave enough or foolish enough to venture into his ring risked facing his brutish wrath. (Actually, Magnum was a gentle bear who used this time as playtime and would just trip you and lay on you so he could smell your butt!)

One historic night, a group of patrons were drinking and swapping stories around the barroom after a long day's work. A few too many beers were consumed, and the tall tales grew ever taller. That's when “Big T” made his boast - he claimed he could take that legendary bear in a wrestling match.

The Challenge

The other bar patrons guffawed at first, but Big T was as stubborn as he was strong. With a fiery bravado, he set off into the ring (which were actually just wrestling mats the trainers put down on the barroom floor so it was soft and put up a barrier so other people could watch the match) determined to prove his prowess against the beast. The men waited at the bar, listening to the sounds of crashing limbs, groans and roars (only from Big T, Magnum didn’t growl) that shook the building.

Just when they feared the worst, Big T emerged - battered, sweating, smelling like a bear, but standing tall. His clothes were messy with bear saliva all over them, but he had a massive grin plastered across his face. The Wrestling Bear had been bested in an epic struggle! (Actually, after a few minutes of laying on Big T and licking him, Magnum got bored and let him get up and walk away.)

From that night on, the legend of Big T the Bear Wrestler grew to infamous proportions … even though he lost badly. And decades later, when we were tossing around ideas for a new robust, high-gravity flavored malt beer, I raised my glass and proclaimed, "Let's call it Wrestling Bear, in honor of that epic tale!” (but more in praise and honor for the late Magnum the bear!)

The Beverage

And that's the story behind the bold, bodacious brew with the unmistakable label - a burly bear smiling at another trip and lay on victim who was never close to winning the match against this gentle beast. Crack one open, and you'll feel like you can take on any challenger, even an 8-foot black bear. Just don't go into the bar looking for one (or you will get tripped, and he will lay on you and smell your butt while all your friends laugh at you!)

Enjoy!