THE ALASKA EXPERIENCE:

7 Amazing Breweries to Visit in Alaska

The craft beer industry is booming across the United States, and that includes Alaska! Here are 7 breweries we recommend visiting while you’re here for the summer.

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  • They say that reason Alaskan beers are so good is the water. The snow and glacial melts that feed the springs and rivers of Alaska produce an iconically crisp, clean flavor in Alaskan beers that you just can’t find anywhere else.

    Here are seven of wonderful destinations for Alaskan beer enthusiasts. Because up here, we say that drinking is the most fun you can have in indoors!

    Anchorage

    Midnight Sun Brewing Co
    8111 Diamond Hook Drive, Anchorage

    Midnight Sun Brewing Company is a one-stop shop for all your gastronomic needs. Not only do they have a great selection of rotating taps, but also full meal service, including some of the heartiest brunch around. They opened in 1995, making them Anchorage’s oldest brewery, and they cook up over 40 different lagers every year!

    Anchorage Brewing Company
    148 W. 91st St., Anchorage

    This is the craft beer lover’s choice. If you’re an IPA fan, we highly recommend Crazy Ray’s IPA, but they’re also known for their dark beers if you want to warm up with a porter or stout. Anchorage Brewing Company has a beautiful taproom filled with old-world kegs and wooden barrels, and you can talk to the brew-tenders here for hours if you want to geek out about beer with a like-minded aficionado. This little brewery is a big deal, collaborating with big names like New Belgium and Hill Farmstead on special editions.

    Denali

    Denali Brewing Company
    13605 E Main Street, Talkeetna

    The beers at Denali Brewing Company are good, but the mead is not to be missed. Denali Brewing Company merged with a friend’s wine company in 2016, creating the Alaskan Meadery. The folks at Alaskan Meadery are careful practitioners of the ancient art of fermenting yeast, honey, and that clean Alaskan water to create a sweeter beverage that’s sort of like a halfway point between beer and wine.

    Of course, they also have some great beer! Try the Single Engine Red for a tangy, hoppy, yet balanced draft.

    49th State Brewing
    Mile 248.4 Parks Hwy, Healy

    If you’re on the north side of Denali National Park, 49th State Brewing is probably exactly the place you’re hoping to stumble upon. It’s a warm, welcoming taproom that serves meals fit for lumberjacks (like burgers the size of your head). It also has a good selection of taps from this Anchorage-based brew company.

    What sets 49th State Brewing apart, however, is their event space. They often have live music and touring bands, and there’s no better way to raise a glass in Alaska than gathered around some live music!

    Fairbanks

    Hoodoo Brewing Company
    1951 Fox Avenue, Fairbanks

    Hoodoo Brewing Company is a lifelong dream come true for brewer and founder Bobby Wilken, who’s been in love with brewing beer since before he could legally drink! Bobby went to brewing school in Munich, the beer capital of the world, and toured breweries across Europe before settling in Fairbanks. If you’re a fan of German-style lagers, come to Hoodoo. They don’t make them like this anywhere else in Alaska.

    Sitka

    Baranof Island Brewing Company
    1209 A Sawmill Creek Road, Sitka

    Opened by a beer-loving husband and wife, this operation started small and quickly expanded after the locals found out how good the beer is!

    Baranof Island Brewing Company isn’t a typical brewery. You can’t actually go in, sit down, and buy a few pints. You can buy beer by the growler, which is great for taking on a trip or back home for dinner. But if you’re just passing through, you can “sample” as many beers as you like!

    Skagway

    Skagway Brewing Company
    Broadway & 7th, Skagway

    Skagway Brewing Company has a deeply local vibe. It’s a favorite gathering place for Skagway residents, but also a friendly home to wanderers. If you’re up in Klondike country, don’t miss an opportunity to raise a glass with the ghosts of prospectors past. Skagway Brewing Company was established in 1897, and is by some accounts the oldest brewery in the whole state!

    They offer scratch-made food, including locally-caught salmon and halibut. Wash down a meal with the Spruce Tip Ale for a little taste of the pines! This brew is made with tips of the Sitka spruce trees.