Alaska is a great beer destination; we love beer here in the Great Land! With 50 breweries operating in the 49th state, Alaska has a brewery for every 15,000 people, beating the national average by a large margin. During the summer months, breweries are popular with both locals and visitors, making the beer lines longer.

Alaska has some absurd alcohol laws, many of which affect beer directly. You can’t buy beer, wine, or spirits to-go anywhere except a liquor store or directly from a brewery. Breweries are allowed to have a tasting room, but if the businesses do not have a full liquor license, which can cost upwards of $100,000 on the secondary market, there are strict limitations. Tasting rooms can only serve 36 ounces per person on-site and must close by 9 pm. They can’t have TVs, and live music events require a special license and are limited to four times per year. As beer-drinking Alaskans like to say, “No fun is allowed in the taproom.” The result is a laid-back, non-bar atmosphere that keeps things chill and un-rowdy. The best way to get the freshest beer in Alaska is directly from the brewery, whether it is to enjoy a 12-ounce pour at the establishment or take some to go.

While Alaska doesn’t grow enough grain or any hops to satisfy breweries’ demand, we have an abundant supply of the main ingredient in beer—water. Amazing water helps make remarkable beer. Some of the unique Alaska flavoring ingredients you’ll find in craft beers here include spruce tips, blueberries, haskap berries, salmonberries, cherries, rhubarb, rose hips, and fireweed. Spruce tips are probably the most distinctive and uniquely Alaska addition to beer. The famous British explorer Captain James Cook brewed beer with spruce tips because hops weren’t available. Spruce tips are high in vitamin C, which helped ward off scurvy. In Juneau, Alaskan Brewing’s Winter Ale features spruce tips, and in Anchorage, 49th State Brewing makes a great IPA called Spruceplosion. Spruce tips grow all over the state, but the best ones come from Sitka spruce, and should be harvested in spring when they’re tender and light green.

Local fruit also makes Alaska beer stand out. World-class Anchorage Brewing makes many fruited sour beers, sometimes using up to a pound of locally harvested blueberries or haskap berries per gallon. Domesticated haskap berries resemble large, oblong blueberries, but taste like a blend of blueberry and raspberry. Rhubarb is another popular addition. Girdwood Brewing uses it in Rhu Hefner, a rhubarb-enhanced hefeweizen. Turnagain Brewing in the capital city also makes an incredible rhubarb and raspberry sour called Rhu Fram.

Turnagain is noteworthy for its sour program, which is a complete biological process. Dr. Ted Rosenzweig opened the business in 2018 while still working as a general surgeon. He has since retired from medicine to run the brewery full-time. He formulated his sour culture using an alder wood stick from the Turnagain neighborhood and French white oak chips. Turnagain’s solera, a large steel tank that holds the proprietary sour culture, has two unique arms: one containing the alder, the other oak. Turnagain produces a variety of sour beers, along with Belgian, German, and American styles.

Anchorage’s Glacier Brewhouse makes a strong cherry beer using locally sourced cherries, from a farm in the Matanuska Valley. This beer, typically available early in the winter, is worth seeking out. Glacier also has amazing food, but the place gets busy in summer, so plan accordingly.

Beer nicely complements food, and Midnight Sun Brewing, also in Anchorage, is one of the best breweries for a meal. If you go for Taco Tuesday, you’ll find creative Alaska-style tacos that pair perfectly with one of their IPAs. On Thursdays, they serve a delicious posole that goes great with Panty Peeler, their Belgian-style tripel. Many breweries without kitchens collaborate with food trucks. Some of the classic trucks you’ll find at breweries include Mountain Pies, 61 Sliders, Yeti Dogs, Papaya Tree, and El Señor Moose.

Alaska is a natural playground. Hiking, biking, rafting, climbing, fishing, and hunting all make for thirsty adventurers. After a day of activity, nothing tastes better than a cold beer. You’ll see plenty of people at breweries still wearing their outdoor gear. Whether you’re a local, a summer worker, or a tourist on your first adventure here, Alaska’s breweries won’t disappoint. From traditional to the more adventurous, like spruce tip-infused barleywine, you’ll find a style to satisfy your thirst for delicious brews.