Bill Howell's Blog, page 4

Pumpkin Beer Season is Upon Us

It's almost the end of October, which in the past has meant it's time for a deluge of "pumpkin beers". For a while, it seemed just about every brewer would pump out some brew flavored with pumpkins, or more accurately, the spices associated with pumpkin pies. However, the industry hit saturation last year, and a lot of pumpkin beers went unsold, leading to a re-evaluation this year. Here's a Forbes article which discusses the nation-wide pumpkin beer glut last year and this year's response by brewers. Here in Alaska, Midnight Sun Brewing still released its classic T.R.E.A.T. and Trickster beers, but Alaskan Brewing chose to re-release it Heritage Coffee Brown Ale rather than its Pumpkin Ale. Is craft brewing's love affair with pumpkin beers over? All I can say is: DEAR GOD, I HOPE SO!!!!

Not this year!
Speaking of Midnight Sun Brewing, its trademark dispute with Boise-based Sockeye Grill and Brewery is still on-going. KTUU picked up on the story (five days after I broke it in this blog, but hey, who's counting?) and published this article. While Sockeye refused to comment to me, it did respond to KTUU: “It has caught us off guard,” said Janice Skinner, Sockeye Brewing’s business manager. “I do have my attorney looking into some of the legal ramifications.” Current status seems to be that the breweries are trying to work something out, but Midnight Sun's attorneys have also sent a Cease & Desist letter to the Idaho brewery, putting them on legal notice that MSBC intends to defend its trademark in Alaska. I'll keep you updated as things develop.



Those of you who have read this blog for any length of time probably are aware that I was fortunate enough to win the Wynkoop Beerdrinker of the Year Contest back in 2010. This annual event went on hiatus a couple of years ago, due to a restructuring at Wynkoop, but thanks to a lot of hard campaigning by former BDOTYs ( most notably 2009 BDOTY Cody Christman), the event is now back and better than ever. Instead of taking place in February, the Finals are now being held in conjunction with the Great American  Beer Festival each fall in Denver. This year's winner (and 18th annual BDOTY) was Shawna Cormier of Denver. You can read all the details here. If you'd like to compete for the 2017 title and free beer for life at Wynkoop Brewing in Denver, watch for the brewery's call for resumes early next year at www.WynkoopBDOY.com .

Enjoying the sweet taste of victory back in 2010
HooDoo Brewing in Fairbanks is in the process of getting a new German fire truck ( a Feuerwehr, in German) from the Lower 48. Bobby and Paul were driving it up the Alcan to Fairbanks, but they hit a snag about 15 miles south of Fort St. John in B.C. in the form of a big rock that took out their windshield. They are both okay, but it looks like the Feuerwehr will be making the rest of the trip on a flatbed trailer...

Before... ...and After. Both photos courtesy of HooDoo Brewing.HooDoo will be celebrating it 4th Anniversary on Monday with its Thanks, Fairbanks, We're Four event. As part of that event, HooDoo will also be holding it annual limerick contest.  Here's the flyer with the info:

Click to enlargeAlso coming up this weekend in the Mighty Monster Brewfest (AKA the Mighty Matanuska Brewfest ) on the state fairgrounds in Palmer. It's on Saturday, October 29, from 6 to 10 PM, at Raven's Hall.Tickets are $35 and include 20 3-0z. samples.

Haines Brewing Company has its excellent Black Fang Imperial Stout back on tap!


I was at Kenai River Brewing Company last Friday, signing copies of my latest book. Here's what was on tap:

Click to enlarge Click to enlargeAt St. Elias Brewing, Vanilla Bean Porter and Defiance Black IPA are now on tap.


Click to enlarge


That's it for the news. I've got two beer reviews for this week:

Deschutes Brewing's The Abyss Imperial Stout (2007 Vintage): After nine years in my cellar, the label was falling off the bottle. However, when I chipped away the wax seal and opened the crown cap, I got a reassuring hiss of carbonation. It poured opaque with a nice tan head. The aroma had notes of cocoa, molasses, and roasted coffee. Carbonation was still good, and the mouthfeel was heavy. On the palate, the beer was nice and thick, almost chewy in its texture, with flavors of coffee, licorice, and dark chocolate. The only evidence I could see from its long aging was that it seemed a bit drier than the fresher vintages, and that the flavors were a bit better integrated. Even after almost a decade in the bottle, there was no hint of degradation. In fact, it was superb! 11% ABV.



Gigantic Brewing's Vivid Imperial IPA (#43): It poured a cloudy honey color with a big, off-white head that left good lace. The nose had plenty of tropical fruit notes from the New Zealand hops used. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was on the light side for a DIPA. The initial bitter attack was good, but not overwhelming, then decent hop flavor and aroma followed. Not a bad beer; if you like Imperial IPAs you'll probably enjoy this one.8.5% ABV.



That's it for this week. I'll be back next week with more news and reviews. Meantime, enjoy your Halloween and keep drinking good beer.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Legal Matters

A story which appeared in the Peninsula Clarion & Homer News has caused quite a stir here on the Peninsula. The article dealt with the proposed re-write to the portions of Title 4 which cover the issuance of alcohol licenses in Alaska. Senator Peter Micciche, who represents the Central Peninsula in the state senate, is the chairmen of the committee in charge of the overhaul. You can read the article in its entirety here, but before you begin sharpening your pitchforks and lighting torches, there are a couple of things you should know. To make sure I had the latest and most accurate info, I talked to Ryan Makinster, the Executive Director of the Brewers Guild of Alaska , and someone who is intimately involved in the re-write process. Here's what he had to say.

First, Ryan pointed out that the article is based on SB 99, which was submitted last session, but went no where in the legislative process. This year's bill will likely be pre-filed in January, and should have some significant changes from SB 99. Second, while Public Convenience Licenses will likely be going away, current holders will transition either to seasonal licenses (for truly seasonal operations, open six months or less a year) or to Restaurant/Eating Place Licenses. Third, the administrations of both Wasilla and Soldotna are involved in the process and are pushing for a mechanism which would recognize the fact that cities like them service a much larger population base than just residents within city limits, so the number of licenses able to be issued needs to reflect that. Public meetings are still taking place to try to hammer out all the details, which should be reflected in the new bill to be filed after the first of the year.

So in summary, this is certainly something anyone who enjoys consuming alcohol should pay attention to, but it's not yet time to storm the Bastille. Rest assured, I'll do my best to keep you all informed of developments, and when it's time to make our voice heard to Senator Micciche and the rest of the legislature, I'll definitely sound the trumpet. Until then, we can remain calm and keep our powder dry.

In another legal matter, Barb Miller, one of the owners of Midnight Sun Brewing, made the following post on Facebook on October 13th:

"So a brewpub named Sockeye Grill and Brewery in ID has just begun to move some product into the AK market. We discovered them a few years ago and decided to be respectful and not push our Sockeye Red IPA into ID. (Our beers are distributed in AK, WA, OR, CA, HI and NY.) Their labels are predominantly "SOCKEYE" then IPA or Porter, etc. Naturally, we are going to defend our territory, namely AK. We've been here since 1995. We now have our attorneys involved because we called them and they declined to retreat. I know this situation is not uncommon in our industry but we/MSBC always play respectfully with names/beers in our and others' distribution areas.

What are YOUR thoughts on this situation?

Supporting MSBC and not supporting this ID brewpub is any easy way to drive them out of AK. They are being distributed by the Odom Corporation, which is part of Southern Wine and Spirits. (And they definitely have attorneys on the payroll.)

Oddly, I was just talking about Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential book this week, which focuses on the underbelly of the culinary industry. YeaH, so welcome to the underbelly of the brewing industry."

I'm told that the beers from Sockeye Grill and Brewery began being distributed in Alaska on October 1st, so you can expect to see them on local shelves. I'm working to research more information on this dispute from all the parties involved, so look for more updates in the future, "as they develop."






Moving on to other, happier beer news.

Midnight Sun Brewing has announced that it will be holding a release party for its super-popular Berserker Imperial Stout on October 31st. The Halloween Horde Event will take place from 4 pm October 31st to 8 PM on November 1st. Besides the release of this year's Berserker, there will also be flights of previous vintages. In addition, anyone who comes dressed in "Ancient Norse Clothing" will receive 10% off their Berserker bottle purchase.

Click to enlargeOver at 49th State Brewing, they will be celebrating Halloween on Saturday, October 29th, with a combination Yoga & Halloween Party. Here's the flier with details:

Click to enlargeGlacier BrewHouse released a new Wet Hop IPA and a new Coconut Porter last week. Neither brew will likely last long, so try them while you can.

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

KTUU in Anchorage had a news report on the opening of Cynosure Brewing. You can read it here. Cynosure has also released a new beer, Cynosure Dark Lager, a German-style schwarzbier.

Photo courtesy of Cynosure Brewing
Alaskan Brewing has released a Wet Hop Pale Ale as part its Rough Draft series.

Photo courtesy of  Alaskan Brewing Company

Seward Brewing Company's Rockfish Tacos were selected as one of the top fish tacos in the country by The Food Network. You can read the entire article here.


Here's the latest tap list for Denali Brewing Company's pub in Talkeetna:

Click to enlarge
Specialty Imports will  be holding a Beer Tasting at Mykel's Restaurant in Soldotna on Saturday, October 29th, focusing on German beers. It starts at 6:30 pm and includes the beers and an appetizer buffet. Call 262-4305 for reservation or more information.




Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer has released another new brew, Rocky River Orange Wheat.

Here's the latest tap list from St. Elias Brewing. Look for the return of the popular Vanilla Bean Porter within the next few days.



At Kenai River Brewing, I'll be holding a Book Signing this Friday, October 21, from 4 to 6:30 pm. Come in and get a copy of my latest book.

Click to enlargeThat's it for news. I've got reviews of two beers this week, both from out of state:

Firestone-Walker's Oaktoberfest Marzen: I will confess to initially being confused about this beer. From its name, I had assumed it was aged on oak, and then was surprised when I could not taste any. The brewery straightened me out: the name is in reference to the brewery's hometown, so there's no oak in the beer itself. It poured a clear gold with a nice, white head. The aroma was nothing but good, clean malt notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was spot on for a marzen, with lots of clean malt flavors, and only enough hop bitterness to balance things. A top-notch marzen. 5% ABV, 24 IBUs.



Two Beers Brewing Company's Forester Double IPA: This was my first beer ever from this Seattle-based brewery; I picked it up on a whim at Country Liquors in Kenai. It poured a light, clear copper color with a big, cream-colored head. The nose had a mixture of citrus and piney notes from the Simcoe, Centennial, and Super Galena hops used. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was between light and medium. The initial bitter attack was good, though not as aggressive as the claimed 92 IBUs would lead you to expect. That was a good thing, in my book. Following the initial attack, the hop flavor and aroma came through, but was somewhat balanced by the big malt backbone. More drinkable than the average DIPA, I liked it quite a bit. In the future, I'll be keeping my eye out for other beers from this brewery. 7.8% ABV


That's it for this week. I hope to see you at my Book Signing on Friday.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Small Minds, Sensitive Souls

I usually endeavor to steer clear of politics and the culture wars in this blog, unless they directly impinge on the subject at hand, that being craft beer in Alaska. Frankly, I find both the Left and the Right fairly loathsome these days. So unless some ass is proposing to double the tax on alcohol (I'm looking at you, Walker) or the neo-prohibitionists start banging the drum about "demon liquor", I generally give it all a pass here and try to focus on more interesting and pleasant subject.

However, be that as it may, I felt I needed to toss my two cents in on the latest kerfuffle regarding Midnight Sun's Panty Peeler Tripel.  Let's review some history on the brew. It was first brewed back in the 1990s and sold under the name Epluche-culotte, which is "Panty Peeler" in French. In 2008, the brewery decided to Anglicize the name (along with its dark counterpart, Monk's Mistress), and produce some updated label art. In fact, the second blog I wrote, way back on 7/30/2008 was about this change. Here's the label:



The older version featured essentially the same artwork, just with the name Epluche-culotte. While the name might be slightly risque, it certainly doesn't seem particularly offensive, at least to my admittedly somewhat old-fashioned sensibilities. Panty Peeler has chugged along without incident under the new label since 2008. However, this year the brewery decided to add the beer to its canned line-up in 4-packs, which resulted in the beer winning a Silver Medal at this year's Can Can Awards (another risque name?), as I reported in my 9/28/2016 blog. This competition advertises itself as "the premiere beer competition focused solely on canned craft beers," so this award was quite a feather in Midnight Sun's cap.

Apparently, winning this award brought the beer to the notice of the culture police, who decided that any beer which had "panty" in the name must be promoting rape. Never mind that the beer label (designed by a woman, by the way), shows a strong, empowered woman enjoying herself, without a man anywhere in sight. Never mind that it's been around for almost two decades without anyone taking offense before. Never mind that, if you're the sort of sleazeball who thinks of getting a woman drunk to take sexual advantage of her, a quality craft beer would probably be your least likely choice, given how many cheaper and more potent forms of alcohol there are available. Never mind common sense. No, this sort of "drive by shooting" via the internet is becoming a hallmark of how people express their personal prejudices.

If you're curious as to who these self-anointed keepers of the culture are, I'd refer you to this KTUU article, which names them. It's true we have a serious problem with sexual violence here in Alaska, but I'd suggest these would-be Comstocks are barking up the wrong tree when they try to place the blame on a beer label. If you agree, I'd suggest you go out and pick up a 4-pack of Panty Peeler. You'll have the dual pleasure of drinking a great craft beer and also giving a metaphorical middle finger to the pecksniffs.


Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun

Now on to more pleasant subjects.

I've learned of another new brewery working to open here on the Kenai. Cooper Landing Brewing Company hopes to have its federal brewing license by the end of the year; it submitted an application in June. Recipe development is underway, with plans to continue through next April. It seems the goal is to be open for business prior to next summer's tourist season. According to what I know, it seems the plan is not to have a tap room initially, but to sell kegs to local establishments until the brewery can afford to expand to a 10-barrel brewhouse. Looking at the photos posted on its Facebook page, it appears Cooper Landing Brewing will be starting a fairly small system; I'm guessing 1/2-barrel. Wish them luck and I'll do my best to keep you all informed of progress.




I mentioned last week that Cynosure Brewing was finally open. Here are its hours:

Thursday 4 to 8 PM
Friday      4 to 8 PM
Saturday  2 to 8 PM

The brewery is at 144 E Potter Dr, Unit E, in Anchorage. I haven't had a chance to stop in myself, but hope to do so soon.



Girdwood Brewing Company seems to be making good progress. Here's picture just posted on its Facebook page:


Photo courtesy of Girdwood Brewing
Winterlong Brewing Company in Whitehorse has finally gotten its new tap room open. You can read all about it and see pictures of it here.



Alaskan Brewing has now released its Hopothermia Double IPA in 6-packs instead of 4-packs.

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Brewing

There are some beer events coming up:

La Bodega will be holding another in its 10th Anniversary Tastings series; this one is Sour Beers . The tasting will happen tomorrow night, October 11, from 5:15 to 6:15 PM at its Northern Light location. Read more about it here.

Midnight Sun Brewing will be having Lagers at the Loft from October 17th thru the 23rd.

Arkose Brewery will hold its Anniversary Beer Meets Chocolate Event on Saturday, October 21.

Also on October 21st, I will be doing a Book Signing , with copies of my newest book, the 2nd edition of Beer of the Last Frontier: Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island Breweries , at Kenai River Brewing from 4 to 6:30 PM in Soldotna.

Click to enlarge

On October 31st, HooDoo Brewing will be holding its Thanks, Fairbanks, We're Four event , from 3 to 8 PM. HooDoo has also released a new beer, Mosaic Pale Ale, with 5% ABV, & 45 IBUs.

Photo courtesy of HooDoo Brewing Company
Speaking of new releases, Grace Ridge Brewing has released Beluga Lake Lager, a Munich Helles.

That it for news this week, so let's do some reviews. I have three new beers this week.

Kenai River Brewing's 2016 Winter Warlock Old Ale: This year's version of this classic poured a deep honey color with a small but persistent cream-colored head. The aroma was loaded with caramel and toffee malt notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, there was a deliciously deep malt profile, with just enough hops for balance. The flavors linger before falling away slowly to a long, pleasant finish. The year-long cold-conditioning shows in the cleanliness and depth of the flavor profile. Outstanding. 9% ABV, 70 IBUs.



George Gale & Co.'s Prize Old Ale (2005): It poured a dark, semi-translucent ruby color. No head at all, quite flat. The nose had some sherry notes, plus a hint of cardboard. No carbonation and medium mouthfeel.  On the palate, there were more sherry notes, but the beer clearly showed signs of being over-aged. Eleven years was obviously too much for this bottle, I think, 9 % ABV.



Central Waters Brewing's Brewer's Reserve Scotch Ale (2016): This beer poured a deep ruby color with a cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was full of rich, sweet malt notes, with no hint of the bourbon-barrel aging. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, I tasted caramel, burnt sugar, and a very subtle contribution of bourbon and oak. Overall, I thought this beer was superb, a truly outstanding Scotch Ale. Unfortunately, this Wisconsin-based brewery doesn't distribute to Alaska; I received this bottle as a gift from a friend. That's too bad, as I'd love to drink this one regularly. 9.5% ABV.


That's it for this week. It won't be long before winter is upon us, so lay in your supplies now and don't forget to go out and buy some Panty Peeler.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Anniversaries Aplenty

I'm shifting my regular blogging day from Wednesday to Monday, and I'm going to try to start getting these out weekly again, rather than every other week. This is my "cut-over blog" so it will be a little shorter than has been typical lately.

It seems we've got a plethora of anniversaries happening this time of year. Glacier BrewHouse celebrated its 20th just over two weeks ago on 9/17, and La Bodega celebrated its 10th with Bodega-Fest on 9/24. As I wrote last week, the La Bodega celebration will continue with a Beer Dinner at Kinley's Restaurant this Wednesday, October 5th. Also, if you are need of a new growler, La Bodega has some lovely ceramic ones, emblazoned with its 10th Anniversary logo.

Photo courtesy of La Bodega

But there are plenty of other anniversaries to celebrate. Arkose Brewery opened for business on October 11, 2011, and it is celebrating its 5th Anniversary all month long. Owner June Gerteisen sent me this list of highlights:

New beers (Festbier Dunkelweizen on Sept 30, and Mandarina Moose IPA on Oct 21)Anniversary Beer Meets Canvas (plus Lead Dog hot dog stand)Anniversary Beer Meets Chocolate (plus Humdinger's Gourmet   Pizza by the slice) Community Drumming Workshops (Oct. 15, 22, 29) with Percussion in the Valley (also celebrating 5 years of business in Palmer)
The debut of the Mandarina Moose IPA (made with Mandarina Bavarian hops and grapefruit) will coincide with the Beer Meets Chocolate event, which will feature a special custom-made pink grapefruit chocolate from JB Chocolatier .  Humdinger's Gourmet Pizza will be crafting up local pizza by the slice on their portable grill out front of the brewery.

June has even created a new hand-drawn logo to celebrate this milestone, which will be available several items from the brewery store. Here's what it looks like:




So congratulations to Arkose Brewery on its first five years, and best wishes for the next five!

Alaskan Brewing is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Besides releasing its 30th Anniversary Perseverance Imperial Stout (reviewed below), it is also running a contest using "Alaskan Gold Rush" coasters which double as pull-tabs. If you get a coaster that indicates you might be a winner, you tweet a picture of it to #AlaskanGold to be entered to win prizes, including a grand prize of $5000 in gold! So keep an eye out for them!


Moving on from anniversary news, the annual Beers by the Bay event at Seward's Sea-Life Center will be happening this year on November 5th, from 7 to 10 PM. Here's a flier for it:

Click to enlarge
I've attended this event in the past and always enjoyed myself, so I recommend it.

This Friday, October 7th, the Eagle River Brewfest will be happening from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at the Eagle River Lions Club. All the money raised goes to support the Boys & Girls Club.




Ther will be a brewfest in Sitka on Alaska Day, Tuesday, October 18th from 2:30 to 6:30 pm at the Totem Square Inn . There's also a Brew Cruise  from 1 to 3:30 pm on Sunday, October 16th. You can find more information on both events here.


Glacier BrewHouse has received some used whisky barrels from the Laphroaig Distillery, which is located on Islay, part of Scotland's Inner Hebrides. I'm looking forward to tasting what emerges from them once Kevin Burton gets done working his magic...


Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse
HooDoo Brewing (which will be celebrating its 4th anniversary on Halloween) is sponsoring the Chef's Challenge at the Museum next month. Here's a flier on it:

Click to enlarge
Here on the Peninsula, the big news is the release of this year's Winter Warlock Old Ale by Kenai River Brewing. Saturday was October 1st, the date each year when this beer makes its appearance. Look for a formal review in my next blog, but informally, this beer is always fantastic and not to be missed.

Speaking of reviews, let's get to them. I've got three this week.

49th State Brewing's The Great One Barley Wine: I picked this one up in a 32 oz. crowler when I was in Healy on 19 & 20 September. It poured a translucent ruby with a big, cream-colored head. The aroma made it clear this was an English-style barleywine, as it was all malt with no hops noticeable at all. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium. The flavor profile was very clean, with none of the hot fusel oil notes you sometimes get on big beers like this one, just malt notes and plenty of them. There was only a touch of alcohol heat on the long finish. And excellent beer, I enjoyed it immensely. 12.5% ABV, 33 IBUs.



St. Elias Brewing's Oktoberfest Lager: This year's version of this traditional fall beer-style poured a translucent ruby with a nice, off-white head. The nose was simple, with notes of caramel and malt. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. On the palate, there were all the clean, malt notes that are proper for the style, a classic lager taste. Very nice.


Alaskan Brewing's 30th Anniversary Perseverance Ale: Reviewing my tasting notes for the 25th Anniversary release of this beer, I see that I thought that one needed some cellar time to help the sweet notes dry out and better integrate into the overall flavor profile. Not so with this version. It poured opaque with a nice tan head. The aroma was of chocolate and roasted malt. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. Tons of rich malt notes, chocolate, and syrup, but well-balanced and well-integrated. Only a bit of alcohol heat on the finish. I'll be cellaring a couple of bottles out of curiosity, but this beer is certainly perfect to drink right now. 9% ABV, 50 IBUs.



That's it for this week. Be sure to go out and grab some of these special seasonal/anniversary brews while they last.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

The End of September

There are only three days left in September and temperatures have started dropping below freezing at night here on the Kenai, so it's definitely time to start thinking about getting ready for winter. I've had a pretty busy time since my last blog post two weeks ago, so let me tell you what I've been up to.

First, we hit the Denali Road Lottery for the third time this year, so that meant a trip north. Unfortunately, we got the very last day, Tuesday, September 20, so it wasn't really practical to hit both the Talkeetna Beer Fest on 9/17 and be in Denali on 9/20. However, by all reports, it was another great festival in Talkeetna. We drove north on Monday, 9/19, and made a pit-stop along the way at Denali Brewing Company's production brewery, where I was happy to snag a 12-bottle box of its excellent Louisville Sour Ale. I think this brew is only available at the brewery or at the pub in downtown Talkeetna proper, so if you are driving on the Parks Highway and like sour beers, I strongly suggest you stop in and get some.

A delicious sour from Denali Brewing Company

We continued on up the Parks to Denali National Park. Since it was so late in the season, very little was still open; Prospector's Pizzeria had closed on Sunday night, so that wasn't an option. Fortunately, 49th State Brewing's brewpub in Healy was still open, so we ended up dining there on both Monday and Tuesday evening. I was lucky enough to hook up with Vincent LaRochelle, the head brewer in Healy, to talk about how things have been going since 49th State opened its new Anchorage location. The brewery has been very busy; in all of that year, they brewed 78 batches in Healy, while they are already over 84 for this year, with plans to keep brewing for quite some time and likely top 100 batches total for 2016. Batches of Solstice IPA nd Prospector's Gold have been heading south regularly to keep the Anchorage location from running out of either brew, due to the high demand.



Vincent also told me that 49th State has brewed a collaboration beer with Cigar City Brewing from Tampa, Florida. The head brewer from Cigar City, Nick Streeter, came up to Healy and helped brew an imperial stout using birch syrup and spruce tips in the recipe. So that's definitely something to look forward to next year when it's released. I also picked up a crowler of 49th State's The Great One Imperial Stout, which I'll review in an upcoming blog.

After driving around DNP all day Tuesday, we drove back to the Kenai on Wednesday, and then we drove back to Anchorage on Saturday, 9/24, for Bodega-Fest . This was my first time attending this festival, and I had a superb time. Pam and the rest of the La Bodega Team were celebrating their tenth anniversary, and they couldn't have done a better job.  Here's a map of the fest layout, a list of the booths there, and some photos I snapped early in the event.






The 10th Anniversary celebrations will also continue with a Beer Dinner at Kinley's Restaurant next Wednesday, October 5th, at 6 PM. The menu and beer pairing have just been announced:

Greet
 *Sonoma Pitchfork Pear Cider, 6% ABV

 First Course 
*Unibroue Blanche de Chambly, 5.0% ABV
 Pan Seared Halibut Cheek, Pancetta and Pea Risotto, Lemon Brown Butter, Basil Oil, Balsamic Reduction

 Second Course
 *Pinkus Munster Alt, 5.1% ABV
 Spinach Salad, Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Tomato, Chevre, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Tortilla Strips, Raspberry-Chipotle Dressing

Third Course
 *St. Louis Fond Tradition Gueuze, 5.0% ABV
 Lamb Slider, Open Faced on Toasted Pita, Seasoned Ground Lamb, Tzatziki Sauce, Feta Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion

 Fourth Course
 *Gigantic Vivid Imperial IPA 8.5% ABV
 Boneless Beef Short Rib, Coconut-Chili Braising Sauce, Gingered Jasmine Rice, Grilled Baby Bok Choy, Pickled Daikon Radish, Basil, Cilantro, Mint

 Fifth Course
 *Wells & Young’s Courage Russian Imperial Stout, 10.0% ABV &; *Tozai Snow Maiden Nigori Saké, 14.9% ABV
 Flourless Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Sauce and Praline Crumble

Call Kinley's at 644-8953 for Reservations.

Click to enlarge
Another upcoming event which I have written about in previous blogs is Zwanze Day at Anchorage Brewing Company, which will take place this Saturday, October 1, starting at 2 PM.



Though you wouldn't know it from its Facebook page, I have it on good authority that Cynosure Brewing Company is open at last. You can find it at 144 E. Potter DR., Unit E, in Anchorage. I don't know its hours yet. Word is that there are three brews on tap, a wit, a steam beer, and a dubbel.




In other beer news, Bearpaw River Brewing Company has signed on with Specialty Imports , who will now be distributing its beers around the state. The beer selection that they are beginning distribution with consists of Sluice-Box Belgian Ale, Mat Maid Milk Stout, and Frontiersman IPA. I'm told that the brewery hopes to begin selling 22 oz. bombers by Christmas and cans in 1 to 2 years. Keep your eye out for a double chocolate version of Mat Maid, planned for release at the brewery's 1st Birthday Party on 17 December.



At Midnight Sun Brewing Company, the cooler weather has brought on the annual release of its Termination Dust Belgian-style Barley Wine as well as the release of a new beer, AutumnFest Marzen. Here's the description:




Midnight Sun's Panty Peeler Tripel also took home a silver medal at this year's Can Can Awards .

Here on the Peninsula, Seward Brewing Company closed for the winter on September 18.


Zach Henry of St. Elias Brewing is just back from his annual moose hunt, so you can expect some new brews on tap there soon. Here's the latest tap list:


Over at Kenai River Brewing, besides its usual flagship brews, here's what's on tap:



That's it for news, so let's do a few reviews.

Prairie Artisan Ales' Prairie Noir Imperial Stout: Another Culmination leftover, this beer poured opaque with a small tan head. The aroma had plenty of bourbon notes, as well as the typical roasted malt elements. Carbonation was okay, and the mouthfeel was heavy. The flavor profile was quite thick and rich, with notes of chocolate, coffee, as well as bourbon and oak. Overall, a nice barrel-aged imperial stout, though not as good as many which are produced here in Alaska. 11% ABV.


Kenai River Brewing's Session IPA: It poured a hazy gold color with a nice, cream-colored head. Lots of Citra hops in the nose. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The initial bitter attack was respectable but not excessive, followed by lots of Citra flavor and aroma. At only 4.5% ABV and 62 IBUs, the beer is designed to be highly drinkable, and it hits that target perfectly. If you enjoy hop flavor and aroma and want to be able to enjoy more than one beer, this one is the perfect choice for you.



Deschutes Brewing's Black Butte XXVIII: It poured opaque with a mocha-colored head. The aroma had notes of cocoa, molasses, and coffee. The carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, there were lots of roasted porter notes, plus sweeter elements from the cocoa nibs. It gradually fell away to a long, nice finish. Another excellent entry in this long-running series of superb imperial porters from Deschutes. 11.5% ABV, 51 IBUs.



That's it for this time. Remember, while you're getting your home and vehicles ready for winter, don't forget to lay in a good stock of nice, warming brews as well. There's nothing like enjoying a nice imperial stout or barley wine by the wood stove to help pass those long, dark winter evenings!

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Trying to Keep Up

One of the biggest problems I have as a beer writer/blogger is just trying to keep up with the plethora of beer events/news/brewery openings. You'd think, given how small the Alaska beer scene is when compared to someplace like Portland or Denver, that it would be so simple to keep abreast of all the goings-on, but it's not. Frankly, I don't know how the guys who cover the beer beats in places like Washington State or Colorado manage it. All I know is, I seem to spend half my time scouring social media sites and twitter feeds for news, and still I miss stuff.

Case in point, Rough Woods Inn and Cafe, a brewpub in Nenana. I first heard about this nanobrewpub from a tourist last year, but was unable to find out anything about it, even after searching the Alcohol Control Board's website. I consulted with the Dean of Alaska Beer Writers, Jim Roberts, AKA DR. Fermento, and he came up dry as well. We weren't able to confirm that there was a brewery operating in Nenana until last month, when Ed Miner of Gakona Brewing happened to be passing through and confirmed its existence for both of us. Not only was there a brewery there, but it had been brewing since 2013! If you'd like to learn more about Rough Woods and its tiny brewing operation, I'll refer you to Dr. Fermento's excellent Anchorage Press article, which you can read here. My point is, despite our best efforts, a brewpub managed to operate for three years without either of us knowing about it.

The other challenge I face is that almost as soon as I write something, it's obsolete. The Alaska craft beer scene is such a fast-changing one that little stays the same for very long. Case-in-point, I published the first volume of Beer on the Last Frontier: The Craft Breweries of Alaska back in 2012. Four years later, it was woefully out of date. Seward Brewing Company had a new owner/brewer, Kenai River Brewing had moved to a new facility, other breweries had made significant changes, and Grace Ridge Brewing had opened its doors in Homer. It was time to bite the bullet and publish an update, and I have finally found the time to do so. The revised and updated version of Volume I is now available on Kindle, and the paperback version should be available in a few weeks. If you have already purchased a Kindle version, I believe you can download the updated version for free. If you haven't bought it already, you can purchase it for $6.99 on Amazon.com.


The cover of the 2nd EditionOf course, now that I've updated Volume I, it's time to start trying to get Volume II up-to-date. Sigh...

On a bit of a side note, friend and fellow author Doug Vandegraft will be selling and signing copies of his book A Guide to the Notorious Bars of Alaska this Friday, 9/16, at The Bow Bar in Kenai from 5 to 7 PM. The book is a great read, so if you'll be in town then, I recommend you stop in.



Enough about writing; let's talk beer news. This weekend is a big one for beer events, as I've been writing in previous blogs. To summarize, events taking place include:


Oktoberfest Kick-off at Silver Gulch Brewing in Fox 5th Annual Talkeetna Brewfest in Talkeetna 5 th Annual Capital Brewfest in Juneau Glacier BrewHouse's 20th Anniversary & Oktoberfest Celebration in Anchorage Beer & All-You-Can-Eat BBQ Buffet at Bleeding Heart Brewery in Palmer Oktoberfest at HooDoo in Fairbanks

Hopefully by this late date you have already made plans for which one you'll be attending. If you need more details, click on the links above or check out my previous couple of blogs.

Coming up next weekend, on Saturday, September 24th, is Bodega-Fest 2016 . I posted quite a bit of info about this in my last couple of blogs as well. FYI, I'm planning to attend that one, so look me up if you are there and say hi. La Bodega is also holding another of its Beer 101 events tonight at its Northern Lights store, from 5:15 to 6:30 pm. $15 gets you a flight of six beer samples plus small bites from Hearth . Finally, the leftovers from The Culmination have gone on the shelves there and at other beer stores around town, so this is your chance to check our beers which aren't usually distributed here in Alaska. See below for my reviews of a couple of beers from Prairie Artisan Ales out of Oklahoma.

Click to enlarge
Alaskan Brewing is celebrating its 30th Anniversary with a new release of its Perseverance Ale. It first released this beer to mark its 25th Anniversary in 2011. See my blog on 9/7/2011 for a review of it fresh, and my blog on 10/2/2014 for a review of it with three years' cellar time. Congratulations to Geoff, Marcy, and all the rest of the folks at Alaskan for reaching this historic milestone. Here's to the next thirty years!


Photo courtesy of Alaskan Brewing Company
Anchorage Brewing Company will be releasing a new beer this Friday, September 16th. It's called Love and the Death of Damnation. It's an IPA brewed with Mosaic and Equinox hops.

Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company
I've heard from Denali Brewing Company that more cans of its Slow Down Brown hit the shelves last week. Also, the Beer/Wine Dinner this Friday night before the Talkeetna Brewfest is sold out.


Photo courtesy of Denali Brewing Company
Tickets are now on sale for the annual HooDoo ChooChoo on October 1. You can get more info or tickets here.


Here on the Peninsula, St. Elias Brewing Company has its Oktoberfest Lager back on tap, and it's being served in 20 oz. glasses. Kenai River Brewing is having its parking lot paved with asphalt. Here's the tap list from Grace Ridge Brewing from my last visit on 9/2.

Grace Ridge tap list on 9/2/2016
Moving on to beer reviews, I have three for this blog:

Deschutes Brewing's Black Butte XXVII: Bottled on 7/20/2015, this one had been in my cellar for over a year. It poured dark with ruby highlights and a nice, mocha-colored head. The aroma was of cocoa, molasses, and bourbon notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate there was a complex flavor profile with lots of coffee, chocolate and oak/bourbon elements. A bit of alcohol heat on the finish. Overall, Deschutes continues to deliver an excellent imperial porter with this series. 11.6% ABV, 60 IBUs.



Prairie Artisan Ales' Apple Brandy Barrel Noir (2016): A beer from The Culmination that I picked up at La Bodega , this imperial stout was aged in used apple brandy barrels. It poured opaque with zero head. The nose was difficult to detect with no carbonation to lift it, but what I could get was mostly roasted malt and oak notes. Zero carbonation and a heavy mouthfeel. The initial impression was of chocolate notes in a heavy, almost oily brew, with some alcohol heat on the finish. The apple and oak elements are fairly subtle. Not bad, but it could have used at least a little carbonation to open things up a bit. 12% ABV, 70 IBUs.



Prairie Artisan Ales' Pirate Noir Imperial Stout: This time round, the stout is aged in used rum casks. It poured opaque but with a small tan-colored head that dissipated quickly to a collar. The aroma was rich with malt notes. Carbonation was low but present, and the mouthfeel was heavy.  Thick and rich, the rum notes added an interesting counterpoint to the malt and coffee elements from the base imperial stout. Even the modest carbonation in this beer made it much more appealing than the completely flat apple brandy version. Different but very enjoyable. 11% ABV, 60 IBUs.


That's it for this week. Choose wisely amongst all the upcoming beer events and keep drinking good local craft beer.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Fall is Here

It's clear that summer's over here on the Kenai Peninsula. The fireweed has all gone to seed, classes have started again, and the temperature was in the upper 30s this morning before the sun came up. We're clearly into our few weeks of fall, and winter isn't that far away. Still, the weather during the day is great, with clear skies and warm temperatures, so let's all enjoy it while we can.

The Culmination Beer Festival took place on Saturday, August 20th at Anchorage Brewing Company. Since all of the beers offered are essentially unobtainable in Alaska, there's little point in my reviewing any of them. I'll just say that as always the festival was a superb beer tasting experience, with great food, good music, and a wonderful crowd of folks who respected the unusual and exceptional beers they were being offered. Can't wait until next year.

As it's the start of fall, it's time for the yearly release of pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest brews. Midnight Sun has released this year's versions of its two classic pumpkin beers: the heavy-weight T.R.E.A.T. (7.8% ABV, 30 IBUs) and the lighter Trickster (7.0% ABV, 22 IBUs).



Midnight Sun has released two other brews:

Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge

The second, Ball & Chain Dortmunder, was brewed to celebrate the wedding of head brewer Lee Ellis to his fiancee Leah, which took place on Saturday, August 20th, in Seward. The brewery has also redesigned its website. You can check out the new layout here.

Bleeding Heart Brewery will be hosting an All-You-Can-Eat BBQ Buffet at the brewery on September 17th, from 5 to 8 PM. Tickets are $25 in Advance or $30 at the door and go on Sale on September 8. Congratulations as well to the brewery for taking a People's Choice Award at the Alaska State Fair .



Alaskan Brewing has decided not to release a pumpkin brew this fall. Instead, it is re-releasing its Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Ale, which was first released last year. Read a review of it in my 10/2/2015 blog. It will be released in September and will be available through mid-November.



As I was working through my compilation of festivals in my last blog, I missed one: the 2016 Yukon Beer Festival in Whitehorse. This is the 3rd time this festival has been held, and it will take place on October 14 & 15th in Whitehorse. Click on the link above for more info and tickets.



Speaking of Whitehorse, Winterlong Brewing Company is continuing to work on its expansion, which began back in July. This project includes a serious upgrade to the brewery's tap room, expanding it greatly and doubling the number of taps from 6 to 12. This expansion will allow the brewery to offer beers in regular size glasses, in addition to its samplers, for consumption on site. The target for opening the new space is late September. Here are a couple of photos of the work in progress, courtesy of Winterlong Brewing:




49th State Brewing Company has released a new beer, Blood Drop Red Ale. For every pint of this beer sold at either its Healy or Anchorage locations, the brewery will donate a dollar to the Blood Bank of Alaska.




Seward Brewing Company has announced that it will be hosting its Fall Beer Dinner on Tuesday, September 13th at 6:30 pm. Seating is limited to 24 folks, tickets are $75, and must be purchased in advance. The brewery will likely be closing its doors for winter soon, so this is one last chance to experience its outstanding cuisine.



The Double Shovel Cider Company in Anchorage now has a tap room. Its hours are 4 to 8 pm Wednesday & Thursday, and 3 to 9 pm Friday & Saturday. It's located at 502 W. 58th Ave, Unit C.



I mentioned Bodega-Fest in my last blog, but didn't have a flier for it to share. I've got one now, so here it is:


La Bodega will also be continuing its Summer Tasting series next Tuesday from 6 to 10 PM at Jack Sprat in Girdwood. This one will be focused on beers from King Street Brewing in Anchorage.

Here on the Peninsula, Kenai River Brewing is working hard to start filling more of the 18 taps in its new brewery. Currently, there are 13 beers on tap, including Kolsch, T200 Rye Pale Ale, and Duck it Down Rye Pale Ale.

Photo courtesy of Kenai River BrewingAt St. Elias Brewing the popular Green Giant DIPA is back on tap.



Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer will be open on Labor Day from noon to 8 pm. It has also debuted a new beer: Halibut Cove Lemon Tart.

That's about it for news, so let's review some beers.

Firestone-Walker's Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA: This beer poured opaque with a big, mocha-colored head that left good lace on the glass. The aroma was full of citrusy American hop notes. Carbonation was great, and the mouthfeel was light. There was good bitterness up front, with spicy rye notes, followed by good hop flavor. Unlike many so-called black IPAs, this beer was not loaded with roasty flavors, which I think is good. If your black beer has lots of roasted notes, you've made a hoppy porter, not a black IPA. 8.3% ABV, 80 IBUs.



Stone Brewing's RuinTen Triple IPA: It poured a deep, clear copper color, with a big, off-white head. The nose had tons of citrus hops, plus hints of toffee. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. There is a tremendous initial bitter attack, as you'd expect from 100 IBUs, then the big malt backbone moves in to bring things a bit more into balance, followed by some alcohol heat on the finish. It lives up to the Triple IPA name, so if you're looking to smash your palate with bitterness and alcohol, here's the beer for you. 10.8% ABV.


New Belgium's Bretta IPA: It poured a clear gold with a huge white head. The aroma was a combination of spritzy citrus hop notes and brett funk. Great carbonation and a light mouthfeel. On the palate there was moderate initial hop bitterness, followed by notes of brett funk, followed by hop flavors on the finish. A very nice beer, particularly if you are as fond of brett as I am. 7.5% ABV, 75 IBUs.


Sierra Nevada's Ovila Quad: I had cellared this bottles for a bit over a year. It poured a dark, barley translucent ruby color with a small, cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was classic quad: plums, figs, raisins. The mouthfeel was medium, and the carbonation was okay. The taste profile was luscious, rich and complex, with notes of dark fruit, leather, and tobacco. The beer tasted perfectly Belgian; I could have easily believed it was made in a Trappist monastery in Europe, rather than in Chico, CA. 10.2% ABV, 21 IBUs.


Midnight Sun Brewing's 2011 Arctic Devil Barley Wine: Another bottle that I pulled in my recent visit to my beer cellar, this beer was over five years in the bottle. There was a slight his as I popped the cap, so it did retain some carbonation. It poured a dark honey-color with a small cream-colored head that quickly dissipated to a collar. The aroma was rich in caramel & toffee notes, plus a hint of oak. Carbonation was low, as you'd expect, and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. The flavor profile was plenty of rich, thick malt notes, plus oak and some sherry notes, falling away to a long slow finish with some alcohol heat. The beer was still good, but I think I could detect the first hints of deterioration, so if you have any 2011, I'd recommend drinking them now. It's possible that if I had taken some extra precautions, such as waxing its cap, this bottle might have been able to be cellared a bit longer. 13.4% ABV, 20 IBUs.



That's it for this week. Get out an enjoy this great weather while we have it, as we all know it won't last much longer.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

The Festive Season

We are now into what I always think of as the festive season here in Alaska, i.e. the season when it seems we're having a beer festival about every other week. Yes, we have great festivals other times of the year, but it always seems that we have the greatest concentration of them in this part of the year.

First up was the Annual Kenai River Beer Festival , which took place last Saturday. As this is my local fest and I had a (small) part in getting it off the ground a few years ago, I suppose I'm biased, but I still think it's one of the best festivals in the state. The weather could have been better this year, but the sporadic light rain couldn't keep the hardy beer drinkers away. Here are some photos that I snapped at the start of the festival.






Kenai River Brewing had a new twist this year. In order to taste the various vintages of its Winter Warlock Old Ale (which changed each hour and ranged from 2015 all the way back to 2009), you had to find the "Winter Warlock" and get a "magical gem" from him, which you then surrendered (along with a drink token) for your sample. Here's what the Warlock looked like:



All this helped Kenai River Brewing win the Best Brewery in the People's Choice Awards (for the 5th year running, I believe). King Street's IPA won as Best Beer. All-in-all, it was a great festival.

Next up is The Culmination , which will be taking place this Saturday at Anchorage Brewing Company, starting at 2 PM. Amazingly, I think there are actually a few tickets left, so if you haven't purchased yours yet, there's still time. And don't forget Hill Farmstead Brewery Day tomorrow at Anchorage Brewing; I wrote about this in detail in my last blog.



Speaking of Anchorage Brewing Company, it is putting three new beers on tap today:

Migrating Eyes - Collaboration with Tired Hands, spelt saison aged one year in French oak. Fermented with Tired Hands house culture.

An Eternity - Collaboration with Gigantic Brewing, Saison aged one year in French oak with Organic Oregon Marion Berries and Alaska Apples.

Mikkeller Invasion- Rustic IPA brewed with Citra and Galaxy Hops, fermented in Foudres with Brett. Dry hopped with Citra and Galaxy.

On September 17, Glacier Brewhouse will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Here's the flier for it:




September 17th will also be the day of the 5th Annual Talkeetna Brewfest . I attended this last year and had a great time, so if you can be in Talkeetna on that weekend, I strongly recommend it. Tickets are available at http://northernsusitnainstitute.org/nsi-gatherings-events/talkeetna-brewfest/.

September 17th also happens to be the date of the  5th Annual Capital Brewfest  at the Juneau Arts & Cultural Center (JACC) from 12:30 to 5 pm. See what I mean about the Festive Season? So if you're in Southeast, here's an alternative festival for you.



Silver Gulch Brewing will be celebrating Oktoberfest on 16 & 17 September. It will have First Tap of this year’s Oktoberfest Brew Great polka from Alaska Blaskapel. Plus Steve Brown and the Bailers Tickets are only $10 at the door! Designated drivers get in free.




And we're not done yet! One week later, on Saturday, September 24th, it will be Bodega-Fest in Anchorage's Lucy Cuddy Park from 1 to 6 PM. Tickets are $39 and on-sale now. Besides beer and music at the fest itself, this year there will also be a concert at Tap-Root after the fest itself. Click on the link above for all the details.



But wait, there's more! October 1 is this year's Zwanze Day , sponsored by Belgian brewery Cantillon. Anchorage Brewing Company will be a Zwanze Day location again this year, as it was last year. There are only 27 other locations in the entire US, so were are fortunate to have one in Alaska.



Whew! That's a lot of festivals in the next six weeks or so. See why I think it's the Festive Season?

In other news, Midnight Sun Brewing has released its 21st Anniversary Beer, Grand Crew Brew. I got to taste a small sample of it at the Kenai Beer Festival , and I can tell you that it's outstanding! You definitely want to pick up as many bottles of this one as you can find, both to enjoy now and cellar for later. I believe it's only available at the brewery itself.



If we didn't have enough going on in the next few weeks, you can add in the Grand Opening of Quake Brewing Company in Eagle River on 1 September. Everything appears to be on track, and you can get details on Facebook here.



Arkose Brewery will be a part of an event called the Sapling and Smolt Soiree , along with the Great Land Trust, on August 28th, just before the start of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer. Here is the flier for it:



Arkose will be pouring its Palmer Extra Pale Ale and its Sister City Raspberry Saison. The brewery will also be hosting another of its regular Beer Meets Chocolate events this Friday, August 19th.

Newcomer Grace Ridge Brewing was at the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival (and I believe it will be at the Talkeetna Brewfest ). It is hosting a fund raiser for the Kevin Bell Arena/Homer Hockey Association on Friday, August 26th, from 4 to 8 PM. Here's the flier:



Note that there will also be beers from Kenai River Brewing and Odd Man Rush Brewing on offer as well.

St. Elias Brewing's Old's Cool Session IPA (reviewed in my last blog) has already run out. However, the very popular Green Giant DIPA should be back on tap before the end of the week. Here's the current tap list:




That's the news, now let's do some reviews.

Southern Tier Brewing's Salted Caramel Imperial Stout: It poured opaque with a small tan head that dissipated to a collar. The aroma was caramelized sugar and cocoa notes. The mouthfeel was medium to heavy, with good carbonation. Flavors were rich and thick, with intense notes of caramel, chocolate, and coffee. A big sipper, and one that would make an excellent ingredient in dishes calling for a big stout. 10% ABV.




49th State Brewing's Foxcatcher Saison: I picked this up in a crowler during my first visit to the new Anchorage location. It poured a slightly cloudy gold with a nice white head that left good lace on the glass. The nose had the peppery, earthy notes I associate with a Belgian yeast. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. Good upfront bitterness, followed by earthy, farmhouse notes. An excellent saison in the style of the classic from Dupont. 6.2% ABV.




Midnight Sun Brewing's Feast Doppelbock: This beer was released several weeks ago, but I finally managed to score a bottle. It poured a deep, semi-translucent ruby color, with a nice, cream-colored head. The aroma was rich and malty, with no noticeable hops. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was rich and heavy. The flavor profile was all strong, smooth malt flavors, with hints of oak and alcohol from the barrel-aging. A delicious doppelbock. 7.4% ANB, 15 IBUs.




Boon's Oude Geuze (2011-2012): From the famous Belgian brewery, this beer poured a clear, slightly reddish gold color with a big white head. The nose was full of tart and oaky notes. Carbonation was intense, and the mouthfeel was effervescent. On the palate it was tart and refreshing. A superb geuze, very dry and oaky. 7% ABV




Stone Brewing's Who You Callin' Wussie Pilsner: I found this in a six-pack of 16 oz. cans at Country Liquors in Kenai. It poured a clear gold with a nice white head that left good lace. The aroma had plenty of noble hops. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was clean and crisp, and reminded me strongly of German pilsners. A very nice and enjoyable beer.




That's it for this blog. I hope to see you at one or more of the upcoming festivals. Look for me at The Culmination this Saturday for sure.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Breaking News: Hill Farmstead Brewery Day on August 18th at Anchorage Brewing

I just got word about a new event leading into The Culmination Festival on August 20th at Anchorage Brewing Company. Thursday, August 18th, from 2 to 8 pm will be Hill Farmstead Brewery Day at Anchorage Brewing. In case you have been living under a rock craft beer-wise, Hill Farmstead Brewery is one of the most respected breweries in the US and was named as the best brewery in the world three years running. Unfortunately, we usually only see its beers here in Alaska as part of The Culmination Festival , so this a chance to experience a wide variety of them on a pay-as-you-go basis. There will be twelve different Hill Farmstead brews on tap. Here is the list, along with the brewery's description of each one:

Edward:Edward (1917-2002) is our grandfather; Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to him and his five children. In his honor, this American Pale Ale is dutifully crafted from American malted barley, a plethora of American hops, our ale yeast and water from Edward’s well. It is unfiltered and dry hopped. Aromatic and flowery, with impressions of citrus and pine, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Edward. 13.5ºP, 85 IBUs, 5.2% ABV. Pale and Caramel malt; Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior hops; House Ale Yeast, and our Well Water.

Susan:Susan was our grandfather's sister - in her honor we offer this version of an American IPA. Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale An American Pale Ale bittered, flavored, and dry hopped exclusively with Nelson Sauvin.

Walden:A sessionable blonde ale. 4% ABV. 40 IBUs. Hopped with Motueka, Amarillo and Simcoe.

Mary:Mary was Edward's mother and our great-grandmother. A German-style pilsner brewed with our well water, German pilsner malt, our favorite German hops, and classic German lager yeast. 4.6% ABV.

Harlan: Harlan is Edward’s slightly more aggressive alter-ego. Dry-hopped exclusively with Columbus hops.

Citra Single Hop Pale Ale:An American Pale ale bittered, flavored, and dry hopped exclusively with Citra hops from the American Pacific Northwest. 5.5% ABV.

Arthur:Arthur (1922-2005) was our grandfather’s youngest brother; Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to him and his 13 siblings. In his honor, this farmstead™ is crafted from American malted barley, American and European hops, our distinctive farmhouse yeast and water from our well. Unfiltered and naturally carbonated, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Arthur. 6% ABV, 13ºPlato

Arthur - Dry hopped version Our traditional farmstead ale is crafted from American malted barley, American and European hops, our farmhouse yeast and water from our well. This iteration was conditioned in our oak Foudres and then generously hopped with Cascade.

Nordic Saison:In May of 2014, our friend and mentor Anders Kissmeyer of Kissmeyer Beer & Brewing visited Hill Farmstead Brewery, along with our dear friend Will Meyers of Cambridge Brewing Co., to brew a special collaborative beer. Inspired by our guests and their journeys, this beer was brewed with the resourcefulness and inventiveness of the Nordic tradition, as well as the creative spirit of its three architects. Farmstead ale brewed with honey, heather, rose hips, rhubarb and wheat.

Works of Love Anchorage Brewing #1: A farmstead ale fermented in oak tanks, this beer was brewed in collaboration with our friend Gabe Fletcher of Anchorage Brewing Co. using barley, organic Vermont wheat, organic Vermont oats, fresh apples from Fletcher Orchard, hops, yeast and our well water.

Works of Love Anchorage Brewing #2: When our dear friend Gabe Fletcher from Anchorage Brewing visited us last September, we brewed two beers; this is the result of the second brewday. Brewed with malted barley, organic oats, wheat and organic buckwheat, this beer was fermented in oak foudres, aged in wine barrels and dry-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria hops.

This represents a unique opportunity for Alaskans to experience one of the top craft breweries in the world. If you'll be in in Anchorage on August 18th, don't miss it!

A Visit to 49th State in Anchorage

Well, it's August here on the Kenai, which means that 1) the summer continues to fly by and 2) dip netting season is finally over, which means we get our town back from the hordes from Anchorage and points north. For the first time in three weeks, you can hope to get into a brewery or store without it being packed to the gills.

Ironically, while everyone from Anchorage was down here, Elaine and I needed to make one of our semi-monthly shopping runs to Anchorage last Monday. This made for my first chance to visit the newly-opened 49th State Brewing in the former Snow Goose/Sleeping Lady location downtown. We rolled in at about noon and found the place fairly full; the rainy weather having closed the outdoor patio and pushed everyone inside. We ate on the ground floor, where the main bar is located, but did walk upstairs to check out the new arrangement up there as well.

The main bar at 49th State Brewing in Anchorage



Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
As you can see from the photos, the place looks great after the big makeover. The beer menu is extensive; since it was the middle of the day, I limited myself to a glass of the Flanders Red (reviewed below) and a taster of the Moderation Triple IPA on nitro, which was excellent. The food was also fantastic. We shared a pretzel appetizer, then Elaine had the mac & cheese and I had a burger. The bar is also equipped to sell crowlers, as well as filling glass growlers. Bottom line: everything about the place was great, and I look forward to visiting it whenever I find myself in downtown Anchorage.

This Thursday and Friday will be Augtoberfest at the original 49th State Brewing in Healy. I have yet to attend the festival, but everyone who has says it is a great time, so if you can be in Healy on the 4th and/or the 5th, you should definitely attend.




I did a breaking news post last Wednesday to remind everyone that tickets for The Culmination Festival were going on sale. Sales have been brisk, with less than 100 (out of 300 total) tickets left. You can get then at www.theculminationfestival.com or at the brewery. The Culmination is Saturday, August 20th.


Tickets are also on sale for the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival , which is now only 10 days away on Saturday, August 13th. This is always a wonderful time, with live music and food vendors as well as beer, so if you'll be in Soldotna that weekend, you should plan to attend. Tickets are on sale at the local breweries on on the festival's website.

Denali Brewing Company has released its excellent Louisville Sour Ale in bottles.


Midnight Sun Brewing kicked off its new Beer Club with delivery of its August box on Monday. The picture below shows its contents. MSBC is taking sign-ups for the September box now. Note the bottle of its 21st Anniversary beer, Grand Crew Brew, which will be released to the rest of us on Monday, August 8th.

Photo courtesy of MSBCUS Senator Lisa Murkowski paid a visit to Odd Man Rush in Eagle River last week. It good to see our elected representatives taking a keen interest in promoting our local craft breweries.

Photo courtesy of Odd Man Rush Brewing
Also in Eagle River, Quake Brewing has announced that it will open its doors on Thursday, September 1.

La Bodega will be having another tasting on August 16th at its Norther Lights location. This one is entitled "Alaskan Cuisine Pairings." It will be presented by Nikole and Pamela of La Bodega with special guest star Jacob Davis of Hearth Artisan Pizza . They will guide you through a sampling of common Alaskan foods and the beer, wine, cider and sake that they love as pairings. The tasting starts at 5:15 pm and ends promptly at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and are only on sale at La Bodega's Northern Lights store.



Let's move on to beer reviews.

Denali Brewing's Agave Gold Ale: This beer poured a clear gold with a nice white head that left good lace on the glass. The nose was light, but had a bit of hop aroma. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was very clean, with hints of fruitness. A light, refreshing beer for the hot summer days in Talkeetna. 5.1% ABV.



St. Elias Brewing's Old's Cool Session IPA: It poured a slightly cloudy honey color with a big, off-white head that left good lace on the glass. The aroma was packed with Simcoe and Citra hop notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. The initial bitterness was good but not excessive, backed up by a nice amount of hop flavor and aroma. As the name implies, this is a nice, straight ahead IPA, with no weird new hops or bells and whistles, just plenty of good hop flavor and aroma. At 5.8% ABV, it might not meet the technical definition of a session beer, but it's so good you'll definitely want more than one.



St. Elias Brewing's Frozen River Scottish Ale: Brewed for this year's  Frozen River Fest held back in February, this beer has aged nicely in the brewery's cellar. I believe my growler of it leaked, so when I poured it, there was little carbonation or head. It was a deep, semi-translucent ruby color, with medium mouthfeel and a nose of malt and caramel. The flavor profile was spot-on for the style, with a heavy presence on malt and caramel notes. Now that dip netting is done, I need to get back to St. Elias to try this again, as I feel it would be superb with the proper carbonation. 6.5% ABV.



Black Raven Brewing's Pour Les Oiseaux Saison: We've been getting more and more beers here in Alaska from this brewery in Remonds, WA. This one is a saison dosed with brett. It poured a hazy gold with a small white head that dissipated to a collar. The nose has some hints of brett funk along with light citrus notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate there was oak, brett funk, and some moderate bitterness, that fell away to a nice , long finish. A nice beer now, but I'm very curious as to what 6 to 12 months in the cellar will allow the brett to do to it. 7.2% ABV.





49th State Brewing's Flanders Red Ale: This poured a dark ruby color with a small but persistent cream-colored head. The nose immediately advertised that this was a sour ale, and had been aged in wood. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate the beer strongly reminded me of that classic Flanders Red, Rodenbach. It was tart but balanced, with the oak notes contributing to the overall experience. A truly excellent Flanders Red, and worth seeking out if you enjoy sour beers at all. 6 % ABV, 15 IBUs.



That's it for this blog. Be sure to take advantage of all the up-coming beer festivals and get out and enjoy this summer weather while it lasts. Another couple o months, and we'll be wondering where it has all gone.

Until Next Time, Cheers!