January 15, 2013

AK Beer Week

The title of this post caught your eye didn't it?  Well, you're in luck because it's all about BEER!

I never used to like beer.  Not even if it was for flip cup, or beer pong or even if it was cold certified.  However, my attitude, and palette, changed when we moved to the Land of the Midnight Sun, or more appropriately, the Land of Microbreweries. Now, my mouth waters at the sight of a local IPA. From one extreme to the next. I am now a beer snob.

This week is Alaska Beer Week, a 10-day celebration of craft, or microwbrew, beers in Alaska.  The week centres around the Great Beer & Barleywine Festival, a showcase of 200 different microbrews and barley wines from over 50 regional breweries. It's the best of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. The festival, which is now in its 19th year, has become the world's premier winter brew event. You better believe I won't be missing it.

When visiting Alaska, most people have a list of foods they want to try.  First on the list is usually king crab, followed by halibut and salmon.  Maybe even throw in a reindeer sausage or two. But, do you ever think about the refreshments? Make sure you add a frosty pint of a local microbrew to your Alaskan bucket list. 

Microbreweries in Anchorage
Those not familiar with the term, "microbrew" is beer brewed in a small commercial brewery, no more than 15,000 barrels of beer per year.  It is brewed and distributed on a regional basis, with an emphasis on the quality of the product, rather than its mass production. 

It's not the flashy commercials or the catchy slogans that give these beers their popularity (although some do have some pretty cool names, i.e. Panty Peeler) , it's the story behind them. And whether they come from a family-run microbrewery or a group of guys in their garage, the love and care that goes into brewing these beers is what gives them the high quality.  It's this high quality that has made Alaska one of the nation's craft brewing leaders and successfully turned this once beer hater into a beer snob. 


Midnight Sun's Panty Peeler (one of my favs) // Kassik's Beaver Tail Blonde Ale // Alaskan's Summer (my bro's fav) // Anchorage Brewing Company's Bitter Monk Belgian Style

So, if you ever venture up to Alaska, make sure you delight all your senses and acquaint yourself with an Alaskan microbrew.



What is your favorite type of beer? 




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2 comments

  1. I hear ya Mar. If Alaska is the King of Microbreweries, then Vancouver is the Queen. I actually hate drinking beer at home because they just don't have the same local beer here that we love. As for my favourite type of beer, Granville Island Brewing Company's Robson Street Hefeweizen! If you guys ever get your butts down here we'll hit up all the local microbreweries!! Xx

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