Big Ass Beer

Big Ass Truck now has a big ass beer named after it.

Crosstown Brewing Company will introduce its first malt liquor, Malt Liquor Man, between 4 and 6 p.m., Thursday, November 2nd, at the Concourse Block Party at Crosstown Concourse, says the brewery’s owner Clark Ortkiese. Free beer will be available for those 21 and up. 

Then, between 6 and 8 p.m., Crosstown Brewing Co. will be selling the malt liquor at the brewery, which is located at Crosstown Concourse. “Big Ass Truck will be in the tap room between 6 and 8 spinning their favorite songs,” Ortkiese says.

If Malt Liquor Man sounds familiar, that’s because it’s also the name of one of Big Ass Truck’s songs.

Big Ass Truck DJ Colin Butler came up with the idea of the brewery doing a malt liquor in honor of the band, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Ortkiese says. “I think he specifically said, ‘Would you do a malt liquor?’’’

To which Ortkiese replied, “Hell, yeah, we could.”

Butler was part of the original lineup for the psychedelic/funk/rock/hip-hop band, which also included Steve Selvidge on guitar and vocals, Robby Grant on guitar and vocals, Robert Barnett on drums, Joe Boone on bass, Alex Greene (now Memphis Flyer music editor) on keyboards, and percussion player Drew Conner.

“We had never done one before and we’re kind of itching to do one. So much of craft beer can be so highfalutin and fancy at times. And all these crazy things. To me, it doesn’t have to be. I like the idea of making a craft malt liquor.”

Malt liquor is “kind of loosely defined. It’s a high-alcohol workingman’s drink. Probably ’30s, ’40s was when it cut its teeth.” The beer usually is considered “a cheap drink for the masses. It got them drunk and it was cheap to make.”

As for their malt liquor, Ortkiese says, “We thought it was fun to reimagine it and make it something elevated.”

Malt Liquor Man is “sneaky strong, very smooth, and clean. We use some corn in it to get that traditional malt liquor flavor.”

And, he says, “Paper bags are optional.”

Ortkiese and Grant, are “allies,” Ortkiese says. Grant is executive director at WYXR radio, which also is based at Crosstown Concourse.

He and Grant also are part of “The Sunday Group,” a golf group that gets together every Sunday. “It’s a bunch of marketing people. You’d think we’d have a more creative name.

“Colin Butler played sometimes with us. I can’t remember where we were, but we were talking about doing a beer and releasing it at their 30th anniversary party. But our production schedule didn’t allow it.”

The song, “Malt Liquor Man,” which is “just about enjoying cold malt liquor on a summer afternoon,” is included on the band’s self-titled first album, Big Ass Truck, which came out in the ’90s, Butler says. He remembers how the song came to be. “That was a fun, sweltering afternoon sitting on our porch drinking some cheap 40s of malt liquor.”

Why malt liquor? “’Cause it was cheap, easy to get, and across the street at Peter Pan’s Pantry, which is where we’d go. We have a song called ‘Peter Pan’s Pantry,’ too.”

That song, which was named after the iconic Midtown convenience store, was written by Greene and Selvidge.

And, Butler says, “I’d seen where another local brewery had done a beer for Gonerfest. Someone did ‘GonerBrau.’ Memphis Made. And I’d seen where Crosstown brewery had done a beer for WYXR, where Robby works. I thought, ‘These guys may be into doing this for us.’”

Tom Martin designed the label for the malt liquor. “He was way into doing a design for the malt liquor ’cause he’s a friend of ours. He does all their labels. He was particularly into this one because he’s a friend of ours and a fan of the band and a fan of the song.”

Malt Liquor Man — the brew — won’t be the last beer named after a band, Ortkiese says. “I’ve got another beer coming up in December. We’re working with another local band — Grape.”

Asked to reveal something about the beer, Ortkiese says, “You think it would have grapes in it, wouldn’t you?”