Newburgh Brewing Captures “Best Beer Label” Honors in National Contest

Newburgh, N.Y. – Betsy has done it again.

The cow, who hails from upstate New York, is not your run-of-the-mill bovine, spending her days chewing grass, filling up pails of milk, and modeling for Chick-fil-A billboards.

For one thing, Betsy is purple. And she just happens to be the centerfold of the “Best Beer Label” in the land, according to USA Today, taking center stage on Newburgh Brewing Co.’s Cream Ale cans.

USA Today announced Newburgh’s Cream Ale win this week after a month long competition between craft beer cans and bottles across the country. A panel of beer and brewing industry experts nominated the top labels, and then called on readers to cast their votes. When the polls closed, Betsy had taken top honors.

Betsy is not new to fame and celebrity. Last year, she and her Cream Ale label were voted “Most Loved Label” in a national competition conducted by CNBC. With over 4,100 breweries across the country, and countless craft beers in the mix, that’s saying something.

Has all this fame gone to her head, you wonder?

“I don’t think so,” says Betsy’s creator, Philadelphia-based designer Matt Bouloutian. “She is a cow, after all. I think humility comes with the territory.”

Bouloutian is creative director and co-founder of the design firm Modern Good, located in Havertown, Pa. He partnered with Newburgh Brewing Co. in Newburgh, N.Y., to design the now iconic Cream Ale can.

“Our goal,” says Bouloutian, “was to create a label that captured not just the essence of the ale itself, but the spirit of Newburgh Brewing Co. and the history of the region it calls home.”

The label, headlined by Betsy but showcasing images from the town of Newburgh as well, pays tribute to the origins of cream ale, which has deep roots in the Hudson Valley. As the label proudly states: “This beer was born here.”

Suffice it to say, Betsy is over the moon with the “Best Beer Label” honors.

At least Bouloutian thinks so.

“She doesn’t say too much,” the graphic designer reports, “but I think she’s proud of the distinction.”

Bouloutian certainly is.