Beer Events Galore

May is here in all its splendor, and things are beginning to green up here in Alaska.  Soon we will be inundated with the seasonal flood of tourists, but before that happens we are seeing quite a slew of beer events taking place.

Homer Brewing Company will be having a beer dinner at The Homestead Restaurant this Saturday, May 3, at 6:30 pm.  Here's the menu:

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I've eaten at The Homestead and their food is nothing short of phenomenal, so this is would be a great one to choose if you will be on the Southern Peninsula this weekend.

Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling Company has announced that they will be opening their Beer Garden next Saturday, May 10th.  They will also be releasing their Paystreak Hefeweizen and having a fire circus as well.  Here's the poster:

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Meanwhile, HooDoo Brewing has announced that their beers are now on tap right across the street from Silver Gulch at The Howling Dog Saloon in Fox.  They will also be releasing a Maibock for American Craft Beer Week, May 12 to 18 and having numerous other events during the course of the week.  Check their Facebook page for a complete listing.

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Denali Brewing Company is also having a beer dinner:

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Boe Barnett from Denali has also been down in this neck of the woods, working on a collaboration brew with Zach Henry of St. Elias.  Zach was up in Talkeetna early last month, and now Boe came south.

In the St. Elias brewhouse. Photo courtesy of Denali Brewing.

Anchorage Brewing Company reports there are only 25 tickets left out of 300 for The Culmination on May 17th.  If you plan to attend, you'd better grab one while you can.  ABC also reports that they have finished brewing 85 barrels of A Deal With the Devil Barley Wine, which is now aging in cognac barrels.

Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company

At Glacier BrewHouse, they are celebrating the coming of spring with the release of the traditional spring beer: a bock. Here's their description:

A medium bodied, malty lager, balanced nicely with German hops. Classic German Pilsner malt and Munich malt were combined with a touch of specialty malt to render the great malty character. The color is a brilliant dark ruby. 6.67% ABV.

And a photo:

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

At Midnight Sun, they continue counting down to their anniversary, and tonight is First Firkin Friday.  Here's the poster:

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At Broken Tooth Brewing, the released their Godly Imperial Stout, aged in Alaska Distillery whiskey barrels, last Friday.  I don't know if there's any left, as I'm sure it went fast, but you might be able to grab some before it's all gone.

Photo courtesy of Broken Tooth Brewing

At King Street Brewing, they have begun releasing their brews in 16 oz. wide mouth cans, for those of you who don't like to use a glass.  Check them out below:

Photo courtesy of King Street Brewing

Kenai River Brewing Company reports that their new Cask SAM Canner has really sped things up.  They were able to can 412 cases in one (long) shift.

Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing

That's an awful lot of cans!

Tomorrow at 2 PM, Kassik's Brewery will be releasing Black Jack Stout, the 2013 Kenai Chamber of Commerce winner.  It's brewed with licorice root and black strap molasses. Stop and enjoy a glass while visiting with Scott Hamann as he shows off his Black Jack Bike, one of the most premier bikes in the US.

Moving on to beer reviews, I haven't had the chance to try too many new brews this week, but I did have a couple:

Midnight Sun Brewing Company's Pleasure Town IPA: This is the fourth beer in MSBC's canned line-up and presents quite a contrast to their  Sockeye Red IPA, also available in cans. Pleasure Town pours a slightly orange gold, with a big white head that left good lacing.  Where the aroma from Sockeye Red is very dank and piney/resiny with Pacific Northwest hops, Pleasure Town is much lighter, with fruity notes.  Bitterness is moderate, with plenty of good, clean hop flavor.  As I said, this is a lighter, brighter take on making an IPA, but still excellent.  Highly drinkable at 6.3% ABV, 61 IBUs.

New Belgium's RyePA: As the name implies, this is an IPA with rye in the grain bill.  It poured a deep copper color with a big off-white head that left good lacing.  The aroma was of American hops, and the carbonation was good.  The upfront bitterness was nice and clean, followed by some peppery rye notes and nice hop flavors.  The beer was well-balanced and it dropped away to a nice finish.  Very enjoyable twist on your standard IPA. 7.5% ABV.

Well, that's it for this week.  Get out and enjoy this great spring weather while it lasts and try some new brews if you can.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Spring For Real

Well it's finally spring for real up here on The Last Frontier, and it's actually been a pretty mild Breakup, since most of the snow melted months ago.  The roads are in good shape, people are starting to work on their yards and gardens, and tourist season is barely a month away.

Still, everything is not perfect.  The Alaska Legislature is still in session, so no man's life, liberty, or property is truly safe.  They did manage to pass HB 309, which requires the Alcohol Control Board to let distilleries in Alaska enjoy the same opportunities that wineries and breweries have, i.e. they can have a tasting room, offer samples, and sell their products directly to the public.  A small triumph for common sense...

With the coming of spring, all of the breweries are starting to ramp up their production in anticipation of the flood of tourists heading our way.   However, Alaskan Brewing Company has gone one better, breaking ground on a new expansion that will link its two existing buildings together and create more space for warehousing and packaging.  And Alaskan will need that space, since they have also announced that they will be canning Alaskan Amber and Freeride APA for sale in the in-state market!  I have been wondering how long it would take them to get on the can bandwagon; guess the answer is "until right now".  Alaskan also announced that they are expanding distribution into South Dakota and Michigan, which means they are now on sale in a total of 16 of the Lower 48.

Here are some nice photos that Alaskan sent out with their press release:

Co-founder Geoff Larson looking at the start of the new construction

Alaskan Amber cans at Auke Bay Harbor in Juneau

Alaskan Freeride APA cans overlooking Juneau

The tickets for The Culmination Beer Festival went on sale at 9 AM yesterday.  In spite of some computer glitches, they sold 150 of the 300 available spots within the first hour.  At last report yesterday evening, there were less than 100 left, so if you haven't gotten yours yet, you had better hurry.  You can reserve a ticket here: https://www.theculminationfestival.com/#reservations but you will need to pay for it with cash at the door.

49th State Brewing Company in Healy will be opening for the season this Friday, April 25th.  Here's the flier for their opening bash:

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Denali Brewing Company has announced a Spring Beer Dinner at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge on Friday, May 30th. A selection of their beers will be paired with a four course dinner from executive chef Cris Rosemond. Including a nights lodging, it will be $134.50 per person.  Call 877-777-4067 to make reservations.

Midnight Sun Brewing Company will be celebrating their 19th Anniversary in May, and they are kicking things off with a dinner at Jack Sprat Restaurant in Girdwood at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, April 30th, where they will premiere their 9TEEN Saison anniversary beer.  It's a five course, five beer menu, which you can check out here. It's $90 per person, and you need to make reservations on the Jack Sprat website.


Glacier BrewHouse has three new brews on tap.  Here's how they describe them:

RYE PALE ALE - Made with 25% rye malt, which adds a distinct spiciness. Light copper in color, the RPA boasts a huge hop aroma and flavor accompanied by a slightly sweet, malty finish. The hop flavor has pine and citrus emanating from the Simcoe dry hop. The bitterness is mild and pleasant. A great quaffer for the spring. Unfiltered. Alcohol: 4.63% alcohol by volume. Starting Gravity: 10.50 Plato (1.042 S.G.).

 OAK AGED PORTER - Aged in American oak barrels for 1 year. Loaded with smooth chocolate and vanilla flavors from the oak. With medium body, low bitterness, and velvet mouth feel, this black beauty is sure to please. Nitrogenated. Alcohol: 6.69% by volume. Starting gravity: 16.00 Plato (1.065 S.G.)

 NUT BROWN - Malt plays a defining role in the profile of this ale. Several color malts are combined with premium imported base malt and a touch of chocolate malt gives the sweet nutty flavor and copper-brown color. Alcohol: 5.92% alcohol by volume. Starting Gravity: 13.10 Plato (1.053 S.G.).

If you haven't made plans already, you're probably too late, but Snow Goose also has a beer dinner scheduled for 6 PM tonight.  here's the menu:

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Here on the Peninsula, new owner Erik Slater at Seward Brewing Company is getting closer to opening on Thursday, May 8th.  They've taken delivery of their grain and should start brewing soon.

Kenai River Brewing has acknowledged the arrival of spring with the return of their Hoppin' Salmon Wheat Ale. See my review on 6/1/2011 of this well-hopped American Wheat beer.

St. Elias Brewing Company has two new beer on tap. First, Dos Lobos Vienna Lager is back; see my review on 5/3/2013. Second, there's a completely new beer, Yeti White IPA, which I've reviewed below.

Speaking of reviews, here are a few:

Deschutes Brewing's Cinder Cone Red Ale: This beer poured a deep, clear red with a big, cream-colored head.  The aroma was laced with nice, citrusy American hop notes.  Carbonation and mouthfeel were good.  There was decent bitterness up front, but plenty of malt backbone for balance.  Clean, crisp flavors made this a very nice and highly enjoyable read ale.  5.3% ANB, 55 IBUs.



Vielle Provision Saison Dupont Cuvee Dry Hopping 2013:  This is a new twist on one of my Saison Dupont, using Triskel hops. The cork came out with the loud pop I always expect from Dupont's beers, and it poured a lovely bright gold with a huge white head.  The nose had all the earthy, spicy notes that I associated with the characteristic Dupont house yeast, plus some additional ones from the dry hopping.  Carbonation was outstanding, of course, and the beer was deliciously dry and hoppy on the palate, with plenty of spicy notes from the yeast.  Given that I think the classic Saison Dupont is an absolute masterpiece of a beer, I can't say that this version was any better, though it is a fascinating variation on the theme.



St. Elias Brewing Company's Yeti White IPA: This is Zach Henry's first foray into the White IPA territory, but he nails it.  Yeti pours a cloudy gold with a big white head.  You can pick up the spice notes in the aroma - orange peel and coriander, I think -- plus fruity notes from the hops.  Carbonation was good, and mouthfeel was light.  There's a refreshing up front bitterness that works well with the spicy notes, before falling away to a nice finish.  Very clean and even more drinkable than your typical IPA, this beer is a taste of spring and a promise of the summer to come.

Well, that's it for this week.  I'll have more beer news and reviews next week.  By the way, I've also created a Twitter account, to better put Breaking News and such.  You can find me at BillHowellauth; not enough characters to spell out "author" I'm afraid.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Breaking News: Culmination Reservations Open TOMORROW

I should have a new blog out tomorrow, but that will be too late for this piece of news:

Reservations for this year's Culmination Beer Festival open tomorrow, April 22nd, at 9 AM.

Tickets are $100 each and can be reserved with a credit card at:

https://www.theculminationfestival.com/#reservations

Remember, your card is only used to hold your reservation; you will still need to pay for your ticket with cash at the door.

Last year this festival sold out in a couple of days, but it wouldn't surprise me if things go faster this year, so don't miss out.

The Festival will take place on Saturday, May 17th, from 4 to 8 PM, in the Tikahtnu Ballroom of the Dena'ina Center in downtown Anchorage.

I'll see you there...

Happy National Beer Day!

Yesterday was National Beer Day, though as far as I'm concerned, pretty much every day should be
Beer Day!  I was hoping to get this blog on then, but things go away from me, as they often do.

For those of you who don't know, National Beer Day commemorates April 7, 1933, which was the day that beer became legal again after over a decade of Prohibition.  That's certainly something to celebrate in my book!

Lest we become complacent, it's worth remembering that the same anti-freedom forces which foisted Prohibition on this country almost a century ago are still with us.  If you want to hear them, just listen to anyone who's opposing the legalization of marijuana, though they'd outlaw alcohol again as well, if they thought they could get away with it...

There have been plenty of goings on at the various breweries around the state since my last blog.  This past weekend the Talkeetna Beer Trippin' and the Beer & Swine Festival took place, both of which were huge successes, judging by what I've seen posted about them.

At Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company, they have a new batch of Snowhook IPA on tap; this one has been increased to 75 IBUs!  also, tonight, Tuesday, April 8th is they are having a Scotch Tasting. They will be pulling a couple gallons of their 2013 Barley Wine that has been aging on High West whiskey barrels for the last three months.  Sounds delicious!

HooDoo Brewing Company released another new brew on Thursday, April 3rd: their UK IPA.  Here's how they describe it:

Photo courtesy of HooDoo Brewing Co.

"Brewed in the style of an English IPA from the 1800’s, our UK IPA is distinctly English. A simple malt bill of 100% English Maris Otter malted barley lends the beer a humble base that perfectly carries the distinct flavor and aroma of Golding hops. Goldings have been cultivated since the mid-1700s and are revered for their sweet, fruity contributions to English Ales"

It weighs in at 6.5% ABV and 67 IBUs.  Sure wish I could taste it!



I'm a little late on this one, but Arkose Brewery has replaced their Olde Colony Winter Ale with their New Colony Hefeweizen, in anticipation of spring.  I say in anticipation, since it snowed again last night...



King Street Brewing in Anchorage released a new brew last Wednesday, an Oatmeal Brown Ale.  Here's their description:

"Inspired by the brown ales found in traditional English pubs, this rich, yet restrained beer is not to be missed. A heavy dose of English crystal malts lends predominant caramel, toasted nut, and toffee flavors, while the flaked oats and a late addition of black strap molasses kicks the beer into a rich creamy-smooth decadence. East Kent Goldings hops give balance by reigning in the malt and provide the faintest floral aroma. At 5% ABV, this is a great ale for your next session with friends!"

At Midnight Sun Brewing Company, Meltdown Double IPA is back on tap for 2014.  Pleasure Town IPA will be released in cans any day now. They have also released Unite Strong Ale, an 8% ABV beer brewed with hibiscus and aged on sweet cherries and more hibiscus to celebrate International Women's Brew Collaboration Day. Finally, this week they will be releasing the first in their new Alaskana series of beers. This series will be 8 beers that represent our great state.  First up will be Hibernator, a smoked doppelbock.  Look for the bottles to be released at The Loft late this week.

When I was at Kassik's Brewery a few days ago, Frank told me that they have plans to brew an English Mild soon. Mmmmm...

Yesterday, Kenai River Brewing put their Hoppin' Salmon Wheat Ale on tap again. This super hoppy American Wheat beer features Amarillo hops and is a sure sign that spring is on its way...

At St. Elias Brewing Company, their Dos Lobos Vienna Lager is back on tap, and Zach reports he'll be putting a new beer, Yeti White IPA, on tap soon.

Photo courtesy of Baranof Island

Finally, Baranof Island Brewing Company in Sitka was awarded the 2014 Business of the Year Award by the Sitka Chamber of Commerce.  They also purchased Kenai River Brewing Company's used two head manual canner until they can take delivery of their new automated model.  Congratulations!

Now let's do some beer reviews:

I received a care package from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, with samples of three of their beers inside.  so far, I've only tried two of them.


Pine Mountain Pilsner:  This beer poured a crystal clear light gold color with a big white head that left good lacing on the glass.  The aroma had some nice crisp hop notes, in the noble European vein, rather than the citrusy American elements we get so used to.  Carbonation and mouthfeel were good.  On the palate there was a nice balance between good clean malt flavors and a crisp hop bitterness.  More in the style of s German than a Czech pilsner, this beer also received two thumbs up from my wife Elaine.  Having spent several years living in Germany, she is even more a connoisseur of German pilsners than I am.  Marvelously drinkable, this is an excellent beer. 5.2% ABV, 40 IBUs.

Armory XPA: Billed as an experimental pale ale, this beer has all the American hop elements that the preceding one did not.  It pours a clear copper color with a big off-white head that left good lacing.  The nose was all citrusy American hops.  Carbonation was excellent.  There was plenty of nice, clean bitterness up front, followed by more citrusy hop flavor, that gradually palls away to a nice finish.  A textbook American Pale Ale, experimental or otherwise. 5.9% ABV, 58 IBUs.

McEwan's Scotch Ale: As a sucker for a good Scotch Ale, I couldn't pass on this one when I saw it a La Bodega in Anchorage. It poured A deep, semi-translucent ruby color a big cream-colored head.  The aroma was of malt and caramel, with hints of toffee.  Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was nice.  The flavor profile was rich and complex, with the emphasis on the malt elements, and no discernible smoke.  It fell away to a long, warming finish from the 8% ABV.  A classic Scotch Ale; next trip I'm getting a six pack...

Anchorage Brewing Company/Crooked Stave collaboration Between the Staves Sour Ale: Managed to find a bottle of this at The Grog Shop in Homer. It poured very dark, almost opaque, but there were some ruby highlights. There was a small, cream-colored head that dissipated fairly quickly to a collar.  The nose was tart, with elements from Brett and oak noticeable.  Carbonation was medium.  The initial attack was quite sour, followed by notes of oak and cherry.  It reminded me quite a bit of Rodenbach Grand Cru, the classic wood-fermented sour ale.  You really have to like sours to enjoy this one, but if you do, you'll love it.7% ABV, 20 IBUs.

Finally, Victory Brewing's Storm King Imperial Stout: Another beer from this excellent East Coast brewery that I picked up at La Bodega. It poured opaque with a small tan head. The aroma had lots of roasted coffee notes plus some malt sweetness.  Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was fairly heavy.  On the palate there was plenty of nice roasty bitterness up front, then balancing a bit as the malt sweetness kicked in, before gradually dropping away to a long, lingering finish.  A very nice imperial stout, and with only 9.1% ABV, this one is scores higher on the repeatability scale than many.

Well, that's it for this week.  Hopefully I'll be able to post a it more regularly for the next month or so. Meantime, let's all keep hoping that spring really does get here, at least by the time the law says we have to take off our studded tires...

Until Next Time, Cheers!

New Beer Releases for Spring

Spring definitely went on hold last weekend, with a big snow dump in Anchorage.  Wee didn't get nearly so much down here on the Peninsula and the last few days have been beautiful and sunny, if still a bit cold.  This will be a bit of a short blog, as I've been running behind this week, but there are some new beer releases out there that I want to write about before they are "old news".

But before I start talking about new beers, here's a tip of the hat to Gabe Fletcher of Anchorage Brewing Company.  His A Deal with the Devil Barley Wine just took 1st Place at the Brouwer's Hard Live Barley Wine Festival in Seattle, beating out 56 other entries.  2nd place went to Lost Abbey's Angel Share Grand Cru and 3rd place to Firestone-Walker's Sucaba.  Congratulations, Gabe!

Moving on to the new releases, HooDoo Brewing in Fairbanks released a Scottish Export Ale on Wednesday.  Here's how they describe it:

Photo courtesy of HooDoo Brewing

This is our take on the strongest of the Scottish Ales - the Scottish Export Ale. Rich and malty, but clean and dry. These beers often have a slight peat smoke character, so in addition to the nine varieties of Scottish, English and Belgian malts, we included a small portion of peat smoked malt to the grist for a hint of earthy smoke. OG: 13.6 // IBU: 26 // ABV: 5.6

I love Scottish and Scotch Ales and this one sounds excellent.  Too bad I'd have to drive 600 miles to try it!  There is also a very nice one-page spread on HooDoo in the latest issue of Alaska Magazine.

Barb Miller at Midnight Sun Brewing Company sent me some info about their upcoming releases.  Here's what you can expect from them in the next couple of months:

Friday, April 4th at 11 AM: Release of Unite (Strong) Pale Ale, brewed with hibiscus and aged with dark sweet cherries. This beer was brewed on March 8th, International Women's Day, as part of Pink Boots Society's inaugural International Women's Collaboration Brew Day.  8% ABV, 50 IBUs, late Cascade hops, plus the hibiscus and cherries.  Draft only.

A new beer series: ALASKANA- MSBC has 8 beers slated for this series at this time but this is an "open-ended" series so they can add beers as they go… The first 3 to be released in APR are Hibernator Double Smoked Bock, Matanuska Thunk Funk Saison aged in red wine barrels with Brettanomyces, and Bore Tide Wheat Wine aged in High West rye bourbon barrels.

Friday, May 2: For First Firkin Friday, MSBC will be tapping a firkin of a big beer (like Lust or Sloth).  Stand by for further details.

Saturday, May 3: Midnight Sun's 19th Anniversary Party.  They will be a tapping a  firkin of their 19th Anniversary beer,  a saison brewed with yarrow, dry-hopped with New Zealand Rakau hops.

Monday, May 5th: MSBC's actual 19th anniversary, along with Cinco de Mayo.  To celebrate, they will be  tapping a firkin of Pleasure Town IPA, cask-conditioned with jalapeños, serranos, coriander and lime zest.

Finally, Monday May 12th thru Sunday May 18th is American Craft Beer Week.  Look for food specials and and different brews on tap in The Loft all week long.  Midnight Sun will participate in the national toast to American Craft Beer at 4 PM on Monday May 12, so why not stop by and join in?

In my last blog, I wrote about some of the upcoming releases from Broken Tooth Brewing.  Well, they've been good enough to create a nice graphic showing off their new bottle releases, so here it is:

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Alaskan Brewing has announced a change in both the label and the recipe of their IPA.  First released in 2007, Alaskan's IPA will now be called Icy Bay IPA and the label will feature a photograph of a surfer on that body of water, rather than a drawing.  Here it is:

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The recipe will now showcase more hop intensity in aroma and flavor, and more hop complexity with Bravo and Calypso in addition to the Cascade, Summit and Apollo hop flavors that have always been in Alaskan IPA.There’s also a higher IBU without losing the balance of a great malt backbone. 6.2% ABV, 65 IBUs.

Finally, Glacier BrewHouse has just released two new beers for spring:

Kristal Weizen -- South German-style filtered wheat beer. Clear straw in color with aromas of banana and clove. Made with premium German Pilsner Malt and German Weiss yeast. 6.07% ABV.

Saison -- French-style Saison with fruity and spicy flavors supported by a soft malt character and slight tartness. Made with special French Saison yeast. Definitely a smooth operator. 8.26% ABV.

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

Some more news of the not-a-beer-release variety:

49th State Brewing Company in Healy has announced that they will open for business this year on April 25th, which is earlier than last year.  Now word yet on what they will be offering, though several of their Hibernation series should top the list. 

No date yet for the Seward Brewing Company's opening.  I understand that it is under new management, but I've been unable so far to contact the new owner to get any details on his plans for 2014.  I'll keep working on it.

Kenai River Brewing Company has sold their two-head manual canning machine to Baranof Island Brewing Company in Sitka.  My understanding is that it's to serve as a stop-gap measure until they can get their new canning line installed later this year.

That's about it for news.  How about a couple of quick reviews:

Alaskan Brewing's Jalapeno Imperial IPA: I mentioned this beer in last week's blog.  Since then, I've had a chance to try it.  It poured a deep clear copper color - very pretty, like a fine Scotch whisky - with a big, cream colored head.  The aroma was of citrusy American hops; I couldn't detect the peppers in the nose. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium.  The initial bitter attack was good, then hop flavor, then the pepper heat, which increased toward the finish.  To be honest, I've never been a big fan of chili beers, but this one from Alaskan is one of the best I've ever had.  The pepper notes are restrained enough to compliment the beer, rather than dominate it.  If jalapenos are your things, definitely give it a try. 8. 5% ABV.

Gigantic Brewing's Bang On Pale Ale: Another deep clear copper brew, with a nice white head. The nose had lots of enticing hop notes.  Nice mouthfeel and good carbonation. Good up front bitterness, a touch of toffee, falling off to a nice, clean finish.  Very moreish as our Brit cousins would say.  An excellent pale ale. 5.6% ABV.

Victory Brewing's HopDevil IPA: One of the classic East Coast IPAs out there.  Poured the classic copper color with a big off-white head and a nice aroma of American hops.  Good lacing on the glass. Nice lingering bitterness, plenty of good clean hop flavors, but more restrained than its West Coast cousins. Very drinkable and an excellent IPA. 6.7% ABV.

That's it for this week.  Hopefully we'll have more spring-like weather next week.  Meantime, keep drinking good craft beer!

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Not So Fast on That Early Spring...

Since in my last blog I speculated on a possible early spring, we had to get more snow.  Not a lot, but enough to remind everyone that winter's not quite done yet.  So batten down the hatches and stand by for some more heavy weather until we can finally escape this weird winter we've been having.

I wrote about the Beer and Swine Festival on April 5th in my last blog.  Nothing really new to say about them, but they do have a new poster out, which is a bit easier to read than their original one, so here it is:

Click to Enlarge

Last time round I also wrote about the Talkeetna Beer Trippin' that the Great Northern Brewers will be holding the same weekend as the Beer and Swine Festival.  The menu for the Beer Dinner at Twister Creek on Friday, April 4th has now been released.  Here it is:

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Looks like there will be plenty of delicious food paired with outstanding beers and exceptional company.

Baranof Island Brewing Company is still on a roll after receiving their $350k loan from the city of Sitka.  They'll be holding an event at Nome's Arctic Native Brotherhood Club the Friday, March 14th, to raise money for the ANB.  Besides their beer, their will be food and live music.  Here's the flier for that event:

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Midnight Sun Brewing Company has a nice new ad in this month's Beer Advocate magazine.  Here it is:

Sunday, March 8th, was National Brew Day for the Pink Boots Society.  I'm looking forward to tasting their collaboration brew.

Anchorage Brewing Company is working on Batch #2 of Arctic Soiree (see my review of Batch #1 in my last blog).  Look for #2 to hit shelves in about a month.  They also said to expect more Love Buzz Saison in June.  Gabe was also trying to enter Batch #2 of The Tide and Its Takers Tripel in the World Beer Cup.  If he was able to scare up enough of it to do so, I suspect ABC will have another award to hang on its wall soon.  Tickets for The Culmination Festival have still not yet gone on sale, but when they do, I will make a Breaking News post (after I've bought my own, of course!).

I had a data dump from Tyler Jones at Broken Tooth Brewing regarding beers that are on tap at Moose's Tooth.  Rather than paraphrase it, I'll just give you the whole thing:

Better Off Red (India Red Ale) When you’re down to one ski and you need fuel to tackle an untamed slope like the wicked K12, look no further. Takeoff with a burst of lavish flavor from Amarillo, Challenger and Crystal hops. Then ride the fortified base of pale and Munich malts, and finish with a touch of roast malt to score a luscious crimson hue. Go that way really fast, if something gets in your way, turn! You'll be the hottest thing since sunburn! Brewed by Sean Heyer. OG 1.058,  ~65 IBU, 6.2% ABV

Vanna Brown (American Brown)  Still missing the Midtown Brown? Solve the puzzle with this smooth, malt-rich roasty brown ale! Brewed by Sean Heyer OG 1.055 ~38 IBU ABV 5.4%

Something Red (Red Ale)  A beautiful single-hop red ale featuring fruity/citrusy Simcoe hops. Brewed by Dave Parker OG 1.064 42 IBUs ABV 6.1%.

Let It ESB (Extra Special Bitter)  A big ESB which straddles the fence between a traditional ESB and a contemporary IPA. Brewed by Sean Heyer OG 1.068 ~50 IBU ABV 5.9%

Méprise (Belgian Brown)   A fortuitous accident while loading grain yielded this Belgian Beauty. Spiced with Coriander & Orange Peel. Brewed by Dave Parker OG 1.084 ~26 IBU ABV 8.4%

Wheatwine ’14 (WheatWine) You all know by now what a BarleyWine is. A WheatWine is similar, only it’s brewed with, you guessed it: Wheat.Brewed by Dave Parker OG 1.091 ~65 IBU ABV 10.1%

C’est Chic (Belgo-Amero IPA) Auhhh - Freak Out! Le Freak - C’est Chic… Freak Out! Le Freak - C’est Chic... Brewed by Dave Parker OG 1.078, ~87 IBU, 8.4% ABV

Smokin' Willie Porter (Smoked Brown Porter) Based on our Prince William Porter, this beer begins very subtly and (slowly) develops into a filling, rich and adventurous experience. A beautiful balance of chocolate and brewery-smoked malt character that’s flavor-forward without being overwhelming. Brewed by Aaron Benolkin OG 1.065 29 IBU ABV 6.0%

Darth Delirium 2014 (Belgian-Style Stout) Bold, Black & Beautiful. Brewed with love and chocolate and aged for a year. Brewed by Sean & Dave    OG 1.099 ~78 IBU ABV 10.1%

Devil’s Thumb Double IPA (Double IPA) 6 Varieties of American hops balanced with strong citric and tropical flavors. Brewed By Dave Parker OG 1.082, ~86 IBU, 9.4% ABV

Cheechokoholic (Brown Ale plus Cocoa) Chocolatey and Fresh in Alaska!Brewed by Sean Heyer OG 1.057, ~28 IBU, 5.2% ABV

Tyler also reports that Broken Tooth should be releasing their bottle-conditioned beers soon, perhaps as early this week. They had some problems with the labeling, but that's been taken care of.

Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company will be having a First Tap Party this Saturday, March 15th, at 5 PM.  In homer of St. Patrick's Day, they will be serving Kachemak Bay Oysters and corned beer and cabbage to pair with their news Dry Irish Stout.  Here's how they describe it:

 Stepping Stone Stout
(Irish Dry Stout)

Stepping Stone is a tip of the hat to the Yukon Quest and one of the most inviting hospitality check points on the trail. Congratulations to Mandy Nauman and her dogs for their 2014 Quest finish!

This stout should not be feared. While it is dark and roasty it is smooth, easy-drinking and ‘session-able’. This stout starts with hints of coffee and chocolate then gives way to a clean and dry finish leaving you yearning for the next sip. Sláinte! 4.9% ABV, 30 IBUs.

South on the Parks Highway from Fairbanks, 49th State Brewing has begun to stir to life after a long winter's nap.  It may be -22F in Healy, but that's not stopping them from taking delivery of new tanks which will triple their production capacity.  Still a month or so until they open, but it looks to be another banner year for them.

Alaskan Brewing has released the latest beer in their Pilot Series: Jalapeno Imperial IPA.  I've seen it on sale locally, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet.  Their release notes describe it as an "Imperial IPA made from glacier-fed water, the finest quality Centennial, Sterling, Magnum, and Apollo hops, premium two-row and specialty malts, and a whole lot of fresh jalapeños."  I'm sure I will have a review done soon.

Speaking of reviews, I only have two for this blog, as I haven't been drinking a lot of new beers lately. But first, I want to do a quasi-review of the latest batch of Czech Point Pilsner from St. Elias Brewing Company.  I reviewed this beer back on 4/12/2013, and this year's batch is just as excellent.  The only difference is that this year, Zach Henry used Sterling hops, rather than the traditional Saaz.  Comparing the present beer to my memories, I couldn't taste a difference. It would be interesting to taste them side by side to look for changes, but alas, that's not possible.  Regardless, it's an excellent pilsner, so get it while it lasts.

Midnight Sun's 3000 Belgian-style Barley Wine: I reviewed this beer on 2/15/2013, shortly after its release, so how has a year in the cellar changed it? It poured opaque with a mocha-colored head that was much bigger and denser than is typical for such a strong beer; it was also surprisingly long-lasting and left excellent lacing.  The red-wine & oak notes in the nose had eased off a bit after a year, but they were still there, while the alcohol and malt notes seemed to have increased.  Carbonation was excellent and the mouthfeel was good, though a bit drier than its typical for such a big beer.  The flavor profile was just a complex as you'd expect, with the rich caramel and toffee notes contrasting to the vinous oak notes, before falling off to a nice finish.  A year in the cellar has definitely improved this beer, but I still don't think it's reached its peak. 13.% ABV, 25 IBUs.



Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast: Brewed at the Anchorage Brewing Company, this is an oatmeal stout made with coffee and fermented in oak.  It poured opaque with a nice tan head that left good lacing.  The aroma was a blend of roasted coffee flavors and sweet malt notes, like a cup of black coffee with sugar in it. The carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium.  On the palate there was a silky smoothness from the oats and a roasty bitter bite, that grew even stronger as the rest of the flavors fall away at the finish. An excellent example of a coffee stout. 7.5% ABV.

Well, that's it for this week.  I should have more beer reviews next time around.

Until Next Time, Cheers!