Hainesfest at 25

Last weekend I was in Haines for the 25th Annual Great Alaska Craft Beer and Homebrew Festival, 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:

• Haines Brewing Company
• Alaskan Brewing Company
• Midnight Sun Brewing Company
• Denali Brewing Company
• Double Shovel Cider Company
• Baranof Island Brewing Company
• HooDoo Brewing Company
• K&L Distributors
• Specialty Imports
• Yukon Brewing Company
• Odom Distributors
• King Street Brewing Company
• Skagway Brewing Company
• Broken Tooth Brewing Company
• Kodiak Island Brewing Company
• Arkose Brewing Company
• Kenai River Brewing Company
• Winterlong Brewing Company
• Barnaby Brewing Company
• Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company
• 49th State Brewing Company
• Anchorage Brewing Company
• Homer Brewing Company
• Cynosure Brewing Company

I was particularly excited to see Winterlong Brewing and Yukon Brewing 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 Barnaby Brewing 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):

Now here's the fest about an hour later:

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:

Just two guys named Lee...

Before the festival itself on Saturday, the annual Brewers Dinner 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:

Finally, you can't go to Haines and not visit Haines Brewing Company. 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:

The brewery at 4th & Main in downtown Haines

Serving bar in the tap room

Another angle of the tap room

The brewhouse

Fenced beer garden behind the brewery

With its new location, bigger brewhouse, and greatly expanded tap room, Haines Brewing 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...

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 Palmer City Alehouse 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.

The beer selection was pretty good, with lots of local options. I ended up going with a Frontiersman IPA from Bearpaw River Brewing. 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 Palmer City Alehouse two thumbs up.

As long as we're talking festivals, I want to remind everyone that the tickets for The Culmination Festival (July 29th at Anchorage Brewing Company) will go on sale at 9 AM tomorrow, Sunday, June 4. You can order on the festival's website via the link above.

On my way back from Haines, I managed to visit Gakona Brewing, 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 Gakona Brewing Company. 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:

The sign for the brewery

Ed Miner in front of hi 3-bbl brewhouse

Fermenters

The original SABCO system

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.

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 Gakona Brewing, you can find them at Humpy's in Anchorage, the Princess Lodge in Copper Center, the Trapper's Den in Gakona, and select Hacienda Mexican Restaurants.

If you missed my most recent radio show (the broadcast was Saturday, May 29th), you can listen to a recorded version of it at http://kdll.org/programs/drinking-last-frontier. 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.

Alaskan Brewing has announced a new beer for its rotating Alaskan Sampler Pack: Alaskan Cream Ale, which is following the Spruce Tip IPA and Gold Creek Ale. Alaskan is inviting people to give feedback on its website about all these beers.

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:

Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen's Oude Geuze: I purchased this beer a couple of years ago as a leftover from The Culmination Beer Festival 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.

Haines Brewing's Ryepinsky Porter: 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.

Haines Brewing's Motueka New Zeland IPA: 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.

Founders Brewing's PC Pils: As I mentioned in my 4/28/2017 blog, Founders Brewing is now distributing in Alaska. On my way home from Haines I stopped at La Bodega and picked up some Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale (reviewed on 6/1/2011) and All Day Session IPA (reviewed on 8/1/2014). In addition, they had a beer I had not yet tried, PC Pils, 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.

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.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Happy Birthday, Kenai River Brewing Company

Yesterday was the 11th Anniversary of Kenai River Brewing first opening for business, and the 1 year anniversary of the opening of its new brewery. To celebrate, Kenai River brought in the band Denali Cooks 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.

It was a great celebration, well attended by the local residents. Since moving into its new home, Kenai River Brewing 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!

May 6th was National Homebrew Day. Here's a video I came across that celebrates the international side of homebrewing. It's worth a look:

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 Brewers Guild of Alaska had to say about it:

"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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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."

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 Homer Brewing Company, or between Coors and Grace Ridge Brewing Company, 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...

The man who wants to tax your beer even more than it already is.

In happier news, there's been an announcement about the 7th Annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival. 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!

I'm still on the radio. My Drinking on the Last Frontier 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 link. The next broadcast will be Saturday, May 27th.

Midnight Sun Brewing has released the commercial version of last year's Big Fish Homebrew Contest Winner, Blackhawk Bock. Here's the information on it:

Midnight Sun Brewing also celebrated its 22nd Anniversary earlier this month, so congratulations to them for that.

St. Elias Brewing has a couple of new brews on tap. Here's its most current tap list:

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.

That's it for news, let's do some beer reviews. Once again, I've got two reviews this time round.

Denali Brewing's Big Dipa Double IPA: 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%.

Trinity Brewing's Koelorado Golden Sour Ale: 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. Trinity Brewing 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.

Well, that's it for this blog. Next weekend I'll be in Haines for the 25th Annual Great Alaska Craft Beer and Home Brew Festival, 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.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

The End of April

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.

I'll be on the radio again tomorrow, Saturday, April 29th, at 11 AM. My new radio program, Drinking on the Last Frontier, 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.

Photo courtesy of Elaine Howell

As I mentioned in my last blog, 49th State Brewing's Healy brewpub is opening its doors today, while Seward Brewing Company will open for business next Thursday, May 4th. The third seasonal brewery in Alaska, Gold Rush Brewing 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 website, it appears that it has changed its name to Klondike Brewing Company 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.

Earlier this week, I received the following press release from Arkose Brewery in Palmer:

Arkose Brewery’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.

The driving force behind the design was the launch of two new beers to their lineup of 22oz bottles. Mandarina Moose Grapefruit IPA and Ovis Belgian-Style Golden Strong will join No 5 Boxcar Porter, High Ridge Double Red, and Steed Rye IPA on store shelves this summer. To support the impact of the new look & feel, all five bottled brands were redesigned.

 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 Arkose logo combines a modern font with a cursive font along with a stylized icon representing ingredients used in brewing.

 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.

Mandarina Moose Grapefruit IPA 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.

Ovis Belgian-Style Golden Strong 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.

Congratulations to Arkose Brewery on earning this award. I'll be looking to score bottles of these two new beers to sample and review.

The new award-winning logo of Arkose Brewery

Founders Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan has announced that it will begin distributing its beers in Alaska through Odom Corporation, making Alaska the 46th state to receive its beers. This is welcome news, as Founders produces some world-class beers, such as Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale (reviewed in my 6/1/2011 blog) and All Day IPA Session Ale (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 website 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...

Back on Thursday, April 20th, La Bodega 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!

I mentioned in my last blog the charity event A Cellar Tasting for Roxy that will be taking place tomorrow, Saturday, April 29th, starting at 2 PM at Anchorage Brewing Company. 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 Anchorage Press; you can read it here. Admission is $100 and there will be food and live music as well as amazing beers on offer. You can purchase your tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2921447 This event will be like a mini-Culmination, 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.

Photo courtesy of James Roberts

On Friday, May 12th, 49th State Brewing in Anchorage will be conducting a bit of an experiment. At 4:30 PM, the brewery will tap two cask-conditioned firkins of its Solstice IPA. One has been dry-hopped with the new Cryo-Hops 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 49th State what you think.

Congratulations to Baranof Island Brewing Company. It's Medvejie Stout took Best Dark Ale and  Best in Show at the Leavenworth Ale-Fest in Washington state last weekend.

Photo courtesy of Baranof Island Brewing

It looks like Anchorage will be getting another alehouse soon. It appears that the owners of the Eagle River Alehouse and Palmer City Alehouse will be opening the Anchorage Alehouse in the location formerly occupied by the Crossbar.

Photos courtesy of Palmer City Alehouse

Here on the Peninsula, Kenai River Brewing's kitchen is now open seven days a week. The brewery also has two new brews on tap: Resurrection Summer Ale and an Oak-aged Russian Imperial Stout.

Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing.

St. Elias Brewing has announced that it will soon have its popular Fair Trade Coffee Porter back on tap.

Photo courtesy of St. Elias Brewing

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.

Deschutes Brewing's The Abyss Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels (2015): 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 The Abyss, this is a top-flight Russian Imperial Stout. The rye whiskey aging seems to work pretty well with the underlying beer.

Anchorage Brewing Company's The Darkest Hour (Batch #3 Whiskey Barrel Aged): 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 The Abyss); 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.

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.

Until Next Time, Cheers!