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!

We spoke with Monday Night Brewing head brewer Peter Kiley about Han Brolo.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Between Han’s flavor and sessionability, it’s hard to say. If I had to pick a favorite aspect I would have to say it’s the mouthfeel. It’s like silk on your palate.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Absolutely. If I had enough of it on the desert island it might turn into a vacation.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Silky, Chewy (or Chewie), Dank, Flavorful and Unforgettable.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
You really can’t go wrong with pairing this beer. I personally really enjoy pairing Han with a spicy Massaman curry or some Mojo chicken tacos with a fresh mango salsa. For dessert, Han gets along famously with key lime pie.

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We spoke with Sketchbook Brewing Co. founder and head brewer Cesar Marron about Night Game.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe? 
I did.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Night Game is Double IPA that drinks easy and has a smooth, rounded bitterness.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
I wanted a Double IPA that was in the 8 percent ABV range with lots of late-kettle hops and balanced bitterness. I came up with 8.8% and 88 IBUs on the recipe. The unnamed beer was the conversation of the evening at a family party. When my father-in-law heard the stats, “night game” were the first words out of his mouth. I had very little idea what it meant (darn Brazilian immigrant totally ignorant of baseball). 8-8-88 was the dateline of the first night game in Chicago Cubs history. Duh!

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
As far as Double IPAs go, for sure, but I would soon learn to pace myself as this one sneaks up on you.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Strong, pungent cheese, cured meat and ribs.

We spoke with Sketchbook Brewing Co. founder and head brewer Cesar Marron about Pinky Sweater.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe? 
I came up with this recipe as a home brew.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
A solid pilsner with a bit more body and character from the red rice.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Amy, my wife, suggested a name such as "pinky swear" because of the way the Belgians would order a Pilsner in a loud bar: By raising their pinky. That name got auto-corrected on a text message and became Pinky Sweater, a term that caused much laughter.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Actually, it would be a great beer in a true desert island scenario. I would drink it all the time on that island!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Crisp, refreshing, medium-low body, slightly sweet

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Spicy foods, nuts and hard cheese.

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We spoke with Knee Deep Brewing Co. brewmaster Dean Roberts about Lupulin River.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Lupulin River was an early collaboration beer we made first for Sacramento Beer Week. We tweaked and altered the recipe over time to create what is now the Lupulin River that everyone knows and loves.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Lupulin River's hop balance of the Simcoe and Mosaic varietals is extraordinary.  

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
This Double IPA has very fruity characteristics, and we picked the name “Lupulin River” because Lupulin is the name of the gland in a hop cone that contains the oils and acids that give off this beer's powerful fruity flavor.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Lupulin River is liquid gold with a fruity kick.

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We spoke with Knee Deep Brewing Co. brewmaster Dean Roberts about Man Juice.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Man Juice was a recipe created by two brewers on our brew team.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
For Man Juice, it’s all about the balance of juice to beer. The flavor and aroma are not full of over-the-top orange juice elements, but rather the perfect amount to keep you coming back for more.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
In Man Juice, we use freshly juiced Organic Mandarins in this IPA. Thus, giving us the name: Man Juice.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Refreshing and citrusy with a slight IPA tang.

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We spoke with Right Brain Brewery Founder and CEO Russell Springsteen about Gin Joy Ale.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This was a group effort. The recipe is a riff on our popular Cake Walk Vanilla Cream Ale made with real Madagascar vanilla beans. 

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We acquired the gin barrels from our go-to supplier, Grand Traverse Distillery. I wanted to age a lighter beer in them so the gin could pop through. Since we always have Cake Walk in tanks, it was an easy decision. It's essentially a barrel-aged porch beer.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The name comes from the flavor. To me, it tastes like ginger ale, thus the name Gin Joy Ale. It has that nice botanical nose. 

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Gin Joy pairs so well with many foods, from fresh green salads to fish, but we think it always goes with a nice warm breeze on a summer night.

We spoke with Fullsteam Brewery head brewer Brian Mandeville and CEO Sean Wilson about Foxfire.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Brian Mandeville, Fullsteam's head brewer, came up with the recipe for this beer.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
BM: I love how refreshing this beer is -- it's well-suited for Spring. But my favorite aspect is the interplay between the sorghum's subtle, nutty, earthy, notes and the apricot, honeysuckle, and mild tropical flavors from the hops.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
SW: It's a combination of several influences, including a bio-luminescent fungus found deep in the woods -- as well as a long-running Appalachian guide to the outdoors that we love.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
BM: Subtle sorghum notes backed by a bright, tropical aroma.
SW: A walk in the Southern woods after a spring rain.

We spoke with Bearded Iris Brewing head brewer Brandon Tarr about DDH Tunnel Vision with Citra.

Who came up with the recipe?
There is a collaborative effort amongs our small team of brewers to create new recipes, and Tunnel Vision DDH w/ Citra has been honed through many batches of different IPAs and Double IPAs we have brewed. 

Where does this beer name come from?
The vast majority of our beer names come from different cultivars of irises. There’s an incredible amount of beautiful iris varieties, each with a unique name to choose from.

Is this your desert island beer?
While Tunnel Vision DDH w/ Citra has been my go-to beer at the brewery, for a more desert island-appropriate beer, see my next answer.

What's a good food pairing for this beer?
For a good “food pairing” pour a half-full glass of orange juice then fill the cup with Tunnel Vision DDH w/ Citra. It makes a killer Beermosa that's very, very refreshing. 

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