Pelican Brewing Releases New Five Fin West Coast-Inspired Pilsner

True to its mission to protect and sustain the coastal area it calls home, Pelican Brewing Company invites brew lovers to ‘drink a beer and save a fish.’ A portion of proceeds from every barrel of Pelican’s new Five Fin west coast pilsner sold will be donated to the Salmon Superhighway—an unprecedented effort to restore access to almost 180 miles of blocked habitat throughout six major salmon and steelhead rivers of Oregon’s North Coast.

Inspired by the crystal clear waters of the six Tillamook County rivers and named for the five ocean-going species of fish benefitting from the salmon recovery effort , Five Fin is a uniquely ‘west coast’ take on the classic Pilsner beer style. Bright and zippy with a bold hoppy flavor and aroma, Five Fin is crafted with a unique blend of Cascade and Sterling hops from the Pacific Northwest and Mandarina Bavaria hops from Germany. The new pilsner marries the hop-driven flavors of tangerine, pineapple, and lemon zest with classic spicy, floral notes, all balanced against a toasty malt character:

ABV: 5.3% | IBU: 45 | PLATO: 12º

“We wanted to create a beer that would successfully support this unique restoration project—when we think about salmon, we think of the clean, cold, crisp flowing rivers here and imagined Five Fin to mirror that,” says Jim Prinzing, CEO, Pelican Brewing Company. “We love pilsners and we love American hops and this beer brings those two elements together in a bold, refreshing way.”

The new beer will be available the first week of October in the grocery craft beer aisle in 6-packs, 12 oz and 22 oz bottles; 50 liter kegs and 1/6th barrels are also available for on-premise pours.

Pelican leading private donations to the 93-project campaign

The Salmon Superhighway project is a strategic and intensive effort across a six-river landscape to reconnect fish populations with the habitat they need to navigate and survive. Started in 2014, the $35.8M campaign is expected to run through 2024 to improve the habitat for salmon in 93 different locations throughout Tillamook County.

Hundreds of barriers in streams still create bottlenecks throughout Oregon’s coastal watersheds—most are problem culverts at road crossings that contribute to flooding and road damage, along with some small dams and tide gates. Minimizing these impacts across a major landscape will come with significant, lasting benefit to fish and people, now and into the future.

“Pelican Brewing Company is a valued leader in our effort to raise awareness and funding to protect salmon in Tillamook County—which impacts all of us at some level,” says Terry Turner, Oregon Council Chair, Trout Unlimited. “We hope Pelican’s creative funding strategy will encourage other companies and organizations to join this very important salmon habitat restoration effort.”

Pelican is participating as a sponsor and donor of this ambitious and unique community partnership to design and construct culvert replacement to create healthy upstream fish habitats, reduce chronic flooding, improve recreation opportunities and stimulate the local economy. Other partners include a broad range of state and federal agencies, local business and agriculture, and local watershed councils. For a complete list of partners, please check the project website at: http://www.salmonsuperhwy.org

“We know we are more than lucky to live and work in a place as beautiful as Tillamook County, and at Pelican we don’t take our environment for granted,” says Mary Jones, Co-founder and Co-owner of Pelican Brewing Company. “Pelican has long invested both time and money in programs designed to protect this beautiful area. Among other environmental and sustainability initiatives, we are proud to support the Salmon Superhighway and encourage the private business community to join us in this important endeavor.”