Judge: Regulators wrong to ban beer label that had naked man

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge says North Carolina regulators were wrong to reject a beer label that featured a silhouette of a naked man standing next to a campfire. The owners of Maryland-based Flying Dog Brewery argued that the North Carolina Alcohol Beverage Control Commission violated their First Amendment rights by rejecting the label for its Freezin’ Season Winter Ale. The commission had said the label was in “bad taste,” but later allowed the beer to be sold. Flying Dog proceeded with the lawsuit anyway. A judge ruled in favor of the craft brewery last week, finding that the regulation was vague and overbroad. The judge ordered the state to remove the regulation.