On a good sized piece of land at the end of a gravel road, Skookum serves up good beer as well as growlers to go in a comfortable outdoor setting. There were nine beers on tap during our visit, representing a large range of ales from pale ale to imperial stout, including two IPA’s and a wood-aged beer. The Jackass IPA is quite good. The atmosphere is very friendly and local. There is no food served except for a generous supply of pretzels.

The brewery and tasting room are in a large barn-like stained wooden building. A large roll-up garage door provides a great view into the brewery, which has a wood-clad mash tun and kettle and several stainless steel fermenters. A large rusted round saw blade with the brewery’s name hangs on the outside of the building and adds to the overall impression of an old fashioned sawmill.

A good number of black metal open mesh tables and chairs (a couple with umbrellas) are distributed on the patio around the brewery and taproom.  At one end a heavy wooden picnic table and some benches surround a metal outdoor fire pit. On the other side of the building a beautiful wooden structure supports a clear corrugated plastic roof. This area is decorated with strings of lights and has several propane heaters. Several more picnic tables are available out back in the woods.

Parking is plentiful, if somewhat ad-hoc, on the side of the drive or in the back.

Beers we reviewed:

• Skookum Jackass IPA: Amber/cloudy. Citrus/floral aroma. Citrus & slightly sweet biscuit flavor. Intense citrus, bitter, semi-dry finish. Score: 4.0