My Alaskan vacation is at an end, but I have so many memories of the amazing things I did and the people who experienced them with me. One day toward the middle of the trip was jammed full of fun that included touring a glacier, viewing wildlife at a preserve, and hiking seven miles through an Alaskan rainforest. We capped it off with dinner and beers at the Glacier Brewhouse in downtown Anchorage.
Known for its wide variety of meat, fresh seafood and great craft beer, Glacier Brewhouse is a very popular upscale brewpub. I love all kinds of fish and seafood, so I made sure to order something that represented a broad taste of Alaska. Glacier Brewhouse offers about ten beers at any given time, with a wide spectrum of flavors that go well with the food they serve. Several I tried that impressed me were the black rye bock, the double IPA, and the barrel-aged eisbock. With rich, strong flavors of caramel and oak, the 10 percent ABV eisbock makes a nice sipping beer for after dinner. The black rye bock is an extremely easy drinking, velvety dark lager with big flavors of chocolate and roasted malts. The double IPA, pictured below along with the eisbock, delivers big citrus hop flavors with a nice balance of malts.
The second weekend of the trip featured a visit to the town of Homer, located on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula on the Kachemak Bay. With mountain and glacier views across the bay, boat rides, fishing charters, art galleries, beautiful hikes, and so much more, this part of Alaska is an absolute gem to experience this time of year. Upon our return to Anchorage Sunday evening, we headed to Midnight Sun Brewing Company, a brewpub we also visited on our first day of the trip. Founded in 1995, the award-winning Midnight Sun has gained a reputation for creative, bold, and always excellent beer, along with a great menu of fresh, flavorful food. They keep a large selection of beers on tap, frequently rotating seasonals and specialty beers in and out. Pictured below are two I enjoyed, the Sockeye Red IPA and a nitro smoked stout. Midnight Sun is especially good at brewing Belgian styles as evidenced by the spot-on quality of the wit, golden strong ale, tripel, and Belgian double IPA.
Alaska is the type of enchanting place that satisfies the souls of those seeking adventure, tranquility and nature. There's no shortage of ways to explore its wonders, whether you're looking for a rugged challenge or want to take it in more leisurely. Fortunately, there's plenty of great Alaskan craft beer available to complement all those things that make this state so special.
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