Bill Howell's Blog, page 5

BREAKING NEWS: The Culmination Festival Tickets on sale TODAY

In case you haven't heard already, tickets to this year's The Culmination Festival (Saturday, 20 August, at Anchorage Brewing Co.) go on sale at 2 PM today. There will be 200 tickets sold on-line at www.theculminationfestival.com and 100 tickets sold at the brewery, for a total of 300. Tickets are $130 each. In past years this event has sold out very fast, so if you plan to attend, you'd better grad your tickets right away.  See you there!

It's Crazy Days in Soldotna...

Well, it's the second half of July, which means it's crazy days in Soldotna. The reds are running quite well this year, which means we're hip-deep in dip netters here on the Peninsula. Fred Meyer's is packed constantly, and the breweries are seeing so much business that they are having trouble keeping beer on tap. On the (sort-of) plus side, the McHugh Creek Wildfire might slow down the deluge of people, at least for a day or two...



That's the price of living in paradise, I guess, so let's talk beer news. First up, Girdwood Brewing posted a video to show everyone where its location will be. The brewery is still scheduled to open "by ski season." Here's the video:



More exciting news: Midnight Sun Brewing Company is launching a new beer club. Here's the flier announcing it:

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The Beer Club Kick-off Event will be on August 8th at 11 AM in The Loft . The brewery has also announced that its 21st Anniversary beer, Grand Crew Brew, which I wrote about in my last blog, will be released in August, rather than this month.


Arkose Brewery will be continuing its Small Batch series tomorrow:



Arkose has also released an new beer:




Odd Man Rush Brewing  won two Denali Awards by being selected as both the 2016 Best Brewery in Alaska and as the 2016 Best New Start Up in Alaska by Alaska Business Monthly . The brewery also has new growler labels in:

Photo courtesy of Odd Man Rush Brewing
The dates for the 3rd Annual Yukon Beer Festival in Whitehorse have been announced: 14 & 15 October.


Out at Gakona Brewing, Ed Miner has made several post on his progress of installing his new 3-barrel brewing system. Various problems have been overcome, including gas, exhaust, and electrical installations. No timeline yet, but I'm sure Ed will have his new toys up and running soon!


Tickets are now on sale for this year's Annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival . All tickets are being sold online, via the website. $32 per person. The event runs from 5 to 10 PM on Saturday, August 13, at the Soldotna Sports Center. I am certainly biased, but I still think this is one of the best festivals in Alaska!



The Culmination Festival  at Anchorage Brewing Company is looking for volunteers with TAP cards to serve beer. The Festival will run from 2 to 6 PM on Saturday, August 20th. If you have the proper credentials and want to volunteer, contact Heather at Specialty Imports via email at volunteer@specialtyimports.com. The names of participating breweries are beginning to appear on the website, but tickets are not yet on sale, as of today. However, ABC has announced that the band Mos Generator will be performing after the Festival at the brewery.

Seward Brewing Company released a new beer on Sunday, July 17th:




Here on the Peninsula, the breweries have been working hard just to keep up with the demand of all the summer visitors, as mentioned above. Elaine and I stopped by Kenai River Brewing yesterday for lunch (outstanding burgers and fries from the Blue Moon Burge r food truck), and I grabbed a sampler of four of beers:


From left to right, Kolsch, Chocolate Porter, Honeymoon Hefe, Russian Imperial Stout. All beers I've had before, but not recently. Check out the cool sampler tray, made from birch roots by a local artist.



As you can see from this photo, Kenai River currently has seven beers on offer, the four listed above, plus Naptown Brown, Skilak Scottish, and Sunken Island IPA.

I also stopped in at St. Elias Brewing. The delicious Sprout IPA that I reviewed in my last blog is already gone. Coming soon to replace it will be Ole's Cool IPA, brewed with Centennial, Crystal, and Simcoe hops. Only 5.8% ABV, so it's almost a Session IPA.


At Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer, there should be a new beer on tap this week: Bear Cove Berliner Weisse, a kettle-soured wheat beer made with raspberry syrup. The brewery's parking lot has was also paved last weekend.

Photo by Elaine HowellThat's it for news, so let's do a few beer reviews:

Ommegang's Three Philosophers Quad: A classic Belgian Dark Strong Ale from the excellent brewery in Cooperstown, NY. It poured a translucent ruby color with a nice cream-colored head. The aroma was of figs and plums. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was nice. The flavor profile was rich and complex, as you'd expect for such a big beer - more dark fruit notes, plus hints of sherry and tobacco, before gradually falling away to a long finish. An excellent interpretation of this classic style, and much more reasonably priced than imports from Belgium. 9.7% ABV, 19 IBUs.



Schlenkerla's Smoked Doppelbock: A new beer (at least to me) from the German brewery that's world-famous for its rauchbiers. For this beer, the malt was smoked using oak, rather than some of the more traditional woods. It poured a dark honey color with a small, off-white head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was of caramel and smoke. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, it was all sweet, clean caramel and malt notes, plus lots of smoke. A very tasty entry to the smoked beer category, and one I used to chase a dram of Lagavulin single malt Scotch Whisky. 8% ABV.




Alaskan Brewing's Smash Galaxy Double IPA: This beer is brewed using a single kind of malt and a single hop (SMSH or Smash).  In this case, the beer showcases the Galaxy hop. It poured a clear gold with a big, white head that left good lace on the glass. The aroma was full of tropical fruit notes from the Galaxy hops. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel as light. The initial bitter attack was good but not overwhelming, followed by plenty of clean Galaxy hop flavor and aroma. Overall, a very nice beer and one that does a great job showing off the characteristics of this popular hop variety. 8.5% ABV.



That's it for this week. If you dodge the McHugh Creek Fire and make it down to the Peninsula, please enjoy yourself. Be sure to stop by our local breweries. And if you're one of my neighbors down here, just keep reminding yourself that dipnetting only lasts until the end of July. Just grit your teeth, pour yourself a beer, and hang on 'til then.

Until next time, cheers!

High Summer

Well, it's July here on the Kenai Peninsula. Sorry it's been three weeks since my last blog, but summers in Alaska are too short to spend much of them sitting at a keyboard when I could be outside doing stuff. But it's raining today, and it seemed a good time to catch up on the latest beer news around the state, so let's go.



First off, 49th State Brewing opened its new Anchorage location (the former Snow Goose Pub/Sleeping Lady Brewery) on Monday, July 4. I haven't been up to Anchorage to see it yet, but the photos I've seen posted on Facebook make the newly-renovated establishment look gorgeous. I can't wait to check it out, so if you're in Anchorage and haven't done so yet, I'd jump right on that. The soft opening will continue through Thursday with hours set from noon until 10pm. Beginning Friday, July 8th, the hours will be 11am -11pm for the full menu and 11pm-1am for an abbreviated, late-night menu. I also received this info about the band that will be in Anchorage on July 15 and Healy on July 16:

"July 15th-16th, Anchorage, AK - National jam band act, The Werks, are coming to Alaska for the first time. Fusing psychedelic shredding, wailing organ, and funk slap bass with synthesizers and modern dance beats, The Werks have quickly emerged as a national powerhouse, bringing a big dance party beloved by fans across the musical spectrum.This is their first venture into Alaska and the only chances to see them are at the 49th State Brewing Co in Denali and Anchorage."

As long as we're talking about bands, here's the info on the one that will be playing at 49th State's Healy location this weekend:

"San Francisco’s favorite musical misfits, Tumbledown House, are returning to Alaska for a string of shows in July. These purveyors of modern speakeasy music, or gritty saloon jazz, are wrapping up a new album and will be joined by some of Anchorage’s most talented instrumentalists as they head out on a two week tour around the state debuting new material. Tumbledown House will appear at the 49th State Brewing Company on Friday, July 8th at 10:30pm at The Denali Park Salmon Bake on Saturday, July 9th at 11pm."

Things are busy at Denali Brewing Company, with the heavy summer crowds in Talkeetna. Here's the latest tap list at the beer garden in downtown Talkeetna:

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Denali has also announced the date for this year's Talkeetna Brewfest . It will be held on Saturday, September 17, with the Beer Dinner at Twister Creek Restaurant the night before. I attended this festival for the first time last year, and had a fantastic time. Check out my blog on 9/21/2015 for a detailed report on the goings-on. Mark you calendars now for this great fest. Denali has also announced that it will be releasing its excellent Louisville Sour in August.





Also on September 17th, the Rotary Club of Juneau will be holding the 5th Annual Capital Brewfest at the Juneau Arts & Cultural Center (JACC) from 12:30 to 5 pm. So here's an alternative for folks in the Southeast that can't make it all the way to Talkeetna.



Over at Midnight Sun Brewing Company, they are getting ready for a big event: the release of MSBC's 21st Anniversary beer, Grand Crew Brew. The beer will be released in about two weeks at $21 per bottle and will be available only at the brewery. It's 14% ABV, 59 IBUs, and should cellar very well. Here's the label art for it:



Old Man Rush Brewing in Eagle River now has a crowler machine, so you can get its beers in sealed 32 oz. cans.


Arkose Brewery in Palmer will be holding another Beer Meets Chocolate event of July 15th from 6 to 7 pm. $25 and be sure to make reservations.


Here on the Peninsula, Kenai River Brewing held its Grand Opening on Saturday, June 18th, with the ribbon cutting at 11 am and live music from 6 to 9 PM. I made it to the first but not the second, though I am told it was a great time.


Ribbon cutting at Kenai River BC on June 18Over at St. Elias Brewing, they are extremely busy trying to keep up with the summer crowds. Here the latest tap list:


Speaking of tap lists, here's what's on at the growler bar at Three Bears in Kenai:


Here's what's on at Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer:

Photo courtesy of Grace Ridge BrewingThere's even a 6-tap growler bar in Ninilchik now, at the recently opened Ninilchik Trading Liquor :


Photo courtesy of Echo Lake Meats
Well, that about covers the news, so lets do some beer reviews.

Black Raven Brewing's Trickster IPA: It poured a clear copper color with a nice, cream-colored head that left goo lace on the glass. The aroma had plenty of crisp American hop notes. Carbonation and mouthfeel were both good. There was plenty of bitterness in the initial attack, followed by lots of hop flavors and just a hint of toffee. A very enjoyable IPA. 6.9% ABV, 70 IBUs.



Rochefort's 10 Trappist Ale: It poured a translucent ruby with a nice mocha-colored head. The nose was full of dark fruit notes. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. The flavor profile was rich and complex, with plenty of dark fruit notes (plums, figs, raisins) mixing with sherry-like elements. A superb beer, as you'd expect from a classic. 11.3% ABV.




Logsdon Farmhouse Ale's The Conversion Sour Farmhouse Ale: It poured a clear gold with a big white head that left good lace. The aroma had a mixture of tart notes and some brett funkiness. Carbonation was excellent and the mouthfeel was light and effervescent. This continued onto the palate, where the beer was light and bright. There was a fine mixture of tartness and barnyard elements, falling away gradually to a long finish. A truly excellent sour. 7.7% ABV.



St. Elias Brewing's Sprout IPA: Advertised as "Green Giant DIPA's little brother," this beer poured a perfectly clear gold with a nice white head that dissipated to a collar. The aroma was tropical and citrus notes, from the Galaxy and Citra hops used. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was light. The was a moderate amount of up-front bitterness, followed by big hop flavors, both citrus and tropical fruit. An excellent IPA for drinking in warm weather; it demonstrates how this style became so popular on the Indian subcontinent.



Anchorage Brewing's Crazy Ray's IPA: It poured a clear gold with a nice white head. The nose had lots of citrus and tropical fruit hop notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. Up front bitterness seems moderate, followed by lots of citrus flavor and aroma. A nice, workmanlike take on an American IPA. 8% ABV, 70 IBUs.



Black Raven Brewing's Wisdom Seeker DIPA: It poured a clear copper color with a big off-white head. The aroma was mainly of hops, plus hints of toffee or caramel. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light for such a big beer. On the palate there was a nice balance between the forceful bitter attack and the malt backbone of the beer. Then the hop flavor came through, slowly falling away to a long finish. Surprisingly drinkable for a DIPA. 8.9% ABV, 85 IBUs.



Midnight Sun Brewing's 5000 Berliner Weisse: It poured a cloudy gold with a white head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was a clean tartness, very appealing. The mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was good. The flavor profile was tart and refreshing, with no discernible hops. The perfect summer beer. 5.5% ABV, 15 IBUs.


Well, that's it for this time. I'll try to keep from making you wait three weeks until my next post this time around. Meantime, get out and enjoy summer (and good summer beers) while it lasts!

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Getting Ready for the Summer Solstice

We're getting close to the summer solstice here in Alaska. For a scientific explanation of what that means, see my blog way back on 6/22/2010. From a beer perspective, it means that there will be plenty of solstice festivals being held around the state, most of which will feature beer in some capacity.
We just had the Kenai River Festival last weekend here on the Peninsula. Elaine and I spent the majority of the festival manning our booth (and trying to stay dry during the intermittent showers), but I did pay a quick visit to the beer garden on Saturday. They were pouring beers from Kassik's Brewery, St. Elias Brewing, and Kenai River Brewing; about a dozen beers all told. The garden seemed to be quite popular.




Speaking of festivals, there will be a big one in Healy this Friday and Saturday, June 17 & 18, called Euphoria . It is being combined with 49th State Brewing's Annual Summer Solstice Festival . Here's what the press release from the brewery has to say about it:

The 49th State Brewing Co - Denali's annual Solstice Brewfest has merged with Euphoria. On June 17th and 18th, the international destination festival will be bringing a multi-genre festival with an electronic flare. Euphoria - Denali, Celebrating Solstice Brewfest has already begun the week-long pre-party with informational beer events at the neighboring Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse. The official pre-party called Surge at the Denali Park Salmon Bake (6/16 - 11pm) will give a taste of the music to come. One thing is certain, when the gates open on Euphoria, the music, beer, and atmosphere will be epic.

Euphoria began in Texas and has blossomed into an international destination festival that is reaching the shores of Australia, South Africa, and the Philippines. Now, Euphoria has reached Denali Park, Alaska and will be celebrating in conjunction with Solstice Brewfest at the 49th State Brewing Co.

Headliners are Muzzy Bearr and Blunt Force. Muzzy Bearr brings his Detroit, Electronic Soul Funk. His big guitar sound dips in and out of the electronic mix he produces on stage. You often find him partnered with GRiZ at festivals but Muzzy also plays his special brand of guitar with George Clinton.

Blunt Force is out of Austin and plays future funk, glitch-hop, livetronica. Live guitar and drums mix into Blunt Force’s dj set. Other EDM performers are Clark After Dark (Denali favorite flying in from the mid-west), Willgood, and Rupert the Duke. Live band infusion is coming from the legendary Denali Cooks, Jasper Chili, and Frank Beaumont.

Rounding out the festival are fire dancers, aerial performing artists, special beer releases from the 49th State – Denali, and beer seminars on Grilling with Beer, Intro to Brewing, and Transitions in Brewing (no additional fee for seminars). Week-long pre-parties include the daily (M-Th, 4pm) Brew Chats at Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse where attendees receive an informal lecture from a professional brewer and loads of beer for only $7 and the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) pre-party, Surge, at the Denali Park Salmon Bake (Thurs, 11pm, no cover, 21+).

Here's the schedule for the Brew Chats :



So if you'll be in Healy this week or weekend, you should check out Euphoria .

This Saturday, June 18th will also be the 10 Anniversary for Kenai River Brewing Company and the official Grand Opening of its new brewery. Here is the invitation that was sent out:


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Midnight Sun Brewing has a new brew called Feast, brewed by Chef Chris Hilliard and local artist Scott Clendaniel. It's a bock that been aged in whiskey barrels. Here's a photo of the label.

Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun BrewingIt will be a limited bottling, so get yours before its gone.

I have also heard that the date for this year's The Culmination Beer Festival has been set. It will take place on Saturday, August 20, at the Anchorage Brewing Company. Mark your calendars and start saving your pennies now!


Denali Brewing Company has released its Agave Gold in cans. You can find them at La Bodega in Anchorage, and other places around the state. La Bodega will also be holding a tasting titled "IPA in the USA"  at its Northern Lights location on Tuesday, July 5, at 5:15 pm.




At Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer, there are currently four beers on tap: Sadie Peak IPA, Oystercatcher Stout, Kayak Beach Blonde, and Otter Bay Alt.


Photo courtesy of Grace Ridge Brewing

Winterlong Brewing in Whitehorse has expanded its hours. It's now open noon to 6 PM, Wednesday thru Sunday.


That seems to be about it for news, so let's move on to reviews. All of my reviews this time are of beers I either drank in or brought back from Washington state, so they may not be available here in Alaska.

PFriem Family Brewing's Belgian Strong Blonde Ale: It poured a clear gold with a huge white head. The aroma had both fruity and spicy notes from the Belgian yeast used. Carbonation was excellent, and the mouthfeel was good. On the palate there were some fruity notes, plus nice hop bitterness, very similar to Duvel, the classic example of this style. Overall, a very nice beer. 7.5% ABV, 30 IBUs.



Uinta Brewing's Hop Nosh IPA: It poured a clear copper color with a big off-white head. The nose had plenty of fresh American hops in it. Carbonation was good as was the mouthfeel. The initial bitter attack was good but not excessive, followed by a decent amount of hop flavor on the back end. A very balanced and drinkable IPA. 7.3% ABV, 82 IBUs.



Epic Brewing's Elder Brett (Release #10): It poured a clear gold with a small white head that dissipated to a collar. The aroma was nondescript, but with some slight notes of brett funk. Mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was good. On the palate the beer was quite dry and had quite a bit of brett tartness, enhanced by oak elements from the aging in wine barrels. No perceptible alcohol, despite the 9.4% ABV. Overall, a very well-made brett beer.



Logsdon Farmhouse Ale's Seizon Bretta: It poured a slightly cloudy gold with a white head that dissipated to a collar. The nose has notes of brett tartness and funk. The mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was good. The flavor profile was that of a saison, with the addition of brett elements. Very tasty and refreshing. 8% ABV.



Black Raven Brewing's Second Sight Scotch Ale: It poured a translucent ruby with a nice, cream-colored head that left good lace on the glass. The nose was of caramel and malt. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was a bit on the dry side for the style. The flavor profile was malt forward, as you'd expect for a wee heavy, with no perceptible hop bitterness. Overall, a good wee heavy, though I would have preferred a bit higher finishing gravity, I think. 6.9% ABV, 34 IBUs.



Well, that's it for this time. Get out and enjoy this nice summer weather while it lasts, and celebrate the summer solstice. Remember, once it's come and gone, the days will start getting shorter...

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Back from Edmonds, WA

I just got home on Tuesday evening, after a few days visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and grand-kids in Edmonds, WA, a suburb of Seattle. Elaine and I were there to help celebrate our granddaughter's 1st birthday. So the trip was focused primarily on spending time with family, but I did find time to check out a couple of breweries and try some local brews, as well as hit a bottle shop in order to grab a few beers to bring home with me. I'll be reviewing those beers in future blogs, as I get around to enjoying them; this one will focus on the two breweries I visited on the trip.

The first brewery I visited was the American Brewing Company , at 180 W. Dayton Street. It, had a strong industrial vibe. In fact, the main train tracks through town ran just a few feet from its entrance door. There was free popcorn and other food for sale, like pizzas. I didn't get an exact count, but there looked to be at least a dozen different beers on offer. Here are a couple of shots of the tap room that I took.


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A couple of the differences between what Washington allows its breweries to do and what Alaska allows are immediately apparent. First, note the seats at the bar; that would be illegal in Alaska, as breweries are only allowed "serving counters" (meaning no seats) with "bars"  being allowed only in brewpubs or places with a Beverage Dispensary License (i.e. a full liquor license). Note the big screen TVs, tuned to sports; these would also be illegal in Alaska, as they would be considered "entertainment," which is also forbidden in brewery tap rooms. There brewery was also open until 10 PM; in Alaska, they must close NLT 8 PM. These things may seem minor, but I'm trying to make a point, which is this: Washington state has a much more friendly regulatory environment for brewing than Alaska does. Washington has about 9.5 times the population of Alaska ( 7 million to Alaska's 740,000). However, Washington has over 320 breweries, while Alaska still has less than 30, despite recent openings. If we had the same number of breweries per capita as Washington, we'd have something like 34 operating breweries right now.

I know it's a bit of an apples to oranges comparison, but it still illustrates the cumulative impact of things like clumsy liquor licensing laws and excessive state excise taxes. Speaking of excise taxes, brewers is Washington pay $0.26 per gallon of beer in state taxes, while in Alaska it's $1.07 (and Governor Walker is still pushing to double it!). In short, it seems to me that Washington understands what a valuable resource it has in its craft brewing industry; Alaska, not so much...

Anyway, back to my visit to the brewery. We got there fairly late, at about 9 PM, so I only had one beer, a pint of Revolutionary IPA. It's 6% ABV, 80 IBUS. I didn't do a full review, but my overall impression was that it was an average IPA, nothing wrong with it, but nothing spectacular either.

Revolutionary IPA
The second brewery in Edmonds is Salish Sea Brewing Company . It's also on W. Dayton Street, about four blocks north of American Brewing, at 518. Those four blocks make a big difference, as Salish Sea is in the downtown area of Edmonds, which is shops and restaurants, rather than the more industrial location of American Brewing. Here are some photos taken by my wife Elaine:

Exterior of Salish Sea Brewing
The brewhouse is in the tap room!
The left-hand side of the tap room.
The low wall on the right is movable, to allow space for brewing
Salish Sea Brewing has a very unusual layout, in that the brewhouse is literally in the tap room! In order to brew, the tables must come out of the right-hand portion of the tap room, along with a movable half wall that separates the tables from the brewhouse when the latter isn't in use. I'm not sure how efficient it is, but it's a clever way to maximize the tap room seating when actual brewing isn't taking place.

There were twelve taps with nine beers currently on offer when we stopped in. There was also a food menu, with staples like sandwiches, soups, and pretzels on offer. I decided to have a Drop Anchor IPA. At 6.7% ABV, 65 IBUs, this is a medium-bodied IPA. It's hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops, including dry-hopping with the first three varieties. Late hop additions, gave it lots of hop flavor and aroma without excessive bitterness. A very enjoyable IPA.

Drop Anchor IPA
So that's my report on the two breweries I visited in Edmonds. It's always fun to visit new breweries and try out what they have to offer, so I encourage you to do so as well, whenever you travel.

I plan to get a blog out next week, to get back up to speed on what's happening here in Alaska. However, if you will be in Soldotna this weekend, I will be at the Kenai River Festival in Soldotna Creek Part on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, signing and selling copies of my beer books. Please drop by and say hello; I'll be in Booth #1.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

The New Kenai River Brewing Is Open!

It's been a long time coming (kinda like this blog post), but Kenai River Brewing has finally completed its move to its new brewery and is open for business! The new building opened its doors to the public last Wednesday, and owner Doug Hogue was planning to brew on his new 20-barrel system for the first time last Thursday. I arrived about 10 minutes after the doors opened, but there were already folks in the tap room celebrating. Here are some photos of the soft opening taken by my wife Elaine:

Front-side of the brewery, with main entrance on the right.
The first crowd. The round area at the end of the bar will be reserved for growler fills.
A 100-barrel, an 80-barrel, two 40-barrel, and three 20-barrel conicals
Looking down on the brewing floor from the grain storage 
The new 20-barrel brewhouse from Specific Mechanical
Another angle on the brewhouse
18 regular taps plus 3 nitros!
The covered patio out back
The tap room from the patio door
While the new brewery is open now, the Grand Opening Celebration won't be happening until June 18, which is also Kenai River Brewing's 10th Anniversary. There will be live music and the beer line-up will be retro, featuring the beers that were on on tap when Kenai River first opened its doors ten years ago. Congratulations to Doug and the rest of the Kenai River Brewing Team on bringing their vision into reality.

As long as we're talking about improvements to Peninsula breweries, let's talk about the new layout of St. Elias Brewing Company's bar. Zach Henry has completed the installation of the new 12-tap tower for his beers and a smaller tower on the back bar for his house wines. Here are some photos of the new layout.

The new 12-tap beer tower
The new back bar layout
In addition, St. Elias has two new beers on tap. The Bavarian Hefeweizen is back for the summer, and is being poured in the traditional 20 oz. glasses. There is also a new lambic style on offer, brewed with a combination of apples and raspberries, which Zach is calling Frapple Lambic. Also, the H&H All-American Stout is now being offered in pints, rather than just goblets. Here's is a tap list, but this photo was taken before the Hefeweizen was added.


Since my last blog, we've had two big beer events here in Alaska. On Saturday, March 21st, the Alaska Crafted Festival took place in downtown Anchorage, and I attended it. The weather was fairly uncooperative, with light rain and gusty winds, but those who braved the elements had a wonderful time. The live music was great, the food on offer was excellent, and the beers, wines, mead, ciders, and spirits were superb. I hope there will be more such events in the future to continue to showcase the remarkable crafted beverages being produced in Alaska.

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This weekend just passed was the 24th Annual Alaska Craft Beer and Homebrew Festival in Haines. I wasn't able to attend this year, but I'm sure that it was the same great event that it always is, with the Brewers Dinner on Friday evening and the Festival itself on Saturday afternoon. I know tickets to both sold out well in advance and that there were 20 breweries in attendance from across Alaska, including Kodiak Island Brewing, plus Yukon Brewing and Winterlong Brewing from the Yukon Territory in Canada. Senator Lisa Murkowski attended the Brewers Dinner , which was produced by Chef Travis Kukull of Seattle for the fourth year. This is the oldest beer festival in Alaska and always a wonderful time.


 May is a big month for brewery anniversaries. Besides Midnight Sun Brewing's 21st Anniversary on May 5, Glacier BrewHouse celebrated its 20th on May 20th, and Kassik's Brewery opened on Memorial Day Weekend ten years ago. Winterlong Brewing of Whitehorse will mark its one year anniversary on Wednesday, June 4th. Winterlong will be celebrating by releasing its Spruce Tip Ale, a Belgian-style saison, as well as having prizes, giveaways, and treats.

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On the list of not-so-good news, it was announced on Friday, May 20, that SubZero Microlounge was closing, effective immediately. Apparently, the plan is to expand Flattop Pizza Pool into the space that SubZero formerly occupied. Here's the statement from the owners:

"Although it was harrowing to announce that Sub Zero was closing last Saturday, we are excited to announce that the closure was for the summer expansion of Flattop Pizza Pool. The expanded bar and restaurant space will now be open 7 days a week. Rest assured that we are incorporating many of the Sub Zero favorites, including our spectacular Kobe beef sliders, creative craft cocktails, and Belgian beer selections into Flattop’s expanded menu."

"We’d like to thank our friends, family, patrons and vendors for your tenacious support over the last ten plus years – and we thank our exceptional staff. We are so proud of the strides our team has made in recent years and the awesome amount of blood, sweat and tears they dedicated to Sub Zero. They worked hard to bring an incredible dining & beverage experience to each and every one of our guests. Sub Zero will live on in many features and menu items incorporated into the expansion of Flattop Pizza Pool as well as its sister restaurant Williwaw. It is important to note that our valued Sub Zero bartenders, chefs, and servers are now part of our exceptional teams at Humpy’s, Flattop, and Williwaw."

"Sub Zero has been privileged to be a part of so many special life occasions - first dates, 21st birthdays, and wedding receptions; and to have played a part in nurturing the culinary & cocktail movement in the Anchorage food community. It’s our goal to continue this legacy by evolving our bars and restaurants to meet the expectations of our loyal local guests as well as visitors to our great city.

Stay tuned over the summer and fall for new and exciting changes to the corner of 6th & F!"

While I can see how SubZero might be a bit redundant, now that the Williwaw complex has opened, I will still miss it. I have some great memories of that bar, especially the Beer Dinners held there during Alaska Beer Week .  So long, old friend.


There's a new quarterly magazine coming out in June which should be of interest to the craft beer drinker in Alaska. Its called Edible Alaska , and will cover locally produced food and drink. Full disclosure, I will be doing some writing work for them. Here a shot of the cover of the first issue:



I mentioned that Kodiak Island Brewing was at the Haines Beer Fest last Saturday. If your summer travels should take you to The Rock, be sure to stop in and try its excellent beers. Here's a current tap list:

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Well, that about covers the recent beer news. I've got five beer reviews for this blog, two of which are of classic Trappist ales that I've had many times but never got around to formally reviewing. Let's start with those.

Rochefort 6 Trappist Ale: It poured a lovely dark copper color with a big, off-white head. The aroma featured the classic Belgian dubbel profile of dark fruit notes (plums and raisins) plus the spicy, phenolic contribution of a Belgian yeast. The mouthfeel was fairly light and the carbonation was good. On the palate, the dark fruit and yeast notes were repeated, though the overall impression was of a lighter beer than many other dubbels out there. One of the classic Trappist Ales. 7.5% ABV.



Rochefort 8 Trappist Ale: It poured a dark but still translucent ruby color with a large and persistent cream-colored head. Again, the nose was dark fruit and yeast notes. The mouthfeel was medium and noticeable fuller than that of the 6, while the carbonation was excellent. The flavor profile was also similar to the 6's, but fuller, richer, and more complex. The finish was nice and also noticeably longer than that of the 6. 9.2% ABV.



Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2016 Tropical IPA: It poured a clear gold color with a nice white head that left good lace on the glass. The aroma certainly lived up to the beer's name, being chock-full of tropical fruit notes. The mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was good. The initial bitterness was good but not excessive, followed by plenty of clean, fruity hop flavors. A nicely-made brew. If you like your IPAs tropical, this one delivers. 6.7% ABV, 55 IBUs.


Brouwerij Van Steenberge's Gulden Draak 9000 Quad: It poured a dark, clear copper color with a small, cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was full of raisins and figs, plus the spicy notes of the Belgian yeast. Mouthfeel was fairly light for the style, with satisfactory carbonation. On the palate the beer was fairly dry, with more dark fruit notes, followed by some alcohol heat on the finish. A nice Belgian strong dark ale, drier than most but still rich and satisfying. 10.7 % ABV, 25 IBUs.


Seward Brewing's Lazy Otter Lager: I picked this up on May 7th and drank it 19 days later, but the beer was still in perfect shape, which is a testament to the effectiveness of the crowler that it was packaged in. It poured a very light gold color, clear with a white head. The aroma was of malt and some crisp hop notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, the malt and hops were in balance, making for an extremely drinkable brew. The perfect beer to have outside on a sunny day or after mowing the lawn, plus one that would pair well with almost any sort of food. 5.6% ABV.


That's it for this time. I hope everyone gets out and enjoys the excellent weather we are having here in Alaska. Remember to be careful with fire; everything is tinder dry out there, so it won't take much to get a huge blaze started.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Seward Brewing Company and Grace Ridge Brewing Company

With the coming of spring here on the Peninsula, plants are budding and breweries are opening and reopening. In the reopening category, Seward Brewing Company opened its doors for the season on Thursday, May 5th. I managed to get over there on Saturday, May 7th, to check things out. Here are some photos, courtesy of my wife, Elaine.




On the exterior, there's now a nice sign, though the brewery was never very hard to spot.



Heading inside, the first obvious change is that the big screen TVs have been removed from the bar, something I wholeheartedly approve of. If sports are what you're looking for, go to a sports bar. Me, I'm here for the beer.


The crowler machine is up and running, so you can can a 32 oz. can of delicious beer filled to order, and expect it to keep for a nice, long time. This is my crowler of Lazy Otter Lager being filled.

I chatted with owner/brewer Erik Slater for a few minutes, but he was shorthanded in the kitchen and was helping out on the cooking line, so we couldn't talk long. There is a new menu, which you can find on the brewery's website. I had a Pretzel appetizer and Mac's Meat Sandwich; both were excellent. My only disappointment was that the Inked Out Stout wasn't quite ready to drink, so I had a Pinbone IPA instead. The stout was delayed by a leaking man way cover, but it's on tap now. I snapped a picture of my IPA.

Pinbone IPAIt had tons of citrusy, American hop flavor to it. So, if you find yourself in Seward this summer, you should definitely stop by and check out the Seward Brewing Company .

In the opening brewery category, Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer opened for business at noon on Thursday, May 12. I stopped by about 1 PM, and it looked like there was a steady stream of folks dropping in to check things out. Don Stead and his wife Sherry were behind the counter, serving three different beers:


Kayak Beach Blonde Ale                  4.6% ABV      21 IBUsSadie Peak IPA                                 5.8% ABV     55 IBUsOystercatcher Stout                          4.5% ABV     32 IBUs (draft only, no growlers)
I tried samples of all three and enjoyed them all. The Kayak Beach Blonde has a nice clean taste, with a bit of hops but nothing to scare away the average macro beer drinker. Sadie Peak IPA uses Centennial hops in the boil and Amarillo and Simcoe as dry hops. It has lots of great hop flavor, but is fairly well balanced and very drinkable. The Oystercatcher Stout was brewed specially to celebrate the Shorebird Festival , and the ingredients included 10 dozen raw oysters in the 3-barrel batch. To my palate, the oysters gave it a hint of briny, marine flavor, which along with the roasted flavors made a delicious combination. Hours for Grace Ridge Brewing are currently 4 to 8 PM on Thursday, and noon to 8 PM on Friday and Saturday. The rest of the week it is closed, so Don can have time to brew and to sail. Here are some photos of the new brewery, also taken by my wife Elaine:

Sherry Stead waiting on customers
There is also an art exhibit in the brewery
Don Stead and yours truly chatting in the front of the brewing area
Grace Ridge's brewhouse
The exterior of Grace Ridge Brewing in HomerIt's currently American Craft Beer Week , and lots of breweries across the state have held or are holding events to celebrate it; too many to list here, so check your local brewery's website or Facebook page to see what it might be doing. However, we are counting down to a big event to wrap up the week: the First Annual Alaska Crafted Festival this Saturday, May 21, in Anchorage. Lots more details on the event have been released. Most importantly, you can get a 10% discount on your tickets using the promo code "Crafted", so if you haven't bought tickets yet, now's a good time. Here's the schedule for the Performance Stage:


5 to 5:40 PM : Nervis Rex preforms, representing Anchorage6  to 6:40 PM: Denali Cooks performs, representing the Mat-Su7 to 7:40 PM: Strummin Dog & Double G performs, representing Southeast8 to 8:40 PM: Young Fangs performs, representing the Interior9 to 9:40 PM: Blackwater Railroad Company performs, representing the Kenai Peninsula
On the Williwaw Stage, there will be presentations and demonstrations:


5:30 PM Meet the Author: I will be giving a presentation on Gold Rush Era Brewing 6:00 PM The Art of the Beer Cocktail6:30 PM Alaska Crafted Cocktail Competition8:30 PM Demonstration: Chilkoot Coffee by SteamDot9:00 PM Beer Trivia Contest for prizes
There will be five food trucks and thirteen other vendors there selling food and other items. Plus all the breweries, wineries, distilleries, etc. giving samples of their products. Here's a graphic that shows who will be there and where they are located in the state:



Putting it all together, this is going to be one amazing event. I'll be there and I hope you will be as well.

Speaking of American Craft Beer Week , both HooDoo Brewing Company and 49th State Brewing are participating in its "Biggest Small Beer Ever Made Event", where craft breweries across the country will be brewing the same beer recipe, an imperial porter.  Here's a video about it:


I believe you will be able to sample the beer at the Alaska Crafted Festival , as well as at these breweries. Also as part of American Craft Beer Week , there will be a National Toast at 4 PM Alaska Time tomorrow, Thursday, 19 May. If you can, try to raise a glass with the rest of the craft beer lovers across America at that time.

Let's move on the some other beer news.

First up, Midnight Sun Brewing has announced that it will be releasing its Panty Peeler Tripel in cans, making it the fourth beer to join MSBC's canned offerings. The label has been approved by the feds and the brewery is just waiting on the cans to be made and delivered, so look for them to hit the shelves sometime mid-summer. MSBC has also released its Buzzwinkle Sour Wheat Ale, which I wrote about in my last blog.

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Alaskan Brewing Company has made a couple of major announcements. First, long-time Chief Operations Officer, Linda Thomas, has been named the new CEO, while the founders of the company, Geoff and Marcy Larson, are looking forward to dedicating more time towards building the pioneering legacy of Alaskan, focusing on innovation and the spirit of craft brewing. Second, Alaskan will begin distributing its beers across Ohio this summer. Ohio will be the 18th state to which Alaskan sends its beers, and also the easternmost one.



Starting May 31st, La Bodega will be holding a beer tasting event focused on a local brewery every other Tuesday at the beer garden at  Jack Sprat Restaurant  in Girdwood. First up, 49th State Brewing. Here's the ad for the events:



King Street Brewing Company just released a new seasonal brew yesterday: a Belgian Rye IPA.



Arkose Brewery is continuing its Small Batch on Nitro Series. Last Thursday, it was Black Cherry Porter.


It's Spruce Tip Time in Southeast. At Haines Brewing, the Captain Cook's Spruce Tip Ale is back on tap.

Photo courtesy of Haines Brewing

This Saturday, from 3 to 8 PM, it's the Spruce Tip Festival at Baranof Island Brewing Company in Sitka.

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Here on the Peninsula, St. Elias Brewing Company has a new beer on tap: Frapple Lambic. It's flavored with both apples and raspberries, then barrel-aged with brettanomyces. At Kenai River Brewing, they are in the throes over trying to plan and execute the move into the new brewery. All questions about opening dates are being referred to a Magic 8-Ball...

That's it for news, so let's move on to reviews.

I paid a visit to Costco recently, and while I was there I came across a 4-bottle variety pack from Sierra Nevada Brewing. It was called the High Altitude Series, and consisted of Dunkelweizen Bock, Six Rights  Double IPA, Chocolate Chili Stout, and Bourbon-barrel-aged Bigfoot Barley Wine. The bottles were bomber sized, and the whole pack was only $29.99, which I thought was a pretty good price, so I picked one up. I've reviewed the Barrel-Aged Bigfoot before, so I'm only going to do the other three today.

Sierra Nevada's Dunkelweizen Bock: It poured opaque with a small, cream-colored head. The aroma was of roasted malt and chocolate. The mouthfeel was good and so was the carbonation. The flavor profile was slightly sweet, with lots of rich, deep flavors of roasted malts, falling away to a long finish. It reminded me of a nice dessert, rich and satisfying. 7.2% ABV


Sierra Nevada's Six Rights IPA: It poured a clear copper color with a big, off-white head. The nose was all citrusy American hops, but with a slightly unusual element that reminded me of tangerines. The mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was excellent. The initial attack had good bitterness, but balanced with a robust malt backbone. Overall, a very nice beer, walking the line between a single and double IPA. 8% ABV



Sierra Nevada's Chocolate Chili Stout: I approached this brew with some trepidation, as I am typically not a fan of chili in beers. It poured opaque with a big tan head. The aroma was of dark chocolate and malted milk. Mouthfeel  and carbonation were both good. On the palate there were rich chocolate and roasted notes up front, then the slightest amount of chili heat on the finish. The chili was very understated, which is how I like it if it has to be there at all; your mileage may vary. 8.5% ABV



Black Market Brewing's Seek & Destroy Smoked Quad IPA: With a style like a that, it was hard to know what to expect for this beer. It poured a deep copper color with a big, off-white head that left good lace on the glass. The nose was smoke free, with only notes from the American hops. Mouthfeel was medium, and the carbonation was excellent. There was good bitterness up front, followed by mild smoke flavor. Surprisingly, I got no heat from the 12.7% ABV. There a lot going on in this beer, but I'm not really sure everyone's on the same page. Still, it was not a total train wreck, so if you are curious what a "smoked quad IPA" tastes like, give it a try.



That's it for this time. Next time round, I should have a report on how things went at the Alaska Crafted Festival. Enjoy the rest of American Craft Beer Week .

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Happy 21st Birthday to Midnight Sun Brewing Company!

This Thursday, May 5th, will be the 21st anniversary of Midnight Sun Brewing Company opening its doors, way back in 1995. While I've only been in Alaska since 2004, I still remember visiting its cramped original location on Arctic Blvd, next to the taxidermist's shop. As the second oldest operating brewery in Alaska (after the venerable Alaskan Brewing Company, which will turn 30 this fall), Midnight Sun has come a long way from those early days. You can read about its trials and tribulations in my book Alaska Beer: Liquid Gold in the Land of the Midnight Sun if you are so inclined.



For the celebration on Thursday, which starts at 5 PM, MSBC will be tapping a firkin of Panty Peeler Tripel, cask conditioned with tequila soaked staves and lime zest. There will be 21 beers on offer, either on tap or in bottles. Friday will be First Firkin Friday ,with a special art show featuring art from the brewery's crew and their loved ones. There will be a firkin of  5000 Berliner Weisse, tapped at 5 pm. Then on Saturday there will be another Beer Brunch in The Loft , from 11 am to 3 pm. Here's the menu:

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Midnight Sun has also posted a photo of the label for a new beer it will be releasing soon: Buzzwinkle Sour Wheat Ale, featuring the moose made famous in Chad Carpenter's Tundra comics.

Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun


Congratulations again to Midnight Sun and I'm looking forward to the next twenty-one years!

Speaking of May 7th, Arkose Brewery will be holding a special Mother's Day Edition of its popular Beer Meets Chocolate at 3 PM. Enjoy four handcrafted chocolates from JB Chocolatier paired with four artisan ales from Arkose. 21 yrs and older. $25. Buy tickets online or call 746-BEER. Arkose is also continuing its Limited Release Nitro Series, with Key Lime Pie Pale Ale still on tap at last report.


Photo courtesy of Arkose Brewery
Up in Healy, 49th State Brewing opened its doors on 25 April and held a grand opening party last Saturday, April 30th. This Saturday, May 7th, Prospectors Pizzeria will be holding its opening party. Doors open at 4 PM, and music starts at 8 PM from The Kris Eli Jones Band and Hall, Tark, and Dansom. No cover charge.



Anchorage Brewing Company will be releasing a new beer on Thursday, May 5th, Crazy Ray's IPA. This will be the first IPA that ABC has bottled on a regular basis for the fishing season. The Crazy Ray Boat and Crew will be there along with Kodiak Custom Lures and the folks from Port Ashton Lodge. They will be serving some of their famous salmon tacos! Here are pictures of the bottle:

Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company
Grace Ridge Brewing Company has been posting on its Facebook page as beers have been brewed and kegged. Looks like it will be open at noon on next Thursday, May 12th, just in time for the kick-off of the Shorebird Festival down in Homer. Owner Don Stead is initially offering five core beers: Sadie Peak IPA, Jackalof Porter, Diva’s Toasted Nuts Brown Ale, Oystercatcher Stout, and Kayak Beach Blonde.


Photo courtesy of Grace Ridge BrewingThe First Annual Alaska Crafted Festival  on May 21st is less than three weeks away now, and excitement for it continues to build. The organizers have released a graphic, showing all the producers that will be in attendance.




I've been asked to give a short presentation on brewing in Alaska prior to Prohibition, plus I'll be signing copies of my books. There will be live music and food, and even mixology demonstrations on making cocktails using local ingredients. Performance schedule is as follows: 5 p.m. Nervis Rex representing Anchorage; 6 p.m. Denali Cooks representing Mat-Su; 7 p.m. Southeast entertainment TBD; 8 p.m. Young Fangs representing the Interior; 9 p.m. Blackwater Railroad Company representing the Kenai Peninsula.Tickets are $75 a person or $120 for a couple and are currently available online. They will also be sold at the door, unless the event sells out in advance, which seems likely.

Also on May 5th, Odd Man Rush Brewing will be releasing its infamous El Guapo Blonde Ale, brewed with 80 pounds of jalapeno, Anaheim, and habanero peppers.




May 5th is also the day that Seward Brewing Company reopens for the summer season, after its long winter hibernation.



Bearpaw River Brewing has sent several kegs of its beers to the growler bar at the Brown Jug Warehouse store on Old Seward in Anchorage. So if you haven't made it up to Wasilla to check out its beers yet, this is your chance.


Here on the Peninsula, Kenai River Brewing Company's new brewery is rapidly moving toward completion. The sign is up on the side of the building, so folks driving by on the Sterling Highway will have no doubt about what is is. The Grand Opening will take place on Saturday, June 18th, to coincide with the brewery's 10th Anniversary. Doug Hogue tells me that he's going retro with the beer line-up for that event by bringing back all the beers that were on tap when the brewery opened in 2006, so stand-by for the return of such brews as Pothole Porter, Swiftwater Stout, and Eagle Rock ESB! The soft opening will probably be in late May, but that date is still pretty squishy. Here are some photos that I took on Thursday, April 28th:

The new sign, visible from the Sterling Highway
The new covered patio on the side away from the Sterling
The new tap room, looking from the patio door toward the main entrance
The new 20-bbl brewhouse, plumbed in and ready to goMoving on to beer reviews, I have five for this blog.

Black Raven Brewing's Raven de Garde Pale Ale: In my last blog, I gave a less than stellar review to a bourbon barrel aged Scotch Ale from this Redmond, Washington brewery. This time around, I have to say that this was one of the best and most enjoyable brews I've had in recent memory. It poured a clear, light copper in color with a big white head. The aroma had the characteristic peppery, spicy notes that scream Belgian yeast. Carbonation was excellent and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was a nice balance between hops, more Belgian yeast notes and brett funk, with the last becoming more pronounced on the finish. In some ways, this beer could almost be and American version of the classic Orval. Yes, it's that good. I went to Country Liquors and bought all they had on the shelf, but if you see it there or anywhere else, buy it. ABV 7.4%.



Denali Brewing Company's One Tree Birch Beer: Another special release from the Talkeetna brewery, this is a Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale made with birch syrup from a local provider. It poured a deep gold color, with a large, off-white head. The nose had the spicy, peppery notes you'd expect from Belgian yeast. Carbonation was great, and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile had some fruity notes to it, reminding me more of a tripel rather than the classic clean and hoppy profile of Duvel. There was a touch of residual sweetness on the finish, likely from the syrup priming. A very nice beer and a great utilization of a local ingredient. 9.1% ABV.


Black Raven Brewing's La Mort Rouge (2016): This is a Strong Dark Belgian Ale that's been aged in red wine barrels. It poured a deep, semi-translucent ruby color, with a small but persistent cream-colored head. The aroma was highly complex, with a mix of dark fruit and vinous notes. Carbonation was low but acceptable and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. The complexity of the nose was repeated on the palate, with rich dark fruit flavors (plums, raisins, figs) intertwining with oak tannins and wine elements, before for falling away to a slow, long finish. This is a definitely sipper and a great beer for lovers of big red wines. I liked it, though not as much as the pale ale I reviewed above. 9.3% ABV.


Southern Tier Brewing's Grand Arbor Farmhouse Ale: This is a different take on how to use a local ingredient (maple syrup this time) in a Belgian-style beer. It poured a slightly cloudy gold with the typical huge white head of a saison. Again, the aroma had plenty of the spicy, peppery notes I always associate with a Belgian yeast. Carbonation was great and the beer had a nice, light mouthfeel. There was some initial up front hop bitterness, then the beer slowly settled back, until I picked up some alcohol warmth on the finish. Not a superb saison, but an eminently drinkable one. 9% ABV.


Hanssens Artisanal's Oude Gueuze Lambic: I tried this beer a  few years ago, but blending lambics is quite an art, so I decided to try it again. It poured a slightly cloudy gold with a big white head. The nose had the tart sourness you expect in a good gueuze, with some brett funk as well. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light and effervescent. There was nice tartness up front, followed by light notes of brett funk, falling away to a long finish. There are few things better than a good, well-balanced gueuze, and this certainly was one. 6% ABV.



Well, that's about it for this time. Get out and enjoy some of the beer events happening in the next few days and get your tickets for the Alaska Crafted Festival on May 21st.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Another Player Joins the Game: Welcome to Bleeding Heart Brewery

It's mid-April and lots of things are beginning to bloom here in Alaska, including our newest crop of breweries. First out of the gate is Bleeding Heart Brewery in Palmer, which opened for business at noon on Saturday.

Stefan Marty and Zack Lanphier. Photo courtesy of Bleeding Heart BreweryLooks like the initial tap list consisted of the brewery's four flagship brews: Grounds for Divorce Coffee Porter, Valley Trash Dirty Blonde, Kold Shoulder Kristallweizen and the namesake Bleeding Heart India Pale Ale. Bleeding Heart has also fired up a blog, with an initial post about how it got started. Congratulations on finally making it, guys,, and I can't wait to get up to Palmer and check things out.

While Bleeding Heart is open for business, Quake Brewing in Eagle River is still working towards that goal. As part of that effort, Quake has initiated a campaign to raise $10,000 to help finish the brewpub. Quake will also be unusual in that it will offer other breweries' beers, alongside its own. To my knowledge, the only other brewpub in the state doing that is the Seward Brewing Company. Here's a video from February, describing their plans.



If you'd like to contribute to getting Quake Brewing up and running, check them out on Yotto.com.



Speaking of new breweries, there was a report in the Alaska Dispatch News that a business plan for a new brewery in Unalaska won first place and $20,000 in a contest sponsored by the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association and Aleut Corp. Josh Good is a 5th Grade teacher who hopes to open the Unalaska Brewing Company. He's obviously got a long way to go, but I certainly hope he's successful, even if it means a long trip to pay him a visit and sample his beers. You can read the entire ADN report here.

While new breweries are working to open, existing breweries continue to expand. Midnight Sun Brewing Company has just taken delivery of a fancy new bottling machine. Here are some pictures of it being delivered:

Images courtesy of Midnight Sun Brewing CompanyAt Kenai River Brewing Company's new brewery, Doug Hogue finished assembling the new 20-bbl brewhouse last week, so it's likely been plumbed in and wired to power by now.

Some assembly required... Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing.
Brewhouse in its new home. Photo courtesy of Kenai River.Ed Miner of Gakona Brewing let me know that he has bought a 3-barrel brewhouse from Odd Man Rush Brewing in Eagle River. He should be picking it up this week, and then he will need to get it plumbed in and wired up, but he expects to have it up and running by the beginning of June, give or take. Along with his new tanks, this should significantly increase his production.



Over at Bearpaw River Brewing in Wasilla, they have finally gotten ahead of the demand curve enough to send some beer out to a few places around the area. As of last Thursday, Bearpaw River was on tap at:


Spenard Roadhouse PubHouse Settlers Bay Golf Course  Fat Ptarmigan  La Bodega  ER Alehouse  Palmer City Alehouse  Schwabenhoff
Or just hit the brewery itself.



Moving on to beer events, at 6 PM on Thursday, April 28, Kinley's Restaurant and Bar in Anchorage will be hosting the Sierra Nevada Beer Makers Dinner ,which will feature the beers of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, paired with the amazing food that Kinley's is known for. There will be six beers and five course, and the detailed menu is posted here. The cost is $70 per person; call 907-644-8953 to make reservations. I have attended beer dinners at Kinley's in the past, and they were all amazing, so if you will be in Anchorage next week, I'd definitely try to make this one.


49th State Brewing Company in Healy will be celebrating the end of its annual winter hibernation with a 2016 Kick Off Party on Saturday, April 30th. The brewpub will actually open next Monday, April 25th. There's rumor that there might even be a barley wine on tap during the first week in Healy!



49th State Brewing Company in Anchorage will be hosting an Audience Appreciation Show by the comedy improv group Scared Scriptless this Saturday, April 23rd,  from 8 to 9:30 PM.



La Bodega will be hosting a beer and small bites tasting with John Kathman of Rogue at its Northern Lights location on Tuesday, April 26th at 5:30 PM. $10 gets you beer samples and small bites. Seating is limited to 25, and tickets are only on sale at the Northern Lights store, next to Hearth .



Here on the Peninsula, the Three Bears Warehouse Store in Kenai has added a 6-tap growler bar to its liquor store. I'm told that the beers currently on tap are Elysian Brewing's Space Dust IPA, Alaskan Brewing's Honey Hemp Ale (ESB), Broken Tooth Brewing's Apple Ale, two beers from Glacier Brewhouse, and Kassik's Brewery's  Morning Wood IPA. This means we now have more growler fill options!



Moving on to beer reviews, I've got three for this blog.

Burton Bridge Brewing's Olde Expensive Ale: To be honest, I picked this one up on a whim at La Bodega because I liked the label design. It poured a deep copper color and was seriously over-carbonated, with a huge meringue-like head that took forever to settle, making this beer a real pain to pour. The aroma was zesty, with some pear-like notes. Too much carbonation, okay mouthfeel. Flavor profile seemed a bit off, which along with the excessive carbonation, makes me suspect problems with this beer. Some yeasty notes, but plenty of medicinal ones as well. Not really worth drinking, so I'm afraid I can't recommend this one, despite its cool label. 6.5% ABV.


Sierra Nevada Brewing's Otra Vez Gose-style Ale: This beer poured a cloudy gold with a white head that slowly dissipated to a collar. The nose had citrus & grapefruit notes. The mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was good. On the palate there was a subtle tartness, which made the beer seem light and refreshing, before making a nice, clean finish. I could see enjoying this on a hot day or pairing it with a nice, light salad. 4.5% ABV.


Black Raven Brewing's Splinters Bourbon-barrel Aged Scotch Ale: I am somewhat familiar with this brewery from its participation in the Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival , not to mention I'm a sucker for Scotch Ales, so when I saw this beer at La Bodega , I decided to give it a try. It poured a deep ruby color with a good cream-colored head. The aroma was strongly of bourbon, and only bourbon. Mouthfeel was good, a bit heavy as a Scotch Ale should be, and carbonation was okay. The flavor profile tracked with the aroma, i.e. overwhelmingly bourbon. For me, this beer illustrates the mistake many breweries make with barrel-aging: they allow the barrel to totally dominate the beer. If all I want is bourbon flavors, I'll drink bourbon! If I'm having a beer, I want it to taste primarily like beer, with some bourbon notes, not the other way round. However, if you want to drink a beer that tastes like bourbon and only bourbon, this one's for you. 10.8 % ABV.


That's it for this week. More news and reviews next week.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Support Your Local Brewery!

Support Your Local Brewery was created by the Brewers Association several years ago as a way to rally grassroots support for the craft beer industries in all 50 states. I first blogged about it over six years ago (2/16/2010) and have mentioned it on occasion since then. However, given the recent push by the governor to double our beer taxes here in Alaska, it seems like this might be a good time to mention it again. Basically, you can go to the website and see if there is any legislation pending on a state or federal level which would impact craft beer, read about it, and then decide if you want to contact your representatives and voice your opinion about it. If you don't want to check the website regularly, you can also sign up for email notifications, which are sent out whenever a local brewers guild needs to mobilize public support. Here's a much better known beer person than I to tell you why this is important:




So if you care about craft beer in Alaska or anywhere else, please go to www.SYLB.org and sign up.

Speaking of the Brewers Association, it has also released the list of the top 50 Craft Breweries in the US, based on volume of beer produced in 2015. Here's the graphic showing who and where they are, though several of these (marked with an asterisk) have been bought out by the mega brands, so they won't appear on next year's list.

Click to enlargeYou can see that in 2015, Alaskan Brewing Company ranked as Number 22 in total volume of craft beer produced.

If you haven't done so already, mark your calendars for the brand-new Alaska Crafted Festival on May 21st in Anchorage. As I mentioned in my last blog, this event is looking like it's going to be one of the premiere events of the beer season, especially for those of us who can't make it to the sold-out  Haines Fest the following weekend. I'm even more excited about it now, as I've been asked to give a presentation on the history of brewing in Alaska and do a book signing as part of it. Tickets are selling fast, so if you plan to attend, you'd better buy yours sooner rather than later.




There will be a Beer Dinner featuring beers from 49th State Brewing Company this Wednesday, April 13, at The Sitzmark Bar & Grill in Girdwood. Here's the menu:

6 beers and 5 courses.
Prospectors Gold as a welcome beer.
1st) Roasted Pineapple, Jicama & Watercress Salad Crisp – Baked Blonde
2nd) Choucroute Garnie – Amber Borealis
3rd) Buffalo Style Fried Oysters w/ Celery Carrot Salad – Vagabond Saison
4th) AK Barley Risotto w/ Braised Beef Short Rib – Solstice IPA
5th) House Made Marshmallow “S’more” skewer – Smoked Marzen

There will be music by Melissa Mitchell and Spiff. Weather permitting, there will also be a bonfire.

The dinner starts at 7 PM and runs until 10. Tickets are $49 and are available at www.thesitzmark.com.



I wrote last week about the opening plans for Bleeding Heart Brewery in Palmer. I also mentioned that Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer was not far behind. I've got some additional info on that opening, courtesy of Jim "Dr. Fermento" Roberts' column in last week's Anchorage Press. Here's the relevant quote:

 “We’re brewing our first beer in our system,” says owner/brewer Don Stead. “We’ll be opening in the first part of May, but we’ll definitely be open in time for the Shorebird Festival [May 12 through 15]. We want to open a little bit before that, but if this is my first brew, it will be tight getting it in before May” he says.

You can read the rest of the column for more details on the brewery's plans.

Not far behind Grace Ridge Brewing is Cynosure Brewing in Anchorage. It's located at 144 Potter Dr., just east of C Street, between Dowling and International Airport. It's the brainchild of Clarke Pelz, long-time head brewer at Broken Tooth Brewing. No firm date there yet, but the best estimate seems to be late May or early June for its opening.





Anchorage Brewing Company has announced that it will be partnering with The Motorcycle Shop to hold the First Annual Vintage Barrel and Bike Show at the brewery on Sunday, May 15th. More detail as they become available.


Here on the Peninsula, the big news is the arrival of Kenai River Brewing's new 20-barrel brewhouse from Specific Mechanical . It's been delivered to the new brewery (see pictures below, courtesy of Kenai River Brewing); now Doug Hogue just need to figure out how to put it all together!


New Mash Tun
New Hot Liquor TankTalking with Doug, I learned he plans to hold the Grand Opening of the new brewery on Saturday, June 18th, to coincide with Kenai River's 10th Anniversary Celebration. The brewery will have a soft opening before that in mid- to late May, stay tuned for the exact date. Here's the tap list at Kenai River as of Tuesday, April 5:



That's about it for news this week, so let's do a couple of beer reviews.

Alaskan Brewing's Kicker Session IPA: I first wrote about this beer back on March 7th, based on a press release from Alaskan, and I've been waiting to see it show up on our local shelves. I finally found some last week at Country Liquors in Kenai, so here's a review. It poured a clear gold with a slight red tint and a large white head that left good lacing on the glass. The aroma was of citrusy American hops. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The initial bitter attack is restrained, greatly increasing the drinkability, followed by nice hop flavor and aroma on the back end. Finish is a tad quicker than I would like, but it leaves you eager for another sip. If you are looking for a hoppy beer that you can drink several of without suffering palate fatigue, this is a fine choice. 4.5% ABV, 45 IBUs.



Kenai River Brewing's Dr. Rudi Imperial Rye Pale Ale: If the previous beer is designed for sustained drinking, this beer is its antithesis. It's a clear, reddish-gold in the glass with a small cream-colored head. The nose is balanced between malt notes and Dr. Rudi hops. The mouthfeel is medium and the carbonation is good. The initial attack has a ton of bitterness, but there are some balancing caramel notes, followed by more hop flavor, as it falls away to a long finish. At 9.2% ABV and 103 IBUs, the beer is not one you're likely to have more than one of, but it's excellent nonetheless.



Well, that wraps things up for this week. Get out and enjoy this great spring weather with some excellent craft beer and support your local brewery!

Until Next Time, Cheers!