We here at the Lost Coast Outpost know as well as anyone that when we pour alcohol down our gullets it affects our judgment. We may strive to be morally upstanding and considerate, but when our brains swim in enough beer their higher functions tend to melt away, leaving behind childlike ids that grasp drunkenly for immediate gratification.

We’re guessing that’s what happened to the Mad River Tap Room patron who stumbled into the bathroom and spotted a beaded, handcrafted reproduction of the familiar Steelhead Extra Pale logo on the wall. He (or she) must have seen it and responded to the monosyllabic impulses of his inebriated noggin:

“Like!”

“Want!

“Take!”

Well, if that was you — or one of your friends — you may want to hear the backstory on your new souvenir. Tap Room Manager Gini Noggle explained in an email:

The art in question was a piece from our “Better Than Beer” contest we held in September as part of our 25th Anniversary Celebration. This piece was a large, framed keg made of fabric, with our name across the top and 25 in Roman numerals at the bottom. On the keg part the artist had handcrafted a label from a Steelhead package, hand-decorating the salmon in beads and making the river out of blue and white flowers and beads. It was beautiful and I bought it at the silent auction at the end of the “Better Than Beer” contest as a keepsake for the brewery. 

At some point this week (between Sunday night and Wednesday afternoon) someone went into the bathroom it hung in and peeled that pretty label off AND F@#%ING STOLE IT. I noticed it was gone Wednesday afternoon before I left work, and spent last night confirming with employees it hadn’t just fallen off or anything. Nope. It’s GONE. And I’m pretty upset.

Because not only was it a pretty cool memento for our 25th anniversary, but it was made by one of my closest friends, Christina Medeiros, who did all the handiwork WHILE RECOVERING FROM SURGERY AND ON CHEMO FOR STAGE FOUR COLON AND LIVER CANCER. Her husband texted me after I bought the piece, “Christina had a very fun time making the art, it kept her mind off of all her health issues.”

While there’s not a real monetary value to this art (I paid $50, half of which went to charity) there is most definitely a personal value to it and I’d really, really like it back.

So, yeah. Maybe you should peel that thing off your dorm room door and return it. Just a thought. 

Anyone with info can contact Noggle by emailing gini@madriverbrewing.com or calling 668-4151, ext. 108. We promise: Your next beer will taste better.