Monday, April 28, 2008

SECRET SPOT SUMMER ALE


Forbidden Peak Brewery is proud to introduce our latest creation- Secret Spot Summer Ale. Secret Spot is a pale based recipe with additions of a few secret ingredients, used to boost the alcohol and add a slightly sweet summer sensation. The beer has a very crisp initial explosion of flavor with a sweet aftertaste- almost the slightest hint of a ripening summer fruit. Perfect for the warm summer days soon to come, Secret Spot is sure to quickly take your mind away- into a peaceful, tranquil, happy place.

The Story:

The Secret Spot is a real place, located in Juneau, Alaska. Every nice weekend, the crew would head out "the road" to the Secret Spot, the most perfect spot in the world. Fishing, canoeing, crabbing, swimming, bocce ball, & sitting around the fire telling stories were just some of the many activities the crew would partake in while sipping on an ice cold beer from the "natural cooler" (Secret Spot Creek). The sound of the waterfall and the ocean waves would drown out any unnatural sounds and leave us with a sense of tranquility difficult to find in the rest of the world.


A couple years ago, the Secret Spot was deemed not so secret, when a development encroached onto the site. Secret Spot is still mostly intact, but as the rest of the world discovered our sacred site, much of the quietness & serenity has disappeared.

Secret Spot Summer Ale is Forbidden Peak's opportunity to push for worthy environmental causes. In an effort to preserve our most beloved and sacred natural areas, FPB is committed to donating a percentage of sales from this beer & beer gear to organizations that protect and preserve our natural areas using logic, reasoning, and accountability.

Squatch gets great pleasure out of watching people enjoy themselves in the wilderness. He often pulls up a stump, cracks open a cold one, and watches from afar as people remember why the forests and parks are so important to have around. If you're ever out in the woods and feel like you are being watched, but can't pinpoint from where or by who/what, know that it's probably Squatch and he just wants to be sure you are having fun. So, get outside, away from the TV and couch and enjoy life, which is easier with an FPB Secret Spot Summer Ale.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

SKOOKUM 'S GOLD


Skookum's Gold is a crisp and refreshing beverage with roots harking back to the days of the infamous Chilkoot Trail and the Klondike Gold Rush. Skookum's Gold is a traditional Golden Ale, an easy drinker that adds a sense of class and flavor to your typical beer games. For those of you that sit at home and wonder how Squatch lives the life of luxury that he does (living in the woods, traveling around, making & drinking beer, playing beer games, etc.), it was this beer and his cousin Skookum that brought him his fortune back in the days of the Alaskan Gold Rush.

History:

Keish, better known by his European name SKOOKUM Jim Mason, was a member of the Tagish First Nation. In the mid 1880s, he worked as a packer over the Chilkoot Pass carrying supplies for miners, where he earned his Skookum nickname because of his extraordinary strength. Skookum means "strong" in the Chinook Jargon used on the Pacific Coast.

Skookum Jim is today credited with making the gold discovery that led to the Klondike Gold Rush, although, in keeping with the prejudices of the time, it was originally attributed to George Carmack, his brother-in-law.

Skookum is also a term used to describe a mountain monster or giant in British Columbia, Canada. The monster is similar to the Sasquatch or Bigfoot. Which is why we take you to the real story of Squatch's cousin Skookum...........

Old timers in a little town called Skagway, Alaska, fondly remember a very hairy businessman who started a small brewery to help quell the thirst of dreamy-eyed miners, who were embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Local legend Soapy Smith recalled that the "brewery owner" was a force to be reckoned with and was the only businessman in town that couldn't be bought. In fact, Mr. Smith lost his "Golden Paddle" (the infamous ping pong paddle) to cousin Skookum in a grueling championship ping pong tournament.

As word of the great beer spread, so did Skookum's fortune, which got big enough that he did not need to deal with sketchy characters such as Mr. Smith. In fact, it was the gold beer (now known as Skookum's Gold) & the cousins that single handedly shut down Jeff Smith's Parlor & the Soap Gang, ie the "Real City Hall".

Skookum was able to hire a group of young men to take beer up the Chilkoot Pass to a series of "beer stations". This group of men became known as the "Life Preservers". Only in the deepest part of winter were the Life Preservers unable to get beer to the masses. It was then that Skookum & Squatch (who would spent months with cousin Skookum every year) would take over the load and carry hundreds of pounds of "Skookum's Gold" to desperate climbers and miners. More than a few accounts have put this remarkable beer as the only reason prospectors were able to survive the harsh conditions. Today the Life Preservers name is carried on in the small styrofoam floats found next to swimming pools and on boats worldwide, still saving the lives of those we love.

A coincidence put Skookum's brewery right next door to the very first Nordstrom Brothers Shoe Store. The brothers would often share a pint and stories at the pub with Squatch & Skookum over a game of pong. The Nordstrom brothers convinced the hairy cousins to invest in their promising company before they parted ways. As a parting gift and a sign of their enduring friendship, the Nordstrom's had a special "Golden Fermenter" made for Skookum, so he could forever continue to brew the most beloved beer on the Klondike. Cousin Skookum became ill at the end of the gold rush and died shortly thereafter. Squatch was the sole benefactor of Skookum's will and received the three most prized possessions to come out of the Klondike Gold Rush- the Golden Paddle, the Golden Fermenter, and most importantly the recipe for "Skookum's Gold".

After the gold rush died down, Squatch made his way back to Forbidden Peak, where he relished the quiet nature of his life. Squatch hand crafted a ping pong table to remember the good times and his favorite cousin Skookum. He spent most of the next fifty years playing beer pong with his various woodland creature friends and perfecting the rules to make them into what they are today. So enjoy Skookum's Gold and know that in Forbidden Peak fashion, behind every great beer is a greater story. Cheers!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

THE UNVEILING

The haunter of dreams.
The destructive dean of death.
A JaegerSquirrel wants, is what a JaegerSquirrel gets.
Roaming the streets, roaming the skies,
Looking down at us all,
With those beady red eyes.

Shut all the windows and lock all the doors,
Keep the shotgun real close, 'neath the bed on the floor
And one last little thing, before you head to bed-
Put out the offering in the pewter shot glass
And hope like hell it's the only thing dead.

April 18th, 2008

Snow flurries hit Seattle creating an eerie presence on the night the JaegerSquirrel was to be unveiled. The time was 66 minutes past 6, the hour to devour. The bottles were opened, the first sips taken, heaven was found on the night hell froze over. The Jaeger Pleasure was abundant and spirits were on an all time high. The beer warmed the system on the frigid, cold, snowy, April day. One beer later the crew was intoxicated with happiness and hope- and all seemed right in the world. It was as if JaegerSquirrel wished the crew to enjoy his namesake brew in the true forbidden peak weather conditions.

Memorable quotes from the unveiling:

"You know what's great about this (JaegerSquirrel), it's like having 12 shots"
"It just gets sweeter as the night goes on"
"Happy Holidays!"- Pizza delivery guy
"April 18th, 2008, the night hell froze over"
"Do you think the Golden Weasel is a relative?" (look up Golden Weasel on Google, indeed they are)


Forbidden Peak Brewery had a weekend unveiling of the JaegerSquirrel, ESB, and the latest round of First Ascent. JaegerSquirrel Porter stole the show, with the sweet hint of Jager in every sip. Even folks who don't like Jagermeister liked the beer, calling it the most unique taste on the market today. It seems that demand has already surpassed the supply, which will mean another batch as soon as possible.

Experience Squatch's Best was well received and was a great pairing with the JaegerSquirrel. ESB is a medium bodied beer with a smooth crisp aftertaste. Although bitter, the beer is definitely an easy drinker.

First Ascent continues to be the flagship beer for the brewery. The latest batch has hit the mark again, showing that the brewery has leaped into the next phase of successful brewing- consistency. Consistency means that at FPB we have our process down pat, so the latest batch has given us a level of confidence not seen in the past.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

FEAR LIATH

"I began to think I heard something else than merely the noise of my own footsteps. For every few steps I took I heard a crunch, and then another crunch as if someone was walking after me but taking steps three or four times the length of my own. As the eerie crunch, crunch, sounded behind me, I was seized with terror and took to my heels, staggering blindly among the boulders for four or five miles."

This was a real life account by the noted climber John Norman Collie, in which he recounted a terrifying experience he had endured while alone near the summit of Ben MacDhui.
Other climbers have also reported similar experiences, many describing uncontrollable feelings of fear and panic, some actually seeing a huge grey figure behind them, and others only hearing sounds or even succumbing to inexplicable feelings of terror while in the area.

Am Fear Liath Mòr (also known as The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui or simply The Greyman) is the name of a presence or creature which is said to haunt the summit and passes of Ben MacDhui, the highest peak of the Cairngorms and the second highest peak in Scotland. It has been described as an extremely tall figure covered with short hair, or as an unseen presence that causes uneasy feelings in people who climb the mountain. There is little evidence of the existence of this creature besides various sightings and a few photographs of unusual footprints.

It was traditionally seen as a supernatural being, but Am Fear Liath Mòr has been compared to his cousin in North America- Squatch. To help spread the word of Squatch's lesser known cousin (in our neck of the woods) the crew at Forbidden Peak Brewery has created a beer that encompasses the Scottish mountain legend.

Fear Liath is a classic Scottish ale with the color of a bright copper penny and an off-white head. The beer has a smoky, malty flavor with a bitter aftertaste. The aroma is a complex blend of malt and smoke with subtle hints of toasted malt and hops. Fear Liath finishes smooth and clean with a dry hop aftertaste.
Fear Liath will be the first beer on tap at Forbidden Peak Brewery, a subsidiary of Forbidden Peak Enterprises LLC. Fear Liath will be introduced on May 10th, 2008. Support your local brewery and join us for the festivities.
Am Fear Liath Mor information taken from Wikipedia, it's a true story- look it up!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

JaegerSquirrel's Revenge

For those of you that thought the JaegerSquirrel was just a funny story made up by the creative minds at Forbidden Peak, we have some enlightening news. At 8:15 PM on Saturday April 5th, the Seattle Police Department received a 911 call from a brew crew member. Upon arriving at the scene, the investigating "detective" (we use that term loosely) determined that something was amiss. Indeed the back door was destroyed, computers and shiny jewelry were stolen. "It appears that the computer was the target", mentioned the officer. The computer was the source of the JaegerSquirrel label, putting the creature into the public eyes for the first time. The officer noted that there was not a 1 oz. offering on the back deck at the time. Below is the police artists interpretation of the suspect, pieced together through various eyewitness accounts.

It may be a strange coincidence that this happened the night after bottling the JaegerSquirrel, but not even the officer in charge believed that. When pulling into the driveway, a small black figure flew by, forcing the officer to ram into the curb (true story). We didn't find out how the officer explained this to his superiors, but I would imagine he'll keep what he saw that night to himself.

It is believed that the JaegerSquirrel thought the stolen computer was the sole source of the media frenzy caused by the publicizing of the creature. Let's hope this satisfies him. Luckily the brew crew member was not at home at the time of the robbery. However, a 30 pound Possum was not so lucky. Its ravaged carcass was found not more than 20 ft from the house- a sign of a truly infuriated beast.

Why do we get knocked down? So we can learn to get back up again. We will never again mock the existence of this creature, I recommend you do the same.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

JaegerSquirrel

Forbidden Peak Brewery is proud to introduce our latest creation, the JaegerSquirrel Porter. This unique porter recipe was designed to replicate the moral fiber of the JaegerSquirrel. We took a traditional FPB porter and then added a healthy amount of our favorite licorice flavoring to the secondary fermenter. Each sip of this titillating beer has a hint of the secret flavor and a healthy amount of good beer flavor. Yes, the JaegerSquirrel is real and yes, it is quite a formidable animal.
Wily. Cunning. Elusive. Lethal. Words such as these have been used in hush tones when talk of the infamous JaegerSquirrel arises. From Mt. Rainier to Mt. McKinley, the JaegerSquirrel dominates the Pacific Northwest and is feared by every man and beast alike. The legends are too many to tell and many who speak publicly of this liver crushing beast have been known to meet devious and destructive ends. JaegerSquirrel Porter is a beer that should not be taken lightly, just like its namesake!

The JaegerSquirrel is most active during the Harvest Moon, when he roams his territory night and day. In many small villages, residents will put out a small 1 oz. bottle during the Harvest Moon in hopes that the JaegerSquirrel will take the offering and leave the family alone. Squatch does not have access to the 1 oz bottle up in the mountains, but he too puts an offering out- the JaegerSquirrel Porter. This allows the two elusive creatures to live in harmony.

Enjoy this special recipe beer and stay tuned to find out where to obtain your official JaegerSquirrel Porter gear.