After hunting and fishing around the Kenai Pen. for a couple months I have had a bit of time to sample some of the local brew master's finest fermentations. These are a couple of favorites.

I like: Kassik's Cream Ale (with some halibut at Bucket's) after a day of fishing and Alaskan IPA with some fresh grouse, ptarmigan or rabbit.

For some reason I like the IPA with the slight sprucyness of grouse after its been in some buttermilk for a few hours

What are your favorite Alaskan beers? What do you like to drink them with?

Winter Ale can function as a beverage or an entire meal, depending entirely on volume.

cwh2,

Nice, I find coor's Light fills me up and gives all the nutrients a guy could need for one night, especially at the end of a day hunting or fishing.

Ah... coors light.

The crisp, clean taste of the Rockys, vented mouth, temperature sensitive mountains, lightweight/collapsible container...

What's not to love?

Which brings me to question
Why is there not a good beer in a can?

Now that would be a Alaskan beer!

You got a problem with Coors Light? Oly? Hamms? The Milwaukee Beast? Raineer? Some people....

Actually, I did find some IPA that came in cans... it was good, but I can't remember who made it.

The only thing missing is....beer.

...nose to the wind...ears perked and alert...posture like that of a jungle cat, ready to strike...

Did someone say BEER?

T'was just invited over to a pard's place for a multi-state combo for dinner:

S.Dakota phesant in a cream sauce on a bed of steamed rice-
Fresh green broccoli from California-
Alaska Amber-

MAN ALIVE was it good!



So was the phesant.

bhtr

It's got a frost-brew liner in the can!

It's hidden behind the snow blower.

Currs light is about the only "beer" I'm unable to swill - and that's saying something!

Curr's light is like club soda - without the flavor.

My favorites are the Silver Gulch beers brewed up in Fairbanks.

Silver Gulch Brewery

My favorite winter beer is the Pick-Axe Porter.

The Pilsner Lager is great in the summer and hoppy. It goes good with fish and seafood.

The ale and lager are good too, but the other two are my top choices.

Being stuck down here in this fookin' blowhole, I've not had the opportunity to try any of their specialty beers.

Somebody once said to me...What's coors Light got in common with shaggin in a canoe???????

...They're both ----ing close to water!

I get it....but others are like drinking straight from the toilet, I'm talking about Bud Light, Miller Light, and the usual domestic offerings in the Souteast. It's liquid headache.

2 things, I have to watch my caloric intake and I can't justify imports or micro brews...(Scratch the imports, since micro-brew beer around here is far better anyway), My family budget can't go to beer, but at $14.00/case, I'll grab the coor's light anytime. And hey, I like "----ing next to water" even if it's in a can.

The Smoked Porter is a great salmon marinade and grilling beer!

ddj

I could happily drink beer with Stevelyn

I'm a fan of many of SG's offerings, though can't remember the names for chit.

That ain't much of a testimonial, considering some of the guys you've shared a brew with!






That ain't a shot at you Stevelyn!

Midnight Sun's Sockey Red IPA is great as a "thirst quencher" after a grueling getting into sheep-shape hike. For all around drinkability during a day of fishing, Alaska Brewing's new White Ale is pretty dang good, especially with a slice of orange in it.

I generally alway shave a growler of moonflower or fairweather

I can't go Coor's Light or Keystone. I spent a lifetime drinking Longneck Buds. Now I have to drink a light beer like Michelob Ultra, but my new favorite is Sam Adams Light. I just wish that I had some of that fresh caught Halibut to go with it.

No truer words buddy!

Damn guys..........I'd consider it an honor to drink with ya.

driveway and home is always open.

if you ever get out of "exile" give a shout

Always have PBR and a pigfull of Kenai River Brewing Co IPA in my bait/beer fridge.

Thanks, I will.

I have enjoyed many good local brews on my visits to Alaska. But then again I am of Norwegian descent, which may affect my general enthuasiasm.

I have also always liked the phrase the Australians come up with to describe light beers: wet air.

I have never been much of a beer guy but Alaskan Amber got me into beer. Was my favorite beer with halibut and chips.

Alaskan Amber is good beer. By far my favorite of their offerings.

Tried a 12 pack of Alaskan White last month. Still have 3 or 4 left. Made me sick. Waiting for Maygan to finish that swill.

I wish I could get it down here, oh well.

I wonder if a case would fit in a flat rate box?

Probably not...(grin)

Padded envelopes.

The Abita Amber isn't bad, they are about 90 minutes from me.

http://www.abita.com/

Hadn't thought of that, good idea.

Steelhead,

Too bad you don't live in Montana. We can get Alaskan Amber pretty easily around here!

Yea, but can you get crawfish....

JB, you just had to rub it in!


If you're ever in Bozeman you gotta check out the new Rosauer's on the west end of Main. Awesome beer selection.

Bubble wrap...it works...

Don't ask me how I know...

Ingwe

Steelhead,

Yeah, we can get crawfish. In fact I catch them in the local lake....

Sam,

I'll do that. If you ever get to Helena you should check out Topper's. A very fine selection as well!

Most areas have local breweries now. In KC it is Boulevard Beer. Their Pale Ale is outstanding. Worth checking out if you are ever in this area. Someone mentioned PBR's. I've done a lot of those in my time.

We have several micro-breweries in Montana, in fact in most of the bigger towns. Last night I enjoying Moose Drool Brown Ale, from the Big Sky Brewing Co. in Missoula.

I have also done my share of PBR's as well!

JB, have you tried the one on the right?
It's got a little twang to it!
(BTW, great mule deer article)

Yeah, I have tried that one! In fact I've tried just about all the Montana beers I can find, except for the ones with fruit in 'em. (Glad you liked the article.)

You don't like the 'huckleberry porter'??????

(grin)


Yeah, the yuppies can have all of that stuff.

A buddy and I were in the Hell Creek bar in Jordan sometime in the late 1990's and asked what they had in bottles. It turned out to be the usual: Bud, Bud Light, Miller, Miller Lite, etc. My buddy said, "What, no raspberry hefeweizen?!"

The bartender looked him for a moment like he might kick him out, or at least kick his ass, then saw the look my my buddy's face and realized he was joking. But it was close!

TFF!

There's actually a bar here in Bozeman that doesn't serve Bud Light. [bleep] 'em!

Fruit in beer is like something besides coffee beans and water in coffee. A good beer needs nothing more than sufficient quantities of malt, hops, yeast, and water. If I want corn, I'll swill American whiskey. If I want rice, might as well gargle something brewed/vinted in Japan.

Beyond the hoppy pales ales, things are generally downhill AFAIC. YMMV. And beware goofy beer "handles".

Is tomato juice in the morning considered a fruit?

On tap!

The bottled AA loses sumthin' in the translation - I'd rather drink Killian Red or most any of Weinhard's product in that case. Dos Equis on tap is good!

Only if it's the chaser.

True, I haven't worked up to trying the "Moose Drool" brand beer yet, but I will (I'm into anything moosey!).

Just another reason to hold you in high esteem.

I don't even put lemon in mexican beer, nor hefeweizen.

+1 on the Boulevard Pale Ale! Their hefeweizen is outstanding as well.


Have you ever been to the Little Apple Brewery up in Manhattan? They made good beer when I had to live there.

My favorite beer with food is IPA at the Mooses Tooth. When beer is the main course, I prefer darker brews, with Guiness Stout, being numero uno....it is food!
Just had some Scape Goat Pale Ale, in Montana, that was pretty damn good. Ultimately, the best beer, is the one in your hand!

Jeff

You still alive?

Yep, how the heck you been? I was getting a bit burned out on the whole computer thing, and been away from the 'fire a bit. Just got back from ND an MT. Had a blast bird hunting, and visiting friends. Heading back to the north end of the pipeline to freeze my a$$ off, for a bit!

Jeff

Been good, done a little hunting. No trip to PA this year?

Glad to hear all is well. No PA trip this fall. Will probably try for spring gobbler though. You going to be making any AK visits?

Jeff

It's been awhile but there is something special about Ballentine Ale and Quail!

Looking at spring for bear, not that I care to shoot another one but for the company.

You can, via the distributer in WA. $100.00 a case to MN, don't know about LA.

My favorite beer at the moment is Mac and Jacks African Amber. Not sure if it is distributed in Alaska or outside Washington?


ddj

Understood, and agree wholeheartedly.

Jeff

You completely forgot whiskey....

Mac and Jack's is good stuff, I haven't heard that name in a while.

If I had to pick an all-time favorite, it would be Bridgeport IPA, and second place would be their Blue Heron. Preferably served in a giant pitcher in their pub, with a pizza covered in black olives. Many a night of foolishness started that way...

Olives just to keep Dan off it?

'Fruit' and 'beer' are two words that should never be uttered in the same sentence.

Anyone gotten anything from the talkeetna brewery yet? It opened a coupl emonths after I deployed so I've been in som ereal suspense...

Here in NW Montana, Moose Drool and Trout Slayer have showed up in cans. Pretty nice for a fishing trip when you can enjoy a quality brew and not worry about a broken bottle in the boat.