Sycamore Brewing under fire for NSFW can designs amid owner controversy
Sycamore Brewing’s now annual provocative holiday beer branding was absent from its social media channels following a wave of backlash after the brewery’s co-founder and former co-owner, Justin Brigham, was arrested on multiple felony charges, including statutory rape and burglary in a case involving a 13-year-old girl.
Brigham also faces additional charges after prosecutors allege he assaulted a man on Dec. 10 by grabbing and twisting his genitals, causing serious pain and injury.
In the days since the charges became public, bars, restaurants and major grocery chains across North and South Carolina have pulled Sycamore beers from their taps and shelves, The Charlotte Observer reported.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the brewery said Brigham has divested all ownership and his wife and co-founder, Sarah Taylor, is now leading the company, though it has also removed or scrubbed older branded content. Some of the designs still appear on the brewery’s Facebook page.
Sycamore can designs
Sycamore built a reputation around its seasonal Christmas Cookie Winter Amber Ale, known for its risqué, NSFW artwork, CharlotteFive previously reported. The holiday cans were collectible partly because of their edgy designs, including a 2019 label that featured pixelated reindeer in suggestive, sexually themed poses that drew scrutiny from local alcohol regulators for indecency.
That design was so provocative it prompted a visit from North Carolina’s Alcohol Law Enforcement, but it was later approved by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, the Observer reported.
In subsequent years, Sycamore continued playing with bold and adult-oriented visuals, at times incorporating Christmas stockings and ornaments intended to resemble human anatomy, elves with adult toys or other double-entendre imagery as part of its holiday tradition.
Sycamore’s risqué can design ‘did not age well’
The brewery faced widespread backlash on social media after Brigham’s arrest, with critics calling out the brewery’s risqué can designs as inappropriate in light of the controversy.
“Sycamore Brewing’s lewd can art makes sense now,” a Reddit user posted to the subreddit r/agedlikemilk, a community where users post content that has become increasingly cringy, outdated or embarrassing over time, often highlighting how ideas or trends didn’t age well.
“This did not age well,” an Instagram user said, referring to “questionable beer designs” that included a barrel with scantilly-clad legs attached to the bottom. A couple of the barrels were positioned on their knees, indicating a sexually suggestive position, the user said. “On the knees is crazy.”
CharlotteFive reviewed Sycamore Brewing’s Instagram page on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. and did not find NSFW can designs or merchandise from this or last year, but posts with sexually explicit cartoon imagery from 2023, 2022 and beyond remain.
Charlotte businesses pull Sycamore beer
Following Brigham’s arrest, bars, restaurants and grocery stores across the Carolinas have been distancing themselves from the Charlotte brewery by removing its beer from taps and shelves, the Observer reported.
Major grocery chains such as Lowe’s Foods and others confirmed they have stopped selling Sycamore products, and local outlets including Bargarita in NoDa and Freya’s Haus in Wilmington have publicly pulled the beer and, in Freya’s case, pledged to donate remaining proceeds to a rape crisis center.
Other Charlotte spots such as Hoppin’, The Union and Tilt on Trade also announced they would no longer serve Sycamore beers amid the backlash. The airport taproom at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is being phased out as part of the broader response to the controversy.
Sycamore Brewing did not respond to a request for comment from CharlotteFive by the time of publication.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Sycamore Brewing under fire for NSFW can designs amid owner controversy."
