tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68645904472544336842024-02-06T17:57:29.968-09:00Drinking on The Last FrontierNews and commentary on the craft brewing scene from the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.comBlogger373125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-85040535313152622042019-02-25T11:41:00.000-09:002019-02-25T11:41:26.183-09:00Winter Marches OnWe're still slogging on through another winter here on the Kenai, though with the growing hours of daylight, I think we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The winter weather was very accommodating for this year's <b><i>Frozen River Fest</i></b> on Saturday, February 16th. We had temperatures in the twenties and a nice ongoing snowfall during the festival itself. That may not sound appealing, but compared to the first festival in 2015 (single digits and about 25 knots of wind blowing!) it was fantastic! Here's a nice slideshow of the festival.<br />
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The producer turnout was excellent, with 18 different breweries, wineries, & cideries on hand and pouring samples. This festival has become very popular among brewers, thanks I think to both its uniqueness and its laid back atmosphere. While I was there, I did interviews for my monthly radio show with most of the brewer attendees, which you can listen to by clicking <a href="https://www.kdll.org/post/february-2019-frozen-river-fest">here</a>. As good as this year's <b><i>Frozen River Festival</i></b> was, I'm sure next year's will be even better.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssG-QyHNXFn3znv8RPr4oQMHuKv54XKWUIHi7AjJ43dfcZuUYlIaSJUlxvfwbdRY36pnLEATocxcO9ddaiajifWhTtScFKfD4lThkBFmUu4O0N1ViwD1xtuI2F4fuh46IV01Pb90d3SE4/s1600/16427374_608657615992000_1246828432775654532_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssG-QyHNXFn3znv8RPr4oQMHuKv54XKWUIHi7AjJ43dfcZuUYlIaSJUlxvfwbdRY36pnLEATocxcO9ddaiajifWhTtScFKfD4lThkBFmUu4O0N1ViwD1xtuI2F4fuh46IV01Pb90d3SE4/s400/16427374_608657615992000_1246828432775654532_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the same day as the <i><b>Frozen River Fest</b></i> in Soldotna, the <b><i>Fur Rondy Festival </i></b>was held up in Anchorage. I really wish we could deconflict these two events, as it makes it hard on the brewers to try to be two places at once. Be that as it may, <b>49th State Brewing Anchorage</b> took home the Best in Show crown (literally) from that event for its <i>The Intrepid Imperial Stout</i>. This particular version was brewed with Sitka spruce tips, birch syrup, & cocoa nibs before being aged in whiskey barrels. I had a sample of this brew at <b>Frozen River Fest</b> and found it to be excellent, so I'm not surprised it took home this award. Well done to Devin and the rest of the team at <b>49th State</b>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of David Short</td></tr>
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Some of you may know that I used to write the Alaska column for<b><i> Northwest Brewing News</i></b> until the first of the year when my column and the one for British Columbia were axed to reduce the page count. Times are pretty tough for print beer publications: R.I.P. <b><i>Draft Magazine, The Celebrator, All About Bee</i></b>r. Even <b><i>Beer Advocate</i></b> has shifted from monthly to quarterly. Well, as of a few days ago, <b><i>Northwest Brewing News</i></b> has halted publication while it tries to find a new owner/publisher. Bill Metzger, who published all the "Brewing News" papers around the country stepped into controversy with an article he wrote for <b><i>The Great Lakes Brewing News</i></b>. If your curious, you can start with <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/taranurin/2019/02/12/publishers-odd-anti-metoo-rant-raises-question-of-how-writers-should-cover-beer/#356abbe4f5cb">this story</a> of Forbes.com, and find lots more info on the internet. In response, on February 19th, <b><i>NWBN</i></b> released the following:<br />
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"Nearly 20 years ago, Northwest Brewing News, part of Brewing News Publications, began providing the PNW beer community with a news source "of record." Over the years, the paper has covered numerous topics of interest to craft beer drinkers and brewers, profiled brewers and breweries, and reported beer-related news from Alaska to the Bay Area - something no other publication in the region has done.</blockquote>
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The Great Lakes Brewing News, another paper under the Brewing News Publications umbrella, recently published an article written by the publisher, Bill Metzger. The article contained unnecessary, offensive misogynist language, and had very little to do with beer. Northwest Brewing News had no knowledge of or involvement in the printing of this article; otherwise, it would never have gotten past the editor's inbox.</blockquote>
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People within the beer industry took an immediate, vocal stand against the article and Brewing News Publications on social media. Breweries that advertised in the papers pulled their ads. One of our NW Brewing News writers publicly quit. As in many similar cases recently, the public outcry sparked a reaction in which, rightly, Mr. Metzger resigned from all Brewing News operations.</blockquote>
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Northwest Brewing News has operated mostly independently of Metzger since its founding; as publisher, he facilitated printing, shipping, and the annual writers meetings. The editor and writers determine the written content of the paper. The staff includes women as an integral part of the editorial process, and we do our best at balanced coverage of women in the industry. The article in question misrepresents the values and goals of this paper, and other Brewing News papers as well.</blockquote>
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Northwest Brewing News is faced with a transition of ownership; that has not yet been determined. It is our hope to continue to provide thorough and informative coverage of our brewing community, and to be conscious of the diverse culture that craft beer has become. We can always be better!</blockquote>
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Thank you to our Northwest readers and breweries who have supported us over the years. We will be in touch about changes moving forward."</blockquote>
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To date, the <b><i>Northwest Brewing News</i></b> has not found a buyer, and I gather it will not be published again until it does. Despite my column getting the ax, this saddens me, as I have always thought that <b><i>NWBN</i></b> did a pretty good job of covering the beer scene in its area of responsibility. Let's face it: no other magazine is doing very much to cover our beer scene up here!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My last cover story at NWBN...</td></tr>
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On Saturday, March 9th, the <b><i>Brewers Guild of Alaska</i></b> will be holding a <b><i>Rare Beer Festival</i></b> at <b><i>Williwaw</i></b> in downtown Anchorage. Here's a poster for it:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
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Moving on to reviews, I only have one new beer to write about this time, but I have something else to review: the <a href="https://www.growlerwerks.com/">uKeg from Growlerwerks</a>. I resisted buying one of these for quite some time, but finally decided to give it a try. I got the plainest, cheapest version out there, a 64 oz. plain stainless one. There are also 128 oz models, and both the half and full gallon sizes come in a variety of (more expensive) finishes. The other challenge is obtaining food-grade CO2 cartridges; forget buying them online, since they cannot be shipped to Alaska. They are available at <b><i>Arctic Brewing Supply</i></b> in Anchorage and at other places, I'm sure. After playing with it for a couple of months, on the plus side, I'd say that when it works properly, it lives up to its hype. It keeps beer fresh and properly carbonated more or less indefinitely, or at least longer than I can let a half gallon of beer sit around without drinking it. On the downside, there is a definite learning curve associated with filling it properly, operating the pressurization system, and keeping it working right. You have to be scrupulous in following the cleaning instructions and be prepared to disassemble the cap to clean the internals on a regular basis. However, if you're willing to do that, the uKeg makes an excellent addition to your beer tools. Also, if you're a member of the <b><i>American Homebrewers Association</i></b>, Growlerwerks offers a pretty sweet discount.<br />
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Here's my only new beer review:<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing's</b> <i>Dark Night Winter Warmer</i>: Another in<b> MSBC</b>'s series of limited edition canned releases, this beer was aged in port wine barrels. It poured a very dark ruby color with a small, tan head. The port barrel aging was definitely noticeable in the aroma, along with malt notes and hints of spices. The mouthfeel was light, and the carbonation was good. On the tongue, the flavors were smooth and malty, with sweet elements from the raisins and brown sugar used, plus a touch of pepper from the rye. There were distinct notes of port and oakiness, before falling away to a long finish highlighted by the light use of cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest. An excellent choice of style to apply this particular barrel aging regime to, and the end product is a complex but quite delicious beer. 8.7% ABV, 30 IBUs.<br />
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Well, that's about it for this time around. Talk to you again in another week or two.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!<br />
<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-61572531921927635082019-02-11T10:48:00.001-09:002019-02-11T10:48:52.670-09:00It's February...Must be Time for a Beer Fest!It's the middle of winter here on the Kenai, with a foot of snow on the ground and temperatures in the teens. That means it's time for Alaska's only outdoor winter beer festival, the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/212366859708684/">Frozen River Fest</a></i></b>. The first <b><i>FRF</i></b> took place in 2015, meaning that this year's fest will be the 5th iteration. As someone who was part of the group of people who first dreamed up this crazy idea and made it happen the first couple of years, it's very gratifying to see what the <b><i>Frozen River Fest</i></b> has become. These days the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce runs the event (so send any compliments or complaints to them), but I still love attending each winter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original logo from 2015</td></tr>
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If you're going to be in Soldotna this Saturday, the fest will run from 4 to 8 pm. Admission for non-drinkers is free, persons under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and admission for beer drinkers is $20. Breweries, wineries, & cidermakers from as far away as Fairbanks will be in attendance. Buy your tickets in advance online via this <a href="https://frozenriverfest.brownpapertickets.com/">link</a> or at the gate.<br />
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As part of gearing up for the fest, local establishments have held beer dinners in the past. This year, <b>Kenai River Brewing Company</b> decided to hold a beer dinner on Saturday, February 2th. Despite choosing not to advertise the event or publish the menu in advance, the 70 seats available still sold out rapidly, which is a testament to the quality of the food and beer regularly on offer at <b>KRBC</b>. Here's a copy of the menu:<br />
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As someone who attended, I can attest to the excellence of all the courses (especially the roasted garlic soup!) and the wonderful way each of the beer choices paired with them. I sincerely hope that <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> can see it way to eventually offering beer dinners like this one once a month over the course of the winter season.<br />
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As I mentioned in my last blog, this is the week <b>Skagway Brewing</b> moves to its new location. The brewery has been posting lots of great photos of the new location on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/skagway.brewing/?__xts__[0]=68.ARA3pP0bJyX-e9f1XF4hfk4pXJaAiN3z2SPgVzLL-xUAVtPypeKtYxKmOmHPFwxaNkXqvU04DPAiNmDHrSckwtouRRecCk08lbhDQfJ-3FA8YJwNx4h76IOw6B6OHd6k6yWWKyZ2aX7H03PBqNcVbu_5eC6SmbVa7_yGwHQgitYmN1ZknJwQ5OwiOOzoOiP8bN2SFaretBw3gredIO-EMf8KqRtlGD7Clg1r9bTPPZw8GaQiIwDQ9Y03V6kIOQwB8XdnPLjcumBLhGOAq73cZyuiuaawxy0rRkQkbKDytG4OCaFx_JqX9WUteKxGLO1BC3EUvETa1-x1qBo17AYAl1vRH43K4kF8ChKfAp9bUMzUtA6PM3bkiXn3veCAPRk_GNPWdy7uLezNbbOVT7m46yvmq286FDAdTNmRwpG1h82rLxjAFvRa0ao4nxyCGKI5s4jaLAJnUrltRj2XhprZIszpIlSDA6_7Agpr6DvawzS0cJDn60ac4iCJ&__tn__=k*F&tn-str=k*F">Facebook page</a>; they are well worth checking out. To whet your appetite, here's one of them. Note the new brewhouse visible through the windows in the background.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Skagway Brewing</td></tr>
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<b>Alaskan Brewing</b> has just released its <i>Spruce IPA</i> again as the spring beer for this year's seasonal rotating releases. This is the second year that <i>Spruce IPA</i> has filled that slot. The beer won regional and international recognition, leading with a World Beer Cup gold medal in its first year as a seasonal product, and another gold in the Pacific Northwest’s Best of Craft Beer Awards. It will be available through April.<br />
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<b>Alaskan Brewing</b> also has a new beer in its Rough Draft series on limited release around the state:<br />
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<b>Bearpaw River Brewing</b> has announced that it will be releasing another batch of the iconic <i>Valley Trash Imperial Blonde</i> on March 16th. The brewery first reproduced this famous creation of the defunct <b>Great Bear Brewing Company</b> of Wasilla last August.<br />
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That's it for the latest beer news. Let's do some beer reviews.<br />
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I've been laying fairly low since my last blog post, so I've only tried three new beers.<br />
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<b>Rogue Brewing</b>'s <i>2018 Old Crustacean Barley Wine</i>: I picked this one up at the Costco in Anchorage. It poured a translucent honey color with a nice, cream-colored head. The aroma had a good amount of hop notes. Mouthfeel was medium with great carbonation. On the palate there was decent bitterness up front, followed by the strong malt notes you expect from a big burly barley wine. In keeping with the American barley wine style, the overall hop flavors were excellent. A nice example of an American barley wine, though I still can't help feeling the ceramic bottle with its swing top closure is a bit over the top. 10.75% ABV.<br />
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<b>Bearpaw River Brewing Company</b>'s <i>Smoked Scottish Ale with Lapsang Souchong Tea</i>: As its name implies, there's an awful lot going on in this beer. I'm not much of a tea drinker, but I love both smoke and Scottish ales, so I decided to give it a go. It poured a clear ruby color in the glass with a small cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The smoke was definitely evident in the nose. Mouthfeel was light and the carbonation level was okay. The flavor profile had the clean malt elements that you expect from a colder fermenting Scottish ale, plus a strong overlay of the smoky notes. I had a hard time picking up the tea (though perhaps that's because my palate is a bit "tea ignorant"), but I finally thought I picked up some tannic dryness that could well have been the tea's contribution to the overall flavor picture. A very unusual beer, but one I found I liked, a bit to my surprise. 5% ABV.<br />
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<b>Sierra Nevada's </b><i>2018 Bigfoot Barley Wine</i>: Like most craft beer drinkers my age, this beer and I go way back. I've been drinking <i>Bigfoot</i> for over 30 years. I can remember haunting the one liquor store in Honolulu in the early 90s with a decent beer selection, waiting for the <i>Bigfoot</i> to appear following its annual March release. Over the course of those three-plus decades, I decided that I like it best after it's been cellared for a year. So I'm only now opening the bottles I purchased last year. This batch poured a slightly cloudy honey color with a small but peristent cream-colored head. The nose was chock full of American hops and sweet malt notes. Mouthfeel was medium and the carbonation was excellent. On the tongue it was smooth, with both hop bitterness and hop flavor, attached to the strong malt backbone. The first of the American-style barley wines and still, in many ways, the best. An American classic that is simply not to be missed! 9.6% ABV, 90 IBUs.<br />
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Well, that's it for this post. I'll be doing some interviews for my radio show at the start of the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Frozen River Fest</i> on Saturday, so if you see me there and would like to be on the radio, don't be shy. Just step up and say hello and you can tell my listeners what you think.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-1865884592807228752019-01-28T10:59:00.000-09:002019-01-28T11:01:14.985-09:00Another Warm JanuaryIt's been another warm couple of weeks here on the Kenai, with above freezing temperatures and rain, rather than the snow we all prefer. Looks like we'll finally be getting some more snow over the next couple of days, though I doubt it will replace all that we've lost.<br />
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The <b><i>2019 Alaska Beer Week</i></b> seems to have been a great success, at least from my vantage point down here. Sadly, my responsibilities as both a student and a teacher pretty much precluded me from going up to Anchorage again this year, since classes started that same week.<br />
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At this year’s festival, winners were chosen in both the winter warmer and barley wine competitions. In the winter warmer category, <b>Cynosure Brewing</b> took third place with its <i>Noe Belgian-style Strong Dark Ale</i>, <b>Oskar Blues</b> took second with its <i>Ten Fiddy Imperial Stout</i>, and first place went to <b>Maui Brewing</b>’s <i>Night Diver</i>. In the barley wine category, local favorite <b>Kassik’s Brewery</b> of Nikiski did not take gold in the barley wine competition for the fourth year in a row. Instead, its <i>Buffalo Head Barley Wine</i> took home the second-place trophy. Third place went to <b>Fremont Brewin</b>g’s <i>Brew 2000 Barley Wine</i>, while First Place went to <b>Anchorage Brewing</b>’s <i>Double-oaked A Deal with the Devil</i>. This beer from Gabe Fletcher’s brewery had already received much national acclaim, including being named one of the best beers of 2018 by <b><i>Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine</i></b>. Congratulations to all the winning breweries.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing</td></tr>
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<b>Skagway Brewing</b> has announced that the grand opening of its new location will take place on February 15th and 16th. As I wrote in my last blog post, the new location on Broadway represents a 200% increase in seating and a 400% increase in brewing capacity. The brewery is also having a special Reservation only Valentines Dinner on February 14th.<br />
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The <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/212366859708684/">2019 Frozen River Fest</a></i></b> is less than three weeks away. This year's festival will take place on Saturday, February 16th, from 4 to 8 pm at Soldotna Creek Park. It is hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce and tickets are $20 for beer drinkers, free for non-drinkers. As always, this is a family-friendly event, with live music and food on sale besides the beers on offer. This year's live music will be by <b><i>The Mabrey Bros. Band</i></b> and <b><i>Conway Seavey</i></b>. For more details, look for the Festival on Facebook or contact the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce. Tickets can be purchased online<a href="https://frozenriverfest.brownpapertickets.com/"> here</a>.<br />
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Some new statistics have been released on the impact of craft brewing on a state-by-state basis. Alaska ranks 6th in breweries per capita of 21+ adults and we are third in pints produced annually per adult (behind only Vermont and Delaware) at 96. The most recent economic impact of craft brewing in Alaska was $511 per person per year, which is 5th overall among the 50 states. There are currently over 7,000 breweries in the US. Now if we just get the Alaska State Legislature to recognize these statistics and work to help our brewing industry instead of hamstringing it...<br />
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On last Friday, <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> released its <i>Spruce Tip Double IPA</i> in packs of four cans. The cans feature two different labels designs and cost $11. Profits go to benefit the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing</td></tr>
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If you missed the live broadcast on Saturday, I'd encourage you to take a listen to the podcast version of my January radio show on KDLL. In it I interviewed Corey Fristoe from <b>Black Spruce Brewing</b> in Fairbanks, James "Dr. Fermento" Roberts, and Don Stead of Homer's <b>Grace Ridge Brewing</b>. You can find the recording of the show at <a href="https://www.kdll.org/post/january-2019-big-future-small-breweries#stream/">https://www.kdll.org/post/january-2019-big-future-small-breweries#stream/</a>.<br />
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Now let's review some beers. I've got four new ones to tell you about this time.<br />
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<b>Fremont Brewing</b>'s <i>Barrel-aged Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Sout (2017 )</i>: The dark beauty had spent a year in my cellar prior to my opening it. It poured dark with a decent tan head that dissipated to a collar. The nose spoke strongly of its time in bourbon barrels. Carbonation was on the low side but acceptable, and its mouthfeel was very oily and smooth from the use of oats. On the palate, it was rich and think, with plenty of roasted flavors and additional bourbon notes, falling away to a touch of alcohol heat on the finish.14% ABV, 50 IBUs.<br />
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<b>New Belgium Brewing</b>'s <i>La Folie Sour Brown Ale (2018)</i>: This year's version of this classic sour poured a beer, translucent ruby with a nice tan head. The aroma was tart notes and hints of cherries. Carbonation was good, and its mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile began with a pleasant tart attack, then mellowed into smooth fruit notes, followed by a nice finish. A delicious sour. 7% ABV.<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing</b>'s <i>Last Run Porter</i>: This limited-release beer poured dark with a nice tan head. The nose had light and pleasant roasted notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, there nice roasted notes continued very clean tasting, before falling away to a nice finish. While not overly complex, I thought it was a very well executed beer, stylistically more of a brown porter than a robust one. 5.5% ABV, 20 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Black Raven Brewing</b>'s <i>Grandfather Raven Russian Imperial Stout</i>: Another impressive brew from the award-winning Washington brewery. It poured opaque with a nice mocha-colored head. The aroma was full of coffee notes with hints of chocolate as well. Carbonation was excellent and the mouthfeel was medium plus. The initial flavor profile was smooth roasted flavors, very rich and complex, then more hints of chocolate sweetness followed by a long, lingering finish. A superb Russian Imperial Stout. 9.5% ABV, 70 IBUs.<br />
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That's about it for this post. I hope to see you all at the <b><i>Frozen River Fest</i></b> in a couple of weeks. I'll be recording some live interviews for my radio show there, so if you'd like to be on the radio, come on up and say hello.<br />
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Until next time, Cheers!<br />
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<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-62222058539346603872019-01-08T14:46:00.001-09:002019-01-08T14:46:08.751-09:00New Year's Resolution: 2019So it's a new year and my resolution is to make blog posts here more often than every six months, which has been my rate for the last year or so. I could give you readers a litany of excuses, but what's the point? Let's just move on and talk about craft beer.<br />
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If you're one of the folks out there who reads my Alaska column in the <b><i>Northwest Brewing New</i></b>s, then I've got some bad news for you. My column (along with the one for British Columbia) has been permanently cut from that publication. The past few months have been very rough for print publications about beer: <b><i>Celebrator</i></b> has ceased print publication, <b><i>All About Beer</i></b> has folded, and even <b><i>Beer Advocate</i></b> has gone from a monthly to a quarterly format. In the case of <b><i>Northwest Brewing News</i></b>, ad revenues are down and pages had to be cut. Apparently, Alaska and B.C. don't produce much ad revenue in the best of times (which these certainly aren't), so ours were the necks to feel the axe. On the plus side, if no one is willing to pay me to write, I guess that means I'll have more time to do it for free in this blog...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last issue you'll find my Alaska column in...</td></tr>
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It's a shame that the readers outside Alaska won't be getting news from up here anymore, given how active our craft beer scene has been lately. In the last few months, <b>Cooper Landing Brewing</b> has broken ground on a new brewery, with an eye toward being open in the spring of 2020. S<b>kagway Brewing</b> is in the midst of a massive and long-overdue relocation/expansion, which will give them a 200% increase in seating and a 400% increase in brewing capacity. A new brewery, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/blacksprucebeer/">Black Spruce Brewing Company</a></b>, opened last month in Fairbanks. <b>Barnaby Brewing</b> in Juneau should be back open almost any day now in its new location. <b>Baleen Brewing</b> and <b>Bawden Street Brewing</b> opened this summer in Ketchikan. <b>Midnight Sun</b> is now operating <b><i>Williwaw</i></b> in downtown Anchorage. <b>King Street Brewing</b> moved into its new home and <b>Turnagain Brewing</b> opened in its old one. Many other breweries have added tankage and expanded production capacity. Craft beer in Alaska just continues to grow and improve.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Black Spruce Brewing Co.</td></tr>
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While 2018 was certainly a positive year for craft beer in Alaska, it certainly wasn't all smooth sailing. In fact, it often seemed that craft breweries were successful in spite of all the roadblocks that the state and federal governments saw fit to build in their path. On the state level, the antics by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board and its "no fun at breweries" policy created lots of angst and uncertainty, none of which was relieved by the fiasco with SB 76 in the state legislature. On the national level, Trump's aluminum tariffs have helped drive up the cost of aluminum cans, and the current partial government shutdown includes the TTB, which means no breweries anywhere can get the labels approved for any new beer! Still, our local craft brewers soldier on, trying to produce good craft beer for us to drink, no matter how much stupidity flows out of Juneau and D.C.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.akbeerweek.com/">Alaska Beer Week</a></b> starts this Friday, January 11th, and runs through Sunday, January 20th. There are going to be a ton of events, so the best places to find out about them are the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AK-Beer-Week-288548691198058/">AK Beer Week Facebook</a></b> page and the <b><a href="http://www.akbeerweek.com/">AK Beer Week webpage</a></b>'s Event Calendar.<br />
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I've got a few reviews to post as well. These are by no means all of the beers I've had recently, but these are a few from the last six months or so that I particularly enjoyed.<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing's</b> <i>23 American Barley Wine</i>: Brewed to celebrate the brewery's 23 anniversary and released in cans, this beer poured a deep honey color with a nice cream-colored head. Hop notes were fairly prevalent in the nose, as you'd expect from an American barley wine. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. There was plenty of upfront bitterness, which lingered on through the rich malt notes that followed, all the way to a nice finish. An excellent example of this style. 10% ABV, 100 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Bearpaw River Brewing's</b> <i>The Great Bear's Valley Trash Imperial Blonde Ale</i>: The Wade brothers at Bearpaw River went to a great deal of trouble to recreate this iconic Wasilla brew, evn trucking in city water to ensure that this replica beer would be as close to the original as possible. Have never tasted the original, I can't speak to how close they came. It poured a deep clear gold color with a decent off-white head. The aroma was of clean, crisp malt. Mouthfeel was light to medium and carbonation was good. The beer had plenty of malt backbone, okay hop balance, and a touch of alcohol heat on the finish. Overall, I would call it a workman-like blonde ale, but nothing to write home about. Of course, I'm not feeling any nostalgia when I taste it. 10% ABV<br />
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<b>Broken Tooth Brewing's</b> <i>Hopbility English IPA</i>: As a lover of good English beer, it almost a certainty that if you put English or Scottish in your beer's name, I will at least try it. Of course, having lived in Britain for three years, I have pretty high standards when it comes to "British" beers, so that might be a double-edged sword. This beer poured a hazy honey color with a nice white head. The nose had the floral hop notes that I always associate with real British ale. Carbonation was good, the mouthfeel was light, and the beer left superb lacing on the side of my glass. On the palate, there was nice but balanced bitterness and more floral hop notes. It certainly displayed the "moreish" quality that British brewers strive for. An excellent brew, and one of the best efforts in this style that I've had on this side of the Atlantic! 7.3% ABV, 65 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Anchorage Brewing's</b> <i>Time Waits for No One (Batch #3) Imperial Stout</i>: Gabe Fletcher certainly knows how to brew big, burly beers, and this one was no exception. It poured thick and dark, with little to no head. The nose was rich in malt and bourbon aromas. Its mouthfeel was thick and viscous, like used motor oil, with low to no carbonation. On the palate, it was thick, rich, and oily, with a flavor profile full or sweet and roasted malt, plus chocolate notes. The finish was long and smooth, with no alcohol heat at all, despite the 15% ABV. A truly superb barrel-aged imperial stout marred only by the very high price. I can't say that it's not worth it, but I also can't say that it was a beer I could afford to drink more than once or twice.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's </b><i>Whipsaw Imperial IPA:</i> This beer is a bit of a throwback; given the current fascination with hop varieties that produce tropical fruit flavors, to find a brew that harkens unashamedly back to the piney Pac Northwest hops is quite a pleasant surprise. It poured a deep copper color with a nice cream-colored head. The aroma is loaded with those resiny, piney PNW hops. Carbonation is good, and the mouthfeel is light. There a nice bitter attack, followed by clean hop flavors, before falling away to a nice finish. Surprisingly drinkable for a 7.8% ABV, 100 IBU beer.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's</b> <i>H & H Oak-aged Pale Ale</i>: Full disclosure: I helped design and brew this beer, so you have to take my review with a grain of salt. This beer was our attempt to recreate an extinct style of beer from Britain, known as a stock pale ale or a "yard" ale. These were strong pale ales that were aged in oak barrels for over a year; they were nicknamed yard ales because they would sit in the brewery's yard and experience the change of seasons. Obviously, doing this in Alaska was a non-starter. however, we did brew the beer in September of 2017, then rack it into oak barrels in January 2018. At that time we dosed it with Brettanomyces claussenii at 200,000 cells per ml and let it rest until mid-December. The final result is quite dry still retains some hop bitterness; it also displays oak notes and plenty of brett funk. It's more than a little reminiscent of a bottle of Orval that's been aged for 12 to 18 months, at least to my palate. All-in-all, it was a fairly unique experiment and one that we're proud of but unlikely to repeat anytime soon. So if you'd like to taste it for yourself, you'd better head into<b> St. Elias Brewing</b> before it's gone.<br />
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Well, I think I'll wrap this post up now. However, in closing, I'd like to remind you that I am still doing my monthly radio show about beer on KDLL 91.9 FM. It's broadcast the fourth Saturday of each month and is available via podcast at <a href="https://www.kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">https://www.kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier</a>.<br />
During the December show, I interviewed Barb Miller of <b>Midnight Sun</b> about the upcoming <b><i>AK Beer Week</i></b> and Mike Healy, owner of <b>Skagway Brewing</b> about his relocation and expansion. You can listen to that show <a href="https://www.kdll.org/post/december-2018-brewing-history-skagway">here</a>.<br />
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Until next time, Cheers!<br />
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<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-81204533304967421802018-07-18T13:11:00.002-08:002018-07-18T13:11:33.259-08:00Photo Album: What I Did on My Summer Vacation (So Far)...While I haven't been very active in blogging, that doesn't mean I haven't been visiting breweries. In the last couple of months, I managed to hit four that are either new or which I hadn't had a chance to visit before. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the photos that my wife Elaine took during our visits to them.<br />
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<b>Matanuska Brewing Company</b><br />
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We were in Palmer the day before Matanuska Brewing's grand opening in May, but Head Brewer Kevin Burton was kind enough to walk us through this amazing new facility.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjgvWwfE8IWaO1Po1a85qC1-gy5np8kmXY3ST94zS_XfbWqAtL0mYsFATkCSatg6AVxui854yvve2Zjuuxe4m6A4f3I7xOzcGClUYubhoLa6Oc4MIcDawlY16b8-yEAVUDCVX4POay3By/s1600/EFH_7270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjgvWwfE8IWaO1Po1a85qC1-gy5np8kmXY3ST94zS_XfbWqAtL0mYsFATkCSatg6AVxui854yvve2Zjuuxe4m6A4f3I7xOzcGClUYubhoLa6Oc4MIcDawlY16b8-yEAVUDCVX4POay3By/s400/EFH_7270.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A whole lot of canning going on!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMjnm7WeMA7ZljOU8N6H5uWni5aAoqvfBWc9VQa46bKC4eJYXL5mLl3JPiY8qh_JVZtjgBxUeAeRXG0xiMSpzTQ6245n_GFao_VFtU3ogUuZnaiWNFhEG4MTOzI7nuAohPpFwU92ONHZ1/s1600/EFH_7276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMjnm7WeMA7ZljOU8N6H5uWni5aAoqvfBWc9VQa46bKC4eJYXL5mLl3JPiY8qh_JVZtjgBxUeAeRXG0xiMSpzTQ6245n_GFao_VFtU3ogUuZnaiWNFhEG4MTOzI7nuAohPpFwU92ONHZ1/s640/EFH_7276.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four 120-bbl fermenters. There are two more are on order.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uDOWs8vKnJlQhiGaQV3j5BLAb9jdoFVkgLzb7PqwgRmdQuhhHgjbPiCELtPTSeJpsVi32GAjnh0i2TEIy9zN43ts9iiSyPHLzvXaMhfnlc6jBKaT6o2ih9Aua45VUZWZdDkLTQRBxzsj/s1600/EFH_7280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uDOWs8vKnJlQhiGaQV3j5BLAb9jdoFVkgLzb7PqwgRmdQuhhHgjbPiCELtPTSeJpsVi32GAjnh0i2TEIy9zN43ts9iiSyPHLzvXaMhfnlc6jBKaT6o2ih9Aua45VUZWZdDkLTQRBxzsj/s400/EFH_7280.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 40-bbl JV Northwest Brewhouse, highly automated.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yk-YMGWEogQF-Fom7rms8j5GqdKvTJXqsRGFRaEzqc6w2vEkD_pUau-UWH-WnScdD5q3EBLdwtv-I0BWOt_hgGx4oCOuDaB1XZXZBby-5DcsJMn9Pz0IXEctSvKYYGPyNlKZttNQK6xo/s1600/EFH_7284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yk-YMGWEogQF-Fom7rms8j5GqdKvTJXqsRGFRaEzqc6w2vEkD_pUau-UWH-WnScdD5q3EBLdwtv-I0BWOt_hgGx4oCOuDaB1XZXZBby-5DcsJMn9Pz0IXEctSvKYYGPyNlKZttNQK6xo/s400/EFH_7284.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ProBrew canning line that can fill 100 cans per minute.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8XIJtdvqS4mXp5ftHmdXSxTZ3S7kldknpJceEhbd2TAzqE4jA96z5GvRr5HEf7iR2zQi6utFQa-ziRAgDVYLwZDDCGGRwvlL0kxON6HtZZhL65hQyCiNnbE0kKxU5YtjteL3_qawWUm_/s1600/EFH_7286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8XIJtdvqS4mXp5ftHmdXSxTZ3S7kldknpJceEhbd2TAzqE4jA96z5GvRr5HEf7iR2zQi6utFQa-ziRAgDVYLwZDDCGGRwvlL0kxON6HtZZhL65hQyCiNnbE0kKxU5YtjteL3_qawWUm_/s640/EFH_7286.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can remember when beer vending machines used to be common in Navy BOQs...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkchks4Fqk2NzvlRQjUZUVVcSO835JiuFzv-TnSBuzoel66UuaXCcqdpksSnRVsuMhAWgaIfZPQW0MQeDrv8KsV0h2bKxasvuqFYXXE-FV7yCxwQu-7zqAet1DkZKXzMIRrfnql7bxbMy/s1600/EFH_7287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkchks4Fqk2NzvlRQjUZUVVcSO835JiuFzv-TnSBuzoel66UuaXCcqdpksSnRVsuMhAWgaIfZPQW0MQeDrv8KsV0h2bKxasvuqFYXXE-FV7yCxwQu-7zqAet1DkZKXzMIRrfnql7bxbMy/s640/EFH_7287.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tap room.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxs3N_nnqRcw2RQR3F-H3Txe05AMH-u3LmI45AJFKtkGe5Z_49mxpLQhrUDUmkEcIXeFMbMHWtk_m6VAv9tv1EFS8F49DsErx5I_LdyQ2rpLDsbyqjPp2syWRfgh5joLoQXv8RO3VCgAC/s1600/EFH_7289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxs3N_nnqRcw2RQR3F-H3Txe05AMH-u3LmI45AJFKtkGe5Z_49mxpLQhrUDUmkEcIXeFMbMHWtk_m6VAv9tv1EFS8F49DsErx5I_LdyQ2rpLDsbyqjPp2syWRfgh5joLoQXv8RO3VCgAC/s400/EFH_7289.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brewery is located in the old Mat-Maid Dairy.</td></tr>
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<b>Bleeding Heart Brewery</b><br />
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I'd been trying to visit Bleeding Heart in Palmer ever since it opened, but something always got in my way. I finally bit the bullet and made a special trip up there to check it out. It's a real farmhouse brewery, as in it's located on an actual farm, not far from the Alaska State Fairgrounds. The brewery was just voted as the Best Place to Have a Drink by the readers of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Newspaper, as part of its annual “Best of the Valley” poll.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AOkvRlgtQX14eU5840EwX_F5h5o-8nA_1amBLd8GMp3SnrNrl-WT67HuWf77u65SMMa97ODvkb9iWeZmw3xyjkV5QTGfz6oVzVsUiG0oGag5vZ07EMxZ-OlOEls1UbvOv9CkCaURrUUO/s1600/EFH_7292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AOkvRlgtQX14eU5840EwX_F5h5o-8nA_1amBLd8GMp3SnrNrl-WT67HuWf77u65SMMa97ODvkb9iWeZmw3xyjkV5QTGfz6oVzVsUiG0oGag5vZ07EMxZ-OlOEls1UbvOv9CkCaURrUUO/s400/EFH_7292.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly leaning on the "serving counter" and talking to Stefan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FA4DNexM78jDyHh8y7jAliIBn1rhuF4PGRGaEai5n6rO34ygrBXhjuch6Mh9qp8dcB-392RRuGAtAk2iiyJLNXsqDKUFUmXBC6CO5C1kl0IIo_OhMV2gt88vKDYm08nn96YWpu1JFgVf/s1600/EFH_7294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="637" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FA4DNexM78jDyHh8y7jAliIBn1rhuF4PGRGaEai5n6rO34ygrBXhjuch6Mh9qp8dcB-392RRuGAtAk2iiyJLNXsqDKUFUmXBC6CO5C1kl0IIo_OhMV2gt88vKDYm08nn96YWpu1JFgVf/s400/EFH_7294.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing a little business</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXHLupYopVgMhl5DHDVjONEWGRnRHjT0lTiQsXDaNX0VWMUOlLH-IBdddRlZOJhqlpiCqGwq_EXtw1tgXPK89NPECT66JCsuis2Cj1OrOpsUYbmZPbJTVmuq8EfgfU0fi9A9f34FZ6wVw/s1600/EFH_7299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXHLupYopVgMhl5DHDVjONEWGRnRHjT0lTiQsXDaNX0VWMUOlLH-IBdddRlZOJhqlpiCqGwq_EXtw1tgXPK89NPECT66JCsuis2Cj1OrOpsUYbmZPbJTVmuq8EfgfU0fi9A9f34FZ6wVw/s400/EFH_7299.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bleeding Heart's fermentation area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz8szUUZowvRZAoWisRkicC1LobpPtQ9vI8spSHD9hPcKvDe77F8b3v2T0bqsYUwVm_izOvKoVEMtfseGMP1nFOC_LXqKYFDvZXTj643NSiNq3ja_lTMzGkHBGNaJr1DVMvWj3aUsRp-H/s1600/EFH_7300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtz8szUUZowvRZAoWisRkicC1LobpPtQ9vI8spSHD9hPcKvDe77F8b3v2T0bqsYUwVm_izOvKoVEMtfseGMP1nFOC_LXqKYFDvZXTj643NSiNq3ja_lTMzGkHBGNaJr1DVMvWj3aUsRp-H/s400/EFH_7300.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also sampled some damn fine beers...</td></tr>
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<b>HooDoo Brewing Company</b><br />
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I hadn't been up to Fairbanks in several years, so a trip in June meant a chance to swing by HooDoo Brewing. I heard that its beer garden area had been seriously upgraded and wanted to see it for myself. All I can say is: Wow! The new area is great and has clearly become a major gathering spot in Fairbanks. Having a different food truck there each day certainly doesn't hurt, either.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RKqh3Psg3yZvACKZ56TQ7FD0RE13eyqfu4W4iOft0M7dLsPLIX33imWA4XcFxMG9KVaSVgOlr-GqakCALQ_k1KMfh-zBwvzhwJ3QoXf18QQlpigW7R14GVa94G8h0c7iR3-IMzQANECe/s1600/EFH_7487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="659" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RKqh3Psg3yZvACKZ56TQ7FD0RE13eyqfu4W4iOft0M7dLsPLIX33imWA4XcFxMG9KVaSVgOlr-GqakCALQ_k1KMfh-zBwvzhwJ3QoXf18QQlpigW7R14GVa94G8h0c7iR3-IMzQANECe/s400/EFH_7487.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beer garden from Fox Street in front of the brewery.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tap room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg674J1dHQ1zSwjUg3Tnx5UANWV7ZUfYQA0-fHcgdaqhaz4Jb71diU73KfROe_qheg99P7GUUDW7OIz1PGiQHjEHat-qk1hjCo84OLxwUjlhbVCPJpePzuf3cronlFJuICfV1dg2crRSp_c/s1600/EFH_7491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg674J1dHQ1zSwjUg3Tnx5UANWV7ZUfYQA0-fHcgdaqhaz4Jb71diU73KfROe_qheg99P7GUUDW7OIz1PGiQHjEHat-qk1hjCo84OLxwUjlhbVCPJpePzuf3cronlFJuICfV1dg2crRSp_c/s400/EFH_7491.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beer garden, looking from the brewery toward Fox Street. Note the twin firetrucks...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWM29oGrywJHgwC2MulkAg_RufLpLRG347mmwdCBmc_JTFiyNwSmyYzLPw9meZwAtNp7ph3ZbVY66JprDtZjXnV1x0ph4iXgkyOY3fWDpKuEQqyamyDmGjpJ0Svq0S5hgFOVA5Dbm_2N7/s1600/EFH_7494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWM29oGrywJHgwC2MulkAg_RufLpLRG347mmwdCBmc_JTFiyNwSmyYzLPw9meZwAtNp7ph3ZbVY66JprDtZjXnV1x0ph4iXgkyOY3fWDpKuEQqyamyDmGjpJ0Svq0S5hgFOVA5Dbm_2N7/s640/EFH_7494.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The man himself, Bobby Wilken, in his element.</td></tr>
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<b>King Street Brewing Company</b><br />
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King Street completed its move to its new location on June 2, and I stopped by a month later to check things out. There's still a fair amount of construction being done on the new building, but you can already tell it's going to be amazing when everything is complete. Dana Walukiewicz was kind enough to walk us around.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUdudBUJYXEoVp3zU5uyfnNdBuIEaNWeykocxWGgjtcnXAzsIMMhrHNQPinxY3rnkGkzWFxOuTbAzrLyXta0PtwU5dnNAJ1vVSofhT66QeWp8MPuwu79PclyaO9Jk0smb6J2evfZg_3RA/s1600/EFH_7531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUdudBUJYXEoVp3zU5uyfnNdBuIEaNWeykocxWGgjtcnXAzsIMMhrHNQPinxY3rnkGkzWFxOuTbAzrLyXta0PtwU5dnNAJ1vVSofhT66QeWp8MPuwu79PclyaO9Jk0smb6J2evfZg_3RA/s400/EFH_7531.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the second story catwalk. Brewhouse on the left, fermenters on the right, & a million empty cans in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I-KMU5E1UCKt46ocWROggpwzeAhtdkuQOTVWfFxlEzEJKvziPxSBHe_XZYqgRgu3Uz9s5yjfcTr0ZU4XaEvsktm8acTV_ca1k1FkWLGDCEaRj-Pz9d73MHj9qPJKrqC7-Olj4in3lNK9/s1600/EFH_7532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I-KMU5E1UCKt46ocWROggpwzeAhtdkuQOTVWfFxlEzEJKvziPxSBHe_XZYqgRgu3Uz9s5yjfcTr0ZU4XaEvsktm8acTV_ca1k1FkWLGDCEaRj-Pz9d73MHj9qPJKrqC7-Olj4in3lNK9/s400/EFH_7532.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Further along the catwalk, looking over the fermenters back at the brewhouse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Sw6wk1rlgXcVVfSFxX8Z03zF0hnEynmyedO3xiJq-T5oKnA4QuQ08hTaLGt1Gl9Odbbg_ahFGUQWZkUhsljWq2TfjxBVeWLiMT9vvJ7AdZvRfPmcZjbrcXpgean6K8729twWlRVi0Oi/s1600/EFH_7533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Sw6wk1rlgXcVVfSFxX8Z03zF0hnEynmyedO3xiJq-T5oKnA4QuQ08hTaLGt1Gl9Odbbg_ahFGUQWZkUhsljWq2TfjxBVeWLiMT9vvJ7AdZvRfPmcZjbrcXpgean6K8729twWlRVi0Oi/s400/EFH_7533.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan and I are standing in what will be the rooftop drinking area, looking at Denali in the distance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN736tTbF_2xx-F6Wjy1LVotjRq1VILEdgf9885i2Lj1ztk960u8hfWlbmJs9RyIBV-KmHWby_AZvmF5JbCz4L0OIYPkdodNvZfr0uWsDxg8Zf6da76grha1Smf58ERIC5ZTqNThxKsj70/s1600/EFH_7537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN736tTbF_2xx-F6Wjy1LVotjRq1VILEdgf9885i2Lj1ztk960u8hfWlbmJs9RyIBV-KmHWby_AZvmF5JbCz4L0OIYPkdodNvZfr0uWsDxg8Zf6da76grha1Smf58ERIC5ZTqNThxKsj70/s400/EFH_7537.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This third story room will eventually be an event space. Check out the view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboU2edZcyhjBVT-AxO6NAQjlV4An7Vf0F4GUdK1TBLbGhPLTLcXdZRE6JD5eFcvuBD1XsfEW1LTs62qeOdBrW08FtTaz0fiFa3KNzqh5b5DJce9H4MkdaXzbHiL-KE4KAK3u07rtgiOhc/s1600/EFH_7544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="717" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboU2edZcyhjBVT-AxO6NAQjlV4An7Vf0F4GUdK1TBLbGhPLTLcXdZRE6JD5eFcvuBD1XsfEW1LTs62qeOdBrW08FtTaz0fiFa3KNzqh5b5DJce9H4MkdaXzbHiL-KE4KAK3u07rtgiOhc/s400/EFH_7544.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tap room on the ground floor is open for business!</td></tr>
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So there you have it. A brand-new brewery, a well-established farmhouse brewery, a brand-new beer garden, and a brand-new facility. Craft brewing in Alaska is certainly on the upswing these days.<br />
<br />
Be sure to listen to my radio show <b><i>Drinking on the Last Frontier</i></b> on Saturday, July 28th, at 11 am on KDLL 91.9 FM. I'll be interviewing Grant Yutrzenka of <b>Resolution Brewing</b> and Jake & James Wade of <b>Bearpaw River Brewing</b>. If you can't listen to it live, you can download the recorded show at <a href="http://www.kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">http://www.kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier</a> shortly after it's broadcast.<br />
<br />
Finally, if you happen to live in the Central Kenia Peninsula, I'll be teaching my beer class again this fall semester at Kenai Peninsula College in Soldotna. We always have a great time, so please consider it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKWybGWSVNDTkFoG9hYznEfUI0G2-b_S-o6qffTFsUtp5CU7eNECaXlZkjilk9S49Mkoh0PwYJFREho6HVt5IHu5yV5v6v1cAvIMbjsIUnpEHampqJDPSJoNDI0Uxt_yNKFN0PUg0az2V/s1600/2018+beer+class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKWybGWSVNDTkFoG9hYznEfUI0G2-b_S-o6qffTFsUtp5CU7eNECaXlZkjilk9S49Mkoh0PwYJFREho6HVt5IHu5yV5v6v1cAvIMbjsIUnpEHampqJDPSJoNDI0Uxt_yNKFN0PUg0az2V/s640/2018+beer+class.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-7790365697464874622018-07-10T09:40:00.000-08:002018-07-10T10:31:31.218-08:0010 Years of BloggingAs I'm sure at least some of you have noticed, this blog has been inactive for over eight months, with my last post being on November 1, 2017. I'm very sorry that I haven't really had the time to do it justice, mainly because I went back to school full-time and also started doing my monthly radio show, <b><i>Drinking on the Last Frontier</i></b>, on KDLL FM 91.9. By the way, if you haven't checked my show out yet, I'd really encourage you to do so. You can find the recorded shows at <a href="http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier</a>. I'm still hoping to get back to this blog on a more regular basis, but that's not happening right now.<br />
<br />
All that being said, I couldn't let today pass without comment, as it's the 10th anniversary of my first post on the blog, way back in 2008. At that time I had absolutely no idea what it would lead to, but from that small beginning has come (so far):<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Publishing four books on beer (and a fifth in progress)</li>
<li>Writing a long-running monthly beer column for <b><i>The Redoubt Reporter</i></b></li>
<li>Being named the 2010 Beerdrinker of the Year</li>
<li>Becoming the Alaska columnist for <b><i>Northwest Brewing News</i></b></li>
<li>Writing articles for several other magazines and websites</li>
<li>My monthly radio show</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Over the last ten years, I've made 367 blog posts (not counting this one). So even taking the last eight months off, I've still averaged better than 3 posts a month for a decade. Take it from me, that's a lot of writing. Some of it was even pretty good if I do say so myself.<br />
<br />
Looking back, it also amazes me how much the beer scene in our state has changed since 2008. Just look at the (partial?) list of breweries that have opened in that time:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>49th State Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>HooDoo Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Last Frontier Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Arkose Brewery</b></li>
<li><b>Bleeding Heart Brewery</b></li>
<li><b>Bearpaw River Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Matanuska Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Resolution Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Anchorage Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>King Street Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Odd Man Rush Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Denali Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Gakona Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Seward Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Grace Ridge Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Cooper Landing Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Girdwood Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Icy Straits Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Devil's Club Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Barnaby Brewing</b></li>
<li><b>Cynosure Brewing</b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
In that same time, we've had only two "close":<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Great Bear (now Last Frontier)</b></li>
<li><b>Snow Goose/Sleeping Lady (now 49th State - Anchorage)</b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Alaska has more than doubled its number of breweries in a decade, and more are on the way, with <b>Turnagain Brewing</b> set to open in four days and <b>Baleen Brewing</b> not far behind. It's certainly been a great time to be a beer blogger.<br />
<br />
The next decade promises to be interesting as well. While there is still room for small breweries to enter the market, the limited amount of retail shelf space and tap handles suggest to me that competition between the mid-size packaging breweries can only intensify. Meanwhile, bar owners are beginning to feel the competitive pressure from brewery taprooms. Their recent attempt to hijack SB 76 to hamstring direct brewery sales is likely just the first salvo in what may become an intense effort to use the power of the state to their business advantage, requiring an organized campaign in response. At the same time, the state's sluggish economy will encourage local and state government to try to find new revenue streams to tap, such as increasing the already high taxes on alcohol.<br />
<br />
Put it all together and you definitely have a recipe for "interesting times."<br />
<br />
In conclusion, I'd like to thank you, my readers, for hanging around and reading my blog. It's always gratifying we I bump into someone and they tell me "Hey, I read your stuff" or "I heard you on the radio." It makes me feel like the time I spend trying to put all this together is well spent. So thanks again, you folks keep drinking good local craft beer, and I'll do my best to keep writing about it.<br />
<br />
Cheers!<br />
<br />
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<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-74126390736128244872017-11-01T13:11:00.000-08:002017-11-01T13:11:40.179-08:00The First of NovemberSo, in spite of my best efforts, it's been over three weeks since my last blog. Oh well, what can I say?Part of the reason is the other <b><i>Drinking on the Last Frontier</i></b>, my monthly radio show. If you missed my broadcast on last Saturday, October 28th, you can listen to a recording of it on the KDLL website. Just click on this <a href="http://kdll.org/post/october-2017-new-cooper-landing-brews-taboo-beer-labeling-and-splash-science">link</a>.<br />
<br />
By the way, my radio show received an Honorable Mention in the Broadcast/Podcast Category of the <b><i>2017 North American Guild of Beer Writers Awards</i></b>. Winners were announced on Friday, October 6th, at the <b><i>Great American Beer Festival</i></b> in Denver. You can see a complete list of this year's awards <a href="http://nagbw.org/page-1178893/5300421">here</a>. So if you haven't listened to it yet, you might want to check it out.<br />
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There's been a fair amount of beer news since my last blog. Let's hit some highlights.<br />
<br />
<b>Denali Brewing Company</b> received a Small Business of the Year Award from the Alaska Chamber of Commerce. Here's its press release:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Denali Brewing is proud to announce that we have won the 2017 Bill Bivin Small Business Award from the Alaska Chamber of Commerce! This award pays tribute to businesses that exemplify leadership, ethics and organization. Our brewery’s achievements are directly related to the dedication and passion of our employees. We’d like to express our gratitude to our community, customers, and the Chamber for their constant support, enthusiasm, and love of locally made craft beer."</blockquote>
<br />
Owner/Founder Sassan Mossanen has also been busy. In July he traveled to Beijing, China to brew with <b>Jing-A Brewing</b>. Their joint effort was released this month. It's called <i>Mead Me in the Middle (Kingdom)</i>, a 9% braggot brewed with chasteberry honey from a nature reserve in the hills west of Beijing. Then in September brewers from <b>Nogne O Brewery </b>in Norway visited Talkeetna and helped brew a <i>Sea Truffle Gose</i>. Sea truffles are a rare delicacy harvested on the southern coast of Norway. Other ingredients included Himalayan sea salt and coriander.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJq4vZaF-uC8ceUm8xuYFXeP_-XT3bT2CQ9a_FlNsXbDGB21GwDUow-Q4-pieavvR_-zta_rheSc2PogoOVY179Wn9vKYIT4ZECdddNpPV8IycUvFI3pObrcJyTDanRkCwGMcD2oPCmP5x/s1600/22886116_10156734997014128_3219276481231361838_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJq4vZaF-uC8ceUm8xuYFXeP_-XT3bT2CQ9a_FlNsXbDGB21GwDUow-Q4-pieavvR_-zta_rheSc2PogoOVY179Wn9vKYIT4ZECdddNpPV8IycUvFI3pObrcJyTDanRkCwGMcD2oPCmP5x/s640/22886116_10156734997014128_3219276481231361838_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Denali Brewing Company</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As part of my radio show, I drove over to Cooper Landing to interview Nelz Barnett of <b>Cooper Landing Brewing Company</b>. You can listen to the interview using the link above, but here are some photos that I took.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeOezvuBmWmrcleUJoMXK_6kf8HNOecRQUATQiZ7kMmcGyFPz842d7zjzjPVEHeKRwonbvwKNMQ4blpxnVlmCSN3gF_sUjuEukPVQFnuqVMFSju91HfYJMkjwQScavMuZ902Hyfpp-vaX/s1600/IMG_1349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeOezvuBmWmrcleUJoMXK_6kf8HNOecRQUATQiZ7kMmcGyFPz842d7zjzjPVEHeKRwonbvwKNMQ4blpxnVlmCSN3gF_sUjuEukPVQFnuqVMFSju91HfYJMkjwQScavMuZ902Hyfpp-vaX/s400/IMG_1349.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exterior of Cooper Landing Brewing Co.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOJLWLGk0i-CuoSSkyXlwwfDvUpbEXsvN5s15REM5D65fGVt2_3qYs6aUGCuy5IfSaeWPnWbZUbXCNwJi1vGlo7D2y0ic_LdtQjhwVshMInUF1apuL3DBO5Yn9gVRK-NxeFe3-l-oX3Fm/s1600/IMG_1347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOJLWLGk0i-CuoSSkyXlwwfDvUpbEXsvN5s15REM5D65fGVt2_3qYs6aUGCuy5IfSaeWPnWbZUbXCNwJi1vGlo7D2y0ic_LdtQjhwVshMInUF1apuL3DBO5Yn9gVRK-NxeFe3-l-oX3Fm/s400/IMG_1347.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The interior of Cooper Landing Brewing Co.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkomG-RhHvU5AeIVljbCOALHP8nM460j7mV4sly_Au8K2eJKl1k7t-1lu_QQklUDIFs2fn4We1ijnTh64gYsd1HQYdcGMs0Y3NS8BIrKRmfp7NuanDzxEfosmXgM06sQdyk_EXnEJ899j/s400/IMG_1346.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelz Barnett and Assitant Brewer Charlie next to his brewing system.</td></tr>
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<b>Cooper Landing's</b> beers are on sale in crowlers at <b><i>Wildman's Liquors</i></b> in Cooper Landing and should be on tap soon at the <b><i>Sunrise Inn</i></b>.<br />
<br />
<b>HooDoo Brewing Company</b> in Fairbanks celebrated its 5th Anniversary on Halloween. Congratulation to Bobby Wilken and the rest of the crew, and best wishes for the next five years!<br />
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<br />
<b>Anchorage Brewing Company'</b>s <i><b>Deal With the Devil Day</b></i> was apparently a big success. It even received covered from <a href="http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Hundreds-travel-from-across-the-US-to-buy-a-rare-Alaskan-ale-453957233.html">KTUU Channel 2</a>. The brewery sold 443 boxed sets at $300 each. People began lining up the evening before, camping out in the brewery's parking lot in 30-degree weather. Gabe Fletcher estimated that over 120 people flew into town just to purchase the six-bottle box set.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUH27wrpE7TEJBzturvIbRUvI-6TvABl4YlNqgz7HVPKCqgh_-COaHXTG44UqprPlLbNRW2ejdY-hml4RWBsdwJEJpydaFokhnlINKTNMcGKzLr1qQ9yi-ca6btqTheAb2MOKmsjMcBjhC/s1600/22853016_1403537973097756_2250194491253630472_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUH27wrpE7TEJBzturvIbRUvI-6TvABl4YlNqgz7HVPKCqgh_-COaHXTG44UqprPlLbNRW2ejdY-hml4RWBsdwJEJpydaFokhnlINKTNMcGKzLr1qQ9yi-ca6btqTheAb2MOKmsjMcBjhC/s400/22853016_1403537973097756_2250194491253630472_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Co.</td></tr>
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<b>QUAKE! Brewing Company</b> has announced that it will be closing for the season Saturday, November 4th. During <b>QUAKE!’s</b> off-season founder Danyelle will travel abroad; honing his skills, studying with various brewmasters, and continuing his education in the fine art of making beer. The<b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1942534375987791/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D"> Season Closing Party</a></i></b> will run from 3 to 8 PM.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6LLDI9g6NEL0aeNHnEQYmKQbqgVIHWgbuIrj74kJWsGVY_cfjNVsq2huXn_mUGaQ_P2pLm_EA6vkt3tguBJ5R3U7Hg_Zly1Qk8gr4RmJh_MwakO4r3NxnbDj7utQ0qDx2s1C8dKgtLee/s1600/22829359_1501588273254910_4777301288477792292_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6LLDI9g6NEL0aeNHnEQYmKQbqgVIHWgbuIrj74kJWsGVY_cfjNVsq2huXn_mUGaQ_P2pLm_EA6vkt3tguBJ5R3U7Hg_Zly1Qk8gr4RmJh_MwakO4r3NxnbDj7utQ0qDx2s1C8dKgtLee/s400/22829359_1501588273254910_4777301288477792292_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of QUAKE! brewing.</td></tr>
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<b><i>La Bodega's</i></b> annual <b><i><a href="http://bodegafest.com/">Bodega-Fest</a></i></b> will be taking place on Saturday, November 11th, from 5 to 9 PM, at the Alaska Aviation Museum. This year, it will feature brews from <b>Kodiak Island Brewing Company</b>; these beers seldom make it off The Rock, so this is a wonderful opportunity to taste them <u>without</u> having to fly to Kodiak! Tickets are available online for $35 each, $45 at the door.<br />
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Also on November 11th, <b>Kenai River Brewing Company</b> will be hosting its first <b><i>Fall Beer Dinner</i></b>. Tickets cost $70, which includes the gratuity, but if you don't have yours already, you're out of luck, as the event sold out in less than an hour! Menu for it includes Braised Pork Belly over a crispy rice cake, Maple Bacon Salad, Butternut Squash Bisque, 8 oz. Beef Fillet topped with crab compound butter, along with roasted red & purple potatoes and asparagus with a bearnaise sauce, plus dessert. I've got my ticket, so I'll be sure to paste some photos for people to drool over...<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing Company</b> in Anchorage has announced that it has a new head brewer. Sean Jackson has been an assistant brewer at <b>Midnight Sun</b> for several years and is now heading up the brewing team. Former head brewer Lee Ellis has become <b>Midnight Sun’s</b> Chief of Brewing Operations. Ellis became head brewer in 2012, after being an assistant brewer for several years. <b>Midnight Sun</b> has also begun selling its newest flagship beer, <i>Wolf Pack Pilsner</i>, in 6- and 12-packs of 12 oz. cans. It's available here on the Peninsula at <b><i>Country Liquors</i></b>; see below for my review.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cJJOdaHi9j2D_oRETWm5di8jU_xZkwweE4s5O6ifuOnRMBMw3HHu49R5umcmen_6Wa1g6JjqAdJ7pELrWXMwJDUBLWDU7ri3aWcapQ7RxDvhg9Qo34OzBtWnNMEhQo56N2NZa-t5bJld/s1600/22405564_1712219668789611_7370771887377878192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cJJOdaHi9j2D_oRETWm5di8jU_xZkwweE4s5O6ifuOnRMBMw3HHu49R5umcmen_6Wa1g6JjqAdJ7pELrWXMwJDUBLWDU7ri3aWcapQ7RxDvhg9Qo34OzBtWnNMEhQo56N2NZa-t5bJld/s400/22405564_1712219668789611_7370771887377878192_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun Brewing Company</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b> <b>Alaska Brewing Company</b>’s <i>Heritage Coffee Brown Al</i>e was awarded a gold medal at the <b><i>Great American Beer Festival</i></b> in Denver, Colorado. There were 89 entrants in the Coffee Beer category this year. <b>Alaskan</b> has also released its <i>2017 Smoked Porter</i>; just weeks after the 2016 vintage received a Gold Award for Strong Smoke Beer at the <b><i>European Beer Star Awards</i></b>. First brewed by <b>Alaskan</b> in 1988, <i>Smoked Porter</i> is a pioneer of the American smoked beer movement and has won more medals at the <b><i>Great American Beer Festival</i></b> than any other beer in history.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgzwgkbGbTsbB9YoIkEgtzpyuMw3SlPXsLP1fDbrLKmJ0VrzAYmr13srUTKlpj5jt9DENb6xhXZD0-Jh9BaGk2P4KRn0P_wtpCGXhg90xH2z80IbAUiay5h41CMrQW6F3UESU7mGiIyNN/s1600/22279789_10156699903198082_2911125866350016950_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgzwgkbGbTsbB9YoIkEgtzpyuMw3SlPXsLP1fDbrLKmJ0VrzAYmr13srUTKlpj5jt9DENb6xhXZD0-Jh9BaGk2P4KRn0P_wtpCGXhg90xH2z80IbAUiay5h41CMrQW6F3UESU7mGiIyNN/s640/22279789_10156699903198082_2911125866350016950_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Alaskan Brewing Co.</td></tr>
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So that's it for news, let's do some reviews.<br />
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<b>Kenai River Brewing's</b> <i>2017 Winter Warlock Old Ale</i>: Released on October 1st of each year, this is <b>Kenai River's </b>renowned old ale. It's brewed each October and then cold-conditioned for a year before being released the following 1 October. This year's version poured a slightly cloudy honey color with a nice, cream-colored head. The aroma has lots of clean malt flavor. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium. The flavor profile is definitely malt forward and clean, with enough bitterness to balance. It's another excellent batch of the <i>Winter Warlock</i>. 9% ABV.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's</b> <i>2017 Oktoberfest Lager</i>: This year's version of this traditional lager poured a lovely clear red/copper color with a nice, cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The nose had plenty clean malt & caramel notes. Carbonation was good, and mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was classic marzen - clean malt, caramel notes, and a balanced hoppiness. Another excellent lager from<b> St. Elias Brewing</b>. 6% ABV, 20 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Broken Tooth Brewing's</b> <i>Hive Mind Tripel</i>: This limited release poured a clear copper color with a dense, off-white head. The aroma had the spicy, peppery notes you'd expect from a Belgian yeast. Mouthfeel was light thanks to the use of honey, and the carbonation was excellent. On the palate there were nice fruity notes; overall, the flavor was excellent. A delicious tripel from <b>Broken Tooth</b>! 9.5% ABV, 21 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing's</b> <i>Wolf Pack Pilsner</i>: This is the newest flagship beer from <i>Midnight Sun</i>. It pours a clear gold with a small white head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was mainly clean malt notes, with little hop presence. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was maltier than a typical Czech or Bohemian pilsner. It's hopped with Galaxy and Hersbrocker hops, but just enough for balance. 5% ABV, 34 IBUs.<br />
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Well, that's it for this time around. Winter is definitely on its way, which means everyone will be releasing their big winter beers, so keep an eye out for them on the shelves. Soon it will be time to start drinking all those imperial stouts and barley wines!<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!<br />
<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-81117131422072169902017-10-04T14:09:00.000-08:002017-10-04T14:09:26.650-08:00Back in the Saddle AgainHello! It's been quite some time since I got one of these blog posts up; more than a month, in fact, which is a long time, even for me. For those of you who have been wondering, let me tell you what happened. In early September, I had some minor surgery on my right hand. After several months of going back and forth with the Veterans Administration, I finally got in to see a hand surgeon, who did an MRI and then told me I had a tumor on a tendon in my right forefinger. It was benign (fortunately), but it had to come out. After the surgery, here's what my finger looked like:<br />
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As you might imagine, I haven't able to use my right hand very well for several weeks. Since I'm right-handed, this has made it very hard to hold a pen or even type very much. What little typing I was able to do, I had to dedicate to my college courses, as I've gone back to school and am taking 12 credits. Something had to give, and it was this blog. So there, that's my excuse.<br />
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The good news is that my finger is pretty close to 100% now, and I'm more or less caught up with everything, so it's time to get this blog out again! Lots of stuff has happened while I was out of action, and I can't begin to cover it all in detail, so let me do my best to hit the high points. Then I'm going to move to beer reviews. While I couldn't use my hand much for anything else, it was still capable of holding a beer glass, so I've got thirteen beer reviews to pass along. But first, let's do some news:<br />
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<b>2nd Annual Alaska Day Beer Festival in Sitka: </b>It's on October 18, as part of the Alaska Day celebrations. It will be held in historic Totem Square in Sitka. All proceeds from this up and coming event will go to support the new Sitka History Museum which plans to open soon.<br />
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<b>Quake Brewing Company</b> has finally opened. The Grand Opening at its Wasilla location was on September 8th.<br />
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<b>Cooper Landing Brewing </b>is also open. See reviews of two of its beers below. Crowlers are on sale periodically at <b><i>Wildman's Liquor</i></b> in Cooper Landing.<br />
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<b>HooDoo Brewing </b>opened its new outdoor beer garden on September 16th with a ribbon-cutting by the mayor of Fairbanks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of HooDoo Brewing</td></tr>
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<b>Kodiak Island Brewing Company</b> has begun offering its beers in 32 oz. crowler cans. The cans come in both single-use and refillable versions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpU1kkJal-crZkO_SMjm-CtaSUpYGJ_JCyKocjCOVGZBTiF9BATIXZ5wFdcujsh3WKMHWrDFvYwTP05M3yhsh4iLaWaXDftY7i4sGRviGinuTaTPVRLv1wv9XPCnaeOPHBiet_dyEGySx/s1600/21741135_10155492519310926_2281815344406717044_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpU1kkJal-crZkO_SMjm-CtaSUpYGJ_JCyKocjCOVGZBTiF9BATIXZ5wFdcujsh3WKMHWrDFvYwTP05M3yhsh4iLaWaXDftY7i4sGRviGinuTaTPVRLv1wv9XPCnaeOPHBiet_dyEGySx/s400/21741135_10155492519310926_2281815344406717044_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Kodiak Island Brewing</td></tr>
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing</b> released the second beer in its Wild Adventures series on September 16: <i>Sporter</i>, a sour porter brewed with wild yeast and aged in oak barrels. It weighs in at 7.5% ABV. Any day now should see the release of this year’s version of its Belgian-style barley wine, <i>Termination Dust</i>. The brewery has also received its order of cans for <i>Wolf Pack Pilsner</i> and will be releasing the canned version of that brew next Thursday at a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1452441518183550/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22page%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22page_upcoming_events_card%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A[]%7D]%22%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D">beer dinner</a> at The Lakefront Hotel in Anchorage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbbMoCMTEq-pAHErZblCaPnpMxcyEpg0waUGmwdS6kI5wYJkCSYswhP09G842gmxtwyak2eNzf-X5ABqgaHf7PDMRlhgAYD7aim6pCOHj-3_JyqYAcmzUF9j9YJM6TiVrO3Z_1kV0Mf5Q/s1600/21462977_1689970164347895_5950760054352101839_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbbMoCMTEq-pAHErZblCaPnpMxcyEpg0waUGmwdS6kI5wYJkCSYswhP09G842gmxtwyak2eNzf-X5ABqgaHf7PDMRlhgAYD7aim6pCOHj-3_JyqYAcmzUF9j9YJM6TiVrO3Z_1kV0Mf5Q/s640/21462977_1689970164347895_5950760054352101839_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
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<b>Bearpaw River Brewing</b> in Wasilla has purchased a canning line from Cask and has begun canning its <i>Frontiersman IPA</i> and <i>Mat Maid Milk Stout</i> in six packs of 12 oz. cans. The brewery has also released a new beer for draft distribution -- <i>Hatcher Pass Pale Ale</i>, weighing in at 5% ABV and 35 IBU. This is a beer will be released in 12oz 6-packs, most likely next spring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwftggU55GZBwRwfDm1oSoIub8tvkyPyFNIubw76dQFueyz99uISnqaAw6xFs3TYDR5TIpEHEobWSvP80zn4tbgIH3VL7kJg4C14ggzLNacrvT_mAKVHNOqv0Pf6Z5BSSMnjLJKfG5TY4/s1600/Frontiersman+IPA+cans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwftggU55GZBwRwfDm1oSoIub8tvkyPyFNIubw76dQFueyz99uISnqaAw6xFs3TYDR5TIpEHEobWSvP80zn4tbgIH3VL7kJg4C14ggzLNacrvT_mAKVHNOqv0Pf6Z5BSSMnjLJKfG5TY4/s400/Frontiersman+IPA+cans.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Bearpaw River Brewing</td></tr>
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Kevin Burton, the long-time head brewer at <b>Glacier BrewHouse</b> in Anchorage, has left that job. Burton became head brewer there in 2001 and has overseen over 4500 brews since then. Burton is now the Operating Partner at the new <b>Matanuska Brewing Company</b> in Palmer. The facility build-out is almost complete and plans are to produce the first batch of beer no later than January 2018.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubfOYlLOYpLOshkarfLhLsefkKcz6yipucOPAA54Df_XDUom1332O9gq0SnmgskTompahzslrH2pxXl9e9HjwAN2jzXX9q0ZD01ySisJtUUqc3LNIBwXW4nJhl7lfctDdNNmjuoJLKXDg/s1600/21151650_10155832954264742_6127897006899730401_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubfOYlLOYpLOshkarfLhLsefkKcz6yipucOPAA54Df_XDUom1332O9gq0SnmgskTompahzslrH2pxXl9e9HjwAN2jzXX9q0ZD01ySisJtUUqc3LNIBwXW4nJhl7lfctDdNNmjuoJLKXDg/s640/21151650_10155832954264742_6127897006899730401_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse</td></tr>
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<b>Alaska Brewing</b> has added last year’s popular seasonal, <i>Husky IPA</i> to its year-round offerings. The beer features Mosaic hops and has an unmistakable tropical and fruity aroma. See my review on 1/27/2017. <b>Alaskan</b> will also be having a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/313529192455472/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D">beer dinner</a> on October 15th at <b><i>Fire Tap</i></b> in Anchorage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOa8f9ZtElXZIgyKDnIpvUAvue81zJM91iyXNSbUmPSGDHlHX0Xv6hyphenhyphenaINd0CIOB6l9MY47rumnIaIlMJ1UXAxGJci66sAVSdw-NSwupJMLnjL88aM9LcbeFk91dJtJR-yQ6RSj-ZyQy9/s1600/22089632_10159421963225261_8089841379189735834_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="590" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOa8f9ZtElXZIgyKDnIpvUAvue81zJM91iyXNSbUmPSGDHlHX0Xv6hyphenhyphenaINd0CIOB6l9MY47rumnIaIlMJ1UXAxGJci66sAVSdw-NSwupJMLnjL88aM9LcbeFk91dJtJR-yQ6RSj-ZyQy9/s400/22089632_10159421963225261_8089841379189735834_n.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Construction on <b>King Street Brewing</b>'s new home seems to be progressing well. Here's photo that was posted on September 29th.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7haUQ0t9qfRJJXLf8-O_4AZScsZFvaHKS1y8xs_JQmpdeBGbos9-xqEMSy8Fodwca3PNshc_xfF_n6EAv9qlBVDdcznnd16577D1B3BvGohJ0dhqaFwvUt9hR5lf8DATG2eskgyBzggz/s1600/22104728_1803552823006313_6287754800628987248_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7haUQ0t9qfRJJXLf8-O_4AZScsZFvaHKS1y8xs_JQmpdeBGbos9-xqEMSy8Fodwca3PNshc_xfF_n6EAv9qlBVDdcznnd16577D1B3BvGohJ0dhqaFwvUt9hR5lf8DATG2eskgyBzggz/s400/22104728_1803552823006313_6287754800628987248_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of King Street Brewing</td></tr>
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<b>Kenai River Brewing</b> released this year's version of its <i>Winter Warlock Old Ale</i> on Sunday, October 1st. This beer is brewed each October and then cold-conditioned for almost a year before being released on 1 October. I will have a review of this year's release in my next blog.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeWPIQmZuKvfQdo6tcYL01BkUKCu1VoNTrI4SrsD9JwTqmSheH6bVBdvLo6XvwmWT94WxVANpccVDcMcSz4g_9QC4PHhrtH5XGgA_OX99PNGPAUOf3OyQN4tmPdLmatN14k2uMtPffuDP/s1600/22089216_10159426336720607_5505818022859006550_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeWPIQmZuKvfQdo6tcYL01BkUKCu1VoNTrI4SrsD9JwTqmSheH6bVBdvLo6XvwmWT94WxVANpccVDcMcSz4g_9QC4PHhrtH5XGgA_OX99PNGPAUOf3OyQN4tmPdLmatN14k2uMtPffuDP/s400/22089216_10159426336720607_5505818022859006550_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing</td></tr>
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That's it for the highlights. I'm sure I missed some great stuff, so if I missed something of yours, please accept my apologies. I plan to go into much more detail in my next blog.<br />
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Let's do those promised beer reviews.<br />
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<b>Alaskan Brewing'</b>s <i>Mocha Milk Stout</i>: It poured opaque with a nice tan head. The aroma had notes of both coffee and sweet malt. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium, with lots of body. There were lots of good, roasted notes, but they were balanced by the sweetness from the malt and the lactose. It also well away to a nice finish that invited another sip. Quite delicious. 7% ABV.<br />
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<b>Boon's</b> <i>Oude Geuze Black Label (2nd edition)</i>: This beer used to only be available in Belgium, and I enjoyed it on my last visit to that country some 17 years ago. Now it is being imported to the US, which is excellent news for lovers of lambics! It poured a clear red-gold in color, with a nice head that dissipated to a collar. The aroma had the tart notes you expect from a proper geuze. Carbonation was good, though not as good as is typical for the style, and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was spot on for the classic traditional geuze: light, tart, bone dry, super complex, and effervescant. This is truly a superb beer. As a bonus, I got to use my lambic basket... 6.4% ABV.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's</b> <i>Black Widow Russian Imperial Stout</i>: This beer was aged for a year in <i>Wild Turkey</i> bourbon barrels. It poured opaque with a small tan head. The aroma had noted of sweet malt, bourbon, and oak. Carbonation was okay, and the mouthfeel was heavy and chewy. Big Russian Imperial stout flavors up front; first the sweet notes, then the roasted elements, with the oak and bourbon coming in at the finish. Another excellent barrel-aged beer from Zach Henry.<br />
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<b>Sierra Nevada's</b> <i>2017 Oktoberfest with Brewhaus Miltenberger</i>: This year's collaboration Oktoberfest brew from <b>Sierra Nevada</b>. It poured a lovely light copper color with a nice white head. The nose had a nice blend of clean malty and German hops notes. Mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was good. On the palate, there were the classic bready notes, balanced with a nice amount of hops. An excellent example of this classic seasonal. 6.1% ABV.<br />
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<b>Arkose Brewery's</b> <i>Ovis Belgian-style Golden Ale</i>: It poured a slightly cloudy gold, with a white head that dissipated to a collar. The aroma had light hop notes. Mouthfeel was light, and the carbonation was good. Nice balance between the maltiness and hop bitterness, with the hops winning through on the finish. 9% ABV, 35 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Cooper Landing Brewing's</b> <i>Pale Ale</i>: It poured a clear honey color with a nice white head. The nose had plenty of American hop notes, plus some malt elements. Good carbonation and a light mouthfeel. Good malt backbone, but plenty of American hop flavors. A very nice American Pale Ale and an excellent piece of work from a brand-new brewery. 5.8% ABV<br />
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<b>Black Market Brewing's</b> <i>David's Belgian Golden Blonde Ale</i>: It poured a clear gold color with a big white head. The aroma had the classic spicy, peppery notes of a Belgian yeast. Mouthfeel was light, and carbonation was good. On the palate, there were some phenolic notes from the Belgian yeast, but overall the flavors seemed slightly muddy and indistinct. There are much better Belgian-style golden ales out there, so I can't really recommend this one. 7.7% ABV<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqQap1xjQW9Fr-rB9_kPq7Z_OnVpWX3-XcgUAyjAPlB7waPMQ7PuXIhspVxjB37Dgz28auN8QMZrV3A-buo3KTocyuMMGCPJ1NxYzrLyLEYxsnsnqPQdhzv-lJC18DPYaX5BNbdcqeMKT/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqQap1xjQW9Fr-rB9_kPq7Z_OnVpWX3-XcgUAyjAPlB7waPMQ7PuXIhspVxjB37Dgz28auN8QMZrV3A-buo3KTocyuMMGCPJ1NxYzrLyLEYxsnsnqPQdhzv-lJC18DPYaX5BNbdcqeMKT/s640/IMG_1329.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's</b> <i>Simple Porter</i>: It poured dark but with some ruby highlights and a nice tan head. The nose had notes of chocolate and roasted malt. Mouthfeel was medium and the carbonation was good. Very nice balance between the malt and hop notes, very clean. Overall, a straight-ahead porter, but delicious none the same. 5.4% ABV, 46 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Founder's Brewing's</b> <i>ReDankulous Imperial Red IPA</i>: It poured a clear dark red with a cream-colored head. The nose had lots of piney, resiny hop notes. The mouthfeel was light, and the carbonation was good. There was nice upfront bitterness, followed by good hop flavor. Frankly, it tasted like a slightly amped up version of Midnight Sun Brewing's Sockeye Red IPA. 9.5%, 95 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Cooper Landing Brewing's</b> <i>Backroller IPA</i>: It poured the color of honey with a nice, off-white head. The aroma had lots of piney, resiny Northwest hops in it. The initial bitter attack was nice, followed by good clean hop flavor. An excellent American IPA from the newest brewery on the Peninsula. 7% ABV.<br />
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<b>Deschutes Brewing's</b> <i>2016 Abyss Russian Imperial Stout</i>: Last year's version of this reliably excellent beer. It poured opaque with a nice tan head. The aroma had lots of coffee and molassess notes. Mouthfeel was medium and the carbonation was good. Great flavor profile, with tons of big roasted malt flavors. As always, another excellent year for <i>The Abyss</i>! 11.1% ABV, 80 IBUs.<br />
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The next two beers, both from <b>Kenai River Brewing</b>, are made using a new hop, Experimental #727. This hop is typically described as having dank or resiny flavors, unlike the tropical fruit notes which have recently become so popular in hops.<br />
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<b>Kenai River Brewing's</b> <i>Experimental #727 Single Hop IPA</i>: It poured a clear copper color with a nice cream-colored head. The aroma had lots of piney hops notes, very much to my taste. Carbonation was good, and mouthfeel was light. On the palate, there was nice clean hop bitterness up front followed by lots of dank, resiny hop flavors, just as advertised. Overall, I really liked this new hop and it made a great IPA. 7 % ABV, 70 IBUs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzBCjcLYXqb_F-VsfUixhPkZOU55hvbi584vmdLKxL639seijsYt6WDz8Z3s6YKIgeFsO0aLiAUrroXbiG8TW4W8EtUpkgdAIeXJA9uwZDO55hCH6D8dS2s1r03n2AjYwW0CCIo8nEo54/s1600/IMG_1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzBCjcLYXqb_F-VsfUixhPkZOU55hvbi584vmdLKxL639seijsYt6WDz8Z3s6YKIgeFsO0aLiAUrroXbiG8TW4W8EtUpkgdAIeXJA9uwZDO55hCH6D8dS2s1r03n2AjYwW0CCIo8nEo54/s640/IMG_1337.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Kenai River Brewing's</b> <i>Experimental #727 Imperial Rye Pale Ale (IRPA)</i>: This version was a deeper honey color and slightly cloudy, with a nice cream-colored head. The aroma had plenty of nice hop notes, again with lots of piney, Pacific Northwest character to them. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. There was plenty of bitterness, but it was well-balanced by the malt, and there was a touch of alcohol heat on the finish. A bigger version, weighing in at 11% ABV and 100 IBUS. I liked them both, though I think the IPA probably showcases the hop slightly better, as the IRPA has a lot more going on. Still, they are both excellent brews.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPDrSjMGHUhU_HsHz9XVlng9WkTaP20e1O-s2lY2U0QhjSrA4ZHw94kFEZuwZUN-E1JuRS-TOcSGpBlUTncH7RgX-jurXSbpxUr-wId_GQviMsNdFFLZjYTBTZjCnc1ewfVFC9RR-ryrO/s1600/IMG_1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPDrSjMGHUhU_HsHz9XVlng9WkTaP20e1O-s2lY2U0QhjSrA4ZHw94kFEZuwZUN-E1JuRS-TOcSGpBlUTncH7RgX-jurXSbpxUr-wId_GQviMsNdFFLZjYTBTZjCnc1ewfVFC9RR-ryrO/s640/IMG_1338.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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That's it for this blog, though hopefully not for this month! I'm going to try to get these out at least every two weeks, if not sooner. Meantime, remember to check out my monthly radio show, also called <b><i>Drinking on the Last Frontier</i></b>, on KDLL 91.9 FM Kenai Soldotna, Public Radio for the Central Peninsula. It's broadcast the last Saturday of each month at 11 AM, but if you miss it, recording of all the shows are available at <a href="http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier</a>.<br />
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So get out there an enjoy our fall weather will it lasts. It won't be much longer before we all have to start dealing with Old Man Winter.<br />
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Until Next Time. Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-82847216802954288602017-08-24T10:50:00.004-08:002017-08-24T10:50:40.830-08:00Summer's PassingWith all the rain we've been getting lately here on the Peninsula, it seems more like fall than the end of summer. Things are definitely heading in that direction, with schools starting back up and the fireweed in full bloom. Soon we'll start seeing pumpkin beers on the shelves again, a sure sign of the change of seasons.<br />
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The <b><i>Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival</i></b> was another big success, with <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> winning the People's Choice Award for Best Brewery (again! This is like 5 or 6 in a row, I think!) and newcomer <b>Girdwood Brewing</b> winning the People's Choice for Best Beer with it <i>No Woman No Cryo New England-style-IPA</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYCWnJ_HgJdMuFNB-nD6tmsBZ57lOb6N3wQtTmSmVQlxFeu2pyWHkpwEaaVbdKGWEeu7keSLgrSQN-rQriEZBW2yzKkAnqFj9J2oqPZtFAZoQdOpJzwuXdX3N4wItvr5r8kr1L0AdjjnI/s1600/20728372_10159209237980607_8265585477730480941_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYCWnJ_HgJdMuFNB-nD6tmsBZ57lOb6N3wQtTmSmVQlxFeu2pyWHkpwEaaVbdKGWEeu7keSLgrSQN-rQriEZBW2yzKkAnqFj9J2oqPZtFAZoQdOpJzwuXdX3N4wItvr5r8kr1L0AdjjnI/s400/20728372_10159209237980607_8265585477730480941_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZxc57lzzGiF2HS9_ben-8Eb0iSG3RmF1U9qg72t_4w2EDSYO_FHPvrGJAKA7TOoVOjOo3ow_ZyXNCa1ndEGXMduXHSI9KpJxbLrdxilluMMxrm0GW7SBMVO0p0iuA5dXo_z-y_bdzwhl/s1600/20799797_1519340714791192_8677337431184734883_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="960" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZxc57lzzGiF2HS9_ben-8Eb0iSG3RmF1U9qg72t_4w2EDSYO_FHPvrGJAKA7TOoVOjOo3ow_ZyXNCa1ndEGXMduXHSI9KpJxbLrdxilluMMxrm0GW7SBMVO0p0iuA5dXo_z-y_bdzwhl/s400/20799797_1519340714791192_8677337431184734883_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Girdwood Brewing</td></tr>
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Well done to Matt Pyhala and the rest of the Soldotna Rotary on a great festival. Looking forward to 2018, when I'm sure it will be even better.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/quakebrewing/?hc_ref=ARSDfx4y49KyWnCLThifVeKMCdeUPfr2L1Z-w5JxHnJaFYEt89DGtrtZ5NKnKZFIegc">QUAKE! Brewing</a></b> is open for business at last. The brewery is located at 1540 N. Shoreline Drive, Wasilla, AK 99654. Hours of operation are Wed - Fri = 5 - 8 pm, Sat - Sun = 12 - 8 pm. <b>QUAKE!</b> is also looking to hire a brewer; check out its Facebook page for more information.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPozvZgiX2fNpVGs3b7O4XaB03-kphuEud4BXZ3BLwIwFkPLPReFTXKA1R6FsOtsYdDRIX7yPK2eQ-AyMKfHFWwqDOUoU4mLvUWLW5KSh_wOk2aP593qXI0SW25BOICRnmRfWgUoCIwap/s1600/20840755_1317168455048334_2617446888529394636_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPozvZgiX2fNpVGs3b7O4XaB03-kphuEud4BXZ3BLwIwFkPLPReFTXKA1R6FsOtsYdDRIX7yPK2eQ-AyMKfHFWwqDOUoU4mLvUWLW5KSh_wOk2aP593qXI0SW25BOICRnmRfWgUoCIwap/s400/20840755_1317168455048334_2617446888529394636_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of QUAKE! brewing.</td></tr>
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With fall on its way, it won't be long before termination dust appears on the Chugach Mountains. When that happens, it's the signal for <b>Midnight Sun Brewing</b> to release its barrel-aged Belgian-style barley wine, <i>Termination Dust</i> (reviewed 11/10/2014). So keep an eye out for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnGzcwwEnggt-6eAv4mDtm7Oogse3K8-3i1YoNX7LEoZ_bg_M_bEWEmIE5I-BE14U4b_AVK47nWACPxuGEunKkYkyxJ6hZAHf6REPBXPDXTB016x-t0nvaWMtSsw3To67fJMVVvVPOYJ5/s1600/20954094_1662253773786201_16445738056359923_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="716" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnGzcwwEnggt-6eAv4mDtm7Oogse3K8-3i1YoNX7LEoZ_bg_M_bEWEmIE5I-BE14U4b_AVK47nWACPxuGEunKkYkyxJ6hZAHf6REPBXPDXTB016x-t0nvaWMtSsw3To67fJMVVvVPOYJ5/s400/20954094_1662253773786201_16445738056359923_n.jpg" width="357" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun Brewing</td></tr>
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With the growing concentration of distilleries, breweries, and a cidery in South Anchorage, a new tourist brochure, a bike trail map connecting all of them, has been published.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDoGbxeX9mKvWZCY7ajZIyTC4MmL0gHj4TQrXVEphGBd2PVtt4gN0f9SrmAbSDgvKFxjW-Lg2JmqNhrAdpNpxRIpGLZqw9ompJ-pR3aEkyK7s3NxBn1_m5UP0DOcFrdOvpo8LR-p4XeCB/s1600/20882691_1922871707979171_4351667272459765219_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDoGbxeX9mKvWZCY7ajZIyTC4MmL0gHj4TQrXVEphGBd2PVtt4gN0f9SrmAbSDgvKFxjW-Lg2JmqNhrAdpNpxRIpGLZqw9ompJ-pR3aEkyK7s3NxBn1_m5UP0DOcFrdOvpo8LR-p4XeCB/s400/20882691_1922871707979171_4351667272459765219_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Double Shovel </td></tr>
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<b>Anchorage Brewing</b> has announced new beer releases for tomorrow and Saturday. Here's what Gabe Fletcher had to say about it:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This Friday we will be releasing <i>ALIEN CHURCH IPA</i> in CANS! This is a beer that is made by Tired Hands Brewing in Pennsylvania. When Jean and Marty were up for The Culmination Festival we decided to brew an Anchorage version! ALSO, THE MASONRY WILL BE BACK WITH THERE WOOD FIRED OVEN cooking up some killer pizza! THEN on Saturday, we are releasing Cans of <i>COAST2COAST TRIPLE IPA</i>! This is our collaboration with Peter from OTHER HALF BREWING! It's a JUICY BEAST! Matt from THE MASONRY will be there all day Saturday as well! DON'T miss these releases! They are awesome and very limited!</blockquote>
Here's what the can labels will look like.<br />
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<b>Alaskan Brewin</b>g has expanded its distribution to the state of Illinois; this is the 20th state in which <b>Alaskan</b> sells it beers. <b>Alaskan</b> has also released a new beer in its Pilot Series: <i>Mocha Milk Stout.</i> It's on local store shelves now, but I have not had a chance to review it yet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Alaskan Brewing</td></tr>
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<b><i><a href="http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">Drinking on the Last Frontie</a></i></b>r, my monthly radio show, will be broadcast this Saturday at 11 am on KDLL 91.9 FM. The show will focus on beer festivals, with extensive interviews from the <b><i>Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival</i></b>. If you can't listen to the broadcast, the recorded show will be available on the station's website, www.kdll.org.<br />
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Don't forget the upcoming <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaCrafted/">Alaska Crafted Festival</a></i></b> (September 9), <b><i><a href="http://northernsusitnainstitute.org/nsi-gatherings-events/talkeetna-brewfest/">Talkeetna Brewfest</a></i></b> (September 16), and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CapBrewfest/"><b><i>Capital Brewfest</i></b></a> (September 23). I've written about them in previous blogs, or you can follow these links for more information.<br />
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That's it for news. I've got five new beers to review this time.<br />
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<b>Black Market Brewing's</b> <i>Aftermath IPA</i>: It poured a clear gold with a huge white head; very highly carbonated. The nose has tons of citrusy American hops. The mouthfeel was quite light, especially from the high carbonation. The initial bitter attack was not too overwhelming, and it was followed by lots of citrusy hop flavor and aroma. If you really love Citra, this is the IPA for you! 5.8% ABV.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's</b> <i>Cokosesh IPA</i>: In the glass, it was a clear gold color with a nice white head. There was a nice hoppy aroma with only the slightest hint of toasted coconut from the dry hopping. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. There was nice upfront bitterness, followed by good hop flavor and aroma, before falling away to a nice, clean finish. The coconut was essentially undetectable, at least to my palate. A very nice session IPA, perfect for a sunny summer's day.<br />
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<b>Stone Brewing's</b> <i>Stone-Farking Wheaton Woot Stout</i>: I reviewed an earlier vintage of this beer on 7/23/2015. This one poured opaque with a small tan head that dissipated rapidly to a collar. The nose was mostly notes of sweet malt and caramel. The mouthfeel was heavy and thick, with okay carbonation. On the palate, the flavors were rich and oily, with roasted coffee notes and caramel predominant. It seemed a bit sweeter than your typical imperial stout. There was some alcohol heat noticeable on the finish. Overall, a pretty tasty RIS. 13% ABV.<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing's</b> <i>Rider Sour Pale Lager</i>: It poured a deep, slightly hazy gold with a wonderful off-white head. The nose had hints of brett funk, as well as a little oak, but nothing overwhelming. The carbonation was excellent and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile began with clean lager notes, followed by some brett tart funk, then oaky notes on the finish. This beer will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it! I applaud <b>Midnight Sun</b> for being willing to try something as different and experimental as this (as opposed to just pumping out another new IPA variant). Great job, and I'm eager to try the next beer in the Wild Adventures series! 8.7% ABV, 25 IBUs.<br />
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<b><a href="https://crazymountainbrewery.com/">Crazy Mountain Brewing's</a></b> <i>Lawyers, Guns, & Money Barley Wine</i>: I stumbled on this at <b><i>Country Liquors</i></b> in Kenai. This new brewery from Colorado has just started to distribute here in Alaska, so I picked up a four-pack of cans of this beer. It poured a slightly cloudy honey color with a cream-colored head. There was a fair amount of American hop aroma from dry hopping. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, the malt and bitterness were in fairly good balance. Overall, I rate it an okay beer, but not a spectacular example of the American Barley Wine style. 10% ABV, 56 IBUs.<br />
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That's it for this blog. Get out and enjoy these last days of summer if you can do so in between the rain showers. The snow will be here before you know it.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-38988389290591067792017-08-10T14:18:00.000-08:002017-08-10T14:18:39.471-08:00Festivals, Festivals!It's late summer here in Alaska, which seems to be just about everyone's favorite time to have a beer festival. There are two great ones coming up this weekend: the <b><i><a href="http://www.kenaibeerfest.com/">7th Annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1388244517922963/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D">Augtoberfest 2017</a></i></b>. I've written extensively about them both in recent blogs, so if you need any more information about either of them, you can find it there. I'll be taping interviews for my radio show at the Kenai Fest, so be sure to say hello if you see me there.<br />
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Besides <b><i>Augtoberfest</i></b>, <b>49th State Brewing </b>will also be taking part in another beer event in August. On Saturday, August 26th, the brewery and Major Marine Tours will be presenting the <b><i><a href="https://www.49statebrewing.com/2017/08/05/cruising-49er-style/">Blackwater Brew Cruise</a></i></b> out of Whittier.<br />
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On the subject of festivals, there will be several in September as well. In my last blog, I wrote about the <b><i><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/capital-brewfest-2017-juneau-alaska-tickets-35742481725">6th Annual Capital Brewfest</a></i></b> on September 23. However, there will be two others earlier in the month. On Saturday, September 9th, the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/481240375578538/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22page%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22page_upcoming_events_card%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A[]%7D]%22%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D">2nd Annual Alaska Crafted</a></i></b> will be taking place from 5 to 9 PM in downtown Anchorage. Held on F St. between <b><i>Humpy's</i></b> and <b><i>Williwaw</i></b>, this is a reprise of last year's event, which was held on May 21, 2016 (see my 5/30/2016 blog for a report on it). This event is unique in that it features <b><u>only</u></b> Alaska-made beer, wine, and spirits.<br />
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The other September event will be the <b><i><a href="http://northernsusitnainstitute.org/nsi-gatherings-events/talkeetna-brewfest/">Talkeetna Brewfest</a></i></b> on Saturday, September 16th. It's held at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar in Talkeetna from 2 to 6 PM. Tickets are $55 each and are limited to 200, so advance purchase is recommended. I was fortunate enough to attend this festival back in 2015, and you can read about my experience<a href="https://alaskanbeer.blogspot.com/2015/09/talkeetna-brewfest-after-action-report.html"> here</a>. Also, on the Friday night before the festival, the <b><i>Denali Brewpub/Twister Creek Restaurant</i></b> in downtown Talkeetna will be hosting the <b><i>6th Annual Collaborative Brewers Dinner</i></b>, a truly exceptional meal. When I attended it in 2015, this was still just a beer dinner, but it has now grown to encompass Alaska-made wines, ciders, meads, and spirits, as well as beer. Seats are $75 and sell out quickly, so if you want to attend, call 907-733-2537 and make your reservations right away.<br />
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At the end of July, I attended <b><i>The Culmination Festival</i></b> at <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b>. This festival is always a wonderful opportunity to taste beers which are not available at all here in Alaska. While the Festival ran for four hours, I could only be there for the first two, during which time I managed to sample 11 beers, or a different beer every 11 minutes or so, which is a pretty good pace, at least for me. The sad thing is that there were 93 different beers on offer, meaning that if I could have maintained that pace, I would have needed just under 17 hours to sample them all! As it was, I made it through less than 12% of what was available. It's the story of my life: So many beers, so little time...<br />
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While I only scratched the surface, I was particularly impressed with the beers from <b><a href="http://www.tgbrews.com/index.html">Toppling Goliath Brewing Company</a></b> from Decorah, IA. Two of its offerings, <i>Assassin</i> (2016 -Purple Wax) and <i>Chain Smoker</i> (2015- Cycle Collaboration) were truly outstanding, with the former being my choice for the best beer I tasted that day.<br />
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<b>Anchorage Brewing</b> will also be hosting <b><i>Zwanze Day</i></b> again this year, on September 23rd, starting at 11 AM.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDEUnC_8qMh0A-CttMKn8x3ng8UhPwGQkUMIdN615kuFlQPlmX9zTPg6GdBapyMEv6dBnGOBC8floN3F5A39kwTZzPMzrxL0t0XULNR4WbaOfqHUmiPJfqd1vk2Zu4GEPpeeDaCqpwWyR/s1600/20620840_1325299934254894_1923381933908988787_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDEUnC_8qMh0A-CttMKn8x3ng8UhPwGQkUMIdN615kuFlQPlmX9zTPg6GdBapyMEv6dBnGOBC8floN3F5A39kwTZzPMzrxL0t0XULNR4WbaOfqHUmiPJfqd1vk2Zu4GEPpeeDaCqpwWyR/s400/20620840_1325299934254894_1923381933908988787_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing<br /></td></tr>
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The Travel Channel's show Food Paradise will be filming at <b>Midnight Sun Brewing</b> on Wednesday, August 16th, from 12:30 to 4:00 pm. If you'd like to be on TV, they ask anyone who hopes to be in the episode to wear bright, solid colors, please no logos of any kind and no white shirts. <b>Midnight Sun</b> has also announced that its <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/428020317599004/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D">Big Stout Campout</a></i></b> will be on September 22nd at the Sheep Mountain Lodge. <b>Midnight Sun</b> has also released the first beer in its new Wild Adventures series: <i>Rider</i>, a pale lager, barrel aged with brett! Next up, <i>Sporter</i>, a sour porter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde75trSdThPHY1o6AjGxODFFPjxautyiau42ISb0E1qWQef9ZdvBlfD1Jc2XM5XhWUG411dOJKIu-LWPCZgY5Hxpr7j5uoVDOAQ2VO6CjfdY1jz2yoPqZFiB86s33AcLyAnn7TFXzgBdD/s1600/20638173_1651656624845916_3627665547296427109_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhde75trSdThPHY1o6AjGxODFFPjxautyiau42ISb0E1qWQef9ZdvBlfD1Jc2XM5XhWUG411dOJKIu-LWPCZgY5Hxpr7j5uoVDOAQ2VO6CjfdY1jz2yoPqZFiB86s33AcLyAnn7TFXzgBdD/s400/20638173_1651656624845916_3627665547296427109_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun Brewing</td></tr>
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<b>Quake Brewing Company </b>in Wasilla has announced that it is now fully licensed and will be opening soon.<br />
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The Brewers Association has published the statistics by state for 2016. Here's how Alaska stacks up:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIHHktvIY3Wb9BDcZjrNUUUHcrfxylxNxsqumTRC_Gv8sgQEZmhScNVeAWUSnLAAjAAW9IcMZ5ckYM_GJCYfV_BNgbsrNoxjECYasYx5gtPnEuS3hH21x90sHrwzXyn1WL-i0weiOp694/s1600/20292849_1299891510109362_7737406394201231992_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="805" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIHHktvIY3Wb9BDcZjrNUUUHcrfxylxNxsqumTRC_Gv8sgQEZmhScNVeAWUSnLAAjAAW9IcMZ5ckYM_GJCYfV_BNgbsrNoxjECYasYx5gtPnEuS3hH21x90sHrwzXyn1WL-i0weiOp694/s400/20292849_1299891510109362_7737406394201231992_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
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That about covers the news, so let's move on to beer reviews. As I mentioned in my last blog, I pulled a couple of beers out of my cellar, so let's start with them.<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing's</b> <i>Grand Crew Brew (2016)</i>: This one has been in the cellar for just under a year. When opened, there was next to no carbonation left; in hindsight, perhaps I should have wax-dipped the cap. It poured a dark caramel to brown color with no head. The nose had mostly sweet malt notes with some hints of alcohol heat. The mouthfeel seemed quite heavy, though some of that was probably from the lack of carbonation. On the palate, it was smooth and silky, with lots of sweet malt notes, almost like drinking a bread pudding. It was still a decent beer, though it would likely have presented much better if there had been any carbonation left. 14% ABV, 59 IBUs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmv86GduYRvMXcCIcfHEhjge3mKHQ7YV_a3xZKzr96d8Xs2K2gCjmr60r6z6YY1OBWLXPcO8KgaVo6MTGWZGfzl_rAixMdWxLiep3y0gAlsKSCRcZmjze4R7xaStYuBJkY9Tv1n4-xIXX/s1600/IMG_1279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmv86GduYRvMXcCIcfHEhjge3mKHQ7YV_a3xZKzr96d8Xs2K2gCjmr60r6z6YY1OBWLXPcO8KgaVo6MTGWZGfzl_rAixMdWxLiep3y0gAlsKSCRcZmjze4R7xaStYuBJkY9Tv1n4-xIXX/s640/IMG_1279.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Deschutes Brewing'</b>s <i>Black Butte XXVIII</i>: This beer was bottled on 6/13/2016. It poured completely opaque with a nice, persistent tan head. The nose was of cocoa, oak, and whiskey. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium. The flavor profile was rich and thick, almost oily; there were coffee and chocolate notes, hints of molasses, with a bit of alcoholic warmth on the finish. Another excellent beer in this classic annual series. Delicious! 11.5% ABV, 51 IBUs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48e-Y_GZaqrK6lra5Apqh5woJfeJ6jMuZYD7em8za2cmHyXdWom99pHCF8aSo6QWPIaZ1rFYIj5roUsF9NDCk5Msdqw7ZrxsRXlswDNLYFxNhqri2-ifpN2P37AVXuANlB8e4Q6X3z59K/s1600/IMG_1284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48e-Y_GZaqrK6lra5Apqh5woJfeJ6jMuZYD7em8za2cmHyXdWom99pHCF8aSo6QWPIaZ1rFYIj5roUsF9NDCk5Msdqw7ZrxsRXlswDNLYFxNhqri2-ifpN2P37AVXuANlB8e4Q6X3z59K/s640/IMG_1284.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Harvey & Son Brewing's</b> <i>Imperial Extra Double Stout</i>: A famous name in the imperial stout world. The beer poured black with a tan head. The aroma tantalized with tart brett notes. The mouthfeel was medium to heavy and the carbonation was good. On the tongue, there were notes of coffee and dark chocolate, rich and strong, before falling away to a long finish with hints of brett funkiness. 9% ABV.<br />
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<b>Innis & Gunn's</b> <i>Original Ale</i>: This Scottish ale poured a clear copper color with a small, off-white head. The nose had notes of caramel and hints of oak. Mouthfeel was medium and the carbonation was good. On the palate, I picked up sweet notes of toffee and caramel, but there was enough hop bitterness to balance, followed by hints of oak. A very nice beer made even more complex with the addition of the oak-aging. 6.6% ABV.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9UvtC5Xbe9FjTUGBDOWQeacV7-cQoA_8x7clhrfqfUfWbwV8Go0_RrmCL_8hjW5h2xZYQLd6vqz8NDTMINT2CcsVgPMgVFd_TnLOfCw3v4RPC4V6Z-AC0h8tfWGl8ghG-quLzCC70lyn/s1600/IMG_1286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9UvtC5Xbe9FjTUGBDOWQeacV7-cQoA_8x7clhrfqfUfWbwV8Go0_RrmCL_8hjW5h2xZYQLd6vqz8NDTMINT2CcsVgPMgVFd_TnLOfCw3v4RPC4V6Z-AC0h8tfWGl8ghG-quLzCC70lyn/s640/IMG_1286.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Innis & Gunn's</b> <i>Rum-Aged Ale</i>: This beer was aged on rum-soaked oak chips. It poured a red-gold color with a nice off-white head. The aroma had notes of toffee and rum. The mouthfeel was medium and the carbonation was good. Like the <i>Original Ale</i>, this beer had notes of toffee and caramel, with the addition of subtle rum and oak notes. Very nice. 6.8% ABV.<br />
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<b>Black Market Brewing'</b>s <i>Quadrophenia</i>: A Belgian Quad brewed with coconut palm sugar, this beer poured a deep red-gold in color with a nice cream-colored head. The nose had a subtle fruit odor, difficult to identify; I finally settled on apricot, but your mileage may vary. The mouthfeel was light to medium and the carbonation was excellent. On the palate, there was considerable sweet notes, both of fruit and caramel, followed by alcohol warmth on the finish. Unlike most Belgian quads, which seem to favor dark fruits (plums, figs, raisins) in their flavor profiles, this one seemed to recall lighter fruits (peaches, pears). Overall, I found it to be quite enjoyable. 11% ABV, 29 IBUs.<br />
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That's it for this week. Get out and enjoy this late summer weather while it lasts. Pick out a good beer festival or two from those coming up in August and September. Drink beer and be merry!<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-45078521388069089082017-07-26T11:28:00.000-08:002017-07-26T11:28:01.913-08:00Okay, We're Full Up Down Here!Less than a week to go on dip net season, and I'm confident that I speak for all the inhabitants of the Central Peninsula when I say "Enough already!" For the last couple of weeks, we've been inundated down here with the fisherfolk. Just turning on to the Sterling Highway means taking your life into your hands, the grocery stores are packed, and as for visiting any of the local breweries/brewpubs, good luck! I managed to slip into <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> last Friday to do a book signing, in the hopes of aiding owner Doug Houge in offloading some of the inventory he was so nice to buy from me. Doug told me that for the last week, they'd set a new record for food and beer sales each day. It's great for our businesses down here, but for the rest of us, man, what a hassle!<br />
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All the breweries around the state seem to be working at full throttle, trying to keep up with the summer demand. I'm frequently seeing posts about new beers being released, many of which seem to be made with fruit. So if you haven't checked out your local brewery lately, it's probably a good idea to do so and see what they might have on tap that's new.<br />
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Speaking of new, <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b> will be two beers in cans on Friday, 28 July:<i> Crazy Ray's IPA</i> and<i> Lines Double IPA</i>. These will be the first two beers off the brewery's brand-new canning line. Saturday, July 29th will be <b><i>The Culmination Festival</i></b>; if you're planning to attend, you'd better have your tickets already, as it's sold out. Gabe Fletcher has also released some additional details about <b><i>The Deal with the Devil Day</i></b>, October 28th. It's been decided that sales of the boxed set will be first-come, first-served, one to a customer, so if you want one, you had better plan on standing in line to get it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing</td></tr>
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Also this Saturday, the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/628798653979940/?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A3%2C%22source_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22newsfeed%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22feed_story%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A[]%7D]%22%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D&source=3&source_newsfeed_story_type=regular&action_history=[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22feed_story%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A[]%7D]&has_source=1&fref=mentions">5th Annual Beer & Bacon Fest</a></i></b> will be happening in Anchorage:<br />
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At <b>Midnight Sun Brewing</b>, long-time brewer Davy Cacy has left to attend diving school. The brewery farewell party for him on July 17th, at which they tapped his last brew, <i>Walk the Plank West Coast IPA</i>. I'd like to wish Davy the best of luck in all his future endeavors.<br />
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Congratulations to <b>Odd Man Rush Brewing</b> in Eagle River for winning the Bear Paw President's Community Service Award from the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6x-hcBThEIneyOAiJHFLkNaINdW6gv7l_0mGdGCQFDeftvheSv-idGXCmPvXnx6vTfTbhUk-xjB-ovMz_5ehmGcgp6V_K9D3SxFrS9w_NgwFvPlCZZH3Q-YNxSuYbDCLN9w9CTOoB23zo/s1600/19905168_875559155924885_4818897131527372474_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6x-hcBThEIneyOAiJHFLkNaINdW6gv7l_0mGdGCQFDeftvheSv-idGXCmPvXnx6vTfTbhUk-xjB-ovMz_5ehmGcgp6V_K9D3SxFrS9w_NgwFvPlCZZH3Q-YNxSuYbDCLN9w9CTOoB23zo/s640/19905168_875559155924885_4818897131527372474_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Odd Man Rush Brewing</td></tr>
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Congratulations as well to <b>Bearpaw River Brewing</b> of Wasilla for winning the 2017 Foraker Award for Best Family Owned Business from <b><i>Alaska Business Monthly Magazine</i></b>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwM8xqWQO1k6h0cVBK1XmcRf_y1lvrtIVbs9h5FjCGDzULhqcaT_jdrq8jZEaewCXfPRccMPby0FB1htksPJIpo6FymzVcsa5u02HKNJ4WaWBrbxstXH89P-9L4iIPzbhY1lEUTV-J04H/s1600/20106823_1264392000338817_5590427612973675680_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="708" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwM8xqWQO1k6h0cVBK1XmcRf_y1lvrtIVbs9h5FjCGDzULhqcaT_jdrq8jZEaewCXfPRccMPby0FB1htksPJIpo6FymzVcsa5u02HKNJ4WaWBrbxstXH89P-9L4iIPzbhY1lEUTV-J04H/s640/20106823_1264392000338817_5590427612973675680_n.jpg" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Bearpaw River Brewing</td></tr>
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<b>Girdwood Brewing</b> now has a crowler machine, allowing it to offer its beers to go in freshly-filled 25.4 oz. aluminum cans.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oV_3tHtDVf9d0wLZgOQZA_EQD8sXQ_89vVD_BptZ0QZj1zS89QmFmEF7_eTD2JByTLRBvszluxoef2DqqIiT5t3x8DQHtsXYJDnwTLi4OR54eVwEypp1dT7ugUDnSgfcsG4qfZoSeOz9/s1600/20258474_1495742120484385_3660589369907261943_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="631" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oV_3tHtDVf9d0wLZgOQZA_EQD8sXQ_89vVD_BptZ0QZj1zS89QmFmEF7_eTD2JByTLRBvszluxoef2DqqIiT5t3x8DQHtsXYJDnwTLi4OR54eVwEypp1dT7ugUDnSgfcsG4qfZoSeOz9/s400/20258474_1495742120484385_3660589369907261943_n.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Girdwood Brewing </td></tr>
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<b>Seward Brewing Company</b> and <b>Bleeding Heart Brewery</b> have brewed their first collaboration beer: <i>Imperial Chowder Stout</i>. Ingredients included potatoes from Palmer and oysters from Ressurection Bay. Should be interesting, to say the least...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NR3Nk9Gy7N9xmJ4yUDjTuq3XPSd2UjNsOe-5v7TXoaCRC_D2W_lvYw6AWHk09kBBEuGv1EX84YM5Svu3zhzv2RbKoW22D-TWpIGvX87zGZm9xqNfS00w1yb9mUEeH5zg5xK35jpl5VPR/s1600/20257927_1437860192927706_1680785926821857659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NR3Nk9Gy7N9xmJ4yUDjTuq3XPSd2UjNsOe-5v7TXoaCRC_D2W_lvYw6AWHk09kBBEuGv1EX84YM5Svu3zhzv2RbKoW22D-TWpIGvX87zGZm9xqNfS00w1yb9mUEeH5zg5xK35jpl5VPR/s400/20257927_1437860192927706_1680785926821857659_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Bleeding Heart Brewery</td></tr>
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Tickets are now on sale for the <b><i><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/capital-brewfest-2017-juneau-alaska-tickets-35742481725">6th Annual Capital Brewfest</a></i></b>, to be held at the Juneau Arts and Cultural Center on September 23.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5A8pZiwb8aO6nEHLKPE5akpbDHj4MhZnMiY36YiNxSA2UMf81uxjhujqhrFw40xdEPUmubqs2JX2qSwj7050Dw17aMY7eoDP98FZsKl3HSxoDYZb37btb69bnDXsxJmCkanHs1K9r97v/s1600/https-%25252F%25252Fcdn.evbuc.com%25252Fimages%25252F33200939%25252F37232088932%25252F1%25252Foriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5A8pZiwb8aO6nEHLKPE5akpbDHj4MhZnMiY36YiNxSA2UMf81uxjhujqhrFw40xdEPUmubqs2JX2qSwj7050Dw17aMY7eoDP98FZsKl3HSxoDYZb37btb69bnDXsxJmCkanHs1K9r97v/s400/https-%25252F%25252Fcdn.evbuc.com%25252Fimages%25252F33200939%25252F37232088932%25252F1%25252Foriginal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tickets are also on sale for the <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.kenaibeerfest.com/">7th Annual Kenai Penisula Beer Festival</a></i> on Saturday, August 12th, at the Soldotna Sports Center. You can get them online or at one of the local breweries. As you can see from the flyer below, there will be over 20 breweries in attendance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKIS6FAhC3ntJ0mtECPT8Bzt-O9qBbwSSizkyV8-A9VZ2dUWQ_3OuPYj68qsiOGABkCFVZu7gCX60fcR5Ledy34EzL9lAsRpKJBDsLJTALahBadxYxOcwfsRuFlq5du7CeHhlZNOjPXbw/s1600/17KPBFPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1052" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKIS6FAhC3ntJ0mtECPT8Bzt-O9qBbwSSizkyV8-A9VZ2dUWQ_3OuPYj68qsiOGABkCFVZu7gCX60fcR5Ledy34EzL9lAsRpKJBDsLJTALahBadxYxOcwfsRuFlq5du7CeHhlZNOjPXbw/s640/17KPBFPoster.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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I'm still doing <b><i><a href="http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">Drinking on the Last Frontier</a></i></b>, my monthly radio show, on KDLL FM 91.9 Kenai-Soldotna. My next show will be broadcast this Saturday, July 29th, at 11 AM. On it, I'll be interviewing Bobby Wilken of <b>HooDoo Brewing Company</b> in Fairbanks and Matt Pyhala, the Festival Coordinator for the <b><i>Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival</i></b>. If you miss the show's broadcast, you can find a podcast of it on <a href="http://www.kdll.org/">www.kdll.org</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BLHF8QcpiY35MBGY-F3SCrQJwGqpWi7oNLyOMpR41OT1qWkM4weDr7U0-4PXeiiZeXGMIpFYSQTsxPPPAFqGyPAYFWR9QnxWcLCX9NMJf05Ww0ZBMZfXT8YkQwA8HVF-LU_4sZo8p5r5/s1600/EFH_6913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BLHF8QcpiY35MBGY-F3SCrQJwGqpWi7oNLyOMpR41OT1qWkM4weDr7U0-4PXeiiZeXGMIpFYSQTsxPPPAFqGyPAYFWR9QnxWcLCX9NMJf05Ww0ZBMZfXT8YkQwA8HVF-LU_4sZo8p5r5/s640/EFH_6913.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eat your heart out, Edward R. Murrow...</td></tr>
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That's it for news this time around. I've only got one new beer review this time, though I just pulled a couple of beers out of my cellar. I haven't opened them yet, but I'm sure I will have before my next blog.<br />
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<b>Kenai River Brewing's</b> <i>Grapefruit Lil' SIPA</i>: I reviewed the base beer, <b>KRBC</b>'s <i>Session IPA</i> or <i>Lil' SIPA</i>, back in my 9/28/2016. I liked it then and I've enjoyed it frequently since then. This version is infused with grapefruit, obviously. It poured a hazy red-gold color with a small white head. The aroma had strong grapefruit notes, almost completely overwhelming the contribution from the Citra hops. The mouthfeel was light and the carbonation was good. On the palate, there's a ton of grapefruit flavor, but it interacts well with the bitterness and citrus notes from the hops. If you really love grapefruit, you'll certainly like this beer. If like me, you're not terribly fond of it, you'll likely find this beer not to your taste. 4.5%, 65 IBUs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97goE2hyphenhyphenshJqXpCeVvO1GyHJcB37XjZkYZK_Yjp88XiPqsXwK_9q1D6YpxGRcC32OyFGqIowB_-4kPp3qXoUFoBAtLGnirYJycVgf-pvzFFRKl1AvEZY2oKwHMmvGLlEZt-mBgThMttQz/s1600/IMG_1276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97goE2hyphenhyphenshJqXpCeVvO1GyHJcB37XjZkYZK_Yjp88XiPqsXwK_9q1D6YpxGRcC32OyFGqIowB_-4kPp3qXoUFoBAtLGnirYJycVgf-pvzFFRKl1AvEZY2oKwHMmvGLlEZt-mBgThMttQz/s640/IMG_1276.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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That's it for this blog. As mentioned in this blog and my last one, there are many beer festivals happening in the next few weeks, so it's a good time to be making plans about which ones you'll attend. Maybe I'll see you there!<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!<br />
<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-64273405814021490782017-07-11T10:45:00.000-08:002017-07-11T17:40:25.919-08:00It's Dip Net Season on the KenaiI guess I should start off by apologizing; it's been almost a month since my last blog. Summer is, of course, a super-busy time for all Alaskans, compounded in my case by a visit from my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids, but that's really no excuse for letting this blog languish for so long. However, it's currently dip-net season here on the Kenai, which means it a wonderful time NOT to go anywhere or do anything away from home, so this should be a good time to get caught up.<br />
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Tickets for the <b><i><a href="http://www.kenaibeerfest.com/">7th Annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival</a></i></b> are now on sale. The festival will be on Saturday, August 12th, from 5 to 9 pm, at the Soldotna Sports Center. Tickets are available at <b>Kassik's Brewery, Kenai River Brewing Company, St. Elias Brewing Company</b>, or on-line at <a href="http://www.kenaibeerfest.com/">http://www.kenaibeerfest.com/</a>. Tickets are $30 General Admission from 6 to 9 pm, or $50 for the VIP/Connoisseur Hour, starting at 5 pm. For entertainment, Meg Linsey from Season 9 of <b><i>The Voice</i></b> has been confirmed, along with other live bands. The early session is limited to 200 tickets, so if you are interested, you should get your before they sell out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-ZsmywdSLCLuvcV7bb83Wq9FZKtTUKgZU26BXtN_uommxpb-kCCxebfW_ZrALC63S8egtAK_5nU90PHbtEpC7ZJMwZv8PJOhYjvcDVowUCgkcxw_vYmKbFCiWYe7jS0yYvQkX51MwKN4/s1600/Kenai-Beer-Fest-Logo-2nd+Generation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="586" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-ZsmywdSLCLuvcV7bb83Wq9FZKtTUKgZU26BXtN_uommxpb-kCCxebfW_ZrALC63S8egtAK_5nU90PHbtEpC7ZJMwZv8PJOhYjvcDVowUCgkcxw_vYmKbFCiWYe7jS0yYvQkX51MwKN4/s320/Kenai-Beer-Fest-Logo-2nd+Generation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Speaking of selling out, if you were planning to attend <b><i><a href="https://theculminationfestival.com/">The Culmination</a></i></b> at <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b> on Saturday, July 29th, I hope you have already purchased your tickets; it's now officially sold out. <b>Anchorage Brewing</b> has also announced that this year's <b><i>Deal With the Devil Day</i></b> will be October 28th. Here's what owner Gabe Fletcher had to say about it:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This year's release will be VERY special... We will be selling a custom wooden box set containing six different barrel variations. All packaged in wax-dipped 375ml bottles. These batches were aged for 16 months. Here are a list of the barrel varieties:<br />
<ul>
<li>Glenmorangie Scotch Whisky</li>
<li>Apple Brandy</li>
<li>Woodford Reserve Double Oak</li>
<li>Rum</li>
<li>Cognac</li>
<li>A special double oaked version that spent 1 year in Cognac and then was transferred into freshly emptied Woodford Reserve Double Oak for 4 months to add even more complexity.</li>
</ul>
All but one of these are only single cask agings, meaning there won't be much! We will have around 340 box sets available.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKscykSHLH52LPyitV_BMiSJB80dsbRYYcMfqrl5rRLa8eY7Uq0hGQ9oxW3OuhP5RNVOLpzSBR1_KsCi5iqgtklsw666rqESKqeWy34Siq3BBAVPx9VYhMBIoCR2X9jItydlVtEBo_FKrg/s1600/19429664_1289012397883648_5233785733844418430_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="960" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKscykSHLH52LPyitV_BMiSJB80dsbRYYcMfqrl5rRLa8eY7Uq0hGQ9oxW3OuhP5RNVOLpzSBR1_KsCi5iqgtklsw666rqESKqeWy34Siq3BBAVPx9VYhMBIoCR2X9jItydlVtEBo_FKrg/s400/19429664_1289012397883648_5233785733844418430_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you'll be in Fairbanks in early August, it looks like there will be a new festival there. Here's the flyer for it:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgB-Tsmxb0xpp1tchvSnX5G5ywsgtx731vRPVwFhU5KtIPeALQylSpg_GzHJxrj5akdMK9yfdqenz8wmPiQRbVulnTxS8jIDjJ7-tYRDFd4Oy7hft6Pt7hBTj9X4fR9B77bqCq0Rb4Auj/s1600/19437678_1997865866905947_3852430286824015355_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="582" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgB-Tsmxb0xpp1tchvSnX5G5ywsgtx731vRPVwFhU5KtIPeALQylSpg_GzHJxrj5akdMK9yfdqenz8wmPiQRbVulnTxS8jIDjJ7-tYRDFd4Oy7hft6Pt7hBTj9X4fR9B77bqCq0Rb4Auj/s640/19437678_1997865866905947_3852430286824015355_n.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<b>49th State Brewing Company</b> in Healy will be holding its annual <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1388244517922963/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D"><b><i>Augtoberfest</i></b></a> on 11 & 12 August. I've never been able to attend this festival myself, but by all reports, it's a great time. Here's the flyer for this year's festival.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGQ0txY1gC8-KawGYioXjJFYuEKs-rXT7hJ2bhyphenhyphen8ibAymXiu2MncKO3TkyalqsAa0ZRBuheKnNK2n5EKvnde1tt4_O4XQkrjBAohUkY4Wuk6cZAZj-TvjcKtcB7Q3K17J7djTxvWGImNn/s1600/19420630_1840968162596874_3262758787560400957_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="626" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGQ0txY1gC8-KawGYioXjJFYuEKs-rXT7hJ2bhyphenhyphen8ibAymXiu2MncKO3TkyalqsAa0ZRBuheKnNK2n5EKvnde1tt4_O4XQkrjBAohUkY4Wuk6cZAZj-TvjcKtcB7Q3K17J7djTxvWGImNn/s640/19420630_1840968162596874_3262758787560400957_n.jpg" width="416" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click to enlarge</td></tr>
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It's a bit of old news now, but <b>Baranof Island Brewing Company</b> in Sitka finally opened the taproom in its new location on Saturday, July 1.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGjVaWJ0b-pSHChCZtPdN7xTcb2ZSZj5lZkOGp9ieiA96cabeo-xG34gxSq7_88OIwOAXYuq0ubKC4cAeDd-xnjNEIFiAmsBfSfeXmY2B3egvUPJh7fF6AxIwnm8IvjWk_8xKXE5sFixQ/s1600/BIBCO-Logo-lg-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGjVaWJ0b-pSHChCZtPdN7xTcb2ZSZj5lZkOGp9ieiA96cabeo-xG34gxSq7_88OIwOAXYuq0ubKC4cAeDd-xnjNEIFiAmsBfSfeXmY2B3egvUPJh7fF6AxIwnm8IvjWk_8xKXE5sFixQ/s320/BIBCO-Logo-lg-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As long as I'm covering old news, the new <b><i>907 Alehouse & Grill</i></b> in Anchorage opened its doors on June 21st. I haven't had a chance to visit it myself yet, but it has a lot of beer on tap and the menu looks pretty good.<br />
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<b>HooDoo Brewing</b> in Fairbanks has become the first brewery in the Alaska to significantly harness solar power for its operations. Here's their press release:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
HooDoo Brewing Company, began the new rooftop solar installation project as soon as snow melted off their brewery this April. The array of 60 solar panels was energized in mid-May, and will produce up to 110 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, or about one-third of HooDoo’s power per year. Additionally, it will reduce the CO2 produced by combustion by roughly 1.5 tons per month during the summer season. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We are a community-focused company,” owner and brewer Bobby Wilken said, noting an emphasis on providing a product and service for the people in his hometown while being conscious of the environment. “We look at this solar project as pushing our community forward. We’ll generate a nice chunk of renewable energy that runs our meter backwards and anything extra goes back into the community’s grid.”</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The project is the product of a partnership with local solar company, Renewable Energy Systems of Alaska. The company spent most of the winter building out supports, reinforcing the trusses and roof of HooDoo’s 1970’s Alaska Pipeline-era building to support the weight and mechanics of the new solar project.</blockquote>
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“They’re 100-percent committed to doing it right,” Wilken said of RES. “They’re great local business people, and they’re doing it right for the right reasons.”</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Energy generation will fluctuate seasonally, due to HooDoo’s subarctic location, but will feed into the community grid year-round. Over 3,000 kilowatts have been generated from the project so far, harnessing Fairbanks’ 20+ hours of daily sunlight in June and July. Data is gauged by a real-time, cloud-based monitoring system.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The people of Fairbanks make our product sustainable and viable, but anything else we can do to push the boundaries is absolutely fantastic,” Wilken continues. “The brewing process is water and energy intensive. The quality of our beer is our first priority, but we’re always looking for ways to make our process more reliable, more efficient and it doesn’t hurt to make our environmental footprint a little smaller.”</blockquote>
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<b>Cooper Landing Brewing Company</b> made a post on July 4 stating that they hoped to have the licensing process completed and to be selling beer soon. I'll let you know when I hear more.<br />
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<b><br /></b> <b>Midnight Sun Brewing Company</b> will be holding several events in both Anchorage & Fairbanks this week:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anchorage events</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairbanks events</td></tr>
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Congratulations are in order for both <b>Barnaby Brewing</b> and <b>Alaskan Brewing Company</b>. The former took a Gold Medal in the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/US.Open.Beer.Championship/?fref=mentions">2017 US Open Beer Championships</a></i></b> with its <i>McSteamy California Common</i>, while the latter took a Silver Medal with its <i>Raspberry Wheat</i>.<br />
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Finally, I'm still doing my monthly radio show, <b><i><a href="http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">Drinking on the Last Frontier</a></i></b>, on KDLL 91.9 FM in Kenai. It's broadcast on the last Saturday of each month at 11 am, and then the recorded shows are available on the KDLL website. If you haven't checked it out yet, I'd really appreciate you giving it a listen and then giving me some feedback on it. There will also be a fundraiser for KDLL this Saturday, July 15th: the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1852467851747978/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2223%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D">5th Annual BBQ, Burgers and Blues</a></i></b> at the Vagabond Inn from 4 to 9 pm. <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> donates the beer.<br />
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It's been almost a month, but I've only had four new beers in that time to review.<br />
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<b>Boulevard Brewing's</b> <i>Changeling Dark Sour Ale</i>: It poured a semi-translucent ruby color with a small, cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The aroma was mostly tart cherries, but there was a hint of brett funkiness. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, there was a nice balance of the tart cherry notes and the brett elements. Bottom line: a workman-like but not an exceptional sour. 7.3% ABV, 20 IBUs.<br />
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<b>New Belgium Brewing'</b>s <i>Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA</i>: <b>New Belgium'</b>s effort to re-imagine one of its classic flagship beers. It poured a deep, slightly red, gold color; very clear. Nice white head. The nose was primarily citrus and piney American hop notes. Good carbonation, light mouthfeel. The initial bitter attack was moderate, followed by lots of American hop flavor and aroma, before falling away to a nice finish. 9% ABV<br />
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<b>Unibroue's</b> <i>Tout Le Monde Saison</i>: Since I'm not into heavy metal, the Megadeath imagery on the label doesn't mean anything to me, but I'm always interested in trying a new saison.This one poured a clear gold with a nice white head. The aroma had the classic peppery, earthy Belgian yeast notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, the classic saison flavors were very nice, but the dry hops claimed on the label were nowhere noticeable. The finish on the beer was also a bit thin. Not a bad beer, but nothing that any of the better saisons out there (<i>Dupont, Tank 7, Hennepin</i>) have anything to worry about. 4.5% ABV, 22 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Founders Brewing's</b> <i>Porter</i>: I found this at <i><b>Country Liquors</b></i> in Kenai when I stopped in to pick up some <i>Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale</i> from the same brewery. It poured opaque with a big tan head. The nose had lots of delicious roasty notes. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium. The flavor profile was as advertised on the label: rich, dark, and sexy! I'm always a fan of a good, robust porter, and this one certainly qualifies. 6.5% ABV, 45 IBUs.<br />
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That's it for this time around. I'll do my best not to make you wait another month for the next one. In the meantime, get out and enjoy the summer sun, attend some beer festivals, and have a good time. After all, it won't be very long before fall is upon us again.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-57681438430612912342017-06-16T10:46:00.000-08:002017-06-16T10:46:14.711-08:00King Street Breaks GroundIt's summer at last here on the Kenai Peninsula. The weather is sunny, the reds are running, and the tourists are in town spending money. It's a great time to be in Alaska!<br />
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There's big news from the big town. <b>King Street Brewing</b> in Anchorage has just broken ground on a new brewery. Opened in September of 2011, the brewery is currently in a rented location at 7924 King Street, and its rapid growth in the last few years has it straining at the seams, so a new building was the next logical step.<br />
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The new building will be located 9050 King Street, with the entrance off of 91st Avenue, a stone’s throw from <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b>. The brewing area in the new facility will comprise about 10,000 square feet of the 18,000 square foot building. The new brewery will be three stories tall. The brewery side will essentially be a single story. There will be a catwalk for customers to come through and overlook the brewing operations. The tap room will be on the east side. The second level will be unoccupied for a while and plans on that space will evolve after the brewery opens. The third floor will be an event room and some offices. The brewery current 10-barrel brewhouse will also be replaced with a new and bigger system from Specific Mechanical. Plans are always subject to change, but the target date for opening the new facility is March 1, 2018. So hearty congratulations to Shane, Dana, and the rest of the <b>King Street</b> team.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqE9Ta-QyKysR1BI12qx7c9lTWkOxnEnB96AMQbNir3MQCLdRcjR2BVx9kncspshJa9BTw-MRae4kB19vDRCKfOIF1uBz-527kZulXVCakcVToO3IG5NDugmvUwjLVEyjtRvMMMqB-k6w-/s1600/KingStreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="200" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqE9Ta-QyKysR1BI12qx7c9lTWkOxnEnB96AMQbNir3MQCLdRcjR2BVx9kncspshJa9BTw-MRae4kB19vDRCKfOIF1uBz-527kZulXVCakcVToO3IG5NDugmvUwjLVEyjtRvMMMqB-k6w-/s400/KingStreet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>King Street</b> is also holding a<b><i> Father's Day Event</i></b> this weekend. Here's what they had to say about it:<br />
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You repeatedly asked. We polled anyway. You responded with incredible force. We finally got it. We've brewed it! The beer known as <i>King Street Breakfast Hef/OJ Hef/Hop 'O The Morning</i>/and probably a few names we don't even know about is about to be back!</blockquote>
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We'll be tapping this wonderful beer in our tap room this Saturday afternoon. And, we've also been planning a special treat for Dad in celebration of Father's Day! On Sunday, we will be serving up pancakes, bacon and eggs, a perfect pairing with the <i>Breakfast Hefe</i>. This breakfast buffet ($9 for adults $5 for children) will run from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM and will include fixings such as mixed berries, whip cream, and a Belgian Beer infused maple syrup reduction. Berry smoothies and other beery =) combinations will also be available for purchase.</blockquote>
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...because we all know that Dad would really appreciate a good meal and great beer on his day. :)</blockquote>
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Looking forward to seeing you this weekend!</blockquote>
<b>Resolution Brewing Company</b> will also be having a <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/430931527305587/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22ref_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D">Father's Day Beer & Brunch Event</a></i></b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTTX12yT7VQd3979rK18dPQ0Wlihm3yY3j-zPWGKhwf4m0CmFCQW0uchkoTXCKpjk2QFla5Lde6Vg_KPCRoJJFTzgJepU3dxksOpui-blLpWyfpk1rUSj089k5iFSfgN_lFYdxGoAf46Q/s1600/Resolution+Brewing+Company+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTTX12yT7VQd3979rK18dPQ0Wlihm3yY3j-zPWGKhwf4m0CmFCQW0uchkoTXCKpjk2QFla5Lde6Vg_KPCRoJJFTzgJepU3dxksOpui-blLpWyfpk1rUSj089k5iFSfgN_lFYdxGoAf46Q/s400/Resolution+Brewing+Company+Logo.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<b>Arkose Brewery</b> taps a new beer today, <b>Green Chair Kolsch</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOANPXX0Hk3X86j54-mQtGmXxT0A7l3k1X4xV10pN3Vp-MM3w3mfnEvpwo_BCxTvxclyPIhqGgqJh5WDSFE5PzfqXuLTAAPwDJHECNSYrJsa10GWgV_0B0X7WPWeTqE4ksVm_0P1xIAOm6/s1600/19105905_1779132968780416_132345059310441842_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOANPXX0Hk3X86j54-mQtGmXxT0A7l3k1X4xV10pN3Vp-MM3w3mfnEvpwo_BCxTvxclyPIhqGgqJh5WDSFE5PzfqXuLTAAPwDJHECNSYrJsa10GWgV_0B0X7WPWeTqE4ksVm_0P1xIAOm6/s400/19105905_1779132968780416_132345059310441842_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing Company</b> has received label approval for its new <i>Wolf Pack Pilsner</i>. Here's the label:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieI0A0jAloQ_si-hTxZKgX1OERidcBHWuI8VZwy34U6VEWDqK02fTsx2fZZzmrwAc2H-B-gMyKRM_QXa0DKzHGIHfBaJ3NongMz9877c1FeAzYuEKQ2NaNf0-9plvd7J7c8ypKct5rgt9U/s1600/18836042_1579135585431354_8221969648407834731_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="670" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieI0A0jAloQ_si-hTxZKgX1OERidcBHWuI8VZwy34U6VEWDqK02fTsx2fZZzmrwAc2H-B-gMyKRM_QXa0DKzHGIHfBaJ3NongMz9877c1FeAzYuEKQ2NaNf0-9plvd7J7c8ypKct5rgt9U/s640/18836042_1579135585431354_8221969648407834731_n.jpg" width="546" /></a></div>
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It should be released in 12 oz. cans in October. Also on tap at <b>MSBC</b> is this year's <i>I'll Have Another</i> brew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHxfCy0PRfUTYRQE9wUoeNkjPBUOojUWoDLGl45MGqQHa9oa32AW_GxocNa9SADCbQNR0tUYF7K4gd2EA1YpMN7lHngw8xzVlxXPdz7dSn9-DQ3mPZNaEy6lliux-pjwDw-NEIjgmmKEf/s1600/19105492_1586993781312201_3598910171814878367_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHxfCy0PRfUTYRQE9wUoeNkjPBUOojUWoDLGl45MGqQHa9oa32AW_GxocNa9SADCbQNR0tUYF7K4gd2EA1YpMN7lHngw8xzVlxXPdz7dSn9-DQ3mPZNaEy6lliux-pjwDw-NEIjgmmKEf/s640/19105492_1586993781312201_3598910171814878367_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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As mentioned in my last blog, tickets are now on sale for <b><i>The Culmination Festival</i></b> taking place on Saturday, July 29th. There are only 300 total, and at last report over 200 had already sold, so if you are planning to attend, you'd better hurry up and buy one. I've got mine...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVzDbALevezZZe7lf1wBh75Z85dTG9IvF8Rh1y8TaMy5qiW-Kt3d_XVs9kgs_owHYiYmC51P-NkYG-lIvmDBJjrQLIpqax1Bv7-cQDHrmAmAX_G9p9aCFCNWtoym1xzgVKZhbwWxNYS-2/s1600/593a277a94302.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="1200" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVzDbALevezZZe7lf1wBh75Z85dTG9IvF8Rh1y8TaMy5qiW-Kt3d_XVs9kgs_owHYiYmC51P-NkYG-lIvmDBJjrQLIpqax1Bv7-cQDHrmAmAX_G9p9aCFCNWtoym1xzgVKZhbwWxNYS-2/s400/593a277a94302.image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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James Roberts, who has been writing a weekly beer column in <b><i>The Anchorage Press</i></b> under the pen name Dr. Fermento for twenty years, has begun writing a new column entitled “Beer Frontiers” for the online magazine <b><i>Crude</i></b>. You can find his new stuff at <a href="http://www.crudemag.com/">www.crudemag.com</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4q0MLOQQiQvyXtJlnp_TlHM_GR9ggjcW-JBM0UjjqnhBQRQ_GU1bEODMPCY0TbBc_jqwcLWG6UBPAbzQnAS2ZjtytNl_Dk9AjdwrGmyeTb4GZGCwiUuHPGCis87LQ2W9vJLC11s5UnMN/s1600/5.19.16_beer_image_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4q0MLOQQiQvyXtJlnp_TlHM_GR9ggjcW-JBM0UjjqnhBQRQ_GU1bEODMPCY0TbBc_jqwcLWG6UBPAbzQnAS2ZjtytNl_Dk9AjdwrGmyeTb4GZGCwiUuHPGCis87LQ2W9vJLC11s5UnMN/s400/5.19.16_beer_image_web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The man, the legend...</td></tr>
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Beer drinkers in Iowa will soon be able to get their hands on an award-winning beer from the Last Frontier, as <b>Alaskan Brewing</b> will be on tap and on the shelves there this summer. <b>Alaskan</b> is partnering with Johnson Brothers Distributing to bring a variety of brews made from the glacier-fed waters of Juneau to the heartland. In a surprising way, this reestablishes a 30-year link that the founders of <b>Alaskan Brewing</b> have with Iowa.<br />
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Co-Founder Geoff Larson was mentored by the staff at <b>Millstream</b>, a craft brewery in Amana, where he worked as a short-term visiting brewing apprentice in 1985. “Iowa was where I brewed at a commercial level for the first time. Those were exciting days early in my brewing career, learning from excellent craftsmen and getting to know and appreciate the hard-work ethic of the people of Iowa. Their passion for their community and their work has left a lasting impression on me.” said Larson.<br />
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Iowa marks the 19th state of distribution for <b>Alaskan</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5fHxUy4LBvRf_N0IFb-s_DBpFIf3lnmUgzvZ4OLSYpacCzTHHQPRLkAxk6dV6OVqN7bOidpMBzxXwEb7O_eXJ_e2Rs9xWKjPOkISk8_64Slmm6Q354aMQjz1lT_P7ETguPNt8dLDKRFT/s1600/alaskan-brewing-color-mountain-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5fHxUy4LBvRf_N0IFb-s_DBpFIf3lnmUgzvZ4OLSYpacCzTHHQPRLkAxk6dV6OVqN7bOidpMBzxXwEb7O_eXJ_e2Rs9xWKjPOkISk8_64Slmm6Q354aMQjz1lT_P7ETguPNt8dLDKRFT/s400/alaskan-brewing-color-mountain-logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Through its so-called “global disruptive growth group” ZX Ventures, Anheuser-Busch InBev has acquired a minority stake in RateBeer, one of the most popular and reputable beer ratings and resource websites in the world.<br />
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But the deal isn’t exactly new. In fact, it closed this past October following eight months of talks. It went unannounced, however—to both the public and RateBeer stakeholders—because the two sides wanted to get “points on the board” to prove the value of the partnership without the “disruption” of making it public. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlupPeAfG4Ks-Pmex2ig1Ua_XZl-6AEBzxvE0npGHKdjmopZtgc5ij5fXIlPVIhJN51wYGvk-RmswEDT2UjKjF2y-6GVHQCnaURIWK2HVKBko5EsunLxM-8HFFUwy2sCQy8uyk6HyIPYN/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlupPeAfG4Ks-Pmex2ig1Ua_XZl-6AEBzxvE0npGHKdjmopZtgc5ij5fXIlPVIhJN51wYGvk-RmswEDT2UjKjF2y-6GVHQCnaURIWK2HVKBko5EsunLxM-8HFFUwy2sCQy8uyk6HyIPYN/s400/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Reaction within the craft beer community was swift and negative, with several craft breweries, most notably <b>Dogfish Head Brewing</b>, with CEO and founder Sam Calagione posting the following on the brewery’s website:<br />
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We were troubled by the announcement last week that ZX Ventures, which is fully owned by the global conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev, has purchased a portion of RateBeer. We believe this is a direct violation of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics and a blatant conflict of interest. The SPJ’s Code of Ethics includes a section called “Act Independently” and includes the following guidelines:<br />- Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.<br />- Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility.<br />- Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; do not pay for access to news. Identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid or not.<br />- Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests, and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage.<br />- Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two. Prominently label sponsored content.<br />It is our strong opinion that ABI’s ownership of RateBeer, and other properties positioned to cover the craft brewing community like October and thebeernecessities.com is in direct conflict with multiple guidelines listed above.<br />To that end, we have respectfully asked Anheuser-Busch InBev and RateBeer to remove all Dogfish Head beer reviews and mentions on the RateBeer website immediately. It just doesn’t seem right for a brewer of any kind to be in a position to potentially manipulate what consumers are hearing and saying about beers, how they are rated and which ones are receiving extra publicity on what might appear to be a legitimate, 100 percent user-generated platform. It is our opinion that this initiative and others are ethically dubious and that the lack of transparency is troubling.<br />To our fellow independently-owned brewers, we encourage you to join us in this effort to ensure consumers continue to get the best and most accurate information about their beers. For everyone else, we encourage you to shift the sharing of your beer opinions and reviews to another platform that remains loyal to the principles of journalistic integrity. America’s Independence Day is just around the corner. Support the indie craft brewing movement!</blockquote>
As of now, RateBeer has not removed <b>Dogfish Head</b> nor any of the other craft breweries requesting removal from its website.<br />
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Personally, I've never really used RateBeer much, being more partial to Beer Advocate, but if you do use it, you might want to rethink doing so.<br />
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Lupulin powder experimentation continues. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, this hop powder is produced from whole leaf hops using a cryogenic separation process that preserves all components of each fraction. The purified lupulin powder contains most of the resin compounds and aromatic oils derived directly from whole hop flowers. It is ideal for use in the whirlpool or fermenter for imparting intense hop flavor and aroma with minimal vegetal flavor and improved yield. Anchorage Brewing held a second release of its<i> Lines DIPA</i> on June 9, while <b>Girdwood Brewing</b> is using Mosiac and Citra hop powder in its <i>Fairy Dust Session IPA</i>, to be released in conjunction with this year’s <b><i>Girdwood Forest Fair.</i></b> The beer will be on tap at the Fair’s beer garden July 7th thru the 9th.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCgjPETu-ZSUpJvL52FozA4iG9PS6d81GeJ2YsK1KIvB2Az4E68pzuNkkjRbi402tKN3hyphenhyphen-kZFsE9h14HLiVqL8Qba7eJBnThQP-IYUyd2u2Z8hdJ6j4MEDTDFb0YBy4wO6dQvXO3bSGe/s1600/Girdwood+Brewing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="960" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCgjPETu-ZSUpJvL52FozA4iG9PS6d81GeJ2YsK1KIvB2Az4E68pzuNkkjRbi402tKN3hyphenhyphen-kZFsE9h14HLiVqL8Qba7eJBnThQP-IYUyd2u2Z8hdJ6j4MEDTDFb0YBy4wO6dQvXO3bSGe/s400/Girdwood+Brewing.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Kenai River Brewing Company</b> has new summer hours. Both tap room and kitchen are now open from noon to 8 PM, seven days a week.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7G0eM3tpUINeDSoVnTEB7JPENXqNuFtKKNH094-F0tGv-irk0nfaOtDctjgAUzhVY90BlQwfPmpcgsAigLAlc7mQsGhOVpt2OW8t1whsBd4WVC_asUQQnydmGrFUumop1WVTAPjTOrSz/s1600/kenai-river-brewing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="260" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7G0eM3tpUINeDSoVnTEB7JPENXqNuFtKKNH094-F0tGv-irk0nfaOtDctjgAUzhVY90BlQwfPmpcgsAigLAlc7mQsGhOVpt2OW8t1whsBd4WVC_asUQQnydmGrFUumop1WVTAPjTOrSz/s640/kenai-river-brewing.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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<b>49th State Brewing Company</b> in Healy will be holding another <b>Euphoria Festival </b>next weekend. Here's the flyer:</div>
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That's about it for news this time, so let's move on to beer reviews. I've got two reviews for you this time.</div>
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<b>Ommegang Brewing's</b> <i>Game of Thrones' Bend the Knee Ale</i>: I believe this is the first one of these GOT series brews that I've tasted. It poured a slightly cloudy gold with a big and pillowy white head. The aroma had the earthy, spicy Belgian yeast notes you expect in the style. Carbonation was great, and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was classic Belgian Strong Golden Ale, very similar to<i> Duvel</i>, with plenty of earthy yeast notes and a nice hoppiness. A delicious beer. 9% ABV.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwGvcKxqm3x1ke8S1jCg2FJVTvUt3ZD6XXcH9SW7L-G1c-I75NmXqtfYmrgdMMs-tS80jYBHqLFuBPJL5Xu9Hp8a4y-ZSjRlciCCTRUAxxWm2fJtefLVlnVd-pbgHOnvUhatEH8XeDPxE/s1600/IMG_1245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwGvcKxqm3x1ke8S1jCg2FJVTvUt3ZD6XXcH9SW7L-G1c-I75NmXqtfYmrgdMMs-tS80jYBHqLFuBPJL5Xu9Hp8a4y-ZSjRlciCCTRUAxxWm2fJtefLVlnVd-pbgHOnvUhatEH8XeDPxE/s640/IMG_1245.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Deschutes Brewing's</b> <i>American Wheat</i>: Full disclosure, I received this beer in the mail as a free sample from the brewery. It's a new release, and apparently the first time <b>Deschutes</b> has brewed and bottled this particular style. It poured a slightly cloudy gold with a small but fairly persistent white head. The nose had light citrus notes. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, the beer had light and spritzy wheat notes. Bottom line, it's a refreshing summer beer, quite light overall. 5% ABV, 25 IBUs.</div>
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That's about it for this time around. Remember to listen to my radio show, <b><i>Drinking on the Last Frontier</i></b>, next Saturday, June 24th, at 11 AM on KDLL FM 91.9 Kenai. If you miss it, all my shows are available via podcast at <a href="http://www.kdll.org/">www.kdll.org</a>. If you got any suggestions for topics you'd like me to tackle on the show, feel free to give me a shout.</div>
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Until Next Time, Cheers!</div>
I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-2080473003602523432017-06-03T12:06:00.000-08:002017-06-03T13:49:17.614-08:00Hainesfest at 25Last weekend I was in Haines for the <b><i><a href="http://www.seakfair.org/events/beer-fest/">25th Annual Great Alaska Craft Beer and Homebrew Festival</a></i></b>, aka Hainesfest. This was my third time at the festival and my first visit since 2014. As the oldest and in many ways the best beer festival in Alaska, the Hainesfest is always a great time. However, I was amazed at how much the festival has grown in just the three years since I was last there. Here's a list of the breweries that were in attendance this year:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Haines Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Alaskan Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Midnight Sun Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Denali Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Double Shovel Cider Company</b></li>
<li><b>Baranof Island Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>HooDoo Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>K&L Distributors</b></li>
<li><b>Specialty Imports</b></li>
<li><b>Yukon Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Odom Distributors</b></li>
<li><b>King Street Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Skagway Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Broken Tooth Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Kodiak Island Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Arkose Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Kenai River Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Winterlong Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Barnaby Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company</b></li>
<li><b>49th State Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Homer Brewing Company</b></li>
<li><b>Cynosure Brewing Company</b></li>
</ul>
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I was particularly excited to see <b>Winterlong Brewing</b> and <b>Yukon Brewing</b> in attendance. This festival is pretty much the only time you'll see beers from these two Whitehorse-based breweries on offer in Alaska. Plus brand-new <b>Barnaby Brewing</b> came up from Juneau, giving me a chance to meet its owner, Matt Barnaby, face-to-face for the first time, as well as a chance to sample his wares. Here are some photos I took at the fest just after it opened (before the crowds had a chance to pour in):<br />
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Now here's the fest about an hour later:</div>
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As you can see, the sell-out crowd of 1700 people pretty much fills the space. There were two music stages and a half-dozen food vendors as well. I particularly enjoyed the freshly-shucked oysters on the half-shell. Last but hardly least, I also saw this at Hainesfest:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just two guys named Lee...</td></tr>
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Before the festival itself on Saturday, the annual <b><i>Brewers Dinner</i></b> was held on Friday night. This event is limited to 300 by the size of the hall in which it is held and typically sells out within 48 hours of the tickets going on-sale in February. This year's dinner was exceptional as always. Here's what was on the menu:<br />
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Finally, you can't go to Haines and not visit <b><a href="http://www.hainesbrewing.com/home">Haines Brewing Company</a></b>. It's one of the best breweries in the state that few people can drink since its beers seldom make it farther from Haines than Juneau or Skagway. After many long years in a tiny brewery on the fairgrounds, Paul Wheeler and Jeanne Kitayama were finally able to build a new brewery in downtown Haines in 2015. This was my first visit to their new facility and I was certainly impressed:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brewery at 4th & Main in downtown Haines</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serving bar in the tap room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another angle of the tap room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brewhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fenced beer garden behind the brewery</td></tr>
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With its new location, bigger brewhouse, and greatly expanded tap room, <b>Haines Brewing</b> has become a real hub of its namesake community. Plus its beers are fantastic (see my reviews below). I only wish I didn't have to drive 900+ miles and cross an international border twice to be able to drink it...<br />
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Speaking of all that driving, on the way to Haines I made a quick pitstop in Palmer to fuel up my car and my stomach. I decided to grab a quick lunch at the <b><i>Palmer City </i></b><b><i class="">Alehouse</i></b> since I had not yet visited the place. When I walked in at 11 AM, I pretty much had the place to myself, so I snapped a few pictures.<br />
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The beer selection was pretty good, with lots of local options. I ended up going with a <i>Frontiersman IPA</i> from <b>Bearpaw River Brewing</b>. The menu looked pretty good as well; the prime rib dip I chose was delicious and came with copious French fries. The staff told me that it is also a pretty hopping place in the evenings, especially when there is live music. So if you're looking for a decent meal and a good beer selection in Palmer, I give the <b><i>Palmer City Alehouse </i></b>two thumbs up.<br />
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As long as we're talking festivals, I want to remind everyone that the tickets for <b><i><a href="https://theculminationfestival.com/">The Culmination Festival</a></i></b> (July 29th at <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b>) <span style="color: red;"><u>will go on sale at 9 AM tomorrow, Sunday, June 4.</u></span> You can order on the festival's website via the link above.<br />
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On my way back from Haines, I managed to visit <b>Gakona Brewing</b>, easily the most isolated of the breweries in Alaska that are on the road system. It's about a mile from Gakona Junction, where the Tok Cutoff intersects the Richardson Highway. For those of you who haven't been there, it's not quite the end of the world, but you have a good view of it from there. In this fortress of solitude, Ed Miner operates <b>Gakona Brewing Company</b>. He currently uses a 3-bbl brewing system, which is a significant improvement over the Sabco Homebrew system he started with. Not to mention Ed doesn't have a well, so he has to haul in all his brewing water! Here are some photos:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign for the brewery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Miner in front of hi 3-bbl brewhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fermenters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original SABCO system</td></tr>
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If you're wondering why anyone would want to have a brewery in Gakona with all the hardships that entails, here's the answer. Standing a short distance behind the brewery, I snapped these photos, looking from left to right.<br />
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That's the Copper River, by the way. For a view like that, I guess it's worth hauling your brewing water! If you're looking to sample beers from <b>Gakona Brewing</b>, you can find them at <b><i>Humpy's</i></b> in Anchorage, the <b><i>Princess Lodge</i></b> in Copper Center, the <b><i>Trapper's Den</i></b> in Gakona, and select <b><i>Hacienda Mexican Restaurants</i></b>.<br />
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If you missed my most recent radio show (the broadcast was Saturday, May 29th), you can listen to a recorded version of it at <a href="http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier.">http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier.</a> My next show will be broadcast three weeks from today on June 24th at 11 AM. If you've got any suggestions for topics you'd like to see covered, just drop me a line and let me know.<br />
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<b>Alaskan Brewing</b> has announced a new beer for its rotating Alaskan Sampler Pack: <i>Alaskan Cream Ale</i>, which is following the <i>Spruce Tip IPA</i> and <i>Gold Creek Ale</i>. <b>Alaskan</b> is inviting people to give feedback on its <a href="https://alaskanbeer.com/rate/">website</a> about all these beers.<br />
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That about it for news this time. I hope to have more local beer news in my next blog, as I won't be on the road for a large part of it! Here are my beer reviews:<br />
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<b>Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen's </b><i>Oude Geuze</i>: I purchased this beer a couple of years ago as a leftover from <b><i>The Culmination Beer Festival</i></b> and have had it in my cellar ever since. When I opened it a couple of weeks ago, it poured a clear red-gold in color, but with very little in the way of head, and what there was dissipated rapidly to a collar. This was very unusual, as the style normally has tons of carbonation. The mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was that of a classic geuze, tart but refreshing, yet missing the crucial element of effervescence due to the lack of carbonation. Perhaps I got a bad bottle, but it was still disappointing after cellaring it for so long. 6% ABV.<br />
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<b>Haines Brewing's</b> <i>Ryepinsky Porter</i>: I sampled this at the brewery. It poured black with a small, cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The nose had hints of peppery rye, along with the traditional roasted malts of a porter. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, it was smooth, with lots of chocolate and roasted coffee notes, as well as a bit of pepper from the rye. Unusually, there was a slightly sweet note to the finish. Overall, a delicious porter made even more interesting by the twist of adding rye. 5.4% ABV, 25 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Haines Brewing's</b> <i>Motueka New Zeland IPA</i>: According to Paul Wheeler, he discovered this hop while visiting breweries in New Zealand and decided it would make a good IPA. I sampled this one at the brewery as well. It poured a cloudy gold with a nice cream-colored head. The nose had some very nice lemon-lime notes from the Motueka hops. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. Stylistically, it was closer to a more understated English-style IPA than an in-your-face American IPA. The Motueka hops give it a nice fruit-like flavor without the overwhelming citrus notes you get from some American varieties. Delicious and highly drinkable. 5.7% ABV, 55 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Founders Brewing's</b> <i>PC Pils</i>: As I mentioned in my 4/28/2017 blog, <b>Founders Brewing</b> is now distributing in Alaska. On my way home from Haines I stopped at <b><i>La Bodega</i></b> and picked up some <i>Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale</i> (reviewed on 6/1/2011) and <i>All Day Session IPA</i> (reviewed on 8/1/2014). In addition, they had a beer I had not yet tried, <i>PC Pils</i>, so I grabbed a six-pack of that as well. It poured a clear gold color with a small white head. The aroma had lots of American hop notes. The mouthfeel was light, and the carbonation was good. The flavor profile was clean and fresh, but the American hops were considerably more assertive in their bitterness than the European noble hops traditionally used in the style. Not a bad beer, but for my tastes, it was really more of an India Pale Lager than a pilsner. 5.5% ABV, 45 IBUs.<br />
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That's it for this blog. Get out and enjoy the wonderful summer weather we are having here in Alaska, and be sure to drink lots of good craft beer while you're at it. I'll be back in a couple of weeks with more local beer news and reviews.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-978470703307214102017-05-19T13:10:00.001-08:002017-05-19T13:10:13.521-08:00Happy Birthday, Kenai River Brewing Company<div class="tr_bq">
Yesterday was the 11th Anniversary of <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> first opening for business, and the 1 year anniversary of the opening of its new brewery. To celebrate, <b>Kenai River</b> brought in the band <b><i>Denali Cooks</i></b> and invited everyone in Soldotna to stop by from 5 to 8 PM. I was there for the first hour or so and snapped a few pictures.</div>
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It was a great celebration, well attended by the local residents. Since moving into its new home, <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> has become an even more integral part of the community than it was before, plus its kitchen is serving some fantastic food. My only regret is that as tourist season ramps up, it's likely to be impossible to get in the door! So congratulations to Doug Hogue and the rest of the team; I'm looking forward to the next eleven years!<br />
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May 6th was <b><i>National Homebrew Day</i></b>. Here's a video I came across that celebrates the international side of homebrewing. It's worth a look:<br />
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On a less pleasant note, Rep. Paul Seaton of Homer has proposed tripling the excise tax on craft beer. Here's what Ryan Makinster, the executive Director of the <b><i>Brewers Guild of Alaska</i></b> had to say about it:<br />
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<blockquote>
"In a memo dated March 6, 2017, Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, asked the House Labor & Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Sam Kito, D-Juneau, to consider legislation to repeal or amend the small craft brewer exemption. The exemption pertains the first 60,000 barrels of beer sold in state by a brewery that meets the federal definition of a small brewery.</blockquote>
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If this suggestion is adopted, the excise for small craft breweries will leap from $.35 a gallon to $1.07 a gallon, effectively tripling the tax Alaska craft breweries pay. In his memo, Paul Seaton states that that this change will equate to $2.6 million in tax revenue to the state. What isn’t mentioned is that $2.6 million will do nothing to address the state’s fiscal gap of over $2.5 billion dollars. In addition, he fails to mention that it has the ability to stifle expansion in a growing value-added manufacturing industry, something the Alaska desperately needs as it tries to diversify its economy.</blockquote>
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What is also overlooked is the economic benefit this industry plays in Alaska and the much greater positive effect a vibrant craft brewing industry has on the state’s overall economy. In 2015, the year of the most recent economic impact study, the industry was responsible for approximately 1,400 direct and 2,300 combined direct and induced jobs. In the same year the industry generated $340 million in direct income as well as a combined income of $492 million. This economic engine was responsible for $47 million going into the pockets of Alaskans who work in the industry while contributing $33 million to Alaskans who support the brewing industry and $16 million to Alaskans through induced spending.</blockquote>
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In addition to the substantial economic impact these businesses play in the Alaska economy, these small businesses are an important part of Alaska communities. Alaska craft brewers are good community members who donate cash, beer, and merchandise to local and statewide causes and organizations. Many breweries in Alaska have and continue to win national and international awards, bringing acclaim to Alaska and its brewing industry. In addition, the brewers advertising and distributing outside the state, showcase Alaska and its residents to the nation and the world.</blockquote>
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“Amending and updating this statute would create a level playing field for the alcohol industry,” Seaton said in his memo to the committee. What this proposal actually does is give large out of state brewers a leg up when competing with small Alaska businesses. Besides not having the economy of scale large outside breweries have, the cost to produce beer in Alaska is substantially higher. Out of state breweries ship the finished product for distribution in state, effectively paying for shipping of the final product once. Alaska breweries on the other hand must ship in their main ingredients like hops, barley and malt as well as their bottles and cans; a much larger amount of shipping by weight than the finished product. In addition, almost all of their heavy industrial equipment is shipped from out of state suppliers. For anyone that has ever paid for shipping from the lower 48, you know how expensive it can be. Imagine how expensive it is for the tons of ingredients and equipment required for a brewery to operate in Alaska. Due to this fact, Alaska breweries operate on a smaller margin than outside breweries and if the excise tax is tripled, the price of Alaska craft beer will have to rise to accommodate the new taxes. As with all products, there is a pain point for consumers and eventually they will choose a lower priced product rather than indulge in the higher price craft products, although they would prefer to support local.</blockquote>
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Finally, as has been pointed out by many members of the industry including brewers, wholesalers, retailers and customers, the excise tax paid is not a 1-to-1 correlation to the final price of the product. Although the tax, in the proposed case of an additional $.71, is assessed on the product, the wholesalers will adjust their markup based on a percentage of the total cost to them including the tax, not just add $.71 to their cost. Repeat this again at the retailer level and the increase to the consumer will be substantially higher than the proposed $.71.</blockquote>
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The craft brewing industry is one of the only growing value-added manufacturing industries in the state of Alaska. To risk harming this successful and vibrant industry for little financial gain to the state which will not make a dent on Alaska’s fiscal crisis is not only short-sighted, but misplaced."</blockquote>
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As a representative of the BGA, Ryan has to be fairly diplomatic toward Representative Seaton; as just a private citizen of Alaska, I don't. For example, I can say that anyone who says he seeks to "level the playing field" between Ab-InBev and <b>Homer Brewing Company</b>, or between Coors and <b>Grace Ridge Brewing Company</b>, is either a fool or a liar. I realize that money is tight in Juneau and Seaton never met a tax he didn't like, but the state of Alaska already collects over $40 million a year in alcohol taxes. Trying to squeeze another $2.6 million out of the citizens of Alaska who want to support a local industry by drinking local craft beers hardly seems proper, especially if the stated goal is to make things "level" for large Outside corporations. Personally, I'm fortunate enough not to be represented by Paul Seaton, but if you happen to live in his district, you might want to keep this crap in mind when the next election rolls around...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The man who wants to tax your beer even more than it already is.</td></tr>
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In happier news, there's been an announcement about the <b><i>7th Annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival</i></b>. The festival is put on each year by the Soldotna Rotary Club, with all proceeds going to support local charity projects. This year's festival will take place on Saturday, August 12th, and will again be held at the Soldotna Sports Center. There will be a change in the event's hours this year, with the general admission session running from 6 to 9 PM. There will be a VIP Session (limited to 200 tickets) from 5 to 6 PM, with breweries being asked to bring a special beer that will only be offered during this session. As always, there will also be live music, food vendors, and People's Choice Awards for the Best Beer and Best Brewery. So mark your calendars and make your plans to attend what's sure to be another great festival!<br />
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I'm still on the radio. My<b><i><a href="http://kdll.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/april-29-head-swimming-licensing-try-wee-heavy-pint-what-ales-you#stream/0"> Drinking on the Last Frontier</a></i></b> radio program on KDLL FM 91.9 FM is broadcast the last Saturday of every month at 11 AM. If you missed last month's show, you can listen to a podcast of it on KDLL's website or just follow this <a href="http://kdll.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/april-29-head-swimming-licensing-try-wee-heavy-pint-what-ales-you#stream/0">link</a>. The next broadcast will be Saturday, May 27th.<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing</b> has released the commercial version of last year's <b><i>Big Fish Homebrew Contest Winner</i></b>, <i>Blackhawk Bock</i>. Here's the information on it:<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing</b> also celebrated its 22nd Anniversary earlier this month, so congratulations to them for that.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing</b> has a couple of new brews on tap. Here's its most current tap list:<br />
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Finally, I've seen several breweries across the state make posts indicating that they are looking to hire additional staff, either permanently or for the summer. If you're in the market for a new job, you might want to check with your local craft brewery to see if they are hiring.<br />
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That's it for news, let's do some beer reviews. Once again, I've got two reviews this time round.<br />
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<b>Denali Brewing's</b> <i>Big Dipa Double IPA</i>: This is the latest seasonal release from this Talkeetna-based brewery. It poured a dark honey color with a big, cream-colored head. The nos was loaded with the aroma of citrusy American hops. Carbonation was excellent and the mouthfeel was fairly light. The bitterness of its initial attack is strong, but not nearly as strong as you'd expect from a beer with 100 IBUs, making it much more drinkable than your typical palate-wrecking hop-bomb. The intial bitterness is followed by plenty of hop flavor and aroma. Overall, I thought it was an outstanding brew and very tasty. Plus, I love the label design! ABV 8.6%.<br />
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<b>Trinity Brewing'</b>s <i>Koelorado Golden Sour Ale</i>: I've had this beer in my stash since last fall when it was gifted to me by the man, the legend James "Dr. Fermento" Roberts. <b>Trinity Brewing</b> is located in Denver and we don't get its beer here in Alaska, but the good doctor hand imported this one for me. Knowing it was a sour beer, I decided to let it cellar for a bit, assuming the wild/sour flavors would intensify, and finally opened it a few days ago. It poured a cloudy gold with a small white head that dissipated rapidly. The nose had all the sour notes you'd expect in a wild ale. Carbonation was low (in spite of the wax seal on the crown cap), and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, there was plenty of tart and sour notes, but they seemed to drop off a bit abruptly, without a true finish. Not a bad beer, but certainly not as complex and interesting as many other sours out there. 5% ABV.<br />
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Well, that's it for this blog. Next weekend I'll be in Haines for the <b><i><a href="http://www.seakfair.org/events/beer-fest/">25th Annual Great Alaska Craft Beer and Home Brew Festival</a></i></b>, the oldest beer festival in Alaska. I believe it's all sold out, but if you've already made plans to attend, be sure to say hello if you see me. I'm always interested in hearing from anybody out there who actually reads this stuff I write. For my next blog, I should have lots of pictures and information about the festival.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-72372639765304305902017-04-28T12:15:00.000-08:002017-04-28T15:12:37.833-08:00The End of April<div class="tr_bq">
The month of April is almost finished and spring has definitely come to the Kenai Peninsula. Most of the snow has gone and plants are beginning to awaken from their long winter sleep. Breweries across the state are doing the same, with the seasonal ones opening their doors again, while the others begin ramping up production in order to be ready to slake the thirsts of the hordes of tourist who will soon be descending upon us. It's a busy time.</div>
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I'll be on the radio again tomorrow, Saturday, April 29th, at 11 AM. My new radio program, <b><i><a href="http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier">Drinking on the Last Frontier</a></i></b>, will be on KDLL 91.9 FM Kenai. If you miss it live, a recording of the broadcast will be posted on the station's website in a few days. I'll be on the air the last Saturday of every month, at 11 AM. I'm always interested in feedback and suggestions, so give it a listen and tell me what you think.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Elaine Howell</td></tr>
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As I mentioned in my last blog, <b>49th State Brewing'</b>s Healy brewpub is opening its doors today, while <b>Seward Brewing Company</b> will open for business next Thursday, May 4th. The third seasonal brewery in Alaska, <b>Gold Rush Brewing</b> located just outside Skagway, seems to be undergoing a bit of a metamorphosis. I haven't been able to get anyone there to respond to my queries, but based on the brewery's <a href="http://www.goldrushbrewing.com/">website</a>, it appears that it has changed its name to <b>Klondike Brewing Company</b> and moved into downtown Skagway. Rumor has it that it's under new ownership. I'll keep trying to get more information and let you know if I do.<br />
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Earlier this week, I received the following press release from <b>Arkose Brewery</b> in Palmer:<br />
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<b>Arkose Brewery</b>’s logo and label designs recently won Gold in the 2017 Hermes Creative Awards competition in the packaging category. “We wanted to put the emphasis on the brewery name and to create a classic yet modern and minimalist design that is eye-catching and easy to read” says Co-founder & Creative Director June Gerteisen who is responsible for the design.</blockquote>
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The driving force behind the design was the launch of two new beers to their lineup of 22oz bottles. <i>Mandarina Moose Grapefruit IPA</i> and <i>Ovis Belgian-Style Golden Strong</i> will join <i>No 5 Boxcar Porter, High Ridge Double Red,</i> and <i>Steed Rye IPA</i> on store shelves this summer. To support the impact of the new look & feel, all five bottled brands were redesigned.</blockquote>
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June explains “We wanted to increase brand recognition of the brewery itself, increase sales in Alaska and elsewhere, address the trend that consumers are loyal to categories of beer, and implement a modern minimalist design to make it easier to find our products when scanning shelves.” She describes the Bauhaus principles of style and design are what inspired the design of the logo. Those principles include a minimalist approach which features clean lines with bold, simple coloration. The new <b>Arkose</b> logo combines a modern font with a cursive font along with a stylized icon representing ingredients used in brewing.</blockquote>
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As for the bottle label imagery, the handcrafted nature of brewing was the inspiration for the labels which were hand-drawn then screen printed directly onto the bottles. “I hand drew the imagery to support the whole idea of just how hands-on our craft is and that brewing truly is a work of passion and an art form both inside and out” says June.</blockquote>
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<i>Mandarina Moose Grapefruit IPA</i> features Mandarina Bavaria hops which lends fruity and citrus tones, plus grapefruit adds just the right amount of fierce brightness. It is deep copper in color with an ABV of 6.2% and an IBU of 72.</blockquote>
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<i>Ovis Belgian-Style Golden Strong</i> features characteristic floral spiciness from Belgian yeast with the addition of Perle and Hallertau hops with a highly attenuated dry finish. Sparkling gold in color with an ABV of 9% and an IBU of 35.</blockquote>
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Congratulations to <b>Arkose Brewery</b> on earning this award. I'll be looking to score bottles of these two new beers to sample and review.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new award-winning logo of Arkose Brewery</td></tr>
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<b><a href="https://foundersbrewing.com/">Founders Brewing Company</a></b> of Grand Rapids, Michigan has announced that it will begin distributing its beers in Alaska through <b><i>Odom Corporation</i></b>, making Alaska the 46th state to receive its beers. This is welcome news, as <b>Founders</b> produces some world-class beers, such as <i>Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale</i> (reviewed in my 6/1/2011 blog) and <i>All Day IPA Session Ale</i> (reviewed in my 8/1/2014 blog). Now that we'll be able to find them locally, I'll no longer have to beg my friends to mule them back up here for me to try! According to the press release, the beers will go on sale on Monday, May 8th. It also claimed that launch events will be taking place all that week and referenced the brewery's <a href="https://foundersbrewing.com/">website</a> for details. Unfortunately, when you go to it, the website has no mention of any events in Alaska. Will there be any? Your guess is as good as mine...<br />
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Back on Thursday, April 20th, <b><i>La Bodega</i></b> celebrated the 5th Anniversary of it's move from University Center to its current location in the Metro Mall. Hard to believe it's been five years already. Congratulations to Pamela and the rest of the team there and keep up the great work that has made you far and away the best beer store in Alaska!<br />
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I mentioned in my last blog the charity event <b><i><a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2921447">A Cellar Tasting for Roxy</a></i></b> that will be taking place tomorrow, Saturday, April 29th, starting at 2 PM at <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b>. Owner Gabe Fletcher will be emptying out his personal beer cellar, as well as offering beers sent to him by breweries all around the country. All proceeds will be going to support the cancer treatments of his friend Roxy Wills. Instead of giving you all the details, I'd rather point you toward the excellent article from Jim Roberts in this week's <b><i>Anchorage Press;</i></b> you can read it <a href="http://www.anchoragepress.com/food_and_drink/beer-with-a-big-heart/article_6d6a1a08-2b8d-11e7-983e-8bd8d12893cc.html">here</a>. Admission is $100 and there will be food and live music as well as amazing beers on offer. You can purchase your tickets at <a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2921447">http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2921447</a> This event will be like a mini-<b><i>Culmination</i></b>, Fletcher's annual five-star beer festival, so if you can be in Anchorage tomorrow, get your ticket now. Remember, every penny is going to support a good cause.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of James Roberts</td></tr>
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On Friday, May 12th, <b>49th State Brewing</b> in Anchorage will be conducting a bit of an experiment. At 4:30 PM, the brewery will tap two cask-conditioned firkins of its <i>Solstice IPA</i>. One has been dry-hopped with the new <a href="https://ychhops.com/hop-products/cryo-hops">Cryo-Hops</a> from Hopunion (I wrote a bit about this new product back on 3/11/2017). There other is dry-hopped with Alaskan spruce-tips. Stop in and taste the two beers side-by-side, then tell <b>49th State</b> what you think.<br />
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Congratulations to <b>Baranof Island Brewing Company</b>. It's <i>Medvejie Stout</i> took Best Dark Ale and Best in Show at the <b><i>Leavenworth Ale-Fest</i></b> in Washington state last weekend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Baranof Island Brewing</td></tr>
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It looks like Anchorage will be getting another alehouse soon. It appears that the owners of the <b><i>Eagle River Alehouse</i></b> and <b><i>Palmer City Alehouse</i></b> will be opening the <b><i>Anchorage Alehouse</i></b> in the location formerly occupied by the <b><i>Crossbar</i></b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos courtesy of Palmer City Alehouse</td></tr>
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Here on the Peninsula, <b>Kenai River Brewing</b>'s kitchen is now open seven days a week. The brewery also has two new brews on tap: <i>Resurrection Summer Ale</i> and an <i>Oak-aged Russian Imperial Stout</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing.</td></tr>
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<b>St. Elias Brewing</b> has announced that it will soon have its popular <i>Fair Trade Coffee Porter</i> back on tap.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjP0CInTDE1v3tmUXnxFdTf_wmi2fBvmw3ZaIIV8_cLm84zzo_b1-RxMBrdZBj9Mk2g0JS61NGVBQvRxOZeKiDW3GFTs-VHbyUAzLE5pAG2PzL9o-AxZrTMdHsbwCfPTWZGDl-1-PoOYS/s1600/d0bb42f58200dec54d3a23576b4213e04c489ae3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjP0CInTDE1v3tmUXnxFdTf_wmi2fBvmw3ZaIIV8_cLm84zzo_b1-RxMBrdZBj9Mk2g0JS61NGVBQvRxOZeKiDW3GFTs-VHbyUAzLE5pAG2PzL9o-AxZrTMdHsbwCfPTWZGDl-1-PoOYS/s640/d0bb42f58200dec54d3a23576b4213e04c489ae3.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of St. Elias Brewing</td></tr>
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That wraps the news, so let's do some beer reviews. I've only got two for this blog, both big barrel-aged imperial stouts.<br />
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<b>Deschutes Brewing's</b> <i>The Abyss Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels (2015)</i>: This beer came with a Best After Date of 12/18/2016. It poured opaque with a nice tan head. The aroma had elements of molasses, licorice, and whiskey. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. On the palate, it was smooth and slightly boozy, with the molasses and licorice appearing again to contribute to its deep and complex flavor profile. There was a touch of alcohol warmth on the finish from the 13.2% ABV. As I've come to expect from <i>The Abyss</i>, this is a top-flight Russian Imperial Stout. The rye whiskey aging seems to work pretty well with the underlying beer. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE-scEa7JOmjUyttH_VPAiSJT5ux0GMzWOGeclFsOky2pY5oQyrNFfpFXNE-CDsooH0WmJT5qa4WxLhGkP0M8ztr_usxYEA9jQKvjGjEtujiEVKPBkluK88Q-FDTozVv6YhOoCJkDnWey/s1600/IMG_1166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE-scEa7JOmjUyttH_VPAiSJT5ux0GMzWOGeclFsOky2pY5oQyrNFfpFXNE-CDsooH0WmJT5qa4WxLhGkP0M8ztr_usxYEA9jQKvjGjEtujiEVKPBkluK88Q-FDTozVv6YhOoCJkDnWey/s640/IMG_1166.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Anchorage Brewing Company's</b> <i>The Darkest Hour (Batch #3 Whiskey Barrel Aged)</i>: The beer was brewed in December of 2016 and spent a year in the barrels, I believe. It poured opaque with a nice brown head. The nose was of chocolate, sweet malt, and whiskey. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. The beer also had a rich and complex flavor profile, with elements of chocolate and roasted coffee. The whiskey elements were very well-integrated (even better than those in <i>The Abyss</i>); this can often be a flaw, IMHO, when the whiskey seems to just be overlaid on top of the beer. However, in this case, it was deeply intertwined with the other flavor elements. An outstanding beer. 13% ABV, 40 IBUs.<br />
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That's it for this blog. Please try to catch my radio show tomorrow, and I'll be back in another week or two with more beer news and reviews.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-18082206087100975662017-04-15T11:54:00.000-08:002017-04-16T09:22:17.999-08:00The Tax Man Cometh...We're well into Break Up here on the Kenai Peninsula and it's April 15th, traditional tax day, though our overlords have generously decreed that the peasants may delay submitting their tributes until April 18th this year. Speaking of overlords, it appears that the Alaska Legislature will be too busy squabbling over the budget to take any action on SB 76 for the second year in a row. For those of you who don't remember, SB 76 is the complete re-write of Alaska's liquor laws, the first one in over 30 years. It has the potential to be either a very good thing or a very bad thing, depending on what actually gets passed. That's true of most laws, I guess, but especially true in this case, as small changes can have huge impacts on the ability of new breweries to open. If you're interested in reading the bill (fair warning: it's a long slog), you can find the current text <a href="http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/30?Root=SB%20%2076">here</a>. If it looks like anything's likely to happen on it, I'll let you know.<br />
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On a more upbeat note, <b><i>SAK Town Liquors</i></b> held its Grand Opening yesterday. The liquor store is located on the Seward Highway, just across from the <b><i>Pit Bar.</i></b> It's been closed since last summer, but new owner Jared Wallace has the doors open and is enthusiastic about bringing in lots of good stuff. I stopped by about 1 PM yesterday to see how things were going and sign up for the prize raffle. Here are some photos I snapped:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0NsCL6DEuUN3EHxzCsTBDHN1DPan_GKOKdSzl3ElUvL6EGGDbrm2TgTF5UQVOQXEJDy8NAcE7XR3DNUM7cyfTooHqAnnPCm4S8-KRYgEsNg6Dj-Lj22vwCd6OttTeY6R_T3vkft30kak/s1600/IMG_1162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0NsCL6DEuUN3EHxzCsTBDHN1DPan_GKOKdSzl3ElUvL6EGGDbrm2TgTF5UQVOQXEJDy8NAcE7XR3DNUM7cyfTooHqAnnPCm4S8-KRYgEsNg6Dj-Lj22vwCd6OttTeY6R_T3vkft30kak/s400/IMG_1162.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exterior of Sak Town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf66bur5a51VQOcrQfj4Gk3E9tLnk7XpbfGP_36PuAqJaZs5mJAsjBRCSeU3WIIFIwJwepsThDotIovf33tKGX-nXgYNEHXdWWdlT8UW2NuJZqVWtmLgQXAKuj1ZzRZFAOMyFl3tj741D/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf66bur5a51VQOcrQfj4Gk3E9tLnk7XpbfGP_36PuAqJaZs5mJAsjBRCSeU3WIIFIwJwepsThDotIovf33tKGX-nXgYNEHXdWWdlT8UW2NuJZqVWtmLgQXAKuj1ZzRZFAOMyFl3tj741D/s400/IMG_1160.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a huge interior...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWQX5lVRtM9H2Tf05RW5sbdIrkZE1WTdm0OfG8Ozm2SksVUSJKDONjqdERxIUVOJDala31r6sI8Kna3I-foiwCDUWwaChvbCe2P30OPEHeUvBQN0b_IkoNlhA3drcY2LDdzunFWzorKc_/s1600/IMG_1159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWQX5lVRtM9H2Tf05RW5sbdIrkZE1WTdm0OfG8Ozm2SksVUSJKDONjqdERxIUVOJDala31r6sI8Kna3I-foiwCDUWwaChvbCe2P30OPEHeUvBQN0b_IkoNlhA3drcY2LDdzunFWzorKc_/s400/IMG_1159.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But it does have a 14-tap growler bar!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlcoj2aK_XJffsaax8Ru-cuAEPxx4vefp7D2vTYFeflbvV_vVAHrKJ2MtnfPRhcXGylXFDbqw6teHcRge5GjqqRDh-Oirghd3BkTtPrIP5gIH_gkCBkNz4CnLe0z-LbeysxM6adx2Fh3p/s1600/IMG_1161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlcoj2aK_XJffsaax8Ru-cuAEPxx4vefp7D2vTYFeflbvV_vVAHrKJ2MtnfPRhcXGylXFDbqw6teHcRge5GjqqRDh-Oirghd3BkTtPrIP5gIH_gkCBkNz4CnLe0z-LbeysxM6adx2Fh3p/s400/IMG_1161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And plenty of good craft beer!</td></tr>
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So let's wish Jared every success, and make a point of stopping in whenever you're heading into or out of Seward.<br />
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There's a new nanobrewery opening next weekend in Juneau. <b><a href="https://www.barnabybrew.com/">Barnaby Brewing</a></b> will be opening for business on Friday, April 21, though for the first two days you will need to get a ticket in order to get in the door. This is due to the small size of the tasting room (only 250 square feet), so the owner, Matt Barnaby, wants to limit it to 16 folks per hour during the initial crush after opening. After 3 PM on Sunday, April 23, it's officially open to the public, no ticket required. If you want to visit on Friday, Saturday, or earlier on Sunday, call 419-0916 to reserve a spot. The brewery is located at 206-1 N. Franklin Street in downtown Juneau.<br />
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I talked with Matt a few days ago by phone. He told me that he's brewing on a 1-bbl, all-electric system from Spike Brewing; it's a Heat Exchange Recirculating Mash System (HERMS), which is very practical for him, given the small size of his brewery (only 800 square feet). He's using 1-bbl Speidel fermenters, then on to a 1-bbl brite tank for carbonation, and finally into half-barrel kegs for dispensing. Given the small size of his system, he has no plans to distribute any of his beer off-site. He will be offering four standard beers, ten rotating seasonals and five imperial brews that will also rotate. You can check out some of the beers that he intends to offer on the brewery's <a href="https://www.barnabybrew.com/">website</a>. According to Matt, his brewing philosophy is to produce mostly typical American ales, but to also mix in some of the less orthodox ones, like steam beers, cream ales, and American lagers. This brewery represents the first time we've had another brewery in Juneau besides <b>Alaskan Brewing</b> since the <b>Dillo Brewery</b>, located in the <b><i>Armadillo Tex-Mex Restaurant</i></b> operated for a brief period in the late 1990s. If you can't make it to Juneau to sample Matt's beers, he told me that <b>Barnaby Brewing</b> will be pouring at the <b><i>Haines Beer Fest</i></b> on Memorial Day Weekend.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4yR3GEQn9wAg3DMPdXKjfSg9Xk-QCb0Q1PLV5V6M72xT3MieDxLH19Cl1xE04Jlg5l2dWfniEzCZHMuAPYz38YGZM3ad0twJ8_7oH-4SlTmlhBcDaLxIBr2mMPUeongiIgKPIX3AL7RK/s1600/Barnaby+Brewing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4yR3GEQn9wAg3DMPdXKjfSg9Xk-QCb0Q1PLV5V6M72xT3MieDxLH19Cl1xE04Jlg5l2dWfniEzCZHMuAPYz38YGZM3ad0twJ8_7oH-4SlTmlhBcDaLxIBr2mMPUeongiIgKPIX3AL7RK/s400/Barnaby+Brewing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While we're on the subject of new breweries, Alex MacGillivray has applied for a state license to open <b>Baleen Brewing</b> in Ketchikan. I know that Alex has been working toward this goal for years, so it's great to see him getting close to the finish line. The brewery will be located on Mizzen Lane, off North Point Higgins Road. The press article I read seemed to indicate that there would be no objections to the license being issued, so hopefully, Alex can get things up and running soon.<br />
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In two weeks, <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b> will be hosting a major charity beer event. Gabe Fletcher will be opening up his personal beer cellar, as well as bringing in other rare brews. The event is called <b><i><a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2921447">A Cellar Tasting for Roxy</a></i></b>. Here's what Gabe had to say about it:<br />
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This is a fund raiser to help our friend Roxy Wills with the costly out of state cancer treatment she will need. There will be food provided by <b>49th State Brewing Company</b>, live music by Brandon Cockburn and the Brett quartet and many hard to find beers to taste. <u>100% of all money will be donated to the Wills Family</u>.</blockquote>
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Ther's a huge list of rare beers on offer (see <b>Anchorage Brewing's </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Anchorage-Brewing-Company-329603410491223/">Facebook page</a> for the list) and your money could not be going to a worthier cause. The event runs from 2 to 6 pm on Saturday, April 29th and is limited to 200 attendees. Tickets are $100, and you can purchase them by clicking <a href="http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2921447">here</a>. If you'll be in Anchorage that weekend, I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.<br />
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<b>Glacier BrewHouse</b> will be holding a beer dinner on Wednesday, April 26th. Here's the poster for it:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<b>Alaskan Brewing</b> has announced that <i>Big Mountain Pale Ale</i> will be joining its year-round beer lineup. <i>Big Mountain</i> was originally released as part of the Boundary Range Sampler Pack, and is brewed using the popular Simcoe and Mosaic hop varieties. Alaskan has replaced <i>Big Mountain</i> in the Boundary Range pack with a new beer, <i>Ridge Hop IPA</i>. This beer is brewed using a single hop variety: Azacca hops from Australia. These hops give it notes of citrus, pine, and grass. <i>Ridge Hop IPA</i> will only be available in the sampler pack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXchqlaVZ9PMlVamODA3Jb8QVxk3923RKPudtF8cHHmYOhyphenhyphenh4v8TnZry-NfjST79-AJIlTSaQXqFtU8SGaetcZ5j6-x_9VcMlcb_0jPcS0u5qZub9xeMgpxbKgK60rNHp01kEaCZL8yx0c/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXchqlaVZ9PMlVamODA3Jb8QVxk3923RKPudtF8cHHmYOhyphenhyphenh4v8TnZry-NfjST79-AJIlTSaQXqFtU8SGaetcZ5j6-x_9VcMlcb_0jPcS0u5qZub9xeMgpxbKgK60rNHp01kEaCZL8yx0c/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Alaskan Brewing Company</td></tr>
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A website called The Daily Meal is asking people to vote for the best craft brewery in America, so why not go and vote for your favorite local brewery? Click<a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/drink/vote-best-craft-brewery-america"> here </a>to vote.<br />
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<b>Bleeding Heart Brewery</b> in Palmer is celebrating its 1st Anniversary today from noon to 8 pm. Congratulations to them on reaching this important milestone!<br />
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<b>Denali Brewing Company</b> has released a new brew in canned six packs: <i>Big DIPA</i>, a double IPA weighing in at 8.6% ABV and 100 IBUs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoucZWydqsAze2e-MZ87G4eKuMhRwF2OuiIilM9OhM3df6iytl_f97djaOnpPBMknrtZ-x0_tEid_1qzuIdL9FqFlAVDJfAbaysogh0ibL6829MMacFFY5bnhmDL01c0qtn88WxhQGXZcI/s1600/17795795_10155956432349128_5282501109848135406_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoucZWydqsAze2e-MZ87G4eKuMhRwF2OuiIilM9OhM3df6iytl_f97djaOnpPBMknrtZ-x0_tEid_1qzuIdL9FqFlAVDJfAbaysogh0ibL6829MMacFFY5bnhmDL01c0qtn88WxhQGXZcI/s400/17795795_10155956432349128_5282501109848135406_n.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
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Here on the Peninsula, <b>St. Elias Brewing Company</b> has its very popular <i>Green Giant Double IPA</i> back on tap. The brewery is also sporting a new tap list display:<br />
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Finally, though some folks seem to have thought it was an April Fools prank, I really am doing a monthly radio show about beer on KDLL FM 91.9 Kenai. The show is broadcast the last Saturday of each month, from 11 am to noon. Eventually, the shows will also be available online as a podcast, but for now, you'll need to listen to it live, either over the airwaves or via an app like Tune-In. The next one will be in two weeks, on Saturday, April 29th. Please tune in and tell me what you think; any and all feedback is welcome.<br />
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That about covers the news, so let's do some reviews. I have three for you this time:<br />
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<b>Deschutes Brewing'</b>s <i>Mirror Mirror Barly Wine (2014)</i>: Another beauty from my beer cellar, this classic English-style barley wine poured a deep, slightly cloudy honey color with a good, cream-colored head. The aroma was primarily of malt notes, but there were still a few hints of hops. The mouthfeel with thick and coating and the carbonation was good. The flavor profile was rich, deep, and complex, with layerings of malty goodness, barely kept in balance by hop bitterness. Quite delicious, and an outstanding example of a straight ahead English-style barley wine. 11.2% ABV.<br />
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<b>Lagunitas Brewing's</b> <i>Davey Murray's Best Scotch Ale</i>: As anyone who has read this blog for a while knows, I'm very partial to Scotch ales. It's definitely one of my favorite beer styles, going all the way back to when I first started drinking craft beers thirty years ago. So when I saw this new and limited release from <b>Lagunitas</b> at <b><i>La Bodega</i></b>, I had to try it. It poured a clear, dark ruby color with a nice, off-white head. However, when I nosed it, I immediately realized that this was not a traditional Scotch ale, as I could pick up quite a lot of hops in the aroma. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. The flavor profile was primarily hops and some smoke notes; the traditional malt-forward wee heavy flavor profile was nowhere to be seen. If you are a hophead who doesn't like the traditional malty wee heavy, you might enjoy this beer, but as someone who loves a good Scotch ale, this "re-imagining" of the style was not to my taste. 9.5% ABV.<br />
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<b>St. Feuillien Brewing's</b> <i>Saison</i>: A saison in a can? Why not? The unfiltered beer poured a slightly cloudy gold with a nice white head, though not as big as some saison heads. The aroma had the spicy, peppery notes I always associate with a Belgian yeast strain. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile had all the classic saison elements: earthy, spicy, and on the dry side. Overall, a very nice brew and wonderful to have available the options of cans available. 6.5% ABV.<br />
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That's it for this time. Enjoy the wonderful sunshine we've been having lately and keep drinking good craft beers.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-54470386247139193642017-04-01T12:31:00.000-08:002017-04-01T13:29:36.854-08:00"It's the Latest Thing From Q-Branch. It's Called Radio."Thanks for the hint, Mr. Bond. Yes, I've decided to take Drinking on the Last Frontier into a new bleeding edge field of communications: National Public Radio. On the last Saturday of each month, I'll be broadcasting from 11 am to noon on KDLL FM 91.9 Kenai. The show is called -- wait for it -- <b><i>"Drinking on the Last Frontier."</i></b> Pretty cunning, huh? The first installment went out over the airwaves last Saturday, March 25th, and the next one will go out on Saturday, April 29th. We're still working out the technical details, but soon the shows will also be available via podcast; I'll let you know when they are up on the web.<br />
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On the national craft beer scene, the Brewers Association has published its annual statistics on the growth of craft beer as of the end of 2016. Here's the infographic with the numbers:<br />
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As you can see, the overall growth rate has slowed, mainly because acquisitions have caused several successful breweries to lose their "craft" designation. It also looks like the BA's stated goal of "20 in 20", i.e. that craft beer have 20% market share by 2020 ain't happening. Still, the numbers keep growing steadily, so that a good thing.<br />
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In more local news, as mentioned in my last blog, <b>Anchorage Brewing</b> has released a limited amount of <i>Lines DIPA</i>, a canned beer brewed in collaboration with <b>Monkish Brewing</b> of L.A. and using 100% lupulin powder. The release took place yesterday, but there are still some cans left for sale at the brewery today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjGxavH26EBjV8hpNXbC_MZH3akHFSAGyfIfeK0YHrWjWqMuTQtGv9gbyVyAMrd7glhDoHMyepLXgi9nucdZC24suWGGb_CVoWTZQyPSCUf0AzHLzc04eTEe_ApxnYbgMky2dpcn391d0/s1600/17457816_1202831999835022_1616156096333354328_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjGxavH26EBjV8hpNXbC_MZH3akHFSAGyfIfeK0YHrWjWqMuTQtGv9gbyVyAMrd7glhDoHMyepLXgi9nucdZC24suWGGb_CVoWTZQyPSCUf0AzHLzc04eTEe_ApxnYbgMky2dpcn391d0/s400/17457816_1202831999835022_1616156096333354328_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company</td></tr>
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Gabe Fletcher has also announced that he has ordered a canning line from Codi Manufacturing, out of Golden, Colorado. The 5-head counter-pressure system should be able to handle 120 cans per minute. Gabe hopes to have it in operation by the end of May, producing 16 oz. can 4-packs of various IPAs for sale at the brewery and select local stores.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXsCc6fdSO1Dfnw9dNr8xpfJk0grAvY_Zcn2v_H8gxyE6WoN7jttNBSyaZr45bJ7Q1NiHxl7xm_-MiScpZDAPXL6Txm1ng2_yzAGwUGdJegsoskbgIepwQouetE7dGs29eGnJZvV8zWuu/s1600/340_FILLER_-_SMALL_SIZE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXsCc6fdSO1Dfnw9dNr8xpfJk0grAvY_Zcn2v_H8gxyE6WoN7jttNBSyaZr45bJ7Q1NiHxl7xm_-MiScpZDAPXL6Txm1ng2_yzAGwUGdJegsoskbgIepwQouetE7dGs29eGnJZvV8zWuu/s640/340_FILLER_-_SMALL_SIZE.png" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Codi Manufacturing</td></tr>
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Just today, <b>Anchorage Brewing</b> also psoted the labels of two soon to be released beers:<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing Company</b> has announced that it is going to be adding a pilsner to its line-up of flagship brews. The brewery staff has been taste-testing various recipes. They have narrowed it down to two possibilities, which were both offered to the public a week ago, so stop by the brewery, give them both a try, and let the folks at <b>Midnight Sun</b> know which one you want to have on tap year-round. I'm not sure when the final decision will be made.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun Brewing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun</td></tr>
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<b>Midnight Sun</b> has also announced that it will be releasing three of its canned beers in 12 packs soon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLCfyr3SkMUFGAJxf0efQMXp2ioU1EAWmDODKCJCR7WE5IsJJ4_fwlsUkRxCxZoJ6w61Gl2k2xhlU1b2js-USkkqYZlrxiQk0X5zkdKJyx9ceMxxdSSUESyed68oIxjr4vvMJT4Jk0DKW/s1600/17499173_1501651449846435_3712837897342136170_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLCfyr3SkMUFGAJxf0efQMXp2ioU1EAWmDODKCJCR7WE5IsJJ4_fwlsUkRxCxZoJ6w61Gl2k2xhlU1b2js-USkkqYZlrxiQk0X5zkdKJyx9ceMxxdSSUESyed68oIxjr4vvMJT4Jk0DKW/s400/17499173_1501651449846435_3712837897342136170_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Midnight Sun</td></tr>
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At recently opened <b>Girdwood Brewing</b>, they have announced new operating hours:2 pm to 8 pm on Friday, and noon to 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday thru Thursday.<br />
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<b>Seward Brewing Company</b> has announced that it will be opening for the 2017 season on Thursday, May 4th.<br />
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Also in Seward, <b>Kassik's Brewery</b> will be holding a Meet The Brewers dinner tonight at <i>T<b>he Cookery</b></i>.<br />
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At noon on Friday, April 14th, <b><i>Sak Town Liquor</i></b> in Seward will celebrate its Grand Opening under new management. As part of the celebration, it will also be holding a free raffle for a 3-liter bottle of <b>Stone Brewing's</b> <i>Double Bastard Ale</i>. One ticket per customer and you must be 21+. There will also be free hot dogs for the first 50 people. The store will have a growler bar and a nice selection of local craft brews, so stop by and check it out if you can.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come by and win me at Sake Town Liquors!</td></tr>
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<b>Cooper Landing Brewing Company</b> announced on Thursday that it had received its federal brewery license; now comes the bigger hurdle of satisfying the state of Alaska.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82v34wDoL_UnmrThIsueqiyS_cctiO97reUC8K_Xf9i61UT7WKtovhsuN9I97Z68m2s9XFRx9511oDzNH0yvEBTwwm7GKJdd0XRmsAs7HFEUg0EwMdP7YvnCpa6lg2mEpJUeFKI5XBOrp/s1600/Cooper+Landing+Brewing+Co.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82v34wDoL_UnmrThIsueqiyS_cctiO97reUC8K_Xf9i61UT7WKtovhsuN9I97Z68m2s9XFRx9511oDzNH0yvEBTwwm7GKJdd0XRmsAs7HFEUg0EwMdP7YvnCpa6lg2mEpJUeFKI5XBOrp/s400/Cooper+Landing+Brewing+Co.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>
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I've heard that starting in May,<b> Kenai River Brewing</b> plans to have its tasting room kitchen open seven days a week for the busy summer season. Currently, the kitchen is closed on Monday and Tuesday. <b>Kenai River</b> is also offering its excellent <i>Oak-Aged Russian Imperial Stout</i> on nitro at the brewery. It's definitely worth your time to stop in for a glass.<br />
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At <b>St. Elias Brewing</b>, the extremely popular <i>Green Giant Double IPA</i> should be back on tap sometime this week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current tap list at St. Elias Brewing.</td></tr>
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Moving on from news to reviews, this time around I have four big beers to talk about.<br />
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<b>Denali Brewing'</b>s <i>Hibernale (2016 Sour Barrel)</i>: This beer poured a clear, dark honey color with a nice, cream-colored head. The aroma was plumy, with plenty of Belgian-yeast notes. The carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, there were some tart notes, plus the classic dark fruit notes of a Belgian quad. A sour Belgian quad -- a very unusual but excellent combination. 9.3% ABV, 20 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Alaskan Brewing's</b> <i>25th Anniversary Perseverance Ale (2011)</i>: I was reorganizing my beer cellar and came across this five-year-old gem. I originally reviewed it back on 9/7/2011 and again on 10/2/2014. This will be my last entry, as this was my final bottle. Looking back at my prior reviews, I thought the beer was a little too sweet at the start but had come into a nice balance at the three-year point. So what's it like after 5.5 years? It poured opaque, and still had enough carbonation to form a nice tan head (I hadn't waxed the top, but probably should have). The nose was more subdued than at 3 years, but still had hints of sweetness and smoke. Carbonation was acceptable and the mouthfeel had lightened a bit, thanks to the beer drying out. The flavor profile was smooth and well-integrated, much drier and less sweet, but still fairly smoky. I think I could detect the beginnings of oxidation so this beer may be about as good as it's going to get. If you still have any in your cellar, I'd suggest careful monitoring on a 6-month basis at this point. Still delicious now, so don't let it go to waste. I'm looking forward to seeing how the 30th Anniversary version of this beer develops in the cellar. 9% ABV, 50 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Anchorage Brewing's</b> <i>Time Waits for No One Imperial Stout (Batch #2, Portuguese port barrel aged)</i>. I tasted Batch#1 of this beer (aged in Laphroig Scotch Whisky barrel) at the second <b><i>Culmination Festival</i></b> and was absolutely blown away by it. (See my review on 5/30/2014.) This batch poured opaque with a small, brown head that dissipated to a collar. You could tell as the beer poured just how thick it was, like 40 weight oil! The nose was heavy with deep, rich malt notes. The mouthfeel was super thick and viscous; carbonation was okay. The flavor profile was that of a Russian Imperial Stout turned up to 11: heavy malt flavors and colossal roasty notes, plus some notes of sweetness from the port barrels. Given how partial I am to Scotch whisky, I must admit that I preferred Batch #1; however, Batch #2 is some super stuff as well. And you can take it home to drink or cellar, which you couldn't do with Batch #1. My advice is to share the bottle with a friend or two, as this is a big league beer! 14: ABV, 60 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Anchorage Brewing Company's</b> <i>The Darkest Hour Russian Imperial Stout (Batch #2, Aged in Spanish Brandy Barrel)</i>: Another recent release, this beer poured opaque with a nice brown head. The nose was rich with notes of both malt and roasted coffee, plus hints of alcohol. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was thick and chewy. Again, we're talking huge RIS flavor profile here, with a tremendous amount of sweet and roasted malt elements, yet somehow they balance each other nicely. The brandy notes from the barrel come in on the finish and add a further intriguing element. Another kick-ass stout from Gabe Fletcher. 13% ABV.<br />
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Well, that's it for this blog. Looks like we might finally be starting Break-Up, so perhaps when next we meet spring will actually have come to here in The North Country. But for now, keep your snow tires on and keep drinking good craft beer.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-19467941761873862592017-03-18T10:46:00.000-08:002017-03-18T12:45:46.269-08:00Girdwood Brewing Is Open!It's been years in the making, but <b>Girdwood Brewing</b> is finally open to the public. The new brewery at 2700 Alyeska Highway opened its doors at 4 PM on Thursday. I'm not sure what it's final operating hours will be but it's open noon to 8 PM thru this Sunday if you want to stop by and check things out. I drove up yesterday to see it for myself.<br />
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The brewery is in a great location, right off the main road, with a nice view of the ski slopes from the parking lot. The tap room is beautiful, with lovely timber-framing and a gorgeous bar top made from a huge piece of Costa Rican hardwood. It's decorated with plenty of skis and skiing stuff. Here are some photos my wife Elaine took which should give you a feel for the place. Click on each to enlarge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brewery exterior</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brewery tap room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCMQMsQFznGtFf7zOa64WrOlxAiR2-VQnhsEt4Og0btGhwSsksH5ysxwFBhMMY634sD5QYYY0BpsoKoxJsDwpHpEtGuLrHUcLuqOiN3yh3mCXn4-meaREjwuGYca3JDlqSgY0LpRp1yg-/s1600/EFH_6863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCMQMsQFznGtFf7zOa64WrOlxAiR2-VQnhsEt4Og0btGhwSsksH5ysxwFBhMMY634sD5QYYY0BpsoKoxJsDwpHpEtGuLrHUcLuqOiN3yh3mCXn4-meaREjwuGYca3JDlqSgY0LpRp1yg-/s400/EFH_6863.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brewhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brite tank and three conical fermenters</td></tr>
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When I was there, owners Brett & Rory Marenco and Josh Hegna were behind the counter, so I talked to them for a few minutes. They plan to take things slow at first, getting the feel for their production process and tap room demand. Eventually, they'll likely begin to self-distribute to local bars and restaurants, but they want to be careful not to get ahead of themselves. As Rory told me, "We want to make sure we can meet tap room demand before we start branching out. The worst thing would be to go into an outlet, and then have to pull back because we couldn't meet demand." Currently, <b>Girdwood</b> has three 20-bbl conical fermenters and one 20-bbl brite tank, but the brewery was built and plumbed to make adding up to three more fermenters a relatively easy affair; bravo to them for thinking ahead. But for now, if you want to taste <b>Girdwood</b>'s beers, you're going to have to make the trek to the brewery.<br />
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And what about those beers? There are currently three on tap (along with Zip Kombucha), and I sampled each yesterday. While I never do a formal review based only on a sample, here are my "first impressions" of each of the three beers on offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODRmvyyz0BcpxEuLk5HFkKkYEe14EUemyb5kzKNwub8jj3IaqDAyVPIAkPEj2Uw34k7iEAxwj20WAQfZBXtFHJa9HgoWAShqCn-sJHEiPkQR5H466KYkwi5NTWYlUIuPAG9Ko33eRgRh-/s1600/IMG_1135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODRmvyyz0BcpxEuLk5HFkKkYEe14EUemyb5kzKNwub8jj3IaqDAyVPIAkPEj2Uw34k7iEAxwj20WAQfZBXtFHJa9HgoWAShqCn-sJHEiPkQR5H466KYkwi5NTWYlUIuPAG9Ko33eRgRh-/s400/IMG_1135.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: <i>AK-IPA, Down the Chute Kolsch, & Hippy Speedball Coffee Stout</i></td></tr>
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<i>Down the Chute Kolsch</i>: An easy-drinking, clean tasting beer, with mild hoppiness. Nothing here that should scare away the Bud drinker, so this is the perfect beer for someone who's unfamiliar with craft beers. 5.3% ABV, 16 IBUs.<br />
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<i>AK-IPA</i>: This unfiltered IPA is cloudy in the glass, with plenty of hop aroma in the nose. While it may resemble some of the newest IPAs made with Mosiac and other hip new hop varieties, <i>AK-IPA</i> doesn't have the tropical fruit notes that come from those hops. Instead, it's brewed with Amarillo and other more familiar American hops, giving it a bright citrus aroma and flavor, along with its bracing bitterness. 6.4% ABV, 78 IBUs.<br />
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<i>Hippy Speedball Coffee Stout:</i> Black as midnight with a nice mocha-colored head, this beer lives up to its name with plenty of roasted flavors, both from the grain and the cold-steeped coffee. If you like coffee stouts (and I do), this beer is an excellent example of the style. 6.7% ABV, 24 IBUs.<br />
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So in conclusion, congratulations to <b>Girdwood Brewing</b> on opening its doors. I'm sure it will do a fantastic amount of business, especially when the tourists return with the warmer weather. Near as I can tell, this brings the brewery count in Alaska to 32, pushing us even higher in the breweries per capita rankings.<br />
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Before I wrap up this blog, I want to make sure everyone is aware of the upcoming <b><i>Talkeetna Beer Trippin' Event</i></b>. This event is organized each year by the <b><i>Great Northern Brewers</i></b>, Anchorage's homebrew club. This year it takes place from 3/31 to 4/2. Here's the schedule of events:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfjjKyfdKabvysGaRmmZM3KSnhV7cVoEJJFMmj9YBn3QHNU5tyyJq1EIis7zIPWG4R51vcKUQ-OnPzi7MrbKQzdtMm5hw5UlAWboam5bNbNZPPZnXE6uVUT8bcj1EbuI2zSSytPioyl54/s1600/2017_schedule_of_events+-+Beer+Tripping-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfjjKyfdKabvysGaRmmZM3KSnhV7cVoEJJFMmj9YBn3QHNU5tyyJq1EIis7zIPWG4R51vcKUQ-OnPzi7MrbKQzdtMm5hw5UlAWboam5bNbNZPPZnXE6uVUT8bcj1EbuI2zSSytPioyl54/s640/2017_schedule_of_events+-+Beer+Tripping-1.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOZCv1MYA9bF87OHJnAAYeVNomkbjfZxQ7CULpDRSuFJhgqFTE9C0q3UMvRti5edcSGuEerGWLmZoP0-t3eujprj10YhIX-xej8i-0GsgDMc7orwybUKmuI_DginAHFzho8v73wXfsnOi/s1600/2017_schedule_of_events+-+Beer+Tripping-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOZCv1MYA9bF87OHJnAAYeVNomkbjfZxQ7CULpDRSuFJhgqFTE9C0q3UMvRti5edcSGuEerGWLmZoP0-t3eujprj10YhIX-xej8i-0GsgDMc7orwybUKmuI_DginAHFzho8v73wXfsnOi/s400/2017_schedule_of_events+-+Beer+Tripping-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Here's the menu for the Korean-themed beer dinner that will be held on Friday at the <b><i>Denali Brewpub</i></b>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCndZyhvvTA-BwGsgJZN4jSp4DLvK_BYT3mcA1YUO88YqZBzYylIwuQUKtKy92Av11LW34mWlWHkqwCbXw5sk2CzIVjqRPoWQAO2LzsRVNF4ndguHQd15UV0qzEoCBw5j6OIFtjX961vOm/s1600/2017+Beer+Trippin%2527+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCndZyhvvTA-BwGsgJZN4jSp4DLvK_BYT3mcA1YUO88YqZBzYylIwuQUKtKy92Av11LW34mWlWHkqwCbXw5sk2CzIVjqRPoWQAO2LzsRVNF4ndguHQd15UV0qzEoCBw5j6OIFtjX961vOm/s640/2017+Beer+Trippin%2527+Dinner.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
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The <b><i>Talkeetna Beer Trippin'</i></b> is always a great event, so I strongly recommend attending, if you can.<br />
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That's it for this blog. I hope everyone had a good St. Patrick's Day and did not drink any green beer. Green beer is a crime against nature, and any brewer who dyes his or her beer green should be beaten silly with a giant shamrock...<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!<br />
<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-49672267950560752752017-03-11T11:36:00.000-09:002017-03-12T09:46:20.556-08:00Dreaming of SpringIt's almost the Ides of March here on the Peninsula, and everyone is dreaming of spring. For the first time in a few years, we've had a "real" winter, with consistently cold temperatures and lots of snow, which was great. However, I think now we're all more than ready for the temperatures to start climbing and the snow to start melting away. At least I know I am.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU9DAx-BK4NQ-BAsr2z06rHZf5QF4L_SykhD55G6iNR-zN3lIgLaM5KWPsya2ct18brUVoqpBmB6JpWyAO4fi7xaHBWomvYb39UgJVLkaj6ACyaQXUnLO2sJGsArI845Y_JzNe2V5oVSI/s1600/49th+State+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU9DAx-BK4NQ-BAsr2z06rHZf5QF4L_SykhD55G6iNR-zN3lIgLaM5KWPsya2ct18brUVoqpBmB6JpWyAO4fi7xaHBWomvYb39UgJVLkaj6ACyaQXUnLO2sJGsArI845Y_JzNe2V5oVSI/s1600/49th+State+logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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This seems to be the time of the year for breweries to expand their tankage in preparation for the coming summer crunch. Both <b>Denali Brewing Company</b> and <b>49th State Brewing - Anchorage</b> have posted pictures of new tanks going in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAiD1Edf5ct0rO8Row79oYYgD7yV9124YqQh1Ph6uahYnO-knIC0a71muubt0YkBguVpotTh0nO_47MhJA0CbJi0e405TfFZDQbWH-z48zTiIG_Ecg_QwChVgVIH3ezCdMmMuU9LNInWQ/s1600/17155765_10155847520429128_1971301756263465558_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAiD1Edf5ct0rO8Row79oYYgD7yV9124YqQh1Ph6uahYnO-knIC0a71muubt0YkBguVpotTh0nO_47MhJA0CbJi0e405TfFZDQbWH-z48zTiIG_Ecg_QwChVgVIH3ezCdMmMuU9LNInWQ/s400/17155765_10155847520429128_1971301756263465558_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Denali Brewing Company</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsDqopp7oq0jYyMvTDyvfw93c-y4UnaHy6JitIhY5VYpkWSHAEtNpn7cgpiErGtXdPOK4oSq1_7ub8CgRgHN0XB0A8aiBf3akVF6y0VdklgUZywpFWQAsNEYmzv91aGPj90uQcZtyK1y6/s1600/17191043_10211328317950980_3360862618098295498_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsDqopp7oq0jYyMvTDyvfw93c-y4UnaHy6JitIhY5VYpkWSHAEtNpn7cgpiErGtXdPOK4oSq1_7ub8CgRgHN0XB0A8aiBf3akVF6y0VdklgUZywpFWQAsNEYmzv91aGPj90uQcZtyK1y6/s400/17191043_10211328317950980_3360862618098295498_n.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of 49th State Brewing Company</td></tr>
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<b>Denali Brewing</b> added two 120-barrel conical fermenters, while <b>49th State - Anchorage</b> added a new 20-barrel tank. <b>49th State Brewing - Denali</b> has also announced that it will open for business on Friday, April 28th, 2017.<br />
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Speaking of <b>Denali Brewing</b>, award-winning<b> Celestial Meads</b> will close its Anchorage location on March 25th, and all production will be moved to <b>Denali</b>’s Talkeetna location. Michael R.Kiker, who started <b>Celestial</b> in his garage, will be working with <b>Denali</b> to continue producing the numerous popular mead varieties that he has made in the past. With its acquisition of <b>Celestial</b>, <b>Denali Brewing Company</b> becomes the only business entity in Alaska to hold licenses to produce beer, distilled spirits, and wine (mead).<br />
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And while we're on the subject of expansions, Gabe Fletcher of <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b> has announced plans for the construction of an additional building, connected to his current 7,800 square-foot brewery, which opened in March of 2015. The new structure will provide an additional 3,800 square feet for the production of the brewery’s non-brettanomyces beers, as well as space for a canning line for those beers. Fletcher plans to release primarily IPAs in 4-packs of 16-oz. cans, with all sales taking place at the brewery or in select local stores to ensure freshness. The new structure will be joined to the current brewery via a corridor large enough to allow forklift access between them. Hard piping will be installed to connect the current brew kettle to the stainless steel fermenters in the new addition, which will also house the barrels used to age some of <b>Anchorage Brewing’</b>s non-brettanomyces brews, like <i>A Deal with the Devil</i> and <i>The Darkest Hour</i>. The new building will have a rooftop beer garden, accessed via an external stairway. The current small beer garden will be expanded behind the existing brewery to include fire pits and heated walkways and will provide the public access to the stairway to the rooftop. This new beer garden will be planted with about 100 apple and cherry trees, and in their midst will be a small wooden building with louvers to house the brewery’s coolship. Finally, the brewery’s parking lot will be expanded as well. Fletcher hopes to have these new additions completed by this August. <b>Anchorage Brewing</b> has also released its <i>2017 Rondy Brew</i> (reviewed below), a beer produced each year to celebrate the <b><i>Anchorage Fur Rendezvous</i></b>, which has been held annually since 1932. The brewery also released limited editions of its <i>The Darkest Hour Imperial Stout</i>, aged in Spanish Brandy and bourbon barrels, as well as its first off-site bottle release of its <i>Time Waits For No One Imperial Stout</i>, aged in port barrels from Portugal.<br />
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Looking ahead, <b>Anchorage Brewing</b> will be releasing a limited number of cans of <i>Lines</i>, a 100% Lupulin Powder Double IPA that was brewed in collaboration with <b>Monkish Brewing</b> in Los Angeles. It will also be releasing a saison hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops. The brewery will be hosting another <b><i><a href="http://www.merchantduvin.com/orvalday.php">Orval Day</a></i></b> on Saturday, March 25th, just as it did last year. Finally, Gabe has announced the date for this year's <b><i>The Culmination Festival</i></b>: Saturday, July 29th. Tickets this year will be $100 and will go on sale in May.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfjI0dtGl2gqmCSt5IaYlo8HefpjWt2Z0C8x-9OGKPddiecaoqh-XVncdbexvqP3YaGep2e5PTbAbooHOXmlnwY9e_NsQh-TAzr7d5j7el8P0IRm3h41A3co1XxGd4Wx55hpufmyqje-O/s1600/17155501_1178127442305478_7514832190104075046_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfjI0dtGl2gqmCSt5IaYlo8HefpjWt2Z0C8x-9OGKPddiecaoqh-XVncdbexvqP3YaGep2e5PTbAbooHOXmlnwY9e_NsQh-TAzr7d5j7el8P0IRm3h41A3co1XxGd4Wx55hpufmyqje-O/s640/17155501_1178127442305478_7514832190104075046_n.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b> Last year <b>Resolution Brewing</b> announced that it was looking to sell the brewery as a turn-key operation. Not the name or recipes, mind, but just the physical brewery. When I talked to owner Brandon Hall about it, he told me he was looking to raise capital to move to a different location which would allow him to expand production. Since then, it appears the brewery has moved in a different direction, with two new partners, Grant Yutrzenka and Morgan Vail, buying into the business. I spoke to Mr. Yutrzenka via phone a couple of weeks ago, and he told me that currently, there are no plans to relocate. Instead,<b> Resolution</b> will be working to maximize output in the current location in Mountain View. He said that for the future, the brewery plans to keep 8 to 10 beers on offer at all times, including its very popular <i>The Neighborhood IPA</i>, brewed with Mosaic hops. So if you haven't been into <b>Resolution Brewing</b> lately, it's probably worth stopping in again to check things out.<br />
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<b><br /></b> <b>Baranof Island Brewing</b> in Sitka is expanding in another way. It is currently selling shares to the public to finance further expansion; the goal is to raise $1 million by selling 10,000 shares at $100 each. Here's its notice:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbECJXmgMld0fZHsg_kJNRCGtxhJKwpMitsjvnDVwzetoRPj5XDzH4IotQvnc_nncDKF7RUMVIYu3osdg3jcWX2cj5pommAJCrgLOLAzPgP06WqVP69fi4IKWdVqra2qKpvmJLWp9rHnU7/s1600/17191189_10212454234540718_4571752857978630424_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbECJXmgMld0fZHsg_kJNRCGtxhJKwpMitsjvnDVwzetoRPj5XDzH4IotQvnc_nncDKF7RUMVIYu3osdg3jcWX2cj5pommAJCrgLOLAzPgP06WqVP69fi4IKWdVqra2qKpvmJLWp9rHnU7/s400/17191189_10212454234540718_4571752857978630424_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<b>Haines Brewing Company</b> is also trying to expand, only it wants to do so via a FedEx grant. In order for them to be in the running, they need votes for the public. You can vote for them via this <a href="http://smallbusinessgrant.fedex.com/Gallery/Detail/1344929a-0237-4683-8bc9-81a2642157b4?cmp=SOC-1001848-6-2-1001-1100000-US-US-EN-WEBAPPFACEBOOK0">website</a>, and you can actually vote every 24 hours if you're so inclined. It only takes a moment of your time and it for a great cause!<br />
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<b>Bearpaw River Brewin</b>g has begun bottling and distributing its <i>Frontiersman IPA</i> and <i>Mat Maid Milk Stout</i> in 22 oz. bottles. Starting on Monday, <b><i>Specialty Imports</i></b> should be stocking them on store shelves from Fairbanks to Kenai, so keep an eye out for them. The labels are designed by Jamie Wade, the wife of brewer Jake Wade.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Bearpaw River Brewing.</td></tr>
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At <b>Girdwood Brewing Company</b>, they are carbonating the first three beers in its lineup - <i>IP-AK</i> (the house IPA), <i>Down the Chute</i> (an easy-drinking Kölsch), and <i>Hippy Speedball</i> (a coffee stout)- and putting the finishing touches on the tasting room. I expect we'll see a soft opening within the week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kegs of Down the Chute Kolsch. Photo courtesy of Girdwood Brewing.</td></tr>
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I've seen some of the numbers for last month's <b><i>Frozen River Fest</i></b>. As a volunteer and an attendee, I can tell you that both the festival itself and the two beer dinners preceding it were great successes. Both the dinner at <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> on Thursday and the dinner at <b><i>The Falts Bistro</i></b> on Friday were sellouts. The food was fantastic and the company superb. The <b><i>Frozen River Fest</i></b> itself had over 1400 attendees (up from 1050 last year), 800 of whom paid $15 to drink beer (650 last year), plus $3000 in additional beer token sales. This was the first year that the <b><i>Soldotna Chamber of Commerce</i></b> took over the running of the festival, and it did a super job. Here are a couple of photos that I snapped early on, before things really filled up:<br />
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This festival keeps getting bigger and better every year, so mark your calendars for February 17, 2018!<br />
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<b><a href="http://winterlongbrewing.com/news/2017-03-10-divine-intervention">Winterlong Brewing</a></b> in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, has just released a new beer: <i>Divine Intervention</i>. It's a Belgian-style tripel aged in whiskey barrels from the <b>Port Chilkoot Distillery </b>in Haines. The brewery describes it as "a miraculously smooth, complex golden ale. The overall sweetness of this beer is complimented by prominent notes of oak and whiskey." 11.5% ABV<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Winterlong Brewing</td></tr>
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Well, that covers the news, more or less, so let's do some reviews.<br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Baranof Island Brewing's</b> <i>2016 Barley Wine</i>: This beer poured a deep ruby color, with a small but persistent cream-colored head. The aroma was primarily malty notes, as you'd expect from an English-style barley wine. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, there were lots of malt notes, tasty and smooth, mixed with some oak and bourbon from the barrel aging. The beer finished well, with a slight alcohol warmth. 11.5% ABV, 60 IBUs. A very tasty barley wine.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's</b> <i>Heller Bock</i>: You can't get much more traditionally spring than a bock, and Zach Henry's latest offering is an excellent example of the style. It poured a deep, clear gold with an off-white head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was loaded with clean, malty notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was between light and medium. The flavor profile is what you'd expect from a bock: good, clean maltiness providing a deep, rich flavor, with only a touch of bitterness for balance. An excellent choice for a long-anticipated spring.<br />
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<b>Kassik's Brewery's</b> <i>Smoked Porter</i>: I picked up a bottle of this at the brewery; first time I'd seen it for sale anywhere. It poured opaque with a nice mocha-colored head.The aroma was noticeably smoky and roasty, a good sign. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, there were good smoke flavors, but I thought the rest of the beer came across as a bit thin, allowing the smoke to dominate rather than compliment. Not a bad beer, but slightly out of balance for my particular taste; your experience may be otherwise. 6.6.% ABV.<br />
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<b>Anchorage Brewing's</b> <i>2017 Rondy Brew</i>: After a couple of years of saisons, this time around Gabe Fletcher has brewed a New England-style IPA, using Nelson Sauvin hops. The beer poured cloudy gold with a nice white head that left good lacing on my glass. The nose was full of tropical fruit notes from the hops. Carbonation was excellent and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was packed with juicy hop flavors, without a lot of bitterness. I believe I read that Gabe used only late addition hops to make this beer, which explains the excellent hop flavor with reasonable hop bitterness. An excellent example of this very popular style of IPA. 6% ABV.<br />
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That's about it for this blog. Keep you finger crossed that spring comes soon, but stay warm in the meantime and keep drinking good, local craft beers.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!<br />
<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-9898086465712663092017-02-18T12:26:00.001-09:002017-02-18T12:26:04.312-09:00Breaking News: Special Beer Release at Anchorage Brewing Company TODAYAt 2 PM today, <b>Anchorage Brewing Company</b> will be releasing a limited amount of its <i>The Darkest Hour Imperial Stout</i> that has been aged for 1 year in Spanish Brandy barrels. You can buy individual bottles to go or enjoy a glass at the brewery. <b><i>Delicious Daves</i></b> will also be at the brewery, serving up his excellent ramen. As they say on TV, supplies are definitely limited, so don't miss out on this special release.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company.</td></tr>
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I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-78118325238256797642017-02-13T11:52:00.000-09:002017-02-13T11:52:20.781-09:00If the Moon Under Water Held a Beer Festival...We've got a beer festival taking place here on the Peninsula this weekend. The <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrozenRiverFest/">3rd Annual Frozen River Fest</a></i></b> will be held from 4 to 8 PM Saturday, February 18th, in Soldotna Creek Park. I'll have some more info on it below, but it got me thinking about beer festivals.<br />
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On February 9, 1946, an essay by the great George Orwell, entitled <span id="goog_1120156890"></span><span id="goog_1120156888"></span><span id="goog_1120156885"></span><a href="https://www.theorwellprize.co.uk/the-orwell-prize/orwell/essays-and-other-works/the-moon-under-water/">“The Moon Under Water,”</a><span id="goog_1120156891"></span><span id="goog_1120156889"></span><span id="goog_1120156886"></span> was published in the Evening Standard of London. Orwell is better known today for his classic dystopian novel <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>1984</u></b>, but he was also an accomplished essayist, and this particular essay provided a detailed description of his favorite London pub, named <b><i>The Moon Under Water.</i></b> Every beer drinker should read this essay, so if for some reason you haven't yet dones so, take five minutes, click on the link above, and read it. Trust me, it's worth the short amount of time it will take. For those of you familiar with the essay, you will recall that the twist at the essay’s end is Orwell's admission that <b><i>The Moon Under Water</i></b> doesn’t actually exist; it represents his idealized version of the public house. In the spirit of Orwell, let’s consider the following thought experiment: If <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Moon Under Water</i>, the perfect pub, ever held the perfect beer festival, what would it be like?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orwell's essay from 1946</td></tr>
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First and foremost, there would have to be good beers on offer. The ideal festival would offer beers not readily available, either because they come from breweries whose beers aren’t normally distributed in the area where the festival is located, or because the beers are limited releases that are typically only available at the brewery itself, or best of all, beers that were brewed specially for the festival. Given its size and the remoteness of some of its breweries, Alaska makes being able to sample multiple breweries in a single location a powerful attraction.<br />
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Second, the festival goers would have to be there for the right reasons, i.e. to enjoy and experience the beer, not just to get drunk. This can be a problem with some of the bigger festivals out there (Yes, I’m looking at you, <b><i><a href="http://auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.html">Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival</a></i></b>). Festivals should be cheerful and pleasant events, without a lot of heavily intoxicated individuals wandering around and causing disruptions. One way to address this is through the pricing structure. You can either charge a lot of money and limit the number of attendees (the model used by <b><i><a href="https://theculminationfestival.com/">The Culmination Festival</a></i></b> in Anchorage) or you can have a “pay for your drinks as you go” festival (popular in Europe and the model used by the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrozenRiverFest/">Frozen River Fest</a></i></b> in Soldotna). It seems that having to pay for each individual beer (as opposed to being handed a fistful of sample tickets upon entry) encourages people to slow down and enjoy what they are drinking, instead of trying to “drink their money’s worth.”<br />
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Third, there should be plenty of good food available. Good beer is enhanced by good food, and vice versa. A festival with vendors offering a variety of tasty and reasonably-priced foods to accompany its beers will always be much more pleasant than one offering either no food or over-priced, tasteless fare.<br />
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Fourth, the best festivals have something to offer the non-drinker as well. Whether it’s by offering good live entertainment or games for the kids, the best festivals recognize that not everyone can or wants to consume alcohol. Designated driver tickets are also an excellent idea; allowing non-drinkers to attend for free or at greatly reduced prices makes it that much easier for drinkers to get home safely. And if the festival is doing a good job with priority #2 above, there should be no problem with having children in attendance. The consumption of alcohol is a normal human activity; it shouldn't need to be hidden away behind walls and barriers.<br />
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Fifth, the festival should have a great location, ideally outdoors in good weather. While this isn’t always possible, especially here in Alaska, it’s still something worth striving for. There’s a reason that a place for consuming beer is called a “beer garden”; beer just naturally goes down well in a pleasant, outdoor setting. It’s a bonus if there are other breweries/beer attractions nearby. After all, some attendees may be coming from quite some distance, so the more beer activities they can partake in, the better.<br />
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So that's my list of the attributes of the perfect beer festival. We've got a lot of good ones here in Alaska, and a couple of them come pretty close to this platonic ideal, but none of them check all the blocks, just as no pub in London actually fulfilled all of Orwell's criteria. Still, we can keep trying to get there.<br />
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As I mentioned above, the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrozenRiverFest/">3rd Annual Frozen River Fest</a></i></b> will be happening this Saturday. As a lead-in to it, there will be two beer dinners in the local area. On Thursday, 2/16, at 6 PM, <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> will be hosting its first ever <b><i>KRBC Frozen River Fest Dinner</i></b>. Here's the menu:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iL2g0wkNCBcQVSUJOftUrqoF4cqyWBy2FH4NS_ejA6oZoQN_OS-LX-powgXVHgGSdJEMwAOI_3QtV9LQ6TklZoVtlaQC9xLhgDusAlecaDlcGil3k0yTpMiyXOUuyzPrs7q755jlHRT8/s1600/16508275_10158240691200607_3328983362596560159_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iL2g0wkNCBcQVSUJOftUrqoF4cqyWBy2FH4NS_ejA6oZoQN_OS-LX-powgXVHgGSdJEMwAOI_3QtV9LQ6TklZoVtlaQC9xLhgDusAlecaDlcGil3k0yTpMiyXOUuyzPrs7q755jlHRT8/s640/16508275_10158240691200607_3328983362596560159_n.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click to enlarge</td></tr>
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As you can see, tickets will be $70, and I'm told that attendance will be limited to 40 people, so you should call and reserve your seats ASAP. I've got my ticket and am looking forward to it.<br />
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On Friday night, 2/17, <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/theflatskenai/">The Flats Bistro</a></i></b> in Kenai will be reprising its successful beer dinner from last year. If you were lucky enough to attend this one in 2016, you know what a wonderful time it was for everyone there. I acted as master of ceremonies last year, and I've been asked to do so again so I will be introducing each meal course and the beer accompanying it. Here's what you can expect at this dinner:<br />
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<b>Hoodoo Brewing's</b> <i>German Kolsch</i> & <b>Kenai River Brewing's</b> <i>Honeymoon Hefe</i>. Those two will be served with a trio of appetizers.<br />
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<b>Denali Brewing's </b><i>Twin Engine Red</i>. Served with beer/cheese soup<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing's</b> <i>Havoc Belgian Double IPA</i>. Served with an IPA-braised cauliflower steak.<br />
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<b>Kenai River Brewing's</b> <i>Rauch Bier</i>. Served with beer-braised bratwurst, sauerkraut, and mustard.<br />
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<b>Broken Tooth Brewing's</b> <i>Para Bellum Baltic Porter</i>. Served with a cherry Bread pudding.<br />
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I don't have any price information yet, but if you are interested in attending, I'd call <b><i>The Flats</i></b> at 335-1010 and make a reservation. Last year the event sold out rather quickly.<br />
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After the dinners on Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturday will be the main event, from 4 to 8 PM, at Soldotna Creek Park in downtown Soldotna. Admission for non-drinkers is free, and children are welcome, so long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Drinkers will pay $15 for a wristband, a 16 oz. mug, and two drink tokens. Each token gets you an 8 oz. pour, and more tokens are available at $3 each. There will be live music by <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Todd-Grebe-and-Cold-Country-182925595072186/">Todd Grebe and Cold Country</a> </i>and <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BigFatBuddhaBand/">Big Fat Buddha</a></i></b>. There will also be games for kids like archery and kick sleds. Plus several food vendors. Last but certainly not least, there will be some fifteen breweries in attendance. If you want to purchase tickets in advance, you can do so on the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce's <a href="https://soldotna.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/13642">website</a>.<br />
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In other news, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/girdwoodbrewingco/">Girdwood Brewing</a></b> has finally received the last of its brewing equipment from Premier Stainless. It's looking good for them to be open to the public by the end of March.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brett & Rory Marenco look over their latest delivery. Photo courtesy of Girdwood Brewing.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cooperlandingbrewing/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf"><br /></a>
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cooperlandingbrewing/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE&fref=nf">Cooper Landing Brewing Company</a></b> continues to make progress towards being licensed. You can read about its latest developments in the <b><i><a href="http://www.turnagaintimes.com/index.html">Turnagain Times</a></i></b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Cooper Landing Brewing</td></tr>
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Let's do some beer reviews. With my renewed emphasis on revisiting old favorites lately, I haven't sampled that many new beers, but I do have three to offer you.<br />
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<b>St. Elias Brewing's </b><i>Pre-Prohibition Lager</i>: This latest offering from Zach Henry poured a clear gold with a nice white head that slowly dissipated to a collar. The aroma was clean, malty notes with little to no hops presence. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate, there was again lots of clean malt flavors, with just enough hop bitterness to balance things. A smooth and refreshing beer, much more malt forward than <b>St. Elias Brewing</b>'s flagship <i>Czech Pilsner</i>. If malt is your thing, this is the brew for you.<br />
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<b>Samuel Smith's</b> <i>Organic Perry</i>: Full disclosure: I received this bottle as a free sample from the importer. I'm not much of a cider expert and even less of a perry one, but I thought I'd take a stab at reviewing this. Perry or pear cider is growing in popularity on the heels of the explosive growth of apple ciders. It poured a light and sparkling gold color, similar to a champagne. The nose had faint but definite notes of pears. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate is was crisp, slightly tart, and very refreshing, with lots of pear flavor. Overall, I say it was most like a fruity white wine. While beer still remains far and away my tipple of choice, the perry made for a tasty change of pace.<br />
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<b>HooDoo Brewing's</b> <i>2017 Tusk Barley Wine</i>: I was able to score a couple of bottles of this at <i>La Bodega</i> in Anchorage. One went straight into the beer cellar, but I decided to sample the other one. First off, the bottles are numbered; the total run size was only 1150. Second, the beer is a blend of three different batches of English-style Barley Wines:<br />
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81% <i>2016 Barley Wine</i>, aged 1 year if Dry Fly Distilling Wheat Whiskey Barrels<br />
12% <i>2017 Barley Wine</i>, brewed just a few months ago in the fall of 2016<br />
7% <i>2013 Barley Wine</i>, aged for 4 years in stainless<br />
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It poured a translucent honey color with a small, cream-colored head that dissipated quickly to a collar. The aroma of the wheat whiskey was strongly present in the nose. Carbonation was acceptable and the mouthfeel was medium.The flavor profile was of smooth malt notes, plus a significant contribution from the whiskey barrels, moving to a large amount of alcohol warmth on the finish. It will be interesting to see how the flavor profile shifts with time in the cellar; fresh, it's a big and boozy barley wine. 9.2% ABV.<br />
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That's it for this time around. Hope to see you at the <b><i>Frozen River Fest</i></b> this Saturday.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!<br />
<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-2737296857571220682017-01-27T11:37:00.000-09:002017-01-27T14:34:44.132-09:00The Search For the Next Big ThingLately, I've been giving some thought to what seems to be the growing desire for novelty among a certain segment of craft beer drinkers. In many ways, it seems that the most active craft beer aficionados out there are the ones who are always eagerly looking for the next hot new brewery, the next new beer made with some great experimental hop, exotic ingredient, or wild barrel-aging program. In short, they are always searching for "the next big thing".<br />
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First off, it seems to me that this is primarily an American phenomenon. In Europe, the vast majority of beer drinkers don't seem to be driven by this constant urge for the new and different. I've visited cafes in Prague that had a grand total of one beer on offer. Granted, it was the classic <b>Pilsner Urquell</b>, deliciously fresh from the brewery, but how many American pubs could survive serving only one craft beer, no matter how delicious? When I lived in Britain from 1998 to 2001, I frequented many a pub that had only three beers on offer: an ordinary bitter, a best bitter, and a seasonal, all from the same brewery (since they were tied houses). No one seemed to be bothered by being offered the same three beers, day in and day out. Just serve me a well-kept pint of <b>Young's</b> <i>Special</i>, and I'm perfectly happy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It doesn't get any better than a proper pint of this...</td></tr>
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But that's not the American way, it seems. We're always looking for the "new & improved" version. While the macro beers on offer from BudMillerCoors could certainly stand to be improved, the sales of many excellent established craft beers also seem to be suffering these days. Beers like <b>Sierra Nevada</b> <i>Pale Ale</i> are still fantastic, even if they don't seem as "cutting edge" as the latest hazy IPA, hopped to 100 IBUs with some brand-new hop variety. While I'm still willing to try most any new brew once, lately I've been making a conscious effort to throw some of my limited beer budget toward some "old favorites"; in revisiting beers that I first feel in love with 30 years ago, I feel like I'm reconnecting with what got me interested in craft beer in the first place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is still a wonderful beer. When did you last drink it?</td></tr>
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While I'm on the subject, let me say a quick word about the new plethora of beer apps, of which Untappd is probably the most popular. I will admit to having it on my phone and using it, but I'm beginning to think that such apps might be detrimental to truly experiencing and enjoying craft beer. If the drinker's focus is on drinking a beer to earn another badge, rather than drinking the beer just to enjoy it, things may be headed in the wrong direction. It reminds me a bit of the "tickers" I saw in Britain. These people strove to taste and "tick off" as many new beers as possible. As hobbies go, I suppose it's no worse than collecting stamps, coins, or butterflies, but it always seemed to me to miss the point of drinking a beer in the first place. These new apps seem to be turning us into a nation of tickers, rather than folks just enjoying beers for their own sake, be they old classics or new creations. So let's put the phones down and just have a beer, shall we?<br />
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Stepping down off my soapbox and moving on to some news item, I first have to congratulate <a href="http://kassiksbrew.com/"><b>Kassik's Brewery</b></a> on its impressive double gold at the<b><i> Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival</i></b> last weekend. Its 2<i>016 Buffalo Head Barley Wine</i> took First Place in the Barley Wine Competition, while its <i>Statny Statny Barrel Aged Stout </i>took the prize in the Winter Beer Category. <b>Ballast Point's </b><i>Three Sheets Barley Wine</i> took second, while <b>49th State Brewing'</b>s <i>Outlander Barley Wine</i> took third. So a very impressive showing by Alaska brewers in general and <b>Kassik's</b> in particular. If you weren't at the Festival and would like to sample the winners, there will be an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1823791221242624/"><b><i>Awards Celebration</i></b></a> at <b>Kassik's Brewery </b>in Nikiski tomorrow, Saturday, from 2 to 6 PM. I'd get there early, as there are only 5 gallons of the <i>Statny Statny Barrel Aged Stout</i> available. <b>Kassik's</b> has also begun releasing its beers in 12 oz. six packs, starting with <i>Morning Wood IPA</i> and <i>Beaver Tail Blonde Ale</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Kassik's Brewery</td></tr>
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Also in the news was the announcement that <span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;">Matthew Tomter, the owner of <b><i>Eagle River Ale House</i></b> & the <b><i>Palmer City Ale House</i></b>, has purchased the former Mat Maid Dairy building from the state to house the <b>Matanuska Brewing Company</b>. Here is the video of the KTVA Channel 11's report on the purchase.</span><br />
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Tomter has ambitious plans. He said: “On day one we’ll be able to produce more beer than anybody, other than <b>Alaskan Brewing Company</b>, is producing right now. Our primary focus with this brewery is going to be 100 percent wholesale. We are going to produce beer, put it in cans and kegs, and send it straight to a distributor.” Currently, the brewery hopes to be open for business in November of this year.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;">Speaking of opening for business, <b>Girdwood Brewing</b> is expecting to receive its final shipment of brewing equipment soon and expects to be open by the end of March. Initial beers on offer will be <i>IP-AK</i> (the house IPA), <i>Down the Chute</i> (an easy-drinking Kölsch), and <i>Hippy Speedball</i> (a coffee stout). </span><br />
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I stopped in for lunch last week at <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> in Soldotna; the food from its new kitchen continues to be exceptional. I had the French Onion Soup (pictured below) which was perfect for such a cold day, then followed it up with that day's special, a hearty meatloaf sandwich. If you haven't eaten there yet, you are really missing out.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;">Finally, we are only three weeks away from the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrozenRiverFest/?fref=ts">Frozen River Fest</a></i></b> here in Soldotna, so it's time to start making your plans. In advance of the Fest this year there will be not one but two beer dinners. <b><i>The Flats Bistro</i></b> will be again be holding its dinner on Friday night before the Fest; check out my 2/26/2016 blog if you'd like to see just how fantastic last year's dinner was. In addition to <b><i>The Flats'</i></b> dinner on Friday, <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> will be hosting a dinner at the brewery on Thursday night. This is something Doug Hogue has wanted to be able to do for several years, so I fully expect it will be exceptional. Here's the poster for the Fest itself; keep an eye on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrozenRiverFest/?fref=ts">Facebook page</a> for more details about the dinners.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;">Enough news. Let's do some beer reviews. I have three new brews to offer you this time round.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;"><b>Cascade Lakes Brewing's</b> <i>Salted Caramel Porter</i>: This brewery is located in Redmond, Oregon. The beer poured dark with ruby highlights and a big, cream-colored head. The aroma was of caramel and roasted malt. Carbonation was good, but I thought it was a bit thin on the palate. The flavor profile was of caramel, coffee, & cocoa; good but falling off rapidly, so that there was little finish. Not a bad beer, but one that needs more "bottom" as the Brits would say. 5.8% ABV, 37 IBUs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;"><b>Ninkasi Brewing's </b><i>Noir Milk Stout</i>: I've always been partial to this style, to the point of always keeping my home-brewed version on hand for my wife to cook with. <b>Ninkasi's</b> version pours dark with semi-translucent ruby highlights and a nice mocha-colored head. The nose is mainly sweet notes from the malt and lactose. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. The flavor profile was a mix of the sweet malt notes and the coffee flavors, in a very smooth blend. Overall, a delicious beer and a worthy take on the style. 7% ABV, 60 IBUs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-size: 16px;"><b>Alaskan Brewing's</b> <i>Husky IPA</i>: This is Alaskan's latest seasonal release and its entry into the popular "tropical IPA" field, as it's hopped with the popular Mosaic variety. It poured a clear gold with a nice white head. The aroma had lots of tropical fruit notes from the Mosaic hops. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. There was good up-front bitterness, then plenty of hop flavor and aroma. Overall, a nicely balanced, highly drinkable IPA; definitely not a palate-wrecker. 7% ABV, 58 IBUs.</span><br />
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That's about it for this blog. Remember, get out there and try some old favorites; don't always be chasing the next big thing...<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-49492712547726698922017-01-09T14:41:00.000-09:002017-01-09T14:41:32.687-09:002017: Through a Crystal Ball, Darkly...Hello, and welcome to 2017 everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years, but now it's time to buckle down and face the next twelve months. This seems to be the time when folks make lots of predictions for the upcoming year, so I thought I'd take a stab at a few.<br />
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First up, the Alaska State Legislature. The circus will be opening in Juneau soon, and there are a couple of alcohol/beer related issues before it. First, look for our tax-hungry governor to try again to cram through his plan to double the tax on alcohol. I don't know how much chance this has this year; last year it didn't go anywhere. That's good when you remember that Alaska already has the second highest alcohol excise taxes in the country, so doubling them is absurd. Many in Juneau will be scrambling to come up with new taxes to feed the insatiable maw of the state government so I wouldn't be surprised to see them try to put lipstick on this pig again.<br />
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The other big issue before the legislature which might impact beer is the re-write of the state's alcohol licensing laws. This has been in the works for years, and was introduced last session, but didn't really go anywhere, due to the session spending all its time spinning its wheels over the budget. Will it go anywhere this session? Beats me, but it definitely bears watching. If done right, this could be a real boon to current and future craft breweries in Alaska; if done wrong, it could pretty much keep any new breweries from being able to open in a lot of places. I'm going to do my best to stay on top of this one, and I'll sound the trumpet if we need to mobilize folks to testify for or against.<br />
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Moving from the world of beer politics to just beer, we should see several more new breweries open this year. <b>Girdwood Brewing</b> plans to be open for business before the snow goes, and <b>Cooper Landing Brewing</b> hopes to be selling beer this summer. Add to that the perennially "just about to open" <b>Quake Brewing</b>, and you've got three new 2017 breweries already, plus more possible, like <b>Devil's Club Brewing</b> in Juneau. We could easily see another 10% growth in the number of breweries in Alaska this year.<br />
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Speaking of new breweries opening, I finally made it to <b>Cynosure Brewing</b> just before Christmas. Owner/Brewer Clarke Pelz is taking a different tack from most other breweries by forgoing the IPA cash cow. Instead, he focusing on Belgian-style ales and classic lagers. When I stopped in on December 23rd, he had six beers on tap, three from each category.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tap room of Cynosure Brewing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clarke Pelz of Cynosure Brewing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Schwarzbier, Hoppy Lager, Dubbel, & Wit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Oktoberfest & Saison</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tap list at Cynosure on 12/23/2016</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1774454388"></span><span id="goog_1774454389"></span><span id="goog_1774454386"></span><span id="goog_1774454387"></span><span id="goog_1774454384"></span><span id="goog_1774454385"></span>I tried samples of all six and found them uniformly excellent. My favorite was the saison, with the schwarzbier a close second. The tap room at <b>Cynosure</b> is nice and comfortable; sofas and padded chairs give it a very relaxed and homey feel, the perfect place to stop for a drink and few minutes of relaxation before braving the horror that is Anchorage rush hour traffic. If you haven't stopped in, make it a point to do so immediately; I regret that it took me three months for my first visit.<br />
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<b><i>Alaska Beer Week</i></b> starts this Friday, January 13th, and runs through Sunday, January 22nd. In past years, I'd have pointed you toward the events calendar of the<a href="http://www.akbeerweek.com/"> <b><i>AK Beer Week</i></b> website</a>. However, this year that calendar isn't being done, due to a lack of a sponsor. (If you're looking to sponsor something which will have super visibility with beer lovers in and around Anchorage, I'd suggest looking into this for 2018.) So you're going to have to check with your favorite brewery/restaurant/beer bar to see what they might be doing during <b><i>AK Beer Week</i></b>. I'm doing my best to share or post about any events I learn of on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeerOnTheLastFrontier/">Beer on the Last Frontier Facebook page</a>, so you can also check there to see if you missed anything. I've already seen tons of great events that will be happening next week.<br />
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Let's move on to beer reviews. Since it's been over three weeks since my last blog and the holidays are a great time to drink, I've got seven new beer reviews for you.<br />
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<b>Anchorage Brewing's</b> <i>Loveand the Death of Damnation IPA</i>: It poured a cloudy hazy orange-gold color, with a nice white head that left good lace. The aroma was full of bright, citrusy American hops. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The initial bitter attack was good but not overwhelming, followed by lots of American hop flavor and aroma. A fine entry into the popular "hazy" sub-style of IPAs. 6.5% ABV, 60 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Black Raven Brewing's</b> <i>Grandfather Raven Imperial Stout</i>: This Washington-based brewery continues to produce highly interesting beers and we seem to be getting more and more of them here in Alaska, which is a good thing. It poured opaque with a huge tan head. The nose had notes of chocolate and coffee, classic RIS elements. Carbonation was excellent, and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, it was smooth, with chocolate, dark caramel, and coffee elements blending together into a delicious whole, before falling away to a long, slow finish. An outstanding brew. 9.5% ABV.<br />
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<b>Bearpaw River Brewing's</b> <i>Anniversary Ale</i>: I missed the celebration on 12/17, but I was lucky enough to get two bottles of this beer, the first one that <b>Bearpaw River</b> has bottled. One bottle went into my cellar, and the other was opened on New Year's Eve. It poured opaque with a nice mocha-colored head. The aroma was of chocolate and roasted malt. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. On the palate the classic RIS flavor components of coffee and chocolate were there in abundance, making a very rich melange. The alcohol made it presence known with a slight warmth on the long, lingering finish. And excellent beer to drink now, and one I'm curious to see evolve in the cellar. Congratulations again to <b>Bearpaw River Brewing</b> on its first anniversary; please keep making beers like this one! 10% ABV.<br />
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<b>Anchor Brewing's</b> <i>2016 Christmas Ale</i>: This year's version of "Our Special Ale" from <b>Anchor</b>, the beer poured a deep, semi-translucent ruby with a nice, cream-colored head. The aroma was of malts and spices. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. The flavor profile was nice, smooth, rich malt notes, with the spices becoming more pronounced on the finish. Another fine entry into this classic old ale/winter warmer series of beers. 6.5% ABV.<br />
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Deschutes Brewing's <i>The Abyss Aged in Cognac Barrels (2015)</i>: I pulled this beauty out of my cellar on New Year's Day; it had a "best after" date of 12/18/2016. It poured opaque with a tan head. The nose was a pleasing blend of cognac and coffee notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. There were strong notes of chocolate, coffee, molasses, plus well-incorporated cognac notes. The finish was long and warming. This beer demonstrates that aging in used cognac barrels suits big imperial stouts and barley wines very well; I'm disappointed that I was only able to score one bottle. 12% ABV.<br />
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<b>Oskar Blues Brewing'</b>s <i>Barrel-aged Ten Fiddy Imperial Stou</i>t: The holidays are the perfect time for big beers, so let's keep those barrel-aged imperial stouts rolling. This is a bourbon-barrel-aged version of <i>Oskar Blues'</i> classic beer, packaged in a 16 oz. tall boy can. It poured opaque with a big tan head. The aroma had both roasted notes from the stout and bourbon and oak notes from the barrel. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was heavy and chewy. The bourbon came on strong up front, then the chocolate and coffee notes from the stout stepped in. The finish was long, with some alcohol warmth. Excellent job of adding another element to an already classic beer. 12.9% ABV, 98 IBUs.<br />
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<b>Boulevard Brewing's & Firestone-Walker Brewing's</b> <i>Collaboration #6</i>: A blend of several beers from each of the two collaborators, the beer poured a deep, semi-translucent ruby color, with a nice, cream-colored head. The nose had notes of tart cherry and bourbon. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. The flavor profile was rich and complex, with the various beers contributing elements ranging from tart cherries to oak. A very nice and enjoyable brew. 12.5% ABV.<br />
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Well, that's about it for this time. Be sure to attend as many <b><i>Alaska Beer Week</i></b> events as you can; it's the best time of the year to experience our fantastic local beers.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6864590447254433684.post-54840289047321689332016-12-16T12:39:00.000-09:002016-12-16T12:39:24.919-09:00A Brewpub on Every Corner?We're getting close to the end of 2016, which means it's time for a lot of "Best of" articles and end-of-the-year stats to start showing up. The <i><b>Brewers Association</b></i> has published its "Year in Review" graphic. Sorry about the long vertical size, but that's how the BA likes to do it:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click to enlarge</td></tr>
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So there's clearly a lot of good things happening. However, if you stay on top of beer news, as I at least try to, you've also heard rumblings of distant thunder which might -- note, I say <b><u>might</u></b> --presage some sort of industry shake-out, a la the 1990s. Personally, I don't think demand for craft beer is going anywhere but up, but that doesn't mean that the industry can continue to grow at the break-neck pace we've seen in recent years. So all this got me thinking: what would the end state look like, if we extrapolate out from today?<br />
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My first thought is that there's still plenty of room to grow at the bottom, using Ben Millstein of <b>Kodiak Island Brewing</b>'s "brewery as bakery" model. He reminds us that there was a time, before the rise of the supermarket, when every small neighborhood had its own local bakery, which baked bread daily. In some places this is still the case: when I lived in London, I could buy fresh baguettes baked daily a half block from my flat. So for a brewery, the idea is that you focus exclusively on your local market, building up local loyalty with fresh, delicious beers brewed to suit the local taste. Ben doesn't send his beers off The Rock; he's totally focused on his local market. This is also the idea behind the modern American brewpub, which started out as a restaurant which also happened to brew its own beer. At least theoretically, there's no reason you couldn't have such a brewery/brewpub anywhere you have a restaurant today. Obviously, in states like Alaska where the government limits the entry into the industry by restricting the number of licenses issued, this can't happen. But that's an artificial limitation, not an economic one.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben Millstein, Kodiak Island Brewing</td></tr>
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More realistic economic hurdles are things like the availability of brewing equipment and the shortage of properly-trained brewers. Plus the fact that some restaurant owners simply won't want to deal with the extra work. After all, most restaurants out there could bake their own bread, if they really wanted to, yet the majority would rather buy it ready-made.<br />
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So, perhaps a brewpub on every corner isn't realistic, but a brewery or brewpub in every town should certainly be achievable. A hundred years ago, that's how it was in the Alaska Territory and across the rest of the country, at least in those portions which hadn't already voted themselves dry. Freshness and buying local are arguments which seem to be gaining new momentum, especially here in Alaska, and many of our breweries have already taken advantage of that and are poised to continue to do so.<br />
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My second thought is that while there's still plenty of room at the bottom, the middle is starting to get awfully crowded. The wholesale beer market is getting more competitive every day, with more breweries competing for the same limited shelf space. Ten years ago, breweries like<b> Kassik's</b> and <b>Kenai River</b> could open, start selling their beer locally, and then start distributing kegs around the state with relative ease. There weren't that many breweries in the state to compete with for taps and shelf space, so breaking into big, new markets like Anchorage and Fairbanks was relatively easy. Today, there are many more breweries, and it seems like every other day another one of them announces it has signed on with a distributor or begun bottling or canning its beers. You can still be a successful enterprise in your own back yard of Kodiak, Homer, Haines, or Hoonah, but playing with the (relatively) big dogs on a state-wide level is only going to get tougher. And that goes double or triple if you want to send your beers Outside. Even long-established brewers like <b>Sierra Nevada Brewing </b>and the <b>Boston Beer Company</b> are seeing some flagship brand sales decline, as beer drinkers keeping searching for the next big thing.<br />
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My third thought is that nothing good is happening at the top of the market. Yes, AB-InBev has swallowed SAB Miller, which puts it in a dominant position in the world beer market. However, I think this has actually weakened its American position. As a huge international corporate behemoth, it's ill-equipped to fight on the new battlefields of craft beer, innovation and local connections. Plus, its sheer size had finally forced the regulators to start paying real attention to its activities. It increasing reminds me of a huge dinosaur, seemingly totally dominant, but completely unable to deal with the meteor streaking toward it. It will likely continue to make billions selling beer to the developing world, but it sales in the US are headed nowhere but down.<br />
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So what's the end game? Damned if I know. However, when I look back at where things stood forty years ago when I first took an interest if craft beer and compare it to today, I'm very optimistic. Whatever happens in the craft beer market, we are <u><b>never</b></u> going back to the bad old days when there were only a handful of craft brewers in the US. And that's a good thing.<br />
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Now a couple of news items before some beer reviews.<br />
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As I mentioned two blogs back, <b>Bearpaw River Brewing </b>will be celebrating its one year anniversary tomorrow, December 17. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/229644097457964/"><i><b>Birthday Bash</b></i></a> will take place from 4 to 8 pm at the brewery. Here's what they have to say about it:<br />
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"We will be releasing our first bottled beer, a Russian Imperial Stout, which we have aptly named <i>"Anniversary Ale.</i>" 10% ABV. 80 IBUs. We plan to brew this beer every year at this time to celebrate our birthday, and the holidays!<br />
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<i><b> Oh My Goodness Sammies & Pies</b></i> will be parked out front serving up toasty gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches to keep everyone well fed.<br />
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<i><b>Wild Scoops</b></i> will be on site with handcrafted Alaska ice cream made with our<i> Mat Maid Milk Stout</i>. We can't wait to try this with a glass of Milk Stout, or even the Imperial Stout!<br />
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We will have all 10 taps flowing with fresh local beer. We hope you can join us to celebrate a year of brewing craft beer in the Mat-Su!<br />
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Cheers,
Jack, James, Jed & Jake"</blockquote>
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Yesterday, they announced what will be on all those taps:<br />
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<i>Anniversary Ale - Russian Imperial Stout</i><br />
<i> Frontiersman IPA</i><br />
<i> Sluice Box Belgian</i><br />
<i> Mat Maid Milk Stout</i><br />
<i> Bearpaw River Lager</i><br />
<i> Duck Hunt IPA</i><br />
<i> Old Speckled Spruce Hen ESB</i><br />
<i> Jalapeño Lager</i><br />
<i> Mat Maid Milk Stout on Nitro</i><br />
<i> Humdinger IPA</i><br />
<i> Long Johns Harvest Ale</i><br />
<i> Zip Kombucha</i><br />
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Sounds like a fabulous time. I wish I could make it to Wasilla for it, and if you can, you should.<br />
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Second piece of news. I spoke to Brett Marenco of <b>Girdwood Brewing Company</b>, looking for an update on when it might be open. While all the fermenters and brite tanks have been installed, they are still waiting for their brew kettle and mash tun to be delivered from Premiere Stainless. Due to production delays, Premeire doesn't expect to have them finished before early next year, meaning they won't arrive in Gridwood until mid- to late- January at the earliest. Brett tells me that <b>Girdwood Brewing </b>as received all its required approvals and is just waiting for this equipment to arrive and be installed before it can start brewing. So we can hope to see beer start flowing in February or March, assuming no more delays in production and delivery. With any luck at all, folks will still be skiing in Girdwood when the brewery opens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlRO2TodPjgb3MeZmyRq_nst6hw4oY1CtUqASwshZOMoVLvDO2Yba3pH2_BjcRXBQ7WRVyCMr2zjuh8Mh6b5-JOSPGdS3hLJcvcsEc1T4cfCQv_MfWmnuNB-DGFH2HgDgICFvXc6fWaak/s1600/15271895_1260637463994853_5341796089021624817_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlRO2TodPjgb3MeZmyRq_nst6hw4oY1CtUqASwshZOMoVLvDO2Yba3pH2_BjcRXBQ7WRVyCMr2zjuh8Mh6b5-JOSPGdS3hLJcvcsEc1T4cfCQv_MfWmnuNB-DGFH2HgDgICFvXc6fWaak/s400/15271895_1260637463994853_5341796089021624817_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanks in place. Photo courtesy of Girdwood Brewing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Finally, you may have heard that <b>Kenai River Brewing</b> was having some trouble with its kitchen. Technical problems have been solved, more or less, and the kitchen is open from noon to 7:45 pm Wednesday thru Sunday. The tap room is open 11 to 8 pm, seven days a week. Here are photos of the regular menu and a recent daily special:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx3J9eD1wqNSmDoCkXhJ2LAVLhGlPOn9WcQXoxPCLaM61TZMKIxCXTTSzf5299zs_7WzYrHsh2bZto4uylia1o__kJTau1SbS6CPFdTTsT-rPiXg2qVefujbN-_JLi_a4IIuazEovyKDE/s1600/15202636_1077138942384621_1947074391339377907_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx3J9eD1wqNSmDoCkXhJ2LAVLhGlPOn9WcQXoxPCLaM61TZMKIxCXTTSzf5299zs_7WzYrHsh2bZto4uylia1o__kJTau1SbS6CPFdTTsT-rPiXg2qVefujbN-_JLi_a4IIuazEovyKDE/s640/15202636_1077138942384621_1947074391339377907_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXU7FUAOEkzOfM-pFhduxdD9X5pZza6F8vczj-WNLojMdM7kFoVKEhLT9O88sq80qD36C-jrt1M29ltAk1JW9cySnsdM4A0L_r5Qj7HN6zubFSyImG4lKNqiOi2NnT0c2bHtCgYHtArYYu/s1600/15380695_10157938548300607_2328370005409904224_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXU7FUAOEkzOfM-pFhduxdD9X5pZza6F8vczj-WNLojMdM7kFoVKEhLT9O88sq80qD36C-jrt1M29ltAk1JW9cySnsdM4A0L_r5Qj7HN6zubFSyImG4lKNqiOi2NnT0c2bHtCgYHtArYYu/s640/15380695_10157938548300607_2328370005409904224_n.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<br />
Okay, let's move on to beer reviews. I have three more this time round:<br />
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<b>Midnight Sun Brewing's</b> <i>Buzzwinkle Sour Wheat Ale</i>: Brewed with locally grown crab apples, this beer poured a crystal clear gold with a nice white head. The aroma was laced with lightly tart notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. On the palate there were clean tart flavors, with notes of crab apples. Very light and refreshing. 4.5% ABV, 20 IBUs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7ATgLYc9kr9J3L841XpNXqqV0cu8JlOfA2xPwi652g5U5L4e1423EggCVWUXlXYYXBwSCKcISF4WfUR481ZFP9uFQqgtwY3necMETLQOtJdm0GBMdVu5Z4t5CJe8YmhGCOHOWFXucQjI/s1600/IMG_1028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7ATgLYc9kr9J3L841XpNXqqV0cu8JlOfA2xPwi652g5U5L4e1423EggCVWUXlXYYXBwSCKcISF4WfUR481ZFP9uFQqgtwY3necMETLQOtJdm0GBMdVu5Z4t5CJe8YmhGCOHOWFXucQjI/s640/IMG_1028.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>49 State Brewing's</b> <i>907 Frontier-style Lager</i>: Not sure what makes it frontier-style, but it poured a clear amber color with a nice off-white head. The nose was nothing but clean malt notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile emphasized the malt, but with enough hop bitterness for balance. Very drinkable. 5.3% ABV. Check out the stylish label.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiL7fWnxPdRGp8vu6LVzrn63ApHCc5TVwzFzp2TDjQ0_89HpVVXFPoQBZ2Xx7BiAfINEM14h7Pk2bZ5PPYzuV_2Cg0npojjukXZKcF7Y1sSY6iq9MnQk_zI9DHHXnhRpYsTX-vlC7dICQA/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiL7fWnxPdRGp8vu6LVzrn63ApHCc5TVwzFzp2TDjQ0_89HpVVXFPoQBZ2Xx7BiAfINEM14h7Pk2bZ5PPYzuV_2Cg0npojjukXZKcF7Y1sSY6iq9MnQk_zI9DHHXnhRpYsTX-vlC7dICQA/s640/IMG_1034.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Boulevard Brewing's </b><i>Tell-Tale Tart Sour Ale</i>: This beer poured a clear reddish-gold with a small, off-white head that dissipated to a collar. The aroma had notes of light and tart citrus. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The flavor profile was only slightly tart, and all the flavors seemed light. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but nothing very impressive either. Okay, but routine. 6.2% ABV, 10 IBUs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXKrC_sv76hBJBCxUZ6xonfI5NnqDI638_Dt5uDgvcbjcVc6rcEolA7iI3yMM9roeCjB9I0gBTAl5whkRiSnV4MeTrSTWoyE99hgtdH3k3bglD3HAV1mKwgtg4So6IJ2NYvvs8yWAMzSU/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXKrC_sv76hBJBCxUZ6xonfI5NnqDI638_Dt5uDgvcbjcVc6rcEolA7iI3yMM9roeCjB9I0gBTAl5whkRiSnV4MeTrSTWoyE99hgtdH3k3bglD3HAV1mKwgtg4So6IJ2NYvvs8yWAMzSU/s640/IMG_1040.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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That's it for this blog. Not sure if I'll get another out before 2017, what with all the holiday events and such. So I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope 2017 is filled with peace and good beer.<br />
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Until Next Time, Cheers!<br />
<br />I'm Bill Howell.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06153577927069146825noreply@blogger.com0