Monday Night Brewing Co-Founder Joel Iverson Talks Blind Pirate

We spoke with Monday Night Brewing Co-Founder Joel Iverson about Blind Pirate.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This was a beer that went through many stages. We first made this in our homebrewing days, and Jeff (one of our other co-founders) came up with the original recipe. We initially released Blind Pirate (without the blood orange) commercially. The Blood Orange version was a spin-off of that. Once we realized that it was more popular than the original, we made the switch.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the way the orange and the hops play together on this. You get a ton of citrus in the nose, but then the liquid just kind of tastes like it smells, which is not always the case with beers. We tried all kinds of options for the orange and in a blind taste-test everyone loved the version with Italian Blood Orange juice. Which of course was the most expensive and difficult one!

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
When we named Eye Patch ale back during our homebrew days 12 years ago it really came from telling stories about what IPA means. Most people then had no idea what it meant or stood for, and I remember telling the stories about sailors putting more hops in their beer for the trip to India. Of course sailor turned to pirate, and the eye patch name was born. Blind Pirate was the Double IPA version of the same beer and hence the name. Also the oranges are fitting for pirates to prevent scurvy.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Delicious but the ABV might be a little higher than what I’d want on a desert island. I’d rather have something more sessionable, like our Han Brolo pale ale (4.7%)

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Juicy citrusy notes with a caramel malt backbone. Dangerously drinkable.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
I could eat hot wings with this bad boy all day long.

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