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.

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:

^ Pickle Tournament Pale Ale: It took hours cutting out the 50 or so labels, and they ended up printing much bigger that we wanted, but this ranks among my favourite labels. Once again Sara took a mediocre sketch and gave it real life as an NES-Pickle controller.

This beer has dill in it. I know. It had to. It was for the pickle tournament. While I agree that beer in an ale doesn't sound very appealing at all, it actually wasn't too bad considering. There were however five "Pickle Bombs" hidden among the regular pickle beers that had about a quarter bottle of pickle brine in them. If you were lucky enough to get one of these beers and finished it, you were put in the Pickle Hall of Fame. 

^ Vanilla Infused Porter (VIP) - It was the first beer I thought I'd market a little more formally. The black, and cursive text makes it feel premium, and Sara, in her execution made the Silly Sir logo look like a bit like a wax envelope seal.

Great beer. First attempt was good until a few weeks after bottling when the beers became "bottle bombs" upon opening. This happened because they weren't done fermenting when I capped them. Second iteration used only pure vanilla beans and came out a lot better. The real vanilla really increases the sense of sweetness because vanilla is often associated with sweet things. 

^ Cranberry Juniper Stout - My design was inspired by Calvin and Hobbes, Starbucks holiday cups, and Christmas nostalgia. We've got a little boy and his dog starting deep into a fire. The negative space gives the pair some solitude and brings them together. It's an intimate scene and I think it captures something special.

The beer itself isn't great to be honest. The cranberry made the beer somewhat tart, and the juniper berries didn't taste like I expected. I was promised hints of "pine" but I didn't pick it up at all. I doubt I'll use juniper berry in a beer again.

That's all for beer label designs so far folks. Thank you for exploring the Silly Sir Museum with me. Next label will be for a ginger saison beer. If you have any suggestions for designs, let me know in a comment below.

Stay silly,

Matti