What Would Be Your Last Beer on Earth?

Experts pick their favorites

Updated 6:30 PM EST, Thu, Jul 2, 2009

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As a follow up to our very own Beerspotter's conversation about top five desert island beers, we offer this account of what some craft-beer stars consider to be the finest beers on the planet. During this year's Lupulin Reunulin at RFD, a glorious night of drinking and mayhem where a handful of the most innovative American brewers bring out their best, the panelists were asked what they would choose as their last beer on Earth. Here's what they said.

Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River in California was the first to respond. Emphatically, he said his last beer would be an Orval, on draft at the brewery in Belgium.

Tomme Arthur of Port / Lost Abbey in California, after confirming that he would have a whole ten minutes left to live to enjoy the beer, said that he would choose one from Alpine Beer Company. He settled on Alpine's Pure Hoppiness.

Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head in Delaware without hesitation named Saison Dupont as his final beer. If you were expecting something more extreme, remember that every great brewer has their roots in the classics.

Adam Avery of Avery in Colorado, in true spelling-bee form, asked for the question to be repeated and then hemmed and hawed before finally naming Blind Pig IPA, a beer from Russian River. The next panelist in line to respond, Rob Tod, quickly remarked that after such mad props, Adam and Vinnie would definitely be hooking up later that evening.

Rob Tod of Allagash in Maine whole-heartedly agreed with Vinnie Cilurzo that Orval was the best beer on Earth and would be his last if he had any say about it. This one should come as no surprise considering Allagash's strong line-up of Belgian-style ales.

Bill Madden of Vintage 50 in Virginia said it would have to be a fresh cask ale and named Fuller's London Pride as "the one." We're not sure if it was the thought of a cask or a British bitter (probably both), but he got the best audience reaction for the choice.

After the panelists gave their responses, the question was opened up to the audience and several high-profilers offered their choices. Among them were Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River who picked Malheur Brut. Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada in California, considered by many to be the grandfather of craft brewing, reminisced about buying Spring beer for 69 cents a six-pack. As the first beer he ever had, he said one of those would do.

Other members of the audience named such great beers as Port Pizza's Poor Man's IPA, Schlenkerla Urbock, and Lost Abbey Angel Share. Tammy's would be any Kasteel, but she prefers the Bruin over the Trippel and the Rouge. Bruce's would be anything from Weltenburger Kloster, but the Asam-Bock is pretty flippin' awesome.

What would yours be?