Stone Brewing has very strong branding starting with the gargoyles created by Tom Matthews. Now an author Tom has moved on from Stone but his work still influences Stone’s attention grabbing art work. Tom had this to say in The Craft of Stone Brewing Co:

Every artist has his swan song. Da Vinci has the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo has the Sisting Chapel, and I have Stone Brewing Co. gargoyles. When I visit the brewery I’m treated like family and even get an employee discount. Greg and I see very little of each other these days, but the relationship continues through the images and the legacy we created.

Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale‘s silk screened bottle features a horned demon looking quite self-righteous. His wings and tail sweep across the bottle into the distinctive fonts that name the beer. Many of the bottles, including Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale include a diatribe on the back.

We’re brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently create works of art such as this justifiably self-righteous ale. Its bitterness hits our sweet spot. Its blackness lightens our hearts. Its liquid dichotomy pulls it all together in this sublimely sacrosanct ale. Yes, we damn well know our stuff here at Stone, and it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge how remarkable this heavenly creation of ours is. Thus the name we are compelled to give it — Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale — serves as a reminder of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form.

Some of the other great labels from Stone include Levitation, Arrogant Bastard, and Ruin Ten. All of them feature a different demon and ooze Stone’s in your face attitude. It’s also worth noting that the beer in these bottles is delicious. Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale is one of my favorite black IPAs and made the list of my favorite IPAs. Most of Stone’s beers are packed with hoppy bitterness and I’ve enjoyed all that I’ve had the opportunity to try. The brewery in Escondido is also worth checking out. They have a large taproom, restaurant, and beer garden with beautiful architecture and of course a huge mural of one of their gargoyles.