THE ISLAND PUB
1102 2nd St. • Douglas, AK 88824 (907) 364-1595 • theislandpub.com • Established: 2005
SCENE & STORY
Alaskan’s 6.5% ABV Smoked Porter, introduced in 1988, is a rauchbier, or traditional German “smoke” beer, made by smoking brewers’ malt over alder wood branches, which is done by hand in small batches in Juneau. True to its name, it’s got all the spice and char of a campfire, with appealing cocoa and chocolaty notes. Alaskan’s is one of the first brewed successfully outside of Germany, and is one of the winningest—if not the winningest—beers ever at the GABF.
PHILOSOPHY
Quintessentially local. Six of the pizzas on the menu are the handiwork of area residents who competed for the honor of having their own pizzas on the menu for an entire year.
KEY BEER
There are nine taps and twenty-five bottled selections, including the local treats, of course. The Sitka spruce-tip-spiced, 6.4% ABV Winter Ale from Alaskan, when in season, makes a great match for meaty, zesty pizza.
Haines and Region
HAINES BREWING CO.
Main St. at 4th Ave. • Haines, AK 99827 (907) 766-3823 • hainesbrewing.com • Established: 1999
SCENE & STORY
Fans of Paul Wheeler’s beer used to traipse through tidal bogs and dense forest to try his beers at his house. Then starting in 1999, the bright-eyed brewer—who sports a beard that would have made Walt Whitman jealous—has been operating a little 3.5bbl brewery in another out-of-the-way location—inside a quaint Old West general store building on the “Dalton City” set for the movie White Fang, a short seaplane or ferry trip from Juneau. In 2015 Wheeler and his partner Jeanne Kitayama opened a new brewery and taproom on main street in Haines, greatly expanding visitor capacity (forty-nine plus a beer garden outside).
PHILOSOPHY
Big, brawny, frontier beer, brewed with no apologies for a dedicated local audience.
KEY BEER
Wheeler’s beers are excellent, especially Dalton Trail Pale Ale, and the DMMDI IPA (Devil Made Me Do It IPA; 6.66% ABV), Black Fang Stout (9% ABV), and Captain Cook’s Spruce Tip Ale, an homage to Cook’s method of brewing without hops—as well as to Wheeler’s former job as a forester.
Healy-Denali National Park
49TH STATE BREWING CO.
Mile 248.4 Parks Hwy. • Healy, AK 99743 (907) 683-2739 • 49statebrewing.com • Established: 2010
SCENE & STORY
Seattle-based chef David McCarthy was planning to open a restaurant in Chicago when a motorcycle trip to Alaska changed quite literally everything. He ended up in Denali National Park, and took a job flipping hot cakes at popular restaurant for extra cash. There he met local former whitewater guide Jason Motyka, and the pair hatched a vision for something bigger in Healy, zero miles north of the entrance to the Denali National Park. A grocery and liquor store came first. Then a pizzeria with a good beer list. Soon it was time go big on brewing. McCarthy enrolled in the Siebel Institute in Chicago, where he met brewer Jay Bullen, who would become 49th State’s first head brewer. In their first year, they only produced a scant twenty-seven barrels, but demand surged. With a new 15bbl system and a bottling line, there’s no question that motorcycle trip was a good idea.
Alaska draws some hearty types, to be sure. It also draws the inexperienced. When the movie Into the Wild came out in 2007, documenting Christopher McCandless’s ill-fated walk twenty miles into the mosquito-infested woods, people started trekking out to his doleful death spot in alarming numbers, getting seriously hurt and even dying in the process (i.e., while trying to ford the Teklanika River). This is, obviously, stupidity, and to help combat it, 49th State scored the actual bus used as a prop in the movie and parked it outside. But that’s just the icing on the cake. Go during the right time of year (April to October), and enjoy a huge array of excellent, award-winning beers, weekly all-you-can-eat pig roasts (twenty-two dollars), sustainably raised food, and live music.
PHILOSOPHY
Exploratory. Because this is a seasonal brewery closed during the winter months, McCarthy and Bullen travel like crazy during the off-months, touring dozens of breweries in Europe and around the United States. The result: ever-expanding beer knowledge in the brewhouse. To make the most of that time away, they lay down beers for what they call the “Hibernation Series,” which lager away as they crisscross the ancient homelands of beer.
KEY BEER
The Smoked Märzen, an amber homage to the rauchbier tradition of Bamberg, took gold in the smoked beer category at the 2015 GABF. Try anything in the Hibernation Series as well, like the recent Seward’s Folly Imperial Stout (11% ABV).
BEST of the REST: ALASKA
THE ALASKAN HOTEL BAR
167 S. Franklin St. • Juneau, AK 99801 • (907) 586-1000 • thealaskanhotel.com
Built in 1913, this is the bar where you go to “drink with an Alaskan at the Alaskan.” But it’s not the tourist trap one might imagine from that old chestnut of a phrase, nor from the spindly Victorian-era balustrade, weathered felt-pattern wallpaper, or corny, wrought-iron park lantern next to the parlor stairs. Instead, local rabble and well-heeled citizenry alike gather around the old antique bar without going all Wyatt Earp, to name one former carouser in town. They’re bobbing heads to an acoustic ballad courtesy of the open mike and drinking the lemony, coriander-kissed Blanche de Chambly, a 5% ABV witbier on tap from Quebec. How gunslinger is that?
THE HANGAR ON THE WHARF
2 Marine Way, No. 106 • Juneau, AK 99801 • (907) 586-5018 • hangaronthewharf.com
With its location convenient to the Merchants Wharf building, the bright, clean, and crisply run Hangar (opened in 1996) is a beloved local watering hole and tourist favorite. It’s got an airplane and seaplane theme thanks to the building’s 1940s tenant, Alaska Coastal Airlines, but isn’t kitschy. Overlooking the channel with huge glass windows and outdoor seating, it makes an ideal spot for an afternoon beer and bite as the seaplanes buzz in and out and the ships dock. There are some twenty taps and seventy bottled beers, and a solid menu of sandwiches, wraps, and fresh local seafood dishes.
THE BEAR TOOTH GRILL & BEAR TOOTH THEATER PUB
1230 W. 27th Ave. • Anchorage, AK 99503 • (907) 276-4200 • beartoothgrill.net
The Bear Tooth compound combines a sleek, remodeled concert and film venue (featuring headline acts from the Lower 48 like Ghostland Observatory, and both first run and 3-D movies) and a cool, little glass-and-brick enclosed bar and eatery. The brews are standard but far from disappointing; try the hazy orange Fairweather IPA, 6.1% ABV and strongly redolent of graham crackers and grapefruit.
DENALI BREWING CO. & TWISTER CREEK RESTAURANT
13605 E. Main St. • Talkeetna, AK 99676 • (907) 733-2536 • denalibrewingcompany.com
The southern gateway to Denali National Park, little Talkeetna (population: 960) is both a stopover for climbers headed to Mount McKinley and a destination on its own for its excellent fishing and whitewater rafting. Denali Brewing Co. doubled capacity every year since 2009 on the strength of beers like their light, silky, black, and roasty Chiuli Stout. There could be no better place to drink it than on the sunny patio of the log cabin–style Twister Creek restaurant. Now the brewery has two locations, with a separate brewery, and canning line (with two new beers going into cans in 2016), making it the second-largest brewer in the state. One cool, recent project: the brewery asked fans to deliver fresh, hand-picked Alaskan high bush cranberries for the winter Wassail, paying four dollars per pound.
SILVER GULCH BREWING & BOTTLING CO.
2195 Old Steese Hwy. N. • Fairbanks, AK 99712-1023 • (907) 452-2739 • silvergulch.com
Built in the historic mining town of Fox in 1998 Silver Gulch is one of the largest breweries in Alaska and as of 2011 the farthest north. The corrugated metal exterior gives the look of a farm facility, but the interior is spacious and cleanly furnished with lots of dark wood tables, chairs, and booths. In addition to th
e brewpub’s own ten taps there are around 100 to 125 international beers available in bottles, including a surprisingly deep collection of rare British, German, and Belgian beers. It’s hugely popular with locals so make a reservation ahead of time to secure a spot; try the 5.8% ABV Coldfoot Pilsner, a hybrid of German and Czech-styles.
CHAIR 5
171 Linblad Ave. • Girdwood, AK 99587 • (907) 783-2500 • chairfive.com
The Aleyeska Resort, opened in 1954, is a classic experts’ ski area with a reputation for steep terrain and flinty locals. And Chair 5, established in 1983, is Girdwood’s après-ski beer playground, with twenty taps and forty-nine bottles of Alaskan and other Lower 48 specialty beers from Deschutes to Sierra Nevada, Midnight Sun, and Kona.
CALIFORNIA and HAWAII
CALIFORNIA
IT’S GOSPEL AMONG CRAFT BEER FANS THAT MODERN AMERICAN MICROBREWING WAS BORN in Sonoma County at John “Jack” McAuliffe’s New Albion Brewing Company in 1976. That ragtag operation didn’t last long, but McAuliffe’s English-style ales, some with whole peppers in the bottle, did leave a gigantic impression on locals like Ken Grossman, who was on his way to starting what would become Sierra Nevada. And that was almost ten years after Fritz Maytag, another ambitious beer lover, took over the foundering Anchor and began to burnish that old company’s shine.
Today, what is happening throughout the state is nothing short of revolutionary: Like Napa’s wine boom in the 1970s, and Sonoma’s in the 1980s, there are now pockets of brewing innovation dotting the entire state. From airy coastal beer gardens in San Diego to chic gastropubs in San Francisco and barnlike wine country hideouts in the North—and even throughout Los Angeles—the entire freewheeling, sun-bleached state has good beer to discover. There are nearly 400 breweries in California, far too many to take in on a single trip. That shouldn’t stop you from trying. Maybe it’s the sunshine, or the sea, or the good vibes from the Golden State’s surfer days and beatnik nights, but California has always been an inspiring place to travel and, now more than ever, it’s one of the world’s finest places to drink delectable craft-brewed beer.
ITINERARIES
1-DAY (San Francisco) Magnolia, the Trappist, Church Key, Social Kitchen, Cellarmaker, Toronado
3-DAY (NorCal) One-day itinerary plus Zeitgeist, Russian River, Sante Adairius, Anderson Valley
7-DAY (Statewide) Three-day itinerary plus the Bruery, Stone, the Lost Abbey, Alpine, Pizza Port, Modern Times
San Francisco and the Bay Area
MAGNOLIA BREWING CO.
1938 Haight St. • San Francisco, CA 94117 • (415) 864-7468 • magnoliapub.com • Established: 1997
SCENE & STORY
Some places just get it right. Magnolia, on the corner of Haight and Masonic, is one of them, and should be your first stop in the Haight, for brunch and a breakfast beer. The carefully aged patina of the place (faded paint, antiquely sconces, padded black leather booths) exudes cool, but the menu is generous. Start with the crispy pork belly served with baked beans, fried shallots, and a poached egg—it makes the ideal base for a beer tasting. Owner and founding brewer David McLean’s recipes manage to be inventive, fresh, flavorful, and artfully balanced, qualities that can be elusive in the anything-goes world of today’s craft beer scene. Now he’s got Smokestack, a Dogpatch brewery and barbecue joint (see next entry); don’t miss that either.
PHILOSOPHY
Quirky and classic. Freshness is paramount, and the servers know how to recommend beers to pair with Magnolia’s seasonal, market-driven menu.
KEY BEER
Kalifornia Kölsch (4.8% ABV), Dave McLean’s take on the northern German classic style, all bright, golden hues and lip-smacking finish. It’s the ultimate breakfast beer, as light and bright on the tongue as a good mimosa. McLean serves it in the proper glass, called a stange, or “rod,” a slim fifth of a liter (6.8 ounces) that is only 0.04 inches thick, akin to the heft of a champagne flute, easy (and soon empty) in the hand.
SMOKESTACK
2505 3rd St. • San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 864-7468 • magnoliasmokestack.com • Established: 2014
SCENE & STORY
Dogpatch is a sleepy industrial area between the Bay and Potrero Hill in San Francisco. So when local hero and diehard deadhead Dave McLean (founder of Magnolia Brewery) announced he would be launching this excellent barbecue and brewery outpost in a former can factory around 2012, word traveled fast. But starting a brewery takes a lot of time. After almost two years of buildout and unavoidable delays, McLean’s much anticipated Smokestack (and Magnolia’s new 30bbl system, adjacent to the bar) opened in the late spring of 2014.
It was worth the wait. With long, distressed wood tables made of salvaged black acacia, painted wood floors, plus accents of iron, cement, copper, and a wide wood and marble bar, Smokestack (named for the Grateful Dead song, “Smokestack Lightning”) is as pretty as it is packed. Inside, the aromas of whiskey, brewing, and woodsmoke wrap guests in a big bear hug. In short, Smokestack is a hybrid meat counter and high-end craft beer and craft cocktail bar with a lot of happy people inside. What else do you need, really?
PHILOSOPHY
“Nondenominational” barbecue means just what it sounds like: instead of hewing to traditions from, say, Kansas City or North Carolina, the barbecue flavors roam the globe. And the beer? “Think simpler, flavorful, well-made beers that aren’t going to burn out your palate,” says McLean.
KEY BEER
McLean has always been an adherent to brewing lighter, sessionable English styles and cask beers, and Smokestack presents them well. So you’ll find the popular Kalifornia Kölsch here, Proving Ground IPA, which stands up well to rich cuts, and new beers in constant rotation.
MIKKELLER BAR
34 Mason St. • San Francisco, CA 94102 415) 984-0279 • mikkellerbar.com • Established: 2013
SCENE & STORY
Danish twin brothers and gypsy brewers Mikkel Borg Bergsø and Jeppe Jarnit Bjergsø, have, in short order, created two of the most distinctive beer brands in the world. Having both been serious runners growing up in Denmark, they’re famously competitive, and seldom seen together. It’s a dizzying diagram: Mikkel’s brand, dubbed Mikkeller and based in Denmark, is brewed mainly in Belgium by De Proef, a venerated test brewery. Jeppe’s beer brand, four years younger, is brewed in Charleston, South Carolina by Westbrook Brewery, and named, with maximum cheek, Evil Twin. Now each is building a mini empire of his own around the world in the form of cafés and restaurants and other collaborations, each more ambitious than the last.
When Mikkel announced San Francisco would be the home of his first American bar, beer geeks, especially on the West Coast, were jazzed. Mikkeller beers have become cult objects, with pop art–like labeling and high-ranking flavor profiles among the beeriest cognoscenti. Mikkeller Bar, which took over a former nightclub spot in the Tenderloin, is a supersized version of Mikkel’s original Copenhagen outpost. It’s roomy, with eighty seats, Keith Haring-esque murals by his label artist Keith Shore adorning the walls. Forty silvery taps shine above a thirty-seat, four-sided bar in the middle of the room. Staff is ultrafriendly and knowledgeable, and sidling up to the bar is a guarantee of meeting some of the most die-hard beer fanatics in the world. Did I mention the food? It’s terrific, too, elevated but not deconstructed or fussy. News in 2015 that Mikkeller is partnering with AleSmith in the latter’s San Diego facility only underscored the Dane’s love for (and success with) the West Coast beer scene.
PHILOSOPHY
Mikkel started out with four beers served only in the bar, and the list is heavily focused on Belgian, Dutch, and American brands that are pushing the stylistic envelope, yet with a few nods to classic styles such as pilsner. Downstairs, Mikkel (and partner Chuck Stilphen of the Trappist) built what they call the Tivoli Sour Room, a thirty-seat “secret” bar dedicated only to sour beers, from Mikkeller and many other brewers of the tart styles increasingly found taprooms across the country.
KEY BEER
THE CHURCH KEY
1402 Grant Ave. • San Francisco, CA 94133 • (415) 986-3511 • No website • Established: 2009
SCENE & STORY
A sly, little space in North Beach with exposed brick, understated décor (retro wallpaper inside; no sign outside except the symbol of an old key), and a quiet loft upstairs, the Church Key draws a cool crowd, and its beer menu is one of the smartest in San Francisco. Beer hunters will find rarities they’re after, such as Firestone Walker’s Oaktoberfest, a barrel-aged märzen-style beer (a clean, coppery German style of lager). The bartenders are knowledgeable, but not obnoxiously so, and the music (by DJ, on vinyl) hits the right notes. Should hunger arrive, as it always does, you can order some tasty meat pies, or there’s a great pizzeria down the block (Golden Boy Pizza; 542 Green St.; 415-982-9738) and the Church Key owners don’t mind if you bring it in and eat right there.
PHILOSOPHY
Call it the David Bowie of beer bars. This is the place to find genre-benders that push the envelope in terms of stylistic interpretation, defying easy categorization. And it’s stylishly understated, an elusive quality in beer bars.
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