The newest Viking-themed bar in Ballard is inching closer to opening — Skål (5429 Ballard Ave NW) is anticipating a November opening, and have announced plans to team up with Odin Brewing Co. on a collaboration beer “fit for a Viking beer hall”.
“Paying homage to the Scandinavian tradition of farmhouse brewing, we crafted a vibrant ale with balanced acidity from the black currants added during fermentation,” the owners say. They use a Kveik yeast strain, which Skål says was originally used during the brewing season, and then dried to preserve for the next year.
“We’ve been told that at the end of the brewing year, the yeast would be smeared onto a stick, whale bone, or whatever was laying around and desiccated. The dry yeast could then be stored until the next brewing season came around. Over time the yeast evolved to be extremely flocculent, which means it sticks together and settles very well and is also highly temperature stable. It is unique in its ability to ferment hot, up to 100F,” Skål explains in their newsletter. The beer is currently on offer at Odin’s Tukwila brewery, and for a limited time at the Swedish Club.
The bar has established a membership program called Beerhalla, where members get invited to exclusive events and first pours on limited-release beers. They also have a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for opening — donors get their names laser-cut on wood rounds, which will go up on their “founder’s wall” in the bar.
Skål is also hiring — they’re all set for bartenders, but they’re looking for kitchen staff, cooks, and dishwashers.