Broad Exploration of Generative AI
During the spring and summer of 2023, I started using Large Language Models (LLMs), also known as generative AI, as a springboard for several creative projects that had been on hold.
While utilizing these LLMs, I provided them with prompts based on unused beer names from my swipe file. This process became self-sustaining, as the prompts generated mid-journey returned images that further refined how I was prompting ChatGPT and NotionAI, and vice versa.
Although a standard process never materialized, this exploration helped me gain a better understanding of the process, risks, and benefits of using generative models to create various types of content.
For these labels, I began with a fictitious brewery name I created, Liminal Space Brewing. Liminal space horror gained considerable popularity throughout 2023 due to its fifth-dimensional defiance of space-time rules.
Founded by a group of space-time travelers, the brewery exists in the gaps between dimensions, where time and space are fluid and ever-changing.
Liminal Space Brewing was born out of a desire to explore the unknown and the unexplored.
The founders of Liminal Space Brewing were originally scientists, exploring the far reaches of the universe in search of new discoveries. But as they traveled through space and time, they began to realize that there was something missing – a connection to the past and the present that they couldn’t find in the vast emptiness of the universe.
And so they turned to brewing, creating beers that bridged the gaps between dimensions and brought people together from all times and places. Their beers were like nothing anyone had ever tasted before – each one a unique blend of flavors and experiences that transported the drinker to new realms of existence.
As Liminal Space Brewing grew in popularity, more and more people began to seek out their beers, eager to experience the transcendental drinking experience that only they could provide. And so the brewery expanded, opening taprooms in the most remote corners of the universe, and even branching out into other dimensions.
Today, Liminal Space Brewing is known as one of the most innovative and daring breweries in the multiverse. Their beers are sought after by adventurers and explorers from all corners of the universe, and their taprooms are gathering places for those who seek to transcend the boundaries of space and time.
Under the Influencer
The ‘Under the Influencer’ series, while incomplete, started as an offshoot of in-jokes referencing social media lifestyle bloggers and influencers based in Washington, D.C., including DC Beer, PopVille, and Barred in DC.
The influencers depicted in the series so far are exclusively contributors and partners of DC Beer Media LLC. These include writer and beer historian Mike Stein, editor and beer sommelier Jacob Berg, and event expert Brandy Holder. They are respectively represented as the Prince of Pilsnerville, Sir Scoops-a-Lot, and the Brew Culture Queen.
The
WRETCHED
Following the theme of disquieting horror from Liminal Space, The Wretched is a series of hypothetical releases designed to induce terror. It does this through the use of unsettling ingredients, eerie names and images, or a combination of all these elements, aiming to evoke feelings of disgust or repulsion. It can be seen as an exercise in anti-branding.
Each installment of The Wretched offers commentary on an aspect of beer or alternatively provides social commentary. Assisted by generative AI, I have crafted stories for each release:
DESPOTIC Slumlord
Despotic Slumlord is a beer that attempts to combine the tartness of fruit with the bitterness of a hoppy beer. It aims to have a refreshing mouthfeel and a light texture, with a slightly orange hue. However, the beer falls short as it lacks in appearance and flavor. The aroma should be of citrus fruits and hops, but it doesn’t deliver. The taste should be tart at first with notes of grapefruit, lemon, and orange, followed by a bitter finish from the hops, but it doesn’t deliver that, either.
7.8% ABV, BREWED WITH PALE MALT, CITRUS HOPS, GRAPEFRUIT PEEL, LEMON PEEL, AND ORANGE PEEL.
One-Legged Crow
One-Legged Crow is a beer that’s as dark and brooding as the night sky. This Rauchbier is not for the faint of heart – it’s a beer that demands your attention and respect. The color is as black as the feathers of a crow, with a slight reddish hue that hints at the intense flavors to come. The aroma is of roasted malt and dark chocolate, with a hint of smoke that lingers in the air like a fog on a moonless night.
Take a sip, and you’ll be hit with a complex array of flavors that dance on your tongue like a murder of crows. The initial sweetness of caramel and toffee is quickly replaced by a bold hop bitterness, followed by a smoky finish that will leave you longing for more. This beer is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are brave enough to try it, the reward is well worth the risk.
In conclusion, One-Legged Crow is a beer that’s as dark and mysterious as the bird that inspired its name. It’s a beer that demands your attention and respect, and it’s not for the faint of heart. But for those who are willing to take a chance on this dark and brooding beer, the reward is a complex and intense drinking experience that will leave you wanting more.
So grab a cold One-Legged Crow, and let the noir humor of this beer transport you to a world where crows rule the night.
BREWED WITH BEECHWOOD SMOKED MALT, CHOCOLATE MALT, AND CARAMEL MALT
Entropic Apostasy
Entropic Apostasy is an Oyster Stout that defies expectations and challenges the very notion of what a beer should be. It combines the briny, umami flavor of oysters with the rich, roasted flavors of a stout, creating a truly unique drinking experience. The beer should be dark in color, with a slight red hue that hints at the complex flavors to come. The aroma should be of roasted malt and sea air, with a hint of brine that will transport you to the ocean’s edge.
Take a sip, and you’ll be hit with a tidal wave of flavor that will leave you feeling both satisfied and disoriented. The initial sweetness of caramel and toffee is quickly replaced by the salty, savory flavor of oysters, followed by a bold hop bitterness that will leave you wondering where this beer has been all your life. This is not a beer for the faint of heart, but for those who are willing to take a chance on Entropic Apostasy, the reward is a truly unique and unforgettable drinking experience.
So why settle for the ordinary when you can embrace the chaos of Entropic Apostasy? Grab a cold one and let the irony of this beer wash over you like the tides of the sea.
BREWED WITH OYSTERS, CHOCOLATE MALT, CRYSTAL MALT, AND ROASTED BARLEY.
Dread Imperative
Dread Imperative is a Black IPA that evokes a sense of foreboding and anticipation. It should have a dark, almost opaque color, with a deep reddish hue that hints at the intense flavors to come. The aroma should be of roasted malt and dark chocolate, with a hint of smoke that lingers in the air like a portent of doom.
Take a sip, and you’ll be hit with a complex array of flavors that dance on your tongue like a macabre waltz. The initial sweetness of caramel and toffee is quickly replaced by a bold hop bitterness, followed by a smoky finish that will leave you feeling both satisfied and unsettled. This beer is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are brave enough to try it, the reward is a complex and intense drinking experience that will leave you wanting more.
In conclusion, Dread Imperative is a beer that’s as dark and ominous as the name suggests. It’s a beer that demands your attention and respect, and it’s not for the faint of heart. But for those who are willing to take a chance on this black and brooding beer, the reward is a complex and intense drinking experience that will leave you feeling both exhilarated and unnerved. So grab a cold Dread Imperative, and let the darkness take hold.
BREWED WITH ROASTED MALT, CHOCOLATE MALT, CRYSTAL MALT, AND HOPS.
