All Posts in Beer Labels
Until recently, the label design quality of my beer was more consistent than the beer itself. This is in large part thanks to the incredible effort and skills of my girlfriend Sara who is a designer, and who can adapt and adjust my label sketches in all the right ways to make them look great. She's taught me everything I know about what makes good homebrew label design. As I continue to perfect my brewing methods and upgrade my equipment, our beer quality has continued to improve and is now falling in line with our great labels.
Giggle Splash is my first attempt at a highly aromatic American IPA. American IPAs are marked by their bright, citrusy hop aromas, and high bitterness. Giggle Splash sits at around 57 International Bitterness Units (IBU) which is considered moderate according official guidelines. For comparison, Budweiser and Molson Canadian sit at around 10 IBU or so (plus or minus a few units). So yes, it's quite hoppy.
January 22, 2016 - Comments Off on Introducing Silly Sir’s Spiced Ginger Saison
Introducing Silly Sir’s Spiced Ginger Saison
Very sketchy...
It is ready: Silly Sir's first saison!
Saison beers are typically consumed during the summer, and are usually: highly carbonated; moderately high in alcohol; light to moderate in colour and bitterness; and full of beautiful esters that impart distinctive notes of banana, cloves, and spice. If this sounds like it's your jam, contact me and I'll let you test one in exchange for critical feedback. The distinctive aromas of this beer form due to the warm temperatures required for optimal fermentation by this particular strain of yeast. This beer fermented at around 88F for about a month which is a much higher fermentation temperature than most yeast strains are used to.
As promised, here is part two of my post which where l explain the brewing and design choices behind the Silly Sir beers and labels. Today we have: Pickle Tournament beer, Vanilla Infused Porter, and our Cranberry Juniper Stout.
It seems every time I mention the words "Pickle Tournament", I am met with looks of utter confusion as people attempt to process what they just heard. The annual Pickle Tournament is exactly as it sounds - a gaming tournament dedicated to upholding the integrity of, and respect for... pickles.
6 of the 24 official competitor badges...
It's great silly times. The third annual Pickle Tournament is slated for late summer 2016, and lucky you: you're invited! Obviously a gaming tournament of this magnitude and as silly as this requires an official sponsor and signature beer. Lo and behold the Pickle Tournament Pale Ale:
January 5, 2016 - Comments Off on The Silly Sir Museum
The Silly Sir Museum
I'm all about extravagance, indulgence, and over-the-top, unjustifiable ceremony. I think that it can be a lot of fun, and can disarm people. With this in mind I am proud to announce the Silly Sir Museum!...
...just a few from my collection...
... these brews are displayed in consecutive order from earliest to most recent, and each beer was designed carefully with something special in mind. Starting from the left we have:
November 30, 2015 - Comments Off on My Favourite Label Yet
My Favourite Label Yet
Me and Teddy share a fire
Sara reminds me that I say this every time, but this is my favourite Silly Sir design yet. I wanted to create something that was intimate and captured the spirit of Christmas. The vectors are small but the negative space creates a sense of stillness.
The Silly Sir packaging is admittedly further ahead than the consistency of the beers, and I am very proud of the designs so far. Without Sara to execute my vision, and offer her impressive design insights, the Silly Sir brand wouldn't be as established as it already is.
This is the original sketch before Sara made it awesome:
