The Lore of the Legendary Boonville Beer
We sometimes get asked about Barkley and where exactly the ‘Boonville Beer’ originated from. We dug into the archives to bring you everything we know:
Origins
The Legendary Boonville Beer is a rare species most commonly found in Northern California resembling a large, antlered bear. The largest and (thought to be) original colony of these antlered bears are found in Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, California which has resulted in them sometimes being referred to as the Northern California Beer. The first substantiated interaction with the Legendary Beers happened in 1861 in southern Mendocino County.
Identifying Features
Exhibiting physiology of both the California Grizzly and the Columbian Black Tail Deer, the Northern California Beer is believed to be a cross-breed of the two species. Like the California Grizzly, Northern California Beers have been reported in nearly every color, from black to very light blonde. The Californian Grizzly is now extinct, so it thought that the Northern California Beer is the last remaining decedent of the Grizzly. Similarly, like the Columbian Black Tail, sometimes females of the Beer species are known to have antlers, and Beer cubs have been reported to develop antlers at a much earlier age than analogous fawns.
Lore
Once thought to be a myth similar to the Liger, the Northern California Beer is now recognized as having existed along side, but apart from, mankind. Despite the Beer’s best efforts at remaining undiscovered, stories of Beers have subtly made their way into modern storytelling and culture. Stories of antlered bears can be found in nearly every culture around the world. This is not thought to be due to the breadth of the species on the planet, but because Northern California Beers truly love travel. Although unconfirmed, it is widely believed that the antlers that appear in the original concept drawings for Yogi Bear were removed before cartoon production only upon a persuasive expression from the Anderson Valley Beers that they were “smarter than the average bear” and knew where Joseph Barbara and William Hanna spent their holidays.
Other Facts
Halloween is their favorite holiday. Obviously.
“One would have thought that the recognition of the existence of the Legendary Beer could have been much earlier if not for the skepticism of reports of sightings and potential for adulterated video disseminated on the internet.” – Abraham Lincoln, 1843
