Alaska Is an Untapped Beer Paradise

Anyone who ’s been to Alaska understandably comes back gushing about its pristine lifelike beauty , but if you actually spend clock time crossing the state from city to city , you ’ll get down to see that there ’s so much more break on than some of the satellite ’s best scene , including one of America ’s most promising and underrated beer scene .

We direct due north to detect the best breweries in the Last Frontier , hopping between cities on seaplanes and fast ferries ( and with a few reindeer raging dog as mid - trip sustenance ) to find the of the essence brewage you ca n’t get without actually chitchat the state . So check your expectations , grab your bear repellant , and get quick for some of the best breweries in the untapped beer heaven that is Alaska .

Arkose Brewery

There ’s always something special about a married man and wife who can come together to make beautiful things happen . In the case of Arkose , it ’s fantastic beer . Married Centennial State - owner Stephen and June Geteisen work together to develop recipes that are often inspired by great jazz songs , whether it ’s the No . 5 Boxcar porter , the juicy Palmer extra pallid ale , or the tranquil Bitter Earth ESB . If you ’re in town and wait to break them out , their key and pint nights are a skillful draw ( and the sweeping mountain views from their back patio do n’t wound , either ) .

Alaskan Brewing Co.

It might not scandalise you that Alaska ’s big brewery is also one of its longest run ( it was the first brewery to unfold its doors in the country since Prohibition back in 1986 ) . In what is good news for many of us , you may not have to journey to find iconic hits like Alaskan Amber ( they ’re usable in more than a dozen states in the humble 48 ) , but making your agency to Juneau and swing over through the taproom will open your eyes up to some of its harder - to - find hit like the Smoked Porter or batches from its pilot series like Raspberry Wheat or SMaSH Galaxy double IPA .

Anchorage Brewing Co.

If you ’ve ever heard one of your bottle - trading beer - geek friends spirt about something they scored from Alaska , there ’s a very good chance it came from Anchorage Brewing Co. Its repute precedes it as one of the best breweries in the biz on a national horizontal surface , let alone in Alaska , drawing in collaborations from the ilk of New Belgium and the legendary Hill Farmstead . Hitting up the taproom is a must for anyone swinging through Anchorage ( it ’s a very short drive from Downtown ) , where you’re able to sip the likes of Crazy Ray ’s IPA , Darkest Hour majestic stout , or Anadromous , a black rancid ale aged in whiskey and pinot noir barrelful . We predict this is all even better than it sounds .

Baranof Island Brewing Co.

The former Russian capital of Alaska ( where the cut-rate sale and hand - off officially involve place ) can also bluster about being home to Baranof Island Brewing Co. ( name for the island on which Sitka ’s situate ) , which has gain a devoted following since open up in 2010 . How devoted ? Each year , local go out and harvest spruce tips by paw to aid make its fresh seasonal batch of Sitka Spruce Tip Ale each leaping ( with the hazard to win a free keg if they bring in the most ) . You ’ll receive a beer you hump no matter what time of class it is , though , whether it ’s the Vanilla Stout , Halibut Point hefeweizen , or Peril Strait pale ale .

Denali Brewing Co.

Anyone manoeuvre north to catch a glimpse of the tallest mountain in North America owe it to themselves to stop by the brewery that ’s named after it . And not just because it ’s convenient : it happen to be fairly damn good at the whole beer - make thing . You might be able to find its Twister Creek IPA in bar around the State Department , but stopping by the brewery stand for you ’ll get to render beers like the Agave Gold or oak barrelful - aged Louisville Sour , which are off - the - chart good . The bonus is that even though it ’s recently expanded and moved into bigger digs , visiting still put you in easy range to check out the intimate - cool town of Talkeetna ( where they have a famous cat city manager ) .

Haines Brewing Co.

If you asked topical anesthetic , the beer and vibe at Haines Brewing Co. has only get better after its late move from its original location ( which appeared in the movieWhite Fang ) . The number of available beer has swelled thanks to the equipment improvement and place upgrades : when you ’re perusing the rap menu , do n’t omit the Black Fang imperial stout or Captain Cook ’s Spruce Tip Ale . If you ’re there during the warmer months , it might be impossible to top the experience of taking in those beers circumvent by lot opinion on the back patio .

Midnight Sun Brewing Company

There ’s so much that can be said about Midnight Sun Brewing – from the hilarious scope story behind the names of top - selling brew , to the super - well-disposed staff in the taproom , to the wall - mounted salmon that deal draft beer – that it ’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the beers it makes are so all-fired honorable . Everything from top - notch barleywines and puckering sourness ( like Buzzwinkle ) to sheer stouts and well - balanced IPAs ( like Pleasure Town ) regain their way into the bottles and kegs here , well pass water it one of the commonwealth ’s top beer destination since it opened two decades ago . Of course , traveller are reward with bottles that are only sold at the brewery , so consider packing those dish if you require to really get to know these guys … and make consumption of that rampart - mounted beer salmon .

Odd Man Rush Brewing

Walking into the springy tap room at Odd Man Rush is commonly the first sign that the beer here is something the local anesthetic can really get behind . Once you make your fashion through the gang and originate looking over the beer list , it becomes moderately clear that things here are on more adventurous side for Alaskan brewing . There are plenty of standouts , but if you get the hazard , debate ordering El Guapo " Hot Blonde " ( made with 80lbs of Anaheim , jalapeño , and habanero chili pepper per batch ) and More Cowbell burnt umber milk stout .

HooDoo Brewing Co.

In an industry where it ’s more common to find brewer who ditched desk job than it is to find a dyed - in - the - fleece , globally educated beer - manufacturer , HooDoo put up out . Brewmaster and owner Bobby Wilken was born and raised in Fairbanks before blame up brewing pedagogy in Chicago and Germany , before cutting his professional teeth at Alaskan Brewing in Juneau . He struck out on his own in 2011 , opening a brewery in his hometown where his wide experience shows in his unfussy yet well - brush up oblation like the Maibock Lager , Scottish Export , and HooDoo Stout . If delicious beer is n’t enough , seek to visit on a Caturday , where the brewery host an borrowing private road for local shelters .

Skagway Brewing Co.

If you ’ve made the decision to hop on a ferry ( or petite planing machine ) and make your fashion to Skagway , there ’s a very good chance you ’re going to be thirsty when you get there . And if you could hold off on tour some haunt brothels or hiking to Yakutania Point when you arrive , your first stop should probably be the town ’s namesake brewpub . A late expansion of brewing electrical capacity is supply to its lean of polish off beers , but if you only get to try one , make certain to get yourself a pint of the Spruce Tip Ale : it uses topically harvest spruce top to make a fresh , citrusy wan ale that essentially put the brewery on the mathematical function . Also , Alaskans really love their spruce tips !

Seward Brewing Co.

The owners of Seward Brewing Co. unfold up their door in early May to pump out a new beer every calendar month through the summertime before slow up down for the winter to take a trip somewhere affectionate . This does n’t meant they ’re not begin stuff done : it just give them the pure apology to brew slower - production beer ( think lagers and barrel - cured varieties ) . If you ’re there in season , make it a point to swing by and try their Pinbone IPA , which is so tropical and citrusy you would verify it was from Hawaii , or their Inked Out Stout , which the brewers themselves name as " a mosh pit of burnt umber , coffee and delta blueing . " You wo n’t regret it .

Alaskan Brewing Co.