Bill Howell's Blog, page 11

News, Cellar Reviews, and a Hiatus

Hello again from Alaska, the land that winter forgot. We finally got a couple of inches of snow on the ground, but here it is almost mid-December and we are still having days with temperatures above freezing. Not that I'm complaining about not having to blow snow every other day or keep the wood stove blazing; it just seems a bit strange. It's like we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop, when the weather gets truly terrible...

Anyway, while we wait, there's plenty of doings in the local beer world. Under "Coming Attractions," Bleeding Heart Brewery in Palmer had a very successful Kickstarter campaign, closing on November 22. 155 backers pledged $21,701, almost triple their goal of $7,500. Look for them to be open by June of 2015.

Meanwhile, Resolution Brewing in the Mountain View neighborhood of Anchorage just took deliver of the shipping container full of all their brewing equipment, grain and growlers on Monday, December 8th. They will be working to get the equipment installed and complete final inspections ASAP. No opening date set yet, but I'd expect it to be sometime in the next several weeks. Meanwhile, Resolution's cool stainless keg-style growlers will be going on sale for Christmas.
Photo courtesy of Resolution BrewingWhile the new kids on the block work to open for business, one of the established breweries is pushing hard to get its new facilities finished. On Friday, December 5th, I was able to stop by Anchorage Brewing Company's new facility, still under construction. As you can see from the photos below, when it is finished, it's going to be a magnificent structure. The photos are courtesy of Elaine Howell.

Karl Morgan, Owner Gabe Fletcher and I standing in what will be the Foudre Room.
Gabe and I in the future Tasting Room at the front of the building. Note the reclaimed wood walls.
Looking from the Tasting Room into the Foudre Room. The brewhouse will be against the back wall.
Once completed, patrons will be able to sit in the Tasting Room and gaze at the ten huge wooden tanks in two columns of five, flanking the brewhouse, which will be positioned against the back wall, the top portion of which is reclaimed wood. The room on the left behind the brewhouse will house grain storage and bottle conditioning, while the one on the right has enough space for about 800 barrels. In addition, Gabe has announced that his sister Heather has returned to Alaska and will be running the Tasting Room.

New employee Heather. Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Co.
Gabe reports that his brewhouse is due to arrive in Anchorage on December 22, and he hopes to have it installed and tested by late January. If all goes well, we might see an opening not too long after that, so keep your ear to the ground.

At Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling in Fox, there are a couple of holiday fruit ales on tap.  Here's how they describe them:

Two different Holiday Ales using our German Pilsner imbued with Belgian Abbey Yeast and finished with Apricot and Blueberry Purees.The light golden hue comes from the use of Plzen malt and offers an effervescence that starts and finishes crisp and clean. Both are distinctly fruity and spicy. The yeast lends a note of clove and in combination with the malt, hints of plum and apricot on the first and slightly citrus and blueberry on the second. The malt itself provides a warm honey quality up front, a round fullness in the middle, and the hops, together with our pure brewing water, lend a clean, dry finish. 5.6% ABV 30 IBU's

On Saturday, December 6th, HooDoo Brewing tapped a firkin of casked American IPA, dry hopped with whole cone Centennial Hops.

Denali Brewing has released Milepost #3 in its Flag Stop series, a Belgian Dark Ale aged in J Lohr cabernet barrels and bottle conditioned with champagne yeast. It's available only at Denali Brewpub in Talkeetna.

Photo courtesy of Denali Brewing
At Arkose Brewery in Palmer, this Friday marks the released on its Olde Colony Winter Ale, as part of the Colony Christmas Celebration . 

Saturday, December 13th will also be Arkose's last Beer Meets Canvas Event of 2014.

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At Midnight Sun Brewing Company in Anchorage, there is a new brew on tap. To celebrate the 81st Anniversary of the end of Prohibition, it has released Un-Prohibited Pilsner, 5.9% ABV and 30 IBUs. It is made using only Mosaic hops. It will only be on draft, so look for it at The Loft and at other fine beer bars around the state. Also available is Francoisk, a 6.5% ABV, 18 IBU dark wheat ale brewed for last month's Bodega-Fest and Yo Ho Ho Gold, a 5% ABV, 30 IBU kolsch-style ale brewed for the Pirate Pub Crawl .

King Street Brewing has brewed another batch of its German Bock, first released last January, and it's back on tap for the holidays.  Here's how they describe it:


King Street’s Bock is a dark, malty lager brewed in the German tradition, with European malt and hops to enhance rich and complex grain and caramel flavors.  Our interpretation has an almost plum or grape like flavor with a whisper of chocolate that is so deep that one might think it a Dooplebock (Double bock).  However, like our previous bigger winter releases, this lager beer is oh so easy to enjoy more than one glass of.  The Bock will go equally nice with savory meats and cranberry sauce!


At the Snow Goose's First Firkin Friday last week, the special was a firkin of Fish On! IPA, dry-hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo.

Tonight at Glacier BrewHouse is the Winter Warmer Dinner . Tickets are $80 all-inclusive. I don't know if there are any seats left, so call for reservations ASAP. You can see the entire menu of food and beer here. Even more exciting, tomorrow begins Glacier's annual Twelve Days of Barleywine .  Here's the daily menu:

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At Kenai River Brewing, a couple of new beers have been on tap.  The first is Chris's-mas Spruce Tip Ale, a English-style Winter Warmer brewed with locally gathered spruce tips by Chris Scudder back in August. I had some of this at the Kenai Peninsula Brewing & Tasting Society's Christmas Party and it was delicious. Not sure if there is any left, as the supply was limited and it was going fast. The other beer is the next in Kenai River's Single Hop IPA series; this one si hopped exclusively with Galaxy hops.

Let's move on to some long-promised reviews of aged beers from my beer cellar.

Deschutes The Abyss Russian Imperial Stout, 2011 vintage: It poured opaque with a big tan head; still plenty of carbonation even after three years. The aroma was of roasted and sweet malt, with the roasty notes beginning  to take a back seat. The mouthfeel was excellent, very chewy and oily. The flavor profile was dark, deep, and rich, with elements of coffee, molasses, and chocolate. Not a hint of the 11% ABV alcohol, and a long, satisfying finish. This beer is exceptional right now; I really don't see how it could get much better, so if you have any in your cellar, I'd recommend at least sampling a bottle.

Deschutes The Abyss Russian Imperial Stout, 2012 vintage: I opened this beer to get a comparison point with the beer above. The taste profile was very similar, except that I thought the flavors had not yet quite come into as perfect a balance as they had with the 2011. Still delicious, but I'd recommend letting it sit for another year.

Alaskan's Barley Wine, 2011 vintage: It poured a deep, translucent ruby with a small cream-colored head that dissipated quickly to a collar. Carbonation was beginning to fade, but was still acceptable. There were still some hop notes in the nose, but these were also clearly on the downhill side. Mouthfeel was good, and the flavor profile was beginning to slip out of balance as the hop bitterness decreased. I also thought I picked up the faintest hints of sherry-like oxidation. To my palate, it seems this beer is just slightly past its prime; if you have any in your cellar, I'd recommend opening a bottle for evaluation, lest you be disappointed in another year.

Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Grand Cru (2010): Here's a lesson for all you would-be cellar masters out there: keep track of your stock. I let this excellent beer get pushed to the very back of my beer frig and then sit there for four long years. It should have been consumed at about the one year point, I think. When I finally opened it, time had taken a toll on its big hop flavors, leaving mostly malt and oak. It was still an okay beer, but in no way comparable to what it was fresh.

Midnight Sun's Arctic Devil Barley Wine, 2011 vintage: It poured a dark, semi-translucent ruby with a small but persistent cream-colored head. The nose was primarily sweet malt and oaky notes; not much bourbon aroma left. Carbonation was still, good, and the mouthfeel was excellent. The flavor profile is still in balance, with plenty of oakiness to balance the honey-like malt sweetness and a bit of alcohol heat. Excellent now, but it might be able to age for another year, as there is no hint of oxidation.

That's it for this blog. As mentioned in the title, Drinking on the Last Frontier will be going on hiatus for one month, until the middle of January. Besides the impending holidays and all that they entail, I am pushing hard to finish writing a book, and I just cannot squeeze out enough time to do that and still do justice to this blog. The book, by the way, will be titled Alaska Beer: Liquid Gold in the Land of the Midnight Sun and is scheduled to be published in late March by The History Press as part of its American Palate series. You can learn more about it here.

Meanwhile, I wish each and every one of your Happy Holidays and a joyous New Year. See you in January.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Breaking News Blog Post

Just after I got my last blog post on the street, I got word from Rob Weller of Specialty Imports that the next release of Anchorage Brewing Company's amazing A Deal with the Devil Barley Wine would be released TODAY, November 21st. Rob was kind enough to send along the list of the stores which will be carrying it. This stuff goes super fast and stores often limit the number of bottles you can purchase, so plan accordingly...

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Alaska Liquor Store - SKAGWAYAlaska Wine GuyBreeze In Valley Store #1Brown Jug - FBXBrown Jug BragawBrown Jug College Gate/lake OtisBrown Jug Downtown Wine & SpiritsBrown Jug Eagle RiverBrown Jug Indy ParkBrown Jug MinnesotaBrown Jug North MuldoonBrown Jug Northern LightsBrown Jug Old Seward SouthBrown Jug Red Apple/Mtn. ViewBrown Jug SpenardBrown Jug TudorBrown Jug VictorBrown Jug W. Northern LightsBrown Jug WarehouseBrown Jug Wasilla SouthBrown Jug Whaler/Muldoon RdCafe AmsterdamCarrs Safeway Aurora Village #1805Carrs Safeway Huffman #1813Carrs Safeway Seward #2728Country Liquor LLC. #2CrossbarCrush, LLC. - BOTTLE SHOPFred Meyer West Fairbanks 485Gavora's Gavora's #1GingerGold Hill Inc.Gold Rush LiquorsGrog Shop - 2Humpy'sKinley'sLa Bodega / Isles, Inc.Little ItalyNewtown Liquor / Clearwater Bay CorpParty Time Plaza Liquor - LAKE OTISPercy's / Oke RodmanSnow Goose RestaurantThibodeau Town LiquorWine House - Huffman

Still Waitin' On The Snow

So here we are in the second half of November with still zero snow on the ground in southcentral Alaska.  Meanwhile, it's snowpocalypse in the Lower 48. Buffalo just got an entire winter's worth of snow in 24 hours. So let's continue to enjoy the relatively warm temperatures and snow and ice free roads for as long as we can. Looks like we might get some snow by Thanksgiving, but who knows?

There are a couple of pretty significant beer events taking place in the next couple of days. First up, tonight at the Snow Goose.  They are calling it Taps and Apps .  Head Brewer Greg Mills and Chef Jose Diaz have put their heads together and come up with 4 delicious appetizer and beer pairings.  The event will be held in the brewery from 6-7pm tonight, Wednesday, November 19th. Cost is only $25.  The fun doesn't end there.  In the pub from 7-9pm the first of three Gladys firkins (the beer Sleeping Lady brewed just for La Bodega and Bodegafest ) will be on tap, plus music by Blaze and Eric.  Call the Goose to reserve your place for the Taps & Apps or just show up in the pub at 7 pm for the second part.

On this Friday, November 21st, Midnight Sun Brewing will be releasing this year's Arctic Devil Barley Wine on tap and in bottles at The Loft . It's time to lay in some bottles for the cellar, as well as enjoying some right now.

Besides the release on Friday, I had an email from the MSBC Beer Ambassador Darcy Kniefel earlier this week, letting me know about some more upcoming events/releases.  Here's what she had to say:

Matanuska Thunder Funk is due out in just a few weeks time. Playing with the name of a high potency strain of marijuana from the Matanuska Valley region of Alaska, we changed one letter to call our beer “Matanuska Thunder Funk.” And funky this beer is! Beginning as a Belgian-style Saison, MTF was transferred to oak barrels and inoculated with Brettanomyces for a long-many months. This batch created a mother funk, which will be blended with a fresh batch of saison to balance and soften the grassy/green apple/sweaty horse blanket character of Brettanomyces. MTF is heavy on the funk in a way laid back way. MTF is being bottle conditioned so the exact date is not set for release but keep an eye out for the first week of December to get a good pull off of this beer.


We have put the word out, just to pause all rumors, Gluttony is officially being brewed again. We finally have enough hops to recreate this monster Triple IPA originally brewed in the 7 Deadly Sins Series. Coming in at 10.5% and 200 IBU's, this is not for the hop weary. We are looking for a December 31st release, so all of our Gluttony fans can have one last hurrah before they give in to their New Year's Resolutions.

Plans for AK Beer Week are in full swing and we can say we are looking forward to another big 10 days of awesome beer fun. This year will include a Strong Beer Cocktail Competition pairing Alaskan Breweries with Alaskan Distilleries for the first time. The breweries and distilleries will put together one recipe including beer and spirit to be judged a week before AK Beer Week with the winner being named as the official Strong Beer Cocktail of AK Beer Week. We met with our partner, Alaskan Distillery, last week and had a great time playing with beer, gin, whiskey and vodka as we worked on our recipe. It really was a great experience and a lot of what we were hoping for when the idea came around. This is a chance for Alaskans to show off great beer and great spirits, and it's an incredible opportunity for partnerships to form as we all continue to promote and support local products. Keep an eye out for the AK Distillery and MSBC friendship to grow and bring you more great pairings.

Sounds like a lot of great stuff is in the offing.  Thanks, Darcy!



Celestial Meads in Anchorage will be having a tasting session this Satruday, from 4 to 8 PM.  Here are their descriptions of a couple of new releases they have on offer. 

Persephone's Fate - 14.0%abv - SPECIAL RESERVE
A sweet melomel made with fresh pomegranate fruit and aged for a full year. This is the first of our SPECIAL RESERVE meads. This is a complex mature mead that is best enjoyed in a brandy snifter late at night. Those lucky enough to get a preview sample have compared it to a "fine VSOP brandy". This second batch received aging in bourbon barrels for additional complexity.

Red Menace - 13.0%abv - SPECIAL RESERVE
A sweet melomel made with raw clover honey and handpicked Alaskan Red Currants. The spicy character of the clover honey really enhances the complex fruit characters of the red currants. The tart acidity of the currants perfectly balances the sweetness of the honey. Try this one by itself for dessert or maybe pour it over french vanilla ice cream?

Up north in Fox, Silver Gulch Brewing has a new beer on tap: Discombobulator Doppelbock.  Here's how they describe it:

‘Discombobulator’ is a Bavarian-style Doppelbock dark lager brewed with Pilsen, Caramel and Munich malts, with a bit of dark-roasted malts to impart of dark red/brown tint. European Hallertau and Saaz hops are added to give a spicy note to the huge, malty body of this festive beer. Brewed to keep you warm on those cold winter nights; the substantial alcohol content of ‘Discombobulator’ is hidden by the malt sweetness and roasted/toffee notes. Beware; this ‘goat’ will kick you! 8.70% ABV / 35 IBU

Sounds delicious. I also believe it's on tap at the Silver Gulch Bar on Concourse C of Anchorage International, so if you happen to be flying south for the holidays, you could try it there.

Based on Facebook posts, it looks like construction proceeds apace at the new brewery for Anchorage Brewing Company. The latest bottling of its Darkest Hour Imperial Stout is on the shelves right now, and the next release of its infamous Deal With the Devil Barley Wine just went onto the bottles.

If like me, you read the beer column of Jim "Dr. Fermento" Roberts in The Anchorage Press , the following will not come as news to you. There's a new brewery working to open in Palmer, AK. The Bleeding Heart Brewery is trying to get off the ground in the spring of 2015. To help with the launch, the folks behind it started a Kickstarter campaign.  The campaign has already raised more than double its initial goal of $7500. Now they are trying to his $20k with three days left. If you are interested in kicking in some shekels, you can do so here. If you'd like more details, be sure to check out Fermento's latest column here. Best of luck, guys; we can always use more good beer in Alaska!


Speaking of good beer in Alaska, the Brewers Association has published its breakdown of craft brewing by state for 2013. With 4.3 breweries per 100,000 adults over 21, Alaska ranks 7th in the US. Our brewers produced 182,530 barrels of beer, which translates to 11 gallons for every adult over 21; by that measure we are 3rd in the US. Total economic impact was $150.7 million. Hopefully, everyone who reads this column was already aware of just how important the industry of craft brewing has become for both Alaska and the rest of the US, but this report should remove any doubt. Feel free to share these facts with your legislators the next time you get a chance! If you'd like to see the report for yourself, you can find it here.

Here on the Peninsula, Kassik's Brewery will be putting some special kegs on tap during the run up to Thanksgiving. On Friday, they will tap a 2012 Barley Wine, a 2013 Chocolate Cherry Stout, a 2014 Smoked Russian Imperial Stout, and a 2014 Caribou Kilt Scotch.  Then on next Wednesday, they will tap a 2011 Barley wine, a 2013 Smoked Russian Imperial Stout, the last keg of Black Jack Stout Imperial Stout brewed with Black Strap Molasses and Licorice root, a 2013 Chocolate Cherry Stout, and a 2013 Caribou Kilt Scotch. Kegs this special won't last long, so get there early to get what you want.

Kenai River Brewing has a keg of their 2013 Russian Imperial Stout on tap. I had some of this 10% ABV beast last night, and I can assure you that it has aged beautifully. Get some of it and the 2014 Winter Warlock Old Ale before they are gone! KRB also has their Christmas sweatshirts for sale.

There are only three reviews this week, as I'm still working on my special blog consisting of reviews of aged beers from my cellar.

The Bruery's Bottleworks XII: The brew was a leftover from The Culmination in May, which has been lurking in my beer cooler since then. I finally decide to tackle it.  It was brewed to commerate the twelfth anniversary of The Bottleworks , a well-known beer store in Seattle. It's a sour imperial wit with raspberries. It was fermented in large red wine barrels, with the raspberries added in toward the end of fermentation. It poured a clear, slightly reddish gold, with a nice white head. There were some spicy, fruity notes in the nose, plus some tartness. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light and spritzy. On the palate it was tart and refreshing with the raspberries input being a subtle rather than a dominate element. A very nice sour wit. 8% ABV.

St. Elias Brewing's Green Giant DIPA: This beer poured a clear, light gold color with a big white head. In the glass it looked more like a pilsner than an IPA. The aroma had plenty of juicy, citrusy notes from the copious addition of American hops. There was significant bitterness in the initial attack, followed by more hop flavor and aroma, then a return of the bitterness on the finish. More drinkable than a lot of the Double IPAs, Green Giant should appeal to the uber hopheads out there.

Kenai River Brewing's 2013 Russian Imperial Stout: Doug Hogue has been conditioning this keg for quite some time, and it shows in the finished product. It poured opaque aith a nice tan head that dissipated to a collar but left excellent lacing on the glass. The nose was full of the roasty notes you expect in a RIS, plus plenty of sweeter, almost dark fruit notes. The mouthfeel was rich and chewy, but also very smooth. The flavor profile was a melody of roasted coffee and sweeter, chocolate-like malt flavors, perfectly integrated and very clean tasting, all falling away to a long, nice finish. No trace of alcohol heat from the 10% ABV. This is a supper RIS and a testament to what patience can produce in a big beer.

Well, that's it for this week. Keep an eye out for my special blog of cellar beer reviews and get ready for the snow. It's got to show up eventually...

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Until

So Where's the Snow?

It's the second week of November and we have no snow on the ground here on the Kenai Peninsula. None, nada, zip... In fact, today, temperatures are in the 40s, so any precipitation we get will be rain.  In a typical year, we'd have snow on the ground by Halloween, so this is a nice change of pace. The delay in truly crappy weather makes it easier to get around and attend the November beer festivals, at least.

Speaking of Halloween, that was the second anniversary of HooDoo Brewing Company in Fairbanks.  Bobby Wilken and his gang celebrated  by throwing a Halloween Party, complete with prize drawings for those in costume, a limerick-writing contest, Cacao Nib Cask Stout ice cream floats and stout-laced cupcakes, and the release of  their 2nd Anniversary Pumpkin Ale.

Bodega-Fest took place on Saturday, November 1.  By all reports, this years event was a big success.  Unfortunately, I keep having to miss it for one reason or another, and this year was no exception.  Hopefully next year, I'll finally get to attend.

Next Saturday, November 15th, will be the 8th Annual Beer and Wine Tasting Event to benefit the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance; it will be held at the Sea-Life Center in Seward. Admission is $38 and includes 12 drink tickets.  There will be several breweries in attendance.

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Also on Saturday, November 15th, Highmark Distillery in Sterling will finally be re-opening their Tasting Room. It took a change in Alaska law, but you will at last be able to taste and purchase bottles directly from them. The Grand Reopening runs from noon to 7 pm on Saturday, with all bottles marked down to $25.

At the Mighty Matanuska Brew Fest in October, 49th State Brewing won the People's Choice Award with its 12 Quad, the same Dark Strong Belgian Ale which took the People's Choice at the Kenai Peninsula Bee Festival .

Glacier BrewHouse has three new Pilot Series brews on tap.

DOPPELBOCK (aka The Glaciator) - This malty sweet, full bodied, deep amber German lager softly warms the palate with its adequate alcohol. A malt lover’s dream date. Alcohol: 7.66% by volume. Starting Gravity: 19.75 Plato (1.082 S.G.).

NUT BROWN - Malt plays a defining role in the profile of this ale. Several color malts are combined with premium imported base malt and a touch of chocolate malt gives the sweet nutty flavor and copper-brown color. Alcohol: 4.22% by volume. Starting Gravity: 11.20 Plato (1.045 S.G.).

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouseBLACK RYE BOCK - This dark lager combines the characteristics of three winter beer styles. All three of these styles traditionally come from the colder harsher areas of Europe. The styles are (1) Black Beer (aka Schwartzbier) originating from Bad Kostritz in Thuringia (former East Germany); (2) Rye Beer which at one time was only made in hardier areas of Eastern and Baltic Europe; and (3) Bock Beer which is widely known as the higher alcohol lager of Northern Germany. Our Black Rye Bock has a distinctive bitter chocolate palate and black color reminiscent of a black beer. The spiciness from the rye malt shines through in the flavor. The high alcohol balanced with malty sweetness rounds out this black beauty. Smooth drinking with a punch makes this lager a perfect dark quaffer for our Arctic winter. Alcohol: 6.67% by volume. Starting gravity: 17.90 Plato (1.074 S.G.)

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse
I don't write nearly enough about Kodiak Island Brewing and the excellent beer that Ben Millstein is producing out on The Rock.  However, here are a couple of items which I couldn't let pass.  First off, Kodiak Island has just brewed its 1000th batch of beer, which is quite an accomplishment for any craft brewery. For this special batch, Ben decided to brew a special beer. It's called Event Horizon, a Russian Imperial Stout, 10.8% ABV, and 75 IBUs. 

Also, the brewery itself it getting a bit of a make-over on its exterior. The new copper trim looks great!


Photo courtesy of Kodiak Island Brewing Company
Alaskan Brewing's 2013 Smoked Porter has earned another medal, this time a silver from the Brussels Beer Challenge .  Keep an eye out for the new Vintage Pack from Alaskan, a box containing a 2008 & 2013 Smoked Porter, plus a tasting glass. Alaskan has also re-released its Double Black IPA in 22 oz. bottles. I haven't seen the Vintage Pack yet in the local area, but I have seen the Double Black IPA on sale.

Midnight Sun Brewing Company has announced that it will be releasing the next batch of Arctic Devil Barley Wine on Friday, November 21st, at The Loft . The release of this award-winning barley wine is always a cause for celebration, so make your plans to be there and to buy some bottles for your beer cellar, if you have one. If you don't have a beer cellar, this beer is a great one to start with...




Silver Gulch Brewing Company in Fox has their Spiced Strong Belgian Golden Ale, Osculum Infame, back on tap. It's 10.5% ABV, 20 IBUs.  See my review from 1/19/2010.

Arkose Brewery in Palmer was honored by the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau with its Cheechako Award on November 7th, in appreciation of its "entrepreneurial enthusiasm". Congratulations!

Stephen and June Gerteisen of Arkose receiving the award. Photo courtesy of Arkose Brewey 
On Friday, November 7th, Snow Goose Pub put Equinox Fresh Hop IPA, cask conditioned with extra Citra hops on tap.


Photo courtesy of Snow Goose PubKenai River Brewing has a batch of brand new, insulated, swing-top stainless steel growlers in stock.  I've checked one out and they look very sweet!


Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing
I spent yesterday, November 8th, brewing a batch of beer with Zach Henry at St. Elias Brewing Company in Soldotna. We decided to re-create our H&H Winter Warmer from last year. If you'd like to read up on this beer, which is in the almost extinct style known as a Burton Ale, check out my blog on 12/12/2013. This particular style requires a long period of cold-conditioning, so don't look to see this batch on tap before February at the earliest. Meanwhile, besides its flagship brews, St. Elias Brewing has several choices on tap: Gypsy Pilsner, Baltic Porter, Green Giant Double IPA, and Black Bird Lambic.

That's about it for the local beer news.  Let's do some reviews:


Firestone-Walker's Pivo Pils: This beer shows why this style of beer became so popular around the world. It poured a crystal-clear light gold with a nice white head. There was plenty of hop aroma from the dry-hopping using Saphir hops. Carbonation was good, as was the mouthfeel. Even though the particular six-pack I bought was bottled on 1/31/2014, it still had lots of wonderful hop flavor on a nice malt backbone. I'd love to get my hands on some that was fresh, however. 5.3% ABV.


 Midnight Sun Brewing's Son of Berserker Stout: Made from the second runnings of MSBC's wildly popular Berserker, this is a classic American Stout. It poured opaque with a small tan head. The nose was of roasted malt plus some malty sweetness. Carbonation was okay and the mouthfeel was good. On the palate there was lots of roasted coffee notes, with plenty of malt behind it. All-in-all, a very nice straight ahead stout. 6.9% ABV, 20 IBUs.


Stone Brewing's Coffee Milk Stout: It poured opaque with a small tan head that dissipated quickly. The aroma had some roasted notes, as you'd expect. There was plenty of mouthfeel from the added lactose. The overall flavor profile was of roasted malt, coffee, plus some slightly sweet notes. Not bad, but overall a little pedestrian, especially compared to Stone's other brews. ABV 4.2%

Midnight Sun Brewing's Termination Dust Belgian Barley Wine: The folks at MSBC certainly know how to brew good barley wines, so I was very eager to taste their latest. It poured quite dark for a barely wine, essentially opaque with a small tan head that dissipated rapidly to a collar. The aroma was rich and boozy. On the palate it was not overly sweet, unlike many young barley wines, with lots of oak and bourbon notes, plus alcohol heat, especially on the finish. I found it to be much drier than MSBC's flagship Arctic Devil, which suggest it might not cellar as well. Personally, I couldn't detect much contribution from the Belgian yeast used, but your mileage may vary. ABV 13.0%, 70 IBUs.




The Bruery's Smoking Wood Smoked Imperial Porter (2014): It poured opaque with a small but persistent tan head. The nose had plenty of bourbon and oak notes, plus hints of smoke and roasted malt. The mouthfeel was excellent and the carbonation was good. The flavor profile was deep and complex; the bourbon is more subtle in the taste than in the nose, while the smoke is dense and rich and balances the sweetness of the malt.  I picked up a bottle of this while visiting Seattle, and I don't think any of it is available in Alaska. That's unfortunate, as this is really an exceptional beer and very much worth seeking out. 14% ABV
.

Well, that's it for this time. I am planning a special blog in the near future, which will consist only of beer reviews of aged beer from my cellar.  Meanwhile, keep a weather eye out for snow and keep drinking good beer.

Until Next Time, Cheers! 

Technical Difficulties

Well, I'm late on the blog again. This time, it's been technical issues.  My portable hard drive, where I keep most of my "good beer stuff" crashed, and I've been trying to have it resuscitated, at least to the point where I can grab my data of it.  So I've been delaying this blog, in hopes that I would get it back, but I've decided that I just can't wait any longer, so here goes.

First things first, it's time for everyone to vote in this year's Northwest Brewing News Reader's Poll . Since I write for the NWBN, I'm barred from voting, but for the rest of you, here's your chance to weigh in on the best beers, bars, and breweries in Alaska and the rest of the Pacific Northwest.  Follow this link and cast your votes:  http://www.brewingnews.com/northwest/readerschoice/index.html.




October is a big month for brewery anniversaries in Alaska.  Arkose Brewery celebrated their third anniversary last weekend, on Saturday, 11 October. June and Stephen Gerteisen opened there doors on that date in 2011 and have gone from one success to another ever since. They are continuing to expand and just hired their first two employees: Andy Dennis and Ryan Simmons. If you missed their anniversary celebration last Saturday, you can still purchase Anniversary Tasting Glasses at the brewery for $5, until they are gone. Also look for Arkose at the Mighty Matanuska Brew Fest tonight and tomorrow evening, from 6 to 10 pm at Raven Hall of the State Fairgrounds in Palmer.

The second brewery anniversary this month is that of HooDoo Brewing, which opened for business on October 31, 2012. Like Arkose, HooDoo has been embraced by its local community and has experienced exceptional growth.  They recently installed additional brite tanks to boost their serving capacity and are sponsoring the first every Interior Beer Train, the HooDoo Choo Choo , which will be rolling down the tracks tomorrow. No word yet on what Booby and his crew have planned for their Halloween/Anniversary Party this year, but I'm sure it will be spectacular.

In other beer news, Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling has a new beer on tap, Red Flag Ale.  Here's how the describe it:

Red Flag Ale is an American-style IPA brewed with American 2-Row, Rye, and a touch of deeply-roasted malts to impart of deep-red tint and malt depth to balance the massive hop additions. The substantial alcohol content is offset with generous kettle additions of Amarillo, Columbus and Citra hops from the Pacific Northwest and then dry-hopped in the cellars with even more Cascade hops; this beer is un-filtered to retain the subtle yeast and malt notes and huge hop aroma.
7.8% ABV / 85 IBU

This beer is brewed in honor of America's service men and women, and in particular  the 354th Force Support Squadron at Eielson AFB.

Today is the last day for 49th State Brewing Company this season. Tonight will be their Closing/Halloween Party, so I'm sure everyone in Healy will be there.  See you guys next spring! 



Midnight Sun Brewing Company's Beer Ambassador Darcy Kniefel sent me the following list of upcoming events a few days ago:

 
October 25th: 5pm to 8pm
Beers and Bites for Anchorage Waterways Council

Join Midnight Sun Brewing Company for an exclusive tasting to be held in the brewery. We will be digging out some fun stuff you haven't seen for a while, as well as some new stuff you may not have tried. there will be local, fresh bites to pair along with the beers and a silent auction. Best of all not only does the proceeds go to the Anchorage Waterways Council, but there has been a generous offer to MATCH the funds, so whatever comes in will be doubled! Tickets are $50 with discounts for military, students and seniors. you must be 21 years of age to attend this event. Get your ticket order form at the  Anchorage Waterways Council website,  http://anchoragecreeks.org/media/homepage/ticket_order_form_final.pdf

October 29th: 6pm
BodegaFest Beer Dinner at Kinley's

Growing on the love that is Bodega Fest , this year's festivities will kick off with a beer dinner at Kinley's Restaurant and Bar . With beers hand picked by the Bodega Ma'am herself, Pamela. There will be many breweries to taste from. Midnight Sun Brewing Company's offering will be FrancoisK, a dark wheat ale brewed for and with the La Bodega crew, just for Bodega Fest . This will be the premier tasting of this beer. For reservations or more details on the dinner give a call to Kinley's at (907) 644-8953.

November 4th: 6pm
Hard Sun Beer Dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe

Hard Rock Cafe , although new on the scene in Alaska, has become a great supporter of Craft Beer in AK. A great tap line up and now Tuesday night Craft Beer Nights. To add to the fun, they will be doing a Craft Beer Dinner once a month and Midnight Sun Brewing Company is proud to be the first brewery invited to the table. This will be a four course meal paired and prepared with beer from Midnight Sun. We will kick it off at 6pm with casual passed apps and a greet beer, then sit down for the second course at 7pm. For more details keep an eye on the Hard Rock Cafe Anchorage Facebook page. Schwag bag? You bet they are going to have them, it's going to ROCK!



Also, their seasonal beer (and one of my personal absolute favorites) CoHoHo Imperial IPA is back!




Since my last blog post, Kevin Burton and the gang at Glacier BrewHouse have released three more new beers.  Here's how they describe each of them:


IMPERIAL PUMPKIN - “Pumpkin pie in your face” best describes this brew. Our brewers combined 159 pounds of pumpkin with an array of spices. Flavors of pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove dominate. Brilliant pumpkin-orange in color. Served in a snifter. Alcohol: 10.42% by volume. Starting gravity: 22.90 Plato (1.096 S.G.) Growlers available!



Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

BEAM OKTOBERFEST - Aged eight months in Jim Beam barrels resulting in flavors of vanilla, bourbon, coconut, chocolate, and more. The beer is medium bodied, sweet, malty, and supremely smooth. The color is a brilliant light copper. Brewed using only the finest German Pilsner and Munich malts along with very subtle German hops. Alcohol: 6.06% by volume. Starting gravity: 15.26 Plato (1.062 S.G.) No growlers.


Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse




WET HOP IPA (WHIPA) - This IPA was brewed with wet (fresh) Simcoe hops shipped directly to the brewery - the same day they were picked from the field - rather than going through the traditional drying and bailing process. Only available once a year at harvest time. Look for big fruity and herbal aromas from the wet hops. Alcohol: 6.53% by volume. Starting gravity: 14.00 Plato (1.057 S.G.) *No growlers.

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse
I somehow missed this until just the other day, but King Street Brewing is having a beer dinner at the Bradley House Restaurant this Sunday, October 19th.  The cost is $48, which includes dinner, five King Street beers, and a King Street pint glass.  There are only a few seats left, so if you are interested, call  (907) 336-7177 to make reservations.


Alaskan Brewing Company and Broken Tooth Brewing Company each won a Bronze Medal at this year's Great American Beer Festiva l . Alaskan won with its Smoked Porter, the 21st medal that beer has earned at the GABF , while Broken Tooth won with Darth Delerium in the Other Belgian-style Ale category.




Broken Tooth also just put a new beer on tap, Little Boy Blue Blueberry Ale, at 5.7% ABV and 16 IBUs. 

On November 1, Alaskan Brewing will be releasing this year's Smoked Porter, along with a special vintage pack that contains a bottle of 2008 Smoked Porter, a bottle of 2013 Smoked Porter, and a logo'd tasting glass. Besides the Smoked Porter releases, Alaskan will also be releasing this year's Winter Ale and the next beer in their Pilot Series, the return of Double Black IPA.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan BrewingHere on the Peninsula, one of our annual beer events is coming up soon: the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance's 8th Annual Beer and Wine Tasting Event .  Here's the poster for it:

Click to enlarge
I've attended this event in the past and always had a great time.

Kenai River Brewing has an old favorite back on tap, Pillars Pale Ale, plus new stainless steel insulated growlers to take it home in. And if you haven't sampled this year's Winter Warlock Old Ale yet, see my review below on what you've been missing.

I had dinner at St. Elias Brewing Company last week and there were two new beers on tap:  Baltic Porter and Gypsy Pilsner.  See my reviews below for each.

Okay, that's the news.  Now let's do some reviews.

Kenai River Brewing's 2014 Winter Warlock Old Ale: Brewed exclusively with traditional Marris Otter malt and Fuggles hops, this is a classic English-style Old Ale. It poured a deep honey gold color with a small but persistent off-white head. The aroma was primarily malt, but with some hops notes present. Carbonation was good, as was the mouthfeel. Rich, deep, and warming on the palate, this beer shows what allowing a full year of cold-conditioning can produce.  It's another excellent vintage and a wonderful example of a classic English-style that seems perfectly at home here on the Kenai. 9% ABV, 70 IBUs.

St. Elias Brewing's Baltic Porter:  This is another of Zach Henry's bourbon-barrel-aged brews. It poured opaque with a small tan head. The nose has a strong bourbon and oak note from its two months aging in a whiskey barrel. On the palate there's good mouthfeel, smooth malty and roasty notes, then oak and plenty of alcohol heat on the finish. A nice take on the Baltic porter style, but there's so much bourbon here it almost overwhelmed me.

St. Elias Brewing Company's Gypsy Pilsner: Crystal clear gold in the glass with a nice white head; definitely looks a proper pilsner.  There's a nice, clean hop aroma; very inviting. Carbonation is excellent and the mouthfeel in nice. Good up front bitterness, balanced by nice biscuity malt flavor. Another outstanding pilsner from St. Elias.  Exceptionally drinkable.

Well, that's it for this week.  I'll have more reviews next week.  Until then, keep drinking good beer.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Down in the Cellar...

A few weeks ago I finally broke down and decided to reorganize my beer cellar. I've been buying beers to keep off-and-on since I picked up my first bottle of Thomas Hardy Ale in 1991, but bouncing around the world as a naval officer really isn't conducive to having a beer collection of any size. So it wasn't until I retired and moved to Alaska in 2004 that I could really put away beers in any significant numbers. So that's when I started cellaring beers in earnest.

Of course I made all the rookie mistakes. I cellared the wrong kind of beers. I didn't keep good track of what I had, so things got forgotten. I didn't cellar enough bottles of each beer, so I couldn't taste the beer regularly to see when it was at its peak.  I didn't have any sort of shelf plan, so finding bottles was difficult. You get the idea.

So a few weeks ago, I reorganized my entire cellar and spread-sheeted  my inventory, including dates in, target dates out, and actual dates out. Hopefully, this will allow my to keep better track and ensure I stay on top of when a specific beer is at its peak.

Click to enlargeIn hindsight, I wish I'd had some sort of guidebook to cellaring, so I wouldn't have had to learn things the hard way. In 2004 no such book existed, but today there is one:Vintage Beer by Patrick Dawson. If you're at all interested in cellaring beer and don't want to make the same rookie mistakes as I did, I strongly recommend picking up a copy.

As part of the great cellar reorganization, I pulled up a couple of brews to open. The first was a bottle on Meantime Brewing's Naval College Old Porter, which had been resting comfortably down there since the fall of 2012. Here's my review of the fresh version of this beer in my 10/19/2012 blog:

 It poured a deep, almost opaque ruby color in the class, with a nice tan head.  The nose was of chocolate, dark malts, and perhaps a touch of peat smoke from the barrel-aging.  On the palate there was tremendous mouthfeel, thick and rich, like melted ice cream.  The flavor profile was very complex and deep- chocolate, coffee, smokiness, vinous notes from the wood, with the barest touch of brett funk; be interesting to cellar a bottle for several months to see if the brett flavors increased.  Long, slow, finish, with more smoke at the end.

So what had changed in this beer in the course of two years? Surprisingly little. The beer had perhaps dried out a bit, and the brett notes had perhaps increased a bit. I also did not detect the smokiness this time. However, it was still an excellent beer, clearly none the worse for wear after two years in the cellar.

The second beer I tasted was a bottle of Alaskan Brewing's Perseverance Ale from 2011. Brewed to celebrate Alaskan's 25th anniversary, this was a seriously sweet brew when fresh.  Here's how I reviewed it on 9/7/2011:

Photo courtesy of Elaine HowellPerseverance Ale pours totally opaque, with a small tan head that dissipates to a collar.  The aroma has a hint of smoke, plus plenty of sweet notes battling it out with roasted flavors.  On the palate the story is much the same, with 50 IBUs of bitterness to balance the big malt bill and the syrup and honey additions.  The beer is deep, rich, and complex; the finish is long, with some sweetness making itself felt, then a touch of alcohol heat from the 9% ABV at the very end.  It will be interesting to cellar the beer for a year or more, to see if these sweet flavors dry out over time.

After three years in the cellar, I am happy to report that the sweet flavors have indeed dried out a bit, allowing the roasted and smoked malt elements to become more prominent and bringing the beer's flavor profile into much better balance. It's a much better beer today than it was in 2011, and it may get better still with another year or two. I've still got some left in the cellar, so we shall see.

Moving on to current beer news, Silver Gulch Brewing in Fox has a brand-new beer on tap: Red Flag IPA. It's an unfiltered red rye IPA that's been dry hopped.

At HooDoo Brewing Company, they are continuing their Oktoberfest celebrations through this Saturday, October 4th. They have also announced a new Beer Train event in partnership with the Alaska Railroad and Lavelle's Bistro : the HooDoo ChooChoo .


Similar to the Beer Train which has run for several years from Anchorage to Portage and back, this train will run from Fairbanks to Nenana and back, with HooDoo providing the beer and Lavelle's Bistro the food. By the way, Elaine and I ate at Lavelle's during our last visit to Fairbanks and their food was AWESOME! The train departs at 4 PM on Saturday, October 18th. If you're interested, click here for details and tickets.

Things are slowing down a bit at 49th State Brewing as they get ready to go into winter hibernation. Currently, they are open from 4 PM to Midnight, and their last day will be Friday, October 17th. However, they will be going out with a bang, with a Halloween Party that night.

Denali Brewing has released their Slow Down Brown Ale and their Purple Haze Blueberry Wheat Ale; look for it on draft at various taps around the state.

In The Valley, the Mighty Matanuska Brew Fest is fast approaching. It will take place October 17th & 18th, in Raven's Hall at the State Fairgrounds in Palmer, from 6 to 10 PM.  Tickets are $30 for each night.

On Friday, October 10th, the Eagle River Brew Fest will be held at the Eagle River Lions Club at 16630 Eagle River Road, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. The price includes a high-end buffet style dinner, a commemorative pint glass and samples from Alaskan Brewing, Arkose Brewing, Broken Tooth Brewing, Celestial Meadery, Denali Brewing, Glacier BrewHouse, Midnight Sun Brewing, and Sleeping Lady Brewing.Tickets are being sold at the Boys' and Girls Club in Eagle River and all proceeds got to benefit that club.

Over at Midnight Sun Brewing, Lee Ellis had finally officially declared that there is termination dust on the mountains, so Termination Dust Belgian Barley Wine has been released on draft and in bottles! MSBC has also released their Son of Berserker Stout in bottles.

Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun Brewing Company
Glacier BrewHouse has another new beer on tap, a Black IPA.  Here's how they describe it:

Black IPA (BLIPA) - All of the hoppy and fruity goodness of an American West Coast IPA combined with the gentle and supportive darkness from the special debittered black malts. Darkly hopalicious. Alcohol: 7.67% by volume. Starting Gravity: 18.60 Plato (1.076 S.G.).

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse
I've mentioned this before, but it's worth mentioning again: Bodega-Fest will soon be upon us. This year it will take place on Saturday, 1 November, from 5 to 9 PM. Besides moving later in the year, this year's fest will be held indoors, at the Alaska Aviation Museum. The $35 ticket gets you a commemorative glass and 15 tasting tickets. On the Wednesday before the fest, October 29th, there will be a Beer Dinner at Kinley's in Anchorage. I've been to a Kinley's beer dinner in the past, and they are always top-notch.

Baranof Island Brewing Company in Sitka is also celebrating Oktoberfest.  Here's the poster:


Seward Brewing Company closed for the season on September 29th.

On October 1st, Kenai River Brewing Company released this year's version of the outstanding Winter Warlock Old Ale. I got an early taste of the 2014 Warlock at the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival in August, and it was excellent. So be sure to stop by and pick some up before it's gone.

St. Elias Brewing Company has their excellent Oktoberfest Lager back on tap, for sale in 20 oz glasses, and also a new beer, called Grasshopper, described by owner Zach Henry as a "session IPA". I had a couple of pints and found it deliciously hoppy, but not too strong to have more than one of. A real session beer indeed!

I've already reviewed a couple of brews above, but let's do a few more:

Kenai River Brewing Company's Smores Beer: I wrote in my 9/5/2014 blog about how this beer was made, but how does it taste? In a word, very much like a smore.  If you like smores, that's a good thing. Sadly, I don't much care for them, so this brew isn't really my cup of tea. It has a pronounced coconut aroma and flavor, presumably from the graham crackers, and plenty of chocolate notes from the nibs added to the brite tank. It's a well-made brew, so if smores are to your liking, be sure to check it out.

Scuttlebutt Brewing's Hoptopia Imperial IPA: I picked up a bottle of this beer on my recent trip to Seattle; the brewery is located in Everett, WA. It poured a deep, slightly cloudy gold with a big, off-white head that left good lacing. The nose was surprisingly well-balanced between malt and hops; most imperial IPA are straight hop bombs. Carbonation was good, as was the mouthfeel. On the palate, the sense of balance continued, with a nice upfront bitterness being eventually restrained by a good malt backbone. There also some nice toffee notes.  All-in-all, this beer had a very "English" feel to me, despite its use of American hops. A very nice brew and one that makes me eager to try other offerings from this brewery. 8% ABV.

Firestone-Walker's Opal Dry-hopped Saison: I picked this up in  Seattle also, though it may be available in Alaska, as we do get some of this brewery's releases. This beer poured a clear, very light yellow color with a nice white head. The nose had the spicy, earthy notes I always associate with a Belgian yeast. Carbonation was excellent, and the beer was very dry, like a classic saison. Hoppiness was good, and the flavors were very clean. An outstanding example of a classic dry saison, in the style of Saison Dupont. 7.5% ABV.

Elysian Brewing's Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout: I actually did not bring this one back from Seattle, but was given it as a gift. It poured opaque with a big-mocha colored head. As expected, the nose was a combination of roasty flavors and sweet malt notes. Carbonation was good, as was the mouthfeel. On the palate the beer presented a nice balance between the sweet malt elements and the roasted, coffee-ish notes. The only thing that I feel could have been done better was the finish, was a little abrupt. Still, a very nice take on blending a coffee and a milk stout. 5.6% ABV.

That's it for this week. Get out and enjoy this beautiful fall weather while it lasts.  All too soon that white stuff is going to start falling from the skies...

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Home From Travel

If you've been wondering why there's been no blog for the last three weeks, the tittle of this blog should give you a clue!  Yes, I've been doing quite a bit of travelling over the last three weeks, and none of it was directly related to beer.  However, that doesn't mean that I didn't have some interesting beer encounters along the way...

The first trip was up to Denali National Park, to take advantage of the road lottery. On the way, Elaine and I made a quick pit stop at Denali Brewing Company's production brewery at Mile 2 of the Talkeetna Spur Highway.  I wanted to see its newly-opened Tap Room and find out if there was any other news.

The Tap Room is open seven days a week, and as of 1 October, its hours will be from 2 to 8 PM. It's a very nice place to stop for a beer or two, especially on a nice day when the big roll-up door is open, as you can see from these photos:

Denali Brewing Company. Photo by Elaine Howell
Interior of DBC's Tap Room. Photo by Elaine Howell.
Luckily, Owner Sassan Mossanen was there and could take  a few minutes to chat with me.  He took me out back to see the latest of several recent expansions to the brewery. This one is adding another 6,000 square feet to the existing 16,000 square foot facility.  It will house the brewhouse which is currently located in very cramped quarters at the pub in downtown Talkeetna.  Once the project is completes, all brewing will take place at this one site, with the main production brewhouse focusing on meeting the demand for Denali's flagship brews, in kegs and cans, while the smaller brewhouse continues to produce more esoteric beers, like Denali's Flagstop series of brews and its sour ales.

Sassan and I next to the new addition to Denali. Photo by Elaine Howell.

Besides the coming relocation, Denali has also recently added two new 120-barrel conical fermenters and another 120-barrel brite tank for the main production brewery and is buying two used open fermenters from Kenai River Brewing for use in the smaller brewhouse. Things are obviously booming for Denali Brewing Company!


In light of the above, what I learned the next day was very surprising: Boe Barnett, who founded Denali along with Sassan Mossanen, announced via Facebook that he had left the company and was on his way out of Alaska!  This came as a real bolt from the blue for me. I have been in touch with Boe via email (he and his family are driving south), and here's what he had to say in answer to my questions:

Boe Barnett. Photo by Elaine HowellWhy are you leaving Denali?

"The reasons I left DBC have to do with wanting to spend more time with my family, as well as spend more time on my other creative pursuits. I was never able to achieve a sustainable work-family balance in such a fast growing business." 

Why now?

"Why now? Well, I just couldn't let the situation continue. Also, DBC is in a solid place with regards to viability. I was fortunate enough to have been able to build a small, tight crew that will continue on and grow in my absence." 

What's next for you?

"At this point, my wife and I have no plans for our next step. We are going to take as much time as possible and travel. Along the way, we'll be looking for the next great place to settle down and into something new."

"I look forward to watching DBC and the AK beer industry grow and prosper. I also look forward to more great Alaska beer some day in the future."

I know everyone out there would want to join me in wishing Boe and his family fair winds and following seas, as they head off on their next adventure.  Who knows, maybe the winds will blow them back to Alaska some day...

While visiting Denali National Park, I made it a point to check out the local beer scene, of course. On Thursday, our first night in town, Elaine and I dined at the Overlook Restaurant , just reopened under new management a few weeks ago. It is now owned by David McCarthy and Jason Motyka,the same folks who own 49th State Brewing Company and Prospectors Pizzeria & Alehouse , and it showed.  The food was amazing (I had a rack of lamb that was absolutely spectacular) and the beer list was relatively small but excellent.  Besides several beers from 49th State, there was a nice selection of several excellent imports. The Overlook closed for the season on Sunday, September 14th, but if you'll be passing through Glitter Gulch next summer, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

On Friday evening, after a long day of driving the Park Road and photographing wildlife, including almost a dozen grizzlies, we had dinner at Prospector's Pizzeria and Alehouse . We ate there last summer, on our way home from Fairbanks, and the food  this time was just as good as it was last year. I was in the mood for something different, so I was happy to take advantage of the evening special to drink one of my all-time favorite beers in the world, Saison Dupont, on draft at a reduced price. Prospectors was just named one of the 25 Great American Beer Bars for 2104 .  This is the second year they have earned this honor; read the full story here.

Finally, on Saturday, we paid a visit to 49th State Brewing itself. Once again, the food was outstanding-- I don't think I ever eaten yak before-- as were the two beers I ordered: Seward's Folly Russian Imperial Stout and a Smoked Marzen (see the reviews below). 49th State will be closing for the season sometime in October, so stop in before then if you can.

After a few days at home, Elaine and I left again, this time to fly to Seattle for our grandson's first birthday party.  Unfortunately, this meant I had to miss the Talkeetna Brewfest, which took place last Saturday, September 20th.  All reports indicate it was a great time, so I'm hoping to make it there in 2015. If you'd like to read the blog of someone who did make it there this year, you can check out this post by my fellow beer blogger Kristi Trimmer.


While beer wasn't the focus of my trip to Seattle either, I did manage to enjoy some while there and pick up a few interesting ones to bring back with me a savor over the next few days.  I particularly enjoyed a couple of beers from Fremont Brewing , which is located not far from where my daughter and son-in-law live.  I had bombers of Universale Pale Ale and Interurban IPA, and liked both beers very much. We purchased said bombers off the shelf from inside a Safeway, by the way.  Washington does not have our stupid requirement that beer can only be purchased from a liquor store, yet they seem to have avoided the drunken rioting which the state of Alaska seems to think would immediately ensue if you could buy your beer at the same cash register that you use to buy your frozen tacos...

Alaska & Delaware: Holding the line against beer in grocery stores...

I also visited an excellent beer store/ beer bar, called Special Brews , to purchase beers to bring back with me. Naturally I grabbed stuff which we can't readily get here in Alaska, and I'll write about it in the coming weeks.  However, I was very impressed with both the layout and the friendliness and knowledge of the staff at Special Brews ; it's a combination bottle shop, growler bar, and regular beer bar.  Imagine if La Bodega and Cafe Amsterdam were combined, minus the food.  I'm pretty sure you couldn't have anything like that under Alaska's ridiculously cumbersome alcohol laws, unfortunately.  No doubt as soon as I left Special Brews another drunken riot broke out...



Anyway, if you find yourself on the north side of Seattle, I strongly recommend stopping at Special Brews .  You can learn more about them here, and even sign up for an email newsletter.

So that's the story of my recent travels.  What other news has there been in the world of Alaska beer?  Let's see..

The Capital Brewfest  took place in Juneau on Saturday, September 13th; by all accounts it was a great time for all concerned, with over 800 in attendance, and raised a nice amount of money for the worthy causes supported by the Juneau Rotary.

HooDoo Brewing has just completed its first expansion since opening in 2012.  The brewery now has three new 30-barrel brite tanks, for a total of five such tanks. HooDoo is also in the midst of  Oktoberfest, with the celebration continuing until 4 October.  See their website for a schedule of events.



On the way back from Denali National Park, Elaine and I paid a visit to the site of the new Anchorage Brewing Company building on King Street. It was a Sunday afternoon, so no one was there, but we still managed a look around. Construction looks to be proceeding quite well, with the roof having been completed back on September 13th.  Hopefully they will still make their target of a November opening. ABC has also hired a new brewer to replace Jeremiah Boone, who is now the head brewer at King Street Brewing.  The new brewer is Bart Chelmo, formerly one of the brewers at Glacier BrewHouse. Here he is, hard at work at his new job:


Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company

Speaking of King Street Brewing, owner Shane Kingry sent out a press release last Thursday, 9/18/14, on their Oktoberfest plans.  Here's what he had to say:

That’s right, Oktoberfest is back!  Our fall seasonal lager will make its debut tomorrow (Friday the 19th) in the tap room.  You may remember this smooth malty amber Marzen from last year.  Be sure to stop by and fill your growlers up before it’s gone…I think we ran out before October last year.

And speaking of Oktoberfest…King Street will be having its annual Oktoberfest Celebration on Saturday, September 27th.  We have been working on this event for the entire year and will showcase five Authentic German Beers on the 27th: Oktoberfest Marzen (of course!), German Bock, German Helles, Bavarian Hefeweizen, and a sneak peak of our German WeizenBock...as well as our blends such as our Dunkleweizen!

To celebrate this date, we have put together a special offering which includes:

36oz of authentic German beer (including those listed above), served inA commemorative .5 Liter Glass Stein decorated with King St’s logo, andTwo German Brand Bratwurst from Alaska Sausage and Seafood along with traditional side dishes.
All for $25!

A few notes on the beers that will be available only during the Oktoberfest Party:

Munich Oktoberfest – An amber lager that has been brewed with all German malts (including Munich and Vienna), Noble hops, and Munich Lager yeast.  Traditionally brewed in the spring and stored in caves during the summer, this beer is used to celebrate the autumn harvest.  Grab some pretzels and a stein full of this!

German Bock – This dark lager with notes of grape and plum was released in February.  It has been aging nicely in our cellar.  The fuller flavor of the Bock is just perfect for these recent days that seem to have just a hint of chill in the air.

German Helles – Released as our Golden lager mid-summer and sold out a couple of of weeks ago.  Good thing we saved one keg for the party!  It is the perfect beer to quaff down with a spicy sausage.  This is our last keg and once it’s gone…you’ll have to wait until next summer to enjoy it again.

Bavarian Hefeweizen - Premium German wheat and Pilsner malts burst with flavor and perfectly compliment the rich clove and banana aromas in this authentic German Wheat Beer.  Unfiltered and perfect for this occasion….pass the rye bread and mustard please!

German WeizenBock – A dark and malty version of a strong German wheat beer, this beer comes in at 7.4% ABV.  We brewed this beer several months ago and most of it has been aging in Port wine barrels.  However we put a little to the side before “going into the oak” and although it has not been released yet, you will have an opportunity to enjoy it before anyone else does!

Looking forward to seeing you FRIDAY for the Oktoberfest release and NEXT SATURDAY (the 27th) for the party! 

Sounds like they'll be having a super time at King Street.

Over at Glacier BrewHouse, there are two new beers on tap.  Here's how they describe them:

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

Plum Saison - French style Saison with fruity and spicy flavors supported by a soft malt character and slight tartness. Made with special French Saison yeast and infused with Italian Plum. You’ll go plum crazy over this one!
Alcohol: 7.02% alcohol by volume. Starting Gravity: 14.65 Plato (1.060 S.G.).

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

Oktoberfest - This festive beer is medium bodied, sweet, malty, and supremely smooth. The color is a brilliant light copper. The beer was brewed using only the finest German Pilsner and Munich malts along with very subtle German hops.
Alcohol: 6.06% by volume. Starting gravity: 15.26 Plato (1.062 S.G.)

And don't forget that the Great Alaska Beer Train rolls out of Anchorage to Portage and back in just over a week!


It always sells out, so get your tickets now via this website.

At Midnight Sun Brewing Company, there's a new beer coming, but no one knows exactly when.  Termination Dust is the next beer in the Alaskana Series, a Belgian Barley Wine (13% ABV, 70 IBUs) and will be released when Head Brewer Lee Ellis declares that he can officially see termination dust on Flattop from the brewery.  Judging by how cold its been in the mornings lately, I doubt we'll have to wait much longer,,,

Arkose Brewery in Palmer just released a new beer today: Autumn Serenade Harvest Ale, 4.5% ABV, 12 IBUs.



To celebrate their 3rd anniversary on Saturday, October 11th, Arkose will re-release their Blue Skies Organic Ale.

Skagway Brewing Company is shifting to their fall hours starting this Saturday: they will be open for dinner nightly from 4:30 to 9:30 pm. The brewery also recently received a nice review on The Travel Blue Book website.  You can read it here.


Alaskan Brewing Company is partnering with Teton Gravity Research (TGR) and Jones Snowboards to bring the film "Higher" to thirty premiere locations.

“So much of these films are shot in the extreme backcountry of Alaska, that it seemed like a perfect match for Alaskan to be the beer poured at the premiere of the film, and more showings throughout our western states,” said Will Race, Promotions Manager for Alaskan Brewing. “An added bonus for us is the number of Alaskan riders featured in the film, including Lucas Merli of Juneau and Ryland Bell from Elfin Cove and Fairbanks. It’s great to see this next generation of extreme snowboarders coming to the forefront, and we are excited to be a part of it.”

Baranof Island Brewing Company in Sitka is planning an Oktoberfest celebration at the brewery from 3 to 8 PM on Saturday, October 4th.

Seward Brewing Company has announced that they will be closing for the season this Saturday, September 27th.  So this week is your last chance to stop by until next year!

Doug Hogue of Kenai River Brewing tells me that he's brewed up a killer English Old Ale using spruce tips added 15 minutes before the end of the boil. No name yet, but look for an early December release.  Meantime, one week from today is October 1st and you know what that means: the release of the 2014 Winter Warlock!  Mark you calendars!

Zach Henry of St. Elias Brewing told me this morning that he's got some lagers in the pipeline. After his Oktoberfest, look for another of his excellent pilsners...

One final bit of news: if anyone out there is reading this blog in or near Las Vegas, I received an invitation to a beer fest this Saturday at The Cosmopolitan.  It's called Desert Hops and sounds like a pretty nice one. Vegas is a bit much for me right now, but if you'll be in Vegas, you might want to check it out...

OK, let's do some beer reviews. This blog is already running long, so we'll limit it to three this time around, all from 49th State Brewing Company in Healy:



Solstice IPA: This brew was a clear gold with a nice white head that dissipated slowly to a collar.  There was an excellent hop aroma, with more floral and less citrus notes than you see in the typical American IPA; very inviting. There was an excellent clean, fresh bitterness to the attack, followed by delicious hop flavor, before falling gradually to a fine finish. All-in-all, this was a wonderful IPA, served in perfect condition; very satisfying and delicious! 6,8% ABV, 65 IBUs.

Seward's Folly Russian Imperial Stout: One of this year's Hibernation Series. In the glass this beer was totally opaque with a small tan head that dissipated fairly quickly to a collar. The nose was very deep and complex, with notes of sweet and roasted malt, coffee, and dark fruits. The mouthfeel was delightfully chewy. The flavor profile was also complex, with elements coming forward, then stepping back to let others take their place. I picked up coffee, plums, dark chocolate, tobacco, and raisins.  There's no trace of the 9.5% ABV in the profile, and the beer has an amazingly long finish.  This is an excellent Russian Imperial Stout and a testament to how much a long, cold conditioning can improve a beer. Get it if you can. 70 IBUs.

Smoked Marzen: In the style of the classic rauchbiers from Bamberg, Germany, this brew is a translucent ruby color with a cream-colored head that left good lacing on the glass. The aroma was of smoke and malt, with nary a trace of hops, as is proper for the style. Carbonation was good. The smoke flavors persisted from start to finish, dropping away a bit as the good clean malt flavor asserts itself, but returning again in the finish. I haven't been to Bamberg, so I don't what they're like on draft, but this beer is as good as anything I've ever had in a bottle from Germany.

Well, that's it for this time. No more travel in the offing, so I should be able to get these blogs out on a more regular basis, which will make them a bit more timely and not so long!

Until Next Time, Cheers!

With All This Rain, It Must Be Autumn...

We have quite  a bit of rain here on the Kenai in the last few weeks, which is a sure sign that summer's over and fall is here. Time to start laying in firewood and battening down the hatches, in preparation for the inevitable arrival of winter.  Still, before we get the white blanket and move into full hibernation mode, there are still some beer events to enjoy.

First up, on Friday and Saturday of next week, September 12th & 13th, Silver Gulch Brewing will be celebrating Oktoberfest.  Here's the poster for that:


Also on Saturday, September 13th, will be  the 3rd Annual Capital City Brewfest; see details on their website. On Friday, September 12th, there will be a beer dinner at Salt in Juneau.  Here's the menu:

Click to enlarge
Also on September 13th, Arkose Brewery in Palmer will be having another of their Beer Meets Canvas events, from 2 to 4 pm.


HooDoo Brewing will be observing the traditional Oktoberfest dates, from September 20th through October 4th.


Also on September 20th, the Talkeetna BrewFest will be held, from 4 to 6 pm.


On the Friday evening before the Brewfest , there will be a beer dinner at the Denali Brewpub in downtown Talkeetna.  Here's the menu:

Click to enlargeThis looks like a really exceptional beer dinner, and a steal at $69.

Speaking on beer dinners, another one will be taking place at Kinley's Restaurant in Anchorage on October 29th, prior to Bodegafest on 1 November.  Details are still be worked out, but there will be five food courses and six beer courses. However, each beer course is actually TWO beers, one of which will be a "classic" from Merchant du Vin 's prestigious portfolio and the other will be from a brewery here in south-central (Sleeping Lady, Broken Tooth, King Street, Midnight Sun, Denali and Kenai River). I was lucky enough to attend a beer dinner at Kinley's a couple of years ago which was fantastic, so I know this one will be exceptional as well.

As mentioned above, this year's Bodegafest will take place on 1 November at Aviation Heritage Museum in Anchorage.  Mark your calendars.

Click to enlargeI recently received the following list of upcoming events from Roy Chapel, the manager of the Brown Jug at 9200 Old Seward:

Calendar of Events:

September 10th, Wednesday - 6-8PM Black Raven! AND WICKED PIES FOOD TRUCK!!!!
September 17th, Wednesday - 6-8PM Elysian Pumpkin Roadshow
September 24th, Wednesday - Oktoberfest tap takeover!!
~ Tasting Break ~
October 11th, Saturday - 12-5PM Thomas Family Farm Beer in the Barn 2014!
October 15th, Wednesday - Firestone Walker/Jake's day of birth
October 29th, Wednesday - 6-8PM Ninkasi Toasted Cheese Sandwiches and Halloween Costume Contest!
November 12th, Wednesday 6-8PM Ballast Point with Jarred
November 19th, Wednesday Bison Brewing

In other news, HooDoo Brewing is releasing a new beer at noon tomorrow: an American Pale Ale.  Here's how they describe it:

Our American Pale starts with a light but complex base of five different barley malts, then is hopped in the boil kettle with two unique, Oregon grown hop varieties. After fermentation the beer is dry-hopped with one of our favorite hop varieties, Centennial, also grown in Oregon. The result is a distinctively delicious beer with a rich hop character, but with a little more drinkability than an IPA. ABV: 5.1% // IBU: 42

Since it's getting close to the end of the season, 49th State Brewing in Healy  has some killer deals on growler fills:

Smoked Marzen $12    Golden Dahl $21  Dunkelweizen $16

Hefeweizen $13  Bullinerweisse $12  Vagabond Saison $18

Baked Blonde $12  Solstice IPA $12  Augtoberfest $12  Vienna Lager $12.

Also, get a $5 fill of your choice with the purchase of any new stainless steel growler

Fill up while you still can.



In Anchorage, King Street Brewing has released a very unique brew, that they are calling a Breakfast Hefeweizen.  Here's how Shane Kingry describes it:

Some of you know that we have been experimenting with some new hops.  Last year we stumbled upon Mosaic.  She has a rich hop heritage, including Nugget and Simcoe.  Mosaic hops have a complex array of enticing aromatics including pine, tropical, citrus, and in our new seasonal, a distinct orange/tangerine component.  Inspired by what we found, we added orange juice to our Hefeweizen and dry hopped it with Mosaic, creating a completely unique beer that is both very tasty as well as incredibly refreshing.  We wouldn't call this a Radler, as this beer has quite a bit more flavor and is a bit higher in alcohol, coming in at 8.0% abv, but it is certainly unlike anything we have tasted before.  A very limited amount of this beer was crafted, so come and get it while it lasts!

More King Street news: David Short, who has been the Lead Brewer at King Street for the last three years, has taken a job with K&L Distributors , replacing Matt Rohloff, who had to leave to deal with some family issues.  I just heard yesterday that David had been replaced at King Street by Jeremiah Boone, former Head Brewer at Midnight Sun and most recently the #2 man at Anchorage Brewing Company, under Gabe Fletcher. Best of luck to both David and Jeremiah in their new jobs!

Glacier BrewHouse released a new beer yesterday: Hungarian Oak Black Rye Bock.  Here's he they describe it:

This beer has a distinctive bitter chocolate palate and black color. Aged one year in Hungarian oak barrels rendering flavors of vanilla, coconut, caramel, and more. The spiciness from the rye malt shines through with the smooth malty sweetness. Our brewers combined characteristics of three winter beer styles to create this black beauty. All three of these styles traditionally come from the colder harsher areas of Europe. The styles include: (1) Black Beer (aka Schwartzbier) originating from Bad Kostritz in Thuringia (former East Germany); (2) Rye Beer which at one time was only made in hardier areas of Eastern and Baltic Europe; and (3) Bock Beer which is widely known as the higher alcohol lager of Northern Germany. Alcohol: 6.50% by volume. Starting gravity: 16.50 Plato (1.068 S.G.)

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse Here on the Peninsula, I finally made it back over to Seward on Labor Day, so I stopped into the Seward Brewing Company for lunch.  The food was excellent, especially the lamb fries, and their were four brews on tap:

Pin Bone IPA - 7.9% ABV, 66 IBUs (reviewed below)
Marathon Summer Ale - a 7.5% ABV, 10 IBU wheat beer
Rockfish Red Ale - 8% ABV, 13.5 IBUs
Fishtown Brown - 6.5% ABV, 19 IBUs

I had a pint of the IPA, but I was a bit surprised that there was nothing on offer with less than 6.5% ABV.  No session beers here! Of course, if you wanted something lighter, they had several other craft brews from around the state on offer. Seward Brewing Company will likely be closing soon for the winter, so get over there while you still can.

Finally, Doug Hogue of Kenai River Brewing tells me they will be releasing a new brew next Smores Beer.  Just like the traditional campfire treat, this beer is brewed with marshmallows (20 lbs in the brewkettle), graham crackers (60 lbs in the brewkettle), and dark chocolate nibs (16 lbs in the brite tank). For the release, the brewery will have mini-hibachi grills set up on the tables in the Tasting Room, so folks can make their own smores while they taste the new brew.  Look for things to kick-off at 5 PM on Friday, September 12th.
Friday:

Now let's do a few beer reviews:

Photo courtesy of Anchorage BrewingAnchorage Brewing Company's Thank You German Hefe w/Brett: The beer poured a crystal clear light straw gold with a nice white head. There were a few of the traditional banana and clove note sin the nose, plus significant Brett funkiness.  Carbonation was good, and the beer was lively and refreshing on the palate. I got much more Brett and not much hefeweizen with this brew, but it was quite delicious and an excellent brew for a warm day. 6% ABV, 30 IBUs.


Seward Brewing Company's Pin Bone IPA: Served with a decent white head that left good lacing, this brew was a slightly cloudy gold. The aroma had lots of citrus and grapefruit notes from the American hops used. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was nice.  There was plenty of clean bitterness up front, then nice hop flavor, before falling away to a good, lingering finish. An very nice IPA, though at 7.9%, and 66 IBUs, you'll likely only have the one.

No-Li Brewhouse's Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout: I've heard a lot about this Spokane, WA brewery lately, so I picked this up at Sak Town Liquors on the outskirts of Seward. Keep an eye on Sak Town, as they are int he process of expanding and installing a growler bar! The beer poured almost opaque with ruby highlights and a tan head that left good lacing. The nose was full of black currants and other dark fruits notes, plus some roastiness.  The mouthfeel was good and the flavor profile was classic imperial stout: Roast malt, a hint of alcohol, dark chocolate, a hint of tobacco, falling away slowly to a long, deep finish.  Very nice. 9.5% ABV, 100 IBUs.

Well, that's it for this week.  Try to stay dry and start laying in supplies; fall is here and winter won't be far behind.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Beer Camp & Beer Fest

Bit behind on the blogging (what else is new..), but I've got a lot of great beer stuff to write about since my last blog three weeks ago.

On Thursday, 7 August, I rolled up to Anchorage to help host the Beer Camps Across America event at Humpy's Alaskan Alehouse , sponsored by Sierra Nevada Brewing and their distributors here in Alaska, K & L Distributing . The event was a sell-out, with a hundred people paying $20 to sample all twelve of the beers in three flights of four 3 oz. samples. There was a pretty good turnout of beer writers as well.  Besides yours truly, Dr. Fermento and newcomer to Alaska Kristi Trimmer were also in attendance.

From L to R: me, Chris Heim of Sierra Nevada, Kristi Trimmer, Chris from Gold Rush Liquors, & Dr. Fermento. I included a graphic describing the beers in my last blog and they were uniformly excellent, but let me mention a couple of them that I thought were absolutely outstanding.

Torpedo Pilsner (5.2% ABV, 45 IBUs, brewed with Firestone Walker) - a pilsner infused with New Zealand hops using Sierra Nevada's hop torpedo technology, this brew was a clean, crisp masterpiece

Maillard's Odyssey Imperial Dark Ale (8.5% ABV, 40 IBUs, brewed with Bell's) - rich, dark, and chewy, this beer was everything you look for in a strong, dark ale.

Yvan the Great Belgian-style Blonde Ale (6.3% ABV, 50 IBUs, brewed with Russian River) - a delicious blend of brett and Belgian influences, plus plenty of hop goodness.  Doesn't fit in any conventional category, but who cares?

If you can still find any of these twelve beers, I strongly suggest you give them a try. My only regret is that they will not be offered in the future.

A couple of days later, on Saturday, August 9th, it was time for the 4th Annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival .  As in past years, the weather looked very iffy in the morning, but the clouds parted and the sun shown just in time for the start of the fest at 5 pm. This year's event was another sell out, with 1200 attending and about another hundred turned away at the gate, after it sold out.  We had even more breweries in attendance than in the past, including a couple from pretty far away:

49th State Brewing from Healy
HooDoo Brewing from Fairbanks
49th State Brewing took the People's Choice Award for Best Beer with their 12 Belgian Quadruple, which was an absolutely fantastic brew, while Kenai River Brewing took the People's Choice Award for Best Brewery. Besides the great beers and wines on offer, their were several food trucks and lots of great music.  It was easily the best Kenai Peninsula Beer Fest yet.

Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing

After the fest shutdown, Zach Henry of St. Elias Brewing hosted a private after party for all the attending brewers, at which I tapped the last cask of our collaboration beer, H & H Winter Warmer, which is now completely consumed.  However, we have decided to brew it again next month, for a December release, so you should get to drink it again this winter.

Tapping a cask of H&H Winter Warmer at the after party.
Besides the events above, there has been plenty of other beer news.  The Brew Dogs episode set in Alaska was broadcast on August 13th.  If you missed it, you can find it on HuluPlus or in reruns on the Esquire Network. The show was fun, though I was a bit disappointed that James and Martin never ventured any further into the state than the Juneau area.  At least they did send a film crew out to shoot some footage in Anchorage, Healy, and Fairbanks for their best breweries and best bars short segments. Here are their picks:




You may not agree with the exact rankings, but I think we can agree that they are all great beer bars and breweries and its good to see them get recognition

In other news, Baranof Island Brewing Company in Sitka has taken delivery of their first shipment of cans.  Here's the visual proof:


Photo courtesy of Baranof Island Brewing Co.We should be seeing a lot more of their Silver Bay IPA soon, and that's a good thing!

Alaskan Brewing Company has moved their Pumpkin Porter from their Pilot Series to their first Seasonal release for fall. It will now be in 12 oz. bottles, rather than the 22 oz. bombers of the Pilot Series. For those of you who may have missed it last fall, Pumpkin Porter weighs in at 7% ABV, 25 IBUs, and over 11 pounds of pumpkins used per barrel.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Brewing CompanyDenai Brewing managed to get all the blueberries they needed, so you can expect to see a Blueberry Wheat Beer from them in the near future.  They have also announced the date of this year's Talkeetna Beer Fest : Saturday, September 20th, from 2 pm to 6 pm at the Don Sheldon Community Arts Hangar in beautiful downtown Talkeetna. Tickets are $50 per person and include a selection of cured meats, fine cheeses, and locally baked breads, besides beer from several of the state's finest breweries.  Tickets are available from the Denali Arts Council's website. This is a fest that I really want to attend, but fate keeps conspiring against it. In 2012 it was flooding, and last year I was of of state when it took place, and this year I will be out of state again. Next year for sure!


At Midnight Sun Brewing, they will be releasing their Das Boot Pale Ale next Thursday, August 28th, at 5 pm.  All the proceeds of this beer will go to the local firefighters' Fill The Boot campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. They will also be selling a limited number of 36 oz. glass boots at the release party in The Loft .  It's a great cause, so if you'll be in Anchorage, stop by and help fill the boot by emptying a glass...


Construction on the new home for Anchorage Brewing Company seems to be proceeding rapidly.  The only real snag they have hit was Gabe Fletcher's busting his right index finger up pretty badly trying to club a halibut. In spite of that mishap, the erection of the metal skeleton was complete on August 11th. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company
Here on the Peninsula, Seward Brewing Company has been getting some rave reviews for their food and beer.  I haven't made it back there since my last visit in June, but I got to have some more of their beer at the Kenai Fest , and it was excellent. I definitely need to make time to try their food again before they close for the winter.

OK, let's do some beer reviews.

Sleeping Lady Brewing Company's Tiny IPA: I had a pint of this with my supper at the Snow Goose before I walked over to the Humpy's Beer Camp Event on August 7th. It was a clear light gold in color with a persistent white head that left good lacing on the glass. The nose was full of nice, citrusy American hop aroma, and their was a pleasantly bitter attack, followed by nice, clean hop flavor.  The kicker is this is a low ABV beer, about 3.5% ABV, give or take, but it's packed with great flavor.  One of the best session beers I've had this year. At tip o' my hat to Greg & Karl; nice job, gentlemen.

Oskar Blue's Old Chub Nitro Scotch Ale: This is a beer I've wanted to try ever since I heard it was being released. I finally managed to score some at The Brown Jug at 9200 Old Seward.  Manager Roy Chapel is doing an outstanding job on the beer selections there and anyone who likes good beer and finds themselves in Anchorage should definitely check it out. Back to the beer: it poured a very dark ruby with the super creamy head that you expect from beers on nitro. All the classic flavors of a great Scotch Ale are there, plus the outstanding mouthfeel from the nitro. This beer was already one of my all-time favorites (see my review on 3/31/2009), but having it on nitro just make sit that much better.  If you're a Scotch Ale lover like me, be sure to try this one out!

Midnight Sun Brewing's Cache Biere de Garde: The latest beer in the Alaskana series, this brew is aged in oak barrels. At 8.2% ABV and 20 IBUs, this beer is all about the malt and the oak. It poured a dark, semi-translucent honey color, with a nice cream-colored head. There was some oaky notes discernible in the nose. The carbonation was good. The initial impression is malt, then strong oaky notes that persist through the finish.  The beer is oaked to such a degree that it almost becomes astringent as you continue drinking it. This beer truly showcases the impact of oak aging.

Well, that's it for this blog.  Get out and enjoy the last few weeks of summer while you can.  The days are getting shorter and it will be fall before you know it.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

A Festive Time of the Year

As usual for Alaska, the summer is flying by. Hard to believe it's August already. At least that means dipnetting is finished for the year; the hordes can return to Los Anchorage and leave us hicks down here on the Kenai to rusticate in peace...



The good news about it being August is that we are now in the heart of the beer festival season in Alaska. First off, 49th State's Augtoberfest starts today in Healy. I have yet to attend this fest (next year, for sure!), but everything I've seen and hear tells me it's a fantastic time.

The brewery is offering special Bavarian-style food for the fest: Roasted Duck (duck braised in apple juice, fresh apples and white wine served with dumplings and red cabbage), Smoked Pork Chop (served with Bavarian sauerkraut, German potato salad, house-made dumplings and stone ground mustard), Smoked Trout Skewers (an Alaskan twist of the traditional "Bismarkhering", this is trout marinated in brine with blackening and pickling spices, then smoked on a stick), and Baked King Salmon (Alaskan King Salmon baked with German mustard and carmelized onions, then served with spaetzle).

For beers, besides their numerous regular offerings, look for Augtoberfest (their take on the traditional Oktoberfest brew, a 5.6% ABV, 26 IBU malt forward lager), Bulliner Weisse (in the style of a Berliner Weisse, this tart and refreshing wheat beer comes in at 3.7% ABV, 5 IBUs), Grizzly Bear (a classic Munich Dark Lager, 5.4% ABV, 26 IBUs), and Hibernator (a 7.9% ABV, 20 IBU doppelbock).  Toss in some great music and you've got the recipe for a fantastic time.

As I said, I won't make it to this year's fest, but look for me there next year for sure!



An event I will be attending will be the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Across America Event at Humpy's Alaskan Alehouse on Thursday, August 7th. For those of you who haven't heard about Beer Camp Across America, Sierra Nevada has been celebrating the opening of their new brewery in North Carolina by brewing collaboration beers with some of the best craft breweries in the US. Those beers have now been released in bottles and at various events across the country. Next Thursday's event is your chance to sample them all in one place.  What are the brews you ask?  Here's the list:

Yvan the Great – Belgian-Style Blonde (Russian River)
Canfusion Rye Bock (Oskar Blues)
Myron’s Walk – Belgian Style Pale Ale (Allagash Brewing)
Alt Route – Altbier (Victory Brewing)
Electric Ray – India Pale Lager (Ballast Point)
Chico King Pale Ale (3 Floyds)
Torpedo Pilsner (Firestone Walker)
Yonder Bock – Tropical Maibock (Cigar City Brewing)
Double Latte – Coffee Milk Stout (Ninkasi Brewing)
There and Back – English Style Bitter (New Glarus Brewing)
Maillard’s Odyssey – Imperial Dark Ale (Bell’s Brewery)
Tater Ridge – Scottish Ale (Asheville Brewer’s Alliance)
Click to enlarge

The event at Humpy's kicks off at 7 PM. There will be a tap takeover of sorts along with special pours of all the beers. The cost is $20 per person, first come, first serve, and will feature 3 oz. pours of each beer, served in three flights of four beer each. Leading the discussion of the brews as joint Masters of Ceremony will be Jim "Dr. Fermento" Roberts and yours truly. So if you'd like to sit down and sample all of these exceptional brews at once, this is your chance.

Click to enlarge

Down here on the Kenai. the 4th Annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival is happening next Saturday, August 9th, from 5 to 10 pm, at the Soldotna Sports Center. I've been writing about this for several of my last blogs, so this should come as no surprise, but there are a couple of new pieces of news. First off, HooDoo Brewing from Fairbanks has confirmed they will be attending, bringing the total number of breweries represented to nineteen! HooDoo's excellent brews seldom make it out of Fairbanks, so if you want to sample them here on the Peninsula, don't miss your chance. Also, all five of the breweries on the Peninsula (our three locals plus Homer Brewing and Seward Brewing Company) will be on offer.  This is the first time all of them have been at the same festival together.

The Fest is also looking for folks with a TAMS card to help pour beers for some of the out-of-town breweries. If you are qualified and interested, I think this is your chance to get in for free! Send a message via the festival's Facebook page (click here) if you are interested. If you are going to have to pay full freight, tickets are on sale for $30 each at St. Elias Brewing, Kenai River Brewing, and Kassik's Brewery.  Or you can buy them online via the Festival's website.



In other beer news, I received the following press release from Darcy Kniefel at Midnight Sun Brewing Company:

Midnight Sun Brewing Company, MDA of Alaska and the Firefighters are teaming up to FILL THE BOOT! On August 17th the brewery will be invaded by Firefighters who will assist in brewing the first ever batch of DAS BOOT. The beer is being designed by Midnight Sun Brewer Davey Cacey, and will be a "sessionable" pale ale. At least as sessionable as we can get. The beer will be released on Thursday, August 28th, the day before the Anchorage Fire Fighters do their annual Fill the Boot Fundraiser for MDA.

To celebrate the release, The Loft at Midnight Sun Brewing Company will have, for the first time ever, traditional German Beer Boots for purchase. The boots will be a "one and done", weighing in at 36ounces of foamy love and will travel home with their purchasers, once they have been drained. There will be a very limited supply of the boots, so if you would like to be a part of this, come early! A portion of the proceeds from the boots as well as from the beer sales will go to MDA to support their efforts in finding a cure for muscular dystrophy.

As the release party also falls on a Thursday night, which is Tour Night at Midnight Sun, we will have our traditional FREE Brewery tour starting at 6:00 and we will include a tour of a fire truck which will be on sight for the night. The Firefighters will be at The Loft all night from 5-8pm to kick off the Fill the Boot extravaganza and there will be a chance for you to help fill the first boot.

Darcy also tells me that MSBC will be doing a second release of their outstanding Berserker Imperial Stout! They'll be bottling next week, with the beer hitting shelves the week after. Darcy says that this is the start of what they hope will be a new tradition of two releases of Berserker each year. Now that's what I call good news...

In other good news, it looks like the construction of Anchorage Brewing Company's new facility on King Street is proceeding on schedule.  They've posted several pictures of the construction on their Facebook page.

Denali Brewing Company in Talkeetna needs blueberries and they'll pay good money for them!  Here's the poster for that:




Glacier BrewHouse has two new beers on tap.  The first is a Strawberry Cream Ale.  Here's how they describe it:

Light, unfiltered, and refreshing with aromas of strawberry. Milk sugar (lactose) was added to render the ultra-creamy body. Infused with real strawberries! Nitrogenated.
Alcohol: 5.66% alcohol by volume. Starting Gravity: 13.70 Plato (1.056 S.G.)

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

The second is a Saison.

French style Saison with fruity and spicy flavors supported by a soft malt character and slight tartness. Made with special French Saison yeast, zest of lemon peel, and a touch of honey. Definitely a smooth operator. Alcohol: 6.38% by volume. Starting Gravity: 14.00 Plato (1.057 S.G.).

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

King Street beers are now available in the Fred Meyer stores in Anchorage and Eagle River.  Hey, guys, how about some love for the Peninsula!

Photo courtesy of King Street Brewing
Let's move on to some beer reviews.

St. Elias Brewing Company's Savage XPA: Another in Zach Henry's series of hoppy session ales, in the vein of his Insidious XPA (see my review 2/28/2014). This beer poured a crystal clear gold with big white head; very pretty in the glass. Besides the typical hoppy notes in the nose, I thought I was picking up some tropical fruit notes, leading me to think thank Zach had used some Galaxy hops, which he later confirmed. Carbonation was good, and there was a nice clean bitterness up front, then more tropical fruit/mango notes, before falling away to a nice finish. A great, easy-drinking brew, just what you want in a session ale.

Founders Brewing Company's All Day IPA Session Ale: Sticking with the theme of session ales, I got to try this one, thanks to the generosity of a colleague, who had her parents hand carry some up from Michigan for me. It also poured a clear gold with a nice white head. The aroma was classic American hops, very citrusy and fresh. The carbonation was good, was the mouthfeel. Initially there was a crisp, clean but not overwhelming bitterness, then lots of hop flavor before dropping down to a nice clean finish. At 4.7% ABV and 42 IBUs, this is indeed an excellent session beer.

Deschutes Brewing's Foray Belgian-style IPA: This is another of the oxymorons that craft brewers seem to love today, like black IPAs. Technically, there's no such thing as a Belgian IPA, since Belgian brewers don't brew IPAs. However, it's come to mean an IPA that uses a Belgian yeast to impart some of the characteristic peppery, spicy notes that such yeasts are known for. So this beer is Deschutes' entry in this new style, which I bought at our local Fred Meyer. Foray poured a clear light gold with a big white head. I picked up plenty of citrusy hop notes in the aroma, but none of the earthy, spicy notes I look for in a Belgian beer. Carbonation was excellent, and the beer had a nice mouthfeel. On the palate there was plenty of nice, bitterness, followed by lots of great hop flavor, but I tired in vain to pick up anything that I could identify as Belgian yeast notes. Frankly, it just tasted like a good American IPA to me. 6.4% ABV.


Well, that's it for this week.  If you're going to be at either the Humpy's Beer Camp Event or at the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival , be sure to look me up and say hi.

Until Next Time, Cheers!