Pyramid Ale Cap, Photo Richard Elliott
Hidden in a sandy pocket of the Mojave Desert lies this unusual bottle cap (see above photo). This curious looking cap, with its strange emblem, appears like it belongs to some secret society or was left by some thirsty aliens from space. To those in the know, the cap is from a bottle of premium ale, known as Pyramid Ale. Obviously some thirsting hiker or 4 x 4 explorer in Death Valley’s Wood Canyon had a special, demanding taste for exceptional beer. The interesting thing is that Pyramid Ale is no longer available to the public. So, when might this desert relic of the hops have been tossed here? Time for a quest on Google.
The Google search led to a Wikipedia source, showing that Pyramid Ale does not date too far back in time. According to Wikipedia, Pyramid Breweries, Inc. is headquartered in Seattle, WA. It was founded in Kalama, WA, in 1984, as Hart Brewing, Inc. In 1994, Hart Brewing developed an Apricot Ale, introducing the tasty brew at the Great American Beer Festival, taking a Gold Medal. This honor christened Hart Brewing as an innovator in the fruit beer category. In 1996, “Hart Brewing changed its name to Pyramid, after its best known brand,” according to Wikipedia.
In 2008, Pyramid was acquired by Magic Hat Brewing Company and no longer serves as a public company. Today, Pyramid Breweries operates 4 restaurants called “Alehouses” in Seattle, WA and the California cities of Berkeley, Walnut Creek and Sacramento, according to Wikipedia. To learn more about their breweries, visit their website, http://www.pyramidbrew.com/.
Now we know this Pyramid bottle cap was probably tossed onto the sandy desert sometime between 1996 and 2008. Although its presence in Death Valley National Park does not qualify it for protection under the Antiquities Act, and rather may be considered “litter,” I left it there for someone else’s curious discovery and to perhaps one day have it become an antiquity.
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