Beers of the North: A Field Guide to Alaska and the Yukon
By Clint J. Farr and Colleen Mondor; Taku Graphics; 2nd edition, 2016; 174 pages; $14.95
When I first came north in 1990 after a three-year post-college hitch in Seattle, there was plenty I was glad to be leaving behind. Two things I did find myself immediately longing for, however, were good coffee and good beer, things Seattle was well-known for.
Neither were easy to come by in Alaska at the time, especially in the Interior, which remains the only part of the state where I've lived. Espresso was only to be had in a couple of Fairbanks establishments, and the only microbrewery in the state was the appropriately titled Alaska Brewing Co., still in its infancy.
What a difference a quarter-century makes. Coffee, of course, is everywhere, even in remote towns. But while an espresso hut is a low-capital business venture, what's truly impressive is the number of craft breweries that have popped up all over the state. Some of these brewers are content to provide fine beers to their local communities, while others are gunning to match the wild success of Juneau's Alaska Brewing by going after the bottled-distribution market and reaching beyond the state in the process. For the thirsty Alaskan looking for a tasty ale after a long day's work, the dilemma has gone from choosing among the handful of offerings from Alaska Brewing to trying to decide which of hundreds of beers from dozens of breweries to try next.
Whirlwind tour of breweries large and small
Stepping up to help us face this intimidating challenge are Clint J. Farr, who judging by his author bio has done a whole lot of everything, and Colleen Mondor, familiar to Alaska Dispatch News readers for her aviation journalism. The two have collaborated on "Beers of the North: A Field Guide to Alaska and the Yukon," which takes readers on a whirlwind trip around the far north to breweries large, small and in between, letting them know what's offered where.
[Beer boom: Breweries pop up across Alaska]
The bulk of the book is a series of entries for many — though not all — of the breweries that have emerged as the trend for craft beers has taken off. For each, we get a brief introduction to the owners, descriptions of some of the beers they create, physical and online location information, and the ABV (alcohol by volume) ratings of their flagship brews. None of the entries are particularly long, and each includes a notes page where serious beer connoisseurs can scribble their thoughts. The authors intend for readers to take this book along on their forays.
There's lots of trivia as well. Readers will learn — if they didn't know already — that Alaska Brewing was the first craft brewery to start using spent grain to fuel the boiler that produces the steam used in the brewing process. They call the end product "Beer-Powered Beer," and the practice has allowed them to reduce their oil consumption 70 percent, a major accomplishment by a company that strives to limit its carbon footprint.
[Details of Alaska Brewing's spent grain furnace]
Local ingredients are popular with Alaska brewers, especially spruce tips, which are high in vitamin C and which we are told were used in beers carried by British Navy ships in the days of Captain Cook to ward off scurvy. Sitka-based Baranof Brewing Co., meanwhile, exclusively uses pristine water from the nearby, heavily protected Blue Lake.
The ABV (alcohol by volume) ratings are useful, especially when calculating when to stop consuming (and always have a designated driver or take a taxi or public transportation; far too many Alaskans have been senselessly killed by drunken drivers). What appears to be the strongest beer in the state is Bigger Hammer from Haines Brewing Co., which weighs in at a hefty 11.7 percent. The same brewery offers The Devil Made Me Do It India Pale Ale, which earns its name by way of a 6.66 percent ABV. You've been forewarned.
Some of the breweries have attached restaurants that offer an array of dining options, from standard bar fare to gourmet specialties. The authors include selected menu choices where appropriate. Perhaps the most frightening is the stuffed burger served up by Quake! Brewing Co. in Eagle River, which is described as a "half pound of ground Angus stuffed with Havarti cheese, roasted chipotle, and caramelized onions." My cholesterol numbers shot into heart-attack territory just reading that.
The book opens with a brief history of brewing in Alaska during the gold rush days, when beer was delivered by dog sled. Readers who find this story enticing are advised to head straight for Bill Howell's book, "Alaska Beer: Liquid Gold in the Land of the Midnight Sun," for a lengthier and highly entertaining account of those who have brought beer to the Last Frontier.
In the back is a glossary of beer-related terms handy for novices who don't want to look dumbfounded at their bartender when he or she mentions a lauter tun or spunding. There are also recipes from several of the state's breweries, including blue cheese coleslaw from HooDoo Brewing in Fairbanks and Buffalo meatloaf from Healy- and Anchorage-based 49th State Brewing Co. Adventures in artery clogging continue.
A few oversights
A few things are missing here, the most useful of which would have been a regional cross reference so readers could quickly access where the nearest brewery is wherever they might be. (For instance, you won't find Denali Brewing, maker of one of my favorites, Chuli Stout, in Denali Park; it's in Talkeetna. When in Denali, however, you will find 49th State in nearby Healy.)
Also missing, and inexcusably so, is an entry for Fairbanks' excellent Silver Gulch Brewing Co., which dates back to 1998, distributes bottled product around the state, and hosts one of the finest restaurants in the Golden Heart City. Since this book will undoubtedly be updated, this oversight needs correcting pronto.
That said, "Beers of the North" is an indispensable guide for all Alaska hop heads. Our many breweries are just one more reason why this refugee from the Northwest sees no reason to ever leave Alaska.
David A. James is a Fairbanks-based freelance writer and critic.