Hobgoblin's Slogans & Taglines

Hobgoblin was born in 1988 at the Eagle Brewery in Witney, Oxfordshire, when brewer Chris Moss created a special dark beer for a local pub landlord's daughter's wedding. The leftover beer was sold to the public and became an instant hit; a sketch of a hobgoblin left on a firkin gave the ale its enduring name. In 1990, the brewery was renamed Wychwood Brewery after the ancient Wychwood Forest that surrounds Witney, and Hobgoblin became its flagship. In 2002, Wychwood expanded by acquiring the historic Brakspear Brewery, and in 2008 the operation became part of Marston's. Today, Hobgoblin is produced by Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company, though the original Witney brewery closed in 2023.

The brand's core products are British ales and beers, including the iconic Hobgoblin Ruby (a 4.5–5.2% ABV ruby ale with chocolate and crystal malts), Hobgoblin Gold (a 4.2% golden ale with citrus and tropical hop notes), Hobgoblin IPA, Hobgoblin Stout, and Hobgoblin Amber. Wychwood is also the UK's largest producer of organic ales, brewing for the Duchy Originals brand.

From its famously provocative slogan "What's the matter, lager boy—afraid you might taste something?" to the modern strapline "Born Different" and "Best sipped in the dark," Hobgoblin has built an identity around mischievous character and bold flavour. With the bottle embossed "Fiercely Independent" at its base, the brand has evolved from a wedding-day one-off into the UK's second best-selling premium bottled ale and the unofficial beer of Halloween.