Alaska News

Inside Palmer's new brewery: Arkose

According to the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, the Arkose Brewery, newly opened in Palmer this October, is a testament to survival.

Stephen and June Gerteisen first started getting serious about building a brewery in 2006 when they were driving home after Stephen had completed the Master Brewer Program at the University of California-Davis.

"The Alaska Highway gives you lots of opportunities for brainstorming," Stephen noted.

Their plans started coming together with state and federal permits and finding the right location, but in October 2010, June was diagnosed with breast cancer and it put their plans on indefinite hold. She needed surgery and radiation to save her life.

"We almost gave this all up," June said. "But he kept telling me, 'a year from now it won't be like this'."

Given the struggle they overcame, the Gerteisens decided it would be only fitting to open their new brewery during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Their Arkose Brewery, named after prominent local scenery, has started with four beers, only available for now at the tasting room, called the "Growler Cache," and at Rusty's in Palmer.

Read much, much more about Palmer's newest brewery, here.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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