This Minneapolis brewery's beer can is about more than a laugh

My husband recently came home with a four-pack of Modist Brewing's new Forbidden Islands New England IPA and she found herself mesmerized by the can's label.

• Fog rises from islands dotting a turquoise sea, as an orca jumps from the water. A backpacked adventurer takes in the scene from atop a ridge of — wait — are those land masses made of ... fried chicken?

After I stopped giggling, I called Modist to learn the backstory of the IPA's trompe-l'œil.

What they're saying: Tyler Mithuen, the brewery's director of brand development, said my experience was the exact reaction they had in mind.

• "We toy around with not being serious and being serious and ... I thought it would be funny ... to play tricks with the mind: Is it land? Is it fried chicken?" Mithuen said.

The bottom line: The eye-catching design is about more than adding whimsy to the drinker's day.

• The pandemic has made many local craft brewers more reliant on liquor stores to stay afloat. As a result, competition for both cooler space and customers' attention is up.
• "The more unique the cans are, the better chance you'll have standing out," Mithuen said.