Behind the Logic: Tommy Donlyuk

Sharing sentiments at Karl Strauss Anaheim.

We are all nerds in some respect, right? Comic-Con cosplayers, Tri-Wizard Champions, automatic door Jedis, Azerothians, you name it. Today we're diving deep with Tommy, one of our Tasting Room Leads (and BLB Fantasy Football League Commissioner) who's always all-in when geeking out. 

What videogame have you spent the most time playing? 

In my entire life, Final Fantasy 7. It came out when I was in the fifth grade and that was my game. Right now I'm playing a lot of Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm. It's really competitive and it's only 20 minute rounds (I'm old and don't have an hour-long attention span anymore). 

You’ve been at Bottle Logic for Three Years now, what are your favorite BLB beers?

Red Eye November or Fundamental Summation. Really, whatever Stasis Project beer has coffee in it. And Double Actuator. And Greyhound.

What would surprise us about you?

I don’t tie my shoes. I only tie them once and then I use a shoehorn to put them on every day. I have one in my car, and one in my backpack, and a ton at home. I think I’m the only person I know who uses a shoe horn.

DAD CAPS DAD CAPS DAD CAPS DAD CAPS DAD CAPS

What are you most proud of in your bottle logic tenure so far?

Helping develop some of the merchandise and branding elements has been cool. Dad Caps were the first merch item that I saw through from start to finish. When I said we needed them, we tested them and they sold like crazy in just a couple of days. And that Stasis Project print Teku glass with its 24 hour sell-out!? These things please me greatly.

Also, anytime I can really connect with someone across the bar, and then see them come back to the Tasting Room is a personal accomplishment for me. Getting them to come visit again, and getting to really dig into our beer with them. I love that.

What's the most memorable brewery trip you’ve ever had?

Pizza Port in Bressi Ranch. We did that as a team building event with all of the staff. Pizza Port was our second stop of the day and I had promised myself that I would have only one beer so I could stay in the game. We had one beer at lunch and then did a tour of their insane facility -- including the packaging lines where fresh Swamis cans were distributed and immediately shot-gunned. My day spiraled out of control from there. We were in the bus back playing Mario SuperKart on our Nintendo Switches (flats of Swamis 4-packs in tow). I picked the Rainbow Road track like 8 times in a row and everybody hated me for it. It's still a thing. 

What’s your favorite movie?

Terminator 2 is the best action movie of all time, but Terminator 1 is the best romance film ever. Believe me. It makes the movie so much better if you watch it as if it were a love story between Kyle Reese and Sarah Conner.

Tommy's hand-painted Blood Angels 2nd Company Hellblasters for Warhammer 40k!

If the Many Fruited God endowed you with a superpower, what would it be?

Superpower or superhero? Well either way it's the same. Wolverine. So my body would be invincible and I could f*** s*** up. Claws and regeneration, what else do you need? Adamantium bones, sign me up!

...And Here's what the team has to say...

"Tommy is a real inspiration, not only to staff members, but to everyone within a 100-mile radius of the brewery. His beard will always be the best." -Riley Sullivan, Beer Tender

"Oh, I really hate that guy." -Gilbert Camacho, Beer Tender, Back-to-Back BLB Fantasy Football League Champion  

Behind the Logic: Gilbert Camacho

We sat down with the ever hilarious beer-tender, Gilbert Camacho, to get to know the man who calls himself “The Champ”. You can always count on him for good conversation at the bar, especially when a game is on, but what else lies beneath those flat-billed hats?

IF THE MANY FRUITED GOD ENDOWED YOU WITH A SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

"I think I would want to be able to move cars with my mind so I could always have a parking spot. Oh wait! Maybe just teleport. So then I'd never have to worry about parking at all."

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT AT BOTTLE LOGIC?

"Do you remember the rise of the basilisk last year? I wanted to fill the board with basilisk characters of all kinds- my favorite was the baSUHlisk that we did for our Hoperating System IPA. The whole staff developed this whole set of ridiculous rules to properly draw a basilisk - we couldn't erase or redo if we made a mistake and no matter how well you drew them the first time, we made everyone redraw the eyes at least once. It had to stop when we brought shame to the basilisk family because they started looking so bizarre."

SPEAKING OF THAT CHALKBOARD, WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BEERS?

"From Bottle Logic, last year’s Berlinear Equation with Blueberries and Ground State Imperial Stout -- Ground State was the first barrel-aged beer that I ever got into. Otherwise, I really like Russian River’s Blind Pig IPA. If I were stranded on a desert island, I wouldn't have much to do so I'd want something light and sessionable so I could just keep drinking it all day."

WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING OR VISITING TASTING ROOMS, WHAT YOUR HOBBIES?

"I like to paint, especially on wood panels. I really like Yoshitomo Nara’s work so I tend to paint cartoony, over exaggerated characters. Even some of my tattoos are from Nara’s work."

•       •       •       •       •

Come by and throw a “Suhh” to Gil in our tasting room anytime! With Harry Potter season around the corner, don’t be surprised if a basilisk makes a reappearance on the tasting room chalkboard!

CHEERS TO GIL!