If you suddenly found yourself lost on a desert island, you’d have some decisions to make. First, you’d probably search for food and shelter. After that, you could befriend a volleyball named Wilson, like Tom Hanks in “Castaway,” or hope to find salvation in the Skipper from “Gilligan’s Island.” Now, imagine someone offers you a single beer—one last pint to remind you of civilization. What’s your pick?

In celebration of the Great American Beer Festival, September 24 to 26, we posed that very question (and silly scenario) to 10 local brewers. See the list below to find out which beers they would prefer to have on the island, and check out the festival to ask each brewer more about their picks in person.


Casey Brewing & Blending’s The Low End—because if you’re stranded on a desert island, you might as well drink good.” —Patrick Annesty, assistant brewer at River North Brewery

Lucille, from Georgetown Brewing in Seattle. It is so incredibly bright and refreshing with its juicy citrus notes. I feel happy immediately upon my first sip. I go for this every time I am back home in Seattle.” —Scott Witsoe, owner of Wit’s End Brewing Company

“The beer I would chose is Prost’s Doppelbock… If it’s good enough for Monk’s to sustain them during Lent… Good enough for me. They were actually the first to brew this style, centuries ago for that exact reason.” —Troy Johnston, co-owner of Prost Brewing Company

“My answer would definitely be Odell IPA as my desert island beer. I really never tire of hoppy beers so I would definitely be looking for an IPA, and Odell IPA has a great balance to it. It is hoppy and nuanced in flavor without just overrunning your palate with hop acids.” —Brian O’Connell, owner of Renegade Brewing

“I think my desert island beer would be Daisy Cutter from Half Acre. Long before I started TRVE I was lucky enough to hang out with those guys during a canning run and drank one right off the line. It was easily one of the most memorable beer experiences I’ve had and as such I would love to be able to bring that beer.” —Nick Nunnsm, proprietor of TRVE Brewing Co.

Hogshead‘s AK Ordinary Bitter—if you don’t brew your favorite beer, then why are you brewing?” —Jake Gardner, head brewer at Hogshead Brewery

“If I could drink just one beer while stranded on a desert island it would be Pivo Pils by Firestone Walker. They have created the perfect session beer for those hot island afternoons sitting under a palm tree, but it still has a bold hop presence with generous additions of German grown hops.” —Jeremy Gobien, owner of Copper Kettle Brewing

“I think we would go with Fantôme Saison! It’s such a perfectly designed beer.” —Brandon Proff, owner of Our Mutual Friend Brewing Company

“My desert island beer is The Tower E.S.B. The reason for this is, one: The Tower E.S.B. is a beer of balance; two: The rich malt flavor of the floor malted Maris Otter Malt marries perfectly with the earthiness of the U.K. East Kent Golding hops; three: Not one part of this beer dominates which makes it distinctly drinkable if you only have one beer to drink all the time; and four: At six percent ABV, you can have a few of them.” —Erik Peterson, owner of Bull & Bush Brewery

Dale’s Pale Ale! Because we’d build a CAN raft and get our asses outta there after we’re done imbibing.” —Sarah Leavitt, social media editor at Oskar Blues Brewery

(Read more about Colorado’s hop-growing trend)