Background Girdwood Brewing was founded by twin brothers, brew engineers Rory and Brett Marenco, beer ambassador Josh Hegna, and chief tasting officers Amy Shimek and Karl McLaughlin. Nestled in scenic Girdwood, Alaska, Girdwood Brewing Company opened its doors in March …

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Background Don and Sherry Stead opened Grace Ridge Brewing in 2016. Don began brewing his own beer in 1988 while the couple still lived in San Diego. He continued perfecting his recipes through to couples move to Homer in 1995. …

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Background – Homer Brewing Company Homer Brewing Company opened for business in 1996. Kenai peninsula’s first brewery was the brainchild of three friends brought together by a local homebrew cooperative. Steve McCasland, Lasse Holmes & Karen Berger began with a 3 barrel …

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Background Doug Hogue and Wendell Dutcher, friends and homebrewers for years, opened Kenai River Brewing in 2006. When they opened, both had day jobs: Dutcher worked for Homer Electric Association and Hogue was a teacher. The original brew house was shared …

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Background Glenn Brady’s home-brewing efforts resulted in the creation of Silver Gulch Brewing in 1998. Brady opened the brewery in the small mining community of Fox, Alaska, located about 10 miles north of Fairbanks. The building, the former Fox Roadhouse, …

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Background Carey Fristoe, Jake Hovenden and Stephanie Haskins opened Black Spruce Brewing Company in 2018 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Jake and Carey were childhood friends growing up in Fairbanks Alaska. Both left Alaska to attend school at University of Oregon. Carey …

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Background Three partners, Sassan Mossanen, Mike Lindgren and Boe Barnett opened Denali Brewing Company in the summer of 2009.  At the beginning, they were brewing on an 8.5-barrel system inside Twisted Creek Restaurant. Because they could not keep up with demand, in …

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Background Gene and Sandy Minden opened Seward Brewing Company in 2012. Glacier Brewhouse Brewer Kevin Burton, now with Matanuska Brewing Company (see review) was instrumental in getting Seward Brewing up and going. Erik Slater and Hillary Bean bought the Seward …

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Background Kevin Burton and Matt Tomter, along with dedicated Alaskan investors, started Matanuska Brewing Company in 2017. Kevin Burton was head brewer at Glacier Brewhouse for 20 years. Originally, Tomter opened Airport Pizza in Nome, which became iconic within the surrounding communities. Tomter …

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