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 of 2017.
The brothers attended the University of Utah in Salt Lake to be mechanical engineers. After a few years, the brothers started using their engineering degrees in the oil industry. Work on the trans-Alaska pipeline put them at similar tasks at different pump stations.
The five partners put up equal shares, resulting in a brewery with no debt. Brett says the biggest hurdle has been logistics. Shipping to Alaska has its own unique set of challenges. Everything had to come from outside including the brewhouse, kegs, glassware and brewing ingredients.
Experience
After a long drive through the smoke from Homer, arrived Girdwood Brewing Co. in the early afternoon on a Thursday. Girdwood-Alyeska is a ski resort town and the brewery is right off the highway. The tasting room was industrial feel, lots of ski equipment around and focused on seating many people. Big communal tables, high tops and seemed like a lot of tourists. seemed like a great place to host a party. They offered 5 beers on tap. I ordered a flight . I was thrilled to find the only hazy IPA in Alaska. a hazy NEIPA and a hazy Pale. Overall, the best beer I found in Alaska.
No food available on site, there are often food trucks on site.
When visiting Girdwood you might also visit 49th State Brewing !
