Hindu and Buddhist leaders complain about Ommegang’s New York Nirvana beer

Hindu and Buddhist leaders want the New York brewery to change the name of its Nirvana IPA, complaining that the name is disrespectful to their beliefs.

“Upset Hindus and Buddhists are calling on Ommegang of Cooperstown, New York, to apologize and recall their Nirvana beer,” Rajan Zed, president of the World Hindu Society and Buddhist clergyman Matthew Fisher, said in a statement.

label on a can of Nirvana beer.
Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, New York, has been asked to “recall” its Nirvana beer.
Ommegang Brewery

The people in the clothes said that putting the word “Nirvana” on the beer was a “profound triviality” of the sacred term, and “equating it with alcohol was very painful for the devotees.”

Ommegang, owned by Belgium’s Duvel Moortgat, said in a statement: “The name ‘Nirvana IPA’ is meant to celebrate the atmosphere in which we hope beer drinkers will enjoy beer, an atmosphere of calm when the noise and worries of the world have faded away.

“Ommegang Brewery started distributing Nirvana IPA in 2015; however, until today, we were not aware of the apparent preoccupation with this name in the Hindu and Buddhist communities. We never intended to disrespect any community or religious belief by including the word “Nirvana” in the IPA’s name. We welcome the opportunity to educate ourselves and identify potential changes we might consider for this beer.”

Fisher told The Post that he hopes “all the nail salons that use the words ‘zen and nirvana’ get the message as well.

“It cheapens the word and is unkind,” he told The Post. Fisher and Zed said that alcohol, which is frowned upon by religions, is “a path to delusion and degradation.” Buddhist monks are known for their modest lifestyle, abstaining from alcohol and luxury.

This isn’t the first time the couple has spoken out about businesses using religious symbols.

In 2020, Zed and Fisher, along with other religious leaders, approached Live Nation Entertainment to install statues of Buddha, Lord Mahavira and Lord Parshvanatha in its nightclubs, including House of Blues, across the country.

At the time, the House of Blues said in a statement to the Associated Press, “We deeply apologize and removed the statue of Mahavira from all of our seats immediately,” adding, “We are reviewing the presence of all deities in our seats and are engaging with the coalition and other religious experts to make recommendations on next steps, including removal, relocation, or other appropriate actions.”

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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