Tonya Cornett is a fruit fiend. The research and development brewmaster for 10 Barrel Brewing in Bend, Ore., Cornett is often inspired by cocktail menus — especially those “made with fruit.” Her award-winning kettle sours, called Crush, are Berliner weisses infused with farmers-market favorites like raspberry, apricot, lemon, and cucumber.
The first woman to win the World Beer Cup Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year (in 2006, while at Bend Brewing), Cornett is also a former home brewer with a soft spot for (well-made) pilsners.
We caught up with her to talk about killing off IPAs, the best thing in her beer fridge right now, and all things sweet and sour.
1. What’s your desert-island beer?
Berliner weisse… Best case scenario, the island would have different fruits that I could add for variety.
2. What’s the beer that made you fall in love with beer?
The beer that made me fall head over heels with beer is Rodenbach Vintage. It is an unblended aged Flanders from a single cask.
3. FMK (Fuck, Marry, Kill) three beer types: IPA, pilsner, sour.
Marry the sour (of course!), fuck the pilsner, kill the IPA.
4. You’re on death row. What’s your last supper beer?
Last supper beer would have to be Caractere Rouge from Rodenbach, an aged sour fermented with raspberries, cherries, and cranberries. I have only been lucky enough to taste this beer a few times and each time was amazing.
5. You can only drink one beer for the rest of your life. What is it?
One beer for the rest of my life would be extremely difficult because I rarely drink the same beer twice. I think it would have to be my pilsner, Smooth Talker. I have been perfecting this beer over several years and am finally stoked with it.
6. What’s the best and worst beer in your fridge right now?
I have made a conscious decision to stop hoarding beer in my fridge. That said, the last best in my fridge currently are various Cantillon bottles that I brought back from the brewery in Brussels some years ago. The worst would probably be the unlabeled beer that somehow finds its way into the fridge and ultimately gets dumped because I have no idea what it is.
7. If you could no longer drink beer, what would be your beverage of choice?
It would have to be cocktails.
