Beer in Unique Places (Juneau, AK)

Brewery: Alaskan Brewing Company

Location: Juneau, Alaska, USA

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Juneau, Alaska's capital city since 1906, is located in one of the most amazing locations on the planet. Nestled along the upper part of the Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska it is like an island surrounded by water, mountains and glaciers. This is where good beer should come from...and it does.

Alaskan Brewing Company was born here in 1986. It was, at that time, the only brewery operating in the 49th state (there are now 7 other breweries and 6 brewpubs). Being located in Juneau, without roads connecting it to the outside work, means that everything needed to brew beer, with the exception of water, needs to be delivered by boat or plane. This also means that all of the Alaskan beer drank outside Juneau needs to leave by the same means.

Alaskan currently brews around 10 beers, including their flagship Alaskan Amber and a new IPA. One of their most amazing beers, and the only one I've been lucky enought to drink, has to be their Smoked Porter. It has consistantly won awards since its inception 20 years ago. The malt for the Alaskan Smoked Porter is smoked with alder wood, the same wood used to smoke Alaskan salmon. Its amazing stuff!

This is another place on my long list of places to visit (and have a beer) in Alaska. One day...

What I would do for a case of this stuff!