The Last Frontier’s craft beer scene is quenching the thirst of beer lovers from Anchorage to Fairbanks, and visiting groups are encouraged to stop by popular breweries for tours and tastings.
Glacier BrewHouse in Anchorage specializes in handcrafted beers, including IPAs and Blondes, as well as wild Alaskan seafood and rotisserie roasted meats. According to Jack Bonney, content development manager for the Anchorage CVB, groups can take a behind-the-scenes tour, and there are also two group event spaces on-site. The conference room seats up to 14 people around a granite conference table and has a media-ready television, flip charts, projectors and screens; and the banquet room, which can accommodate groups of up to 32 people, is well-suited for meal functions.
Located in Talkeetna, in Mat-Su Valley, is Denali Brewing Company, the second-largest microbrewery in Alaska. According to Casey Ressler, marketing and communications manager for the Mat-Su CVB, Denali Brewing recently expanded with a new tasting room, in addition to a downtown Talkeetna location that features Denali Brewpub, which he said “is a great lunch and dinner spot for groups and meetings.” Popular brews include Mother Ale, Chuli Stout and Twister Creek IPA.
The Juneau-based Alaskan Brewing Company, according to Brand Manager Cindy Burchfield, offers groups a tutored tasting sample of six ales, including the flagship Alaskan Amber, Icy Bay IPA and Hopothermia. Guests can also taste and give their two cents on a test sample from the ‘Rough Draft’ series of experimental ales. An adjacent gift shop is stocked with Alaskan Brewing Company merchandise, and Burchfield adds patrons should tip their bartender, as all tips are designated to a local nonprofit.
Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling Company, located about 10 miles north of Fairbanks, is America’s most northern brewery/brewpub. According to Jerry Evans, public relations manager for Explore Fairbanks, Silver Gulch Brewing is housed in an attractive, renovated roadhouse, and group tours are available. The beer lineup here includes Pick Axe Porter and Coldfoot Pilsner Lager.