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July 5, 2016 - Comments Off on The Thai Have Slightly Thicker Beer(ds)

The Thai Have Slightly Thicker Beer(ds)

If I were to take a random sampling of my readership audience I'd wager a bet that at least 90% of you are white men. Of this group, 75% of you have pretty legendary beards, and if you don't it's probably because your beard growing capabilities are sub-par. Of the remaining 10%, half of you are white females (probably not bearded), and the rest of you are from various ethnicities (though you're most definitely blokes). The GTA Brews Homebrewing Club - of which I am a member - is the biggest of such clubs in Toronto. Toronto has one of the most diverse populations in the world, and yet GTA Brews struggles to broaden its base to appeal to women and minorities. We're trying though. Amongst the rarest in the group, it seems, are black, and Asian people.

If you've been following the blog of late, you're aware that I'm in fact currently backpacking across Southeast Asia with my girlfriend, Sara. She's of Malaysian descent and technically a GTA Brews member - whaaaaat?! We started our travels in Singapore, flew to Indonesia, then hit up Malaysia and Sri Lanka before landing in Thailand. Sadly, the variety of beer in these countries has been quite limited. I can only occasionally sniff out craft beer, and when I do it's usually in obscure pockets of big cities. Even still, the beers at these niche bars are usually imported from Europe or North America and (almost) never locally brewed…

… unless you're in Bangkok!

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January 7, 2016 - 2 comments

The Silly Sir Museum Part II

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...

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:

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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...

...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:

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November 30, 2015 - Comments Off on My Favourite Label Yet

My Favourite Label Yet

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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:

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