Freshly updated for 2025! Alaska's a big state. I've broken this up into regions, mostly based on where folks are most likely to visit. That said, I'm definitely not done (and haven't visited all the spots listed), and will try and post some updates when I can (and other AK BA's feel free to chime in if you think I'm way off!) Thanks to our fun liquor laws, onsite pours in taprooms in AK (with some very limited exceptions) are limited to 36oz per person, per day and the last pour is available at 9pm (just recently expanded from 8, so lots of places still close at 8, but I'd guess that'll change for tourist season just about everywhere) SOUTHEAST ALASKA (aka the panhandle) A lot of folks come in on a cruise to one or more of the ports below. Here's what you need for a good beer time in Southeast: Ketchikan Bawden Street Brewing - The formerly lone brewery in the first city. opened in 2018, nice little taproom. Baleen Brewing - Shares space with a coffee shop downtown. I didn't know about this one, and haven't visited yet Other spots with decent beer in KTN: The Asylum - Largest selection of handles within walking distance of the ships (maybe in the whole town, too.) Fat Stan's - Small, but decent draft selection. Good pizza. Juneau Alaskan Brewing - the big dog. There’s a new (2022) quasi-affiliated taproom downtown (https://www.alaskanbrewingpublichouse.com/) On tap literally everywhere in town. You can grab a cab/uber/lyft/shuttle out to the new taproom near the brewery if you’re looking to have a one-off or something limited, as they usually aren’t on tap anywhere else. Usually a couple of food carts for food options. Might check recent untappd checkins to see if there’s something of interest on before venturing out. Harbor Mountain Brewing – Freshly opened in May 2025, in the old Barnaby (RIP) space. Located behind City Hall, just across from the main docks. Popcorn. Simcoe the Brewery Cat also stayed along for the transition. Barnaby will be missed by the Juneau community, but Zach and crew at HM are sure to fill the void nicely! Devils Club Brewing - Beautiful taproom, great beers, great food. Forbidden Peak Brewing – In Auke Bay so will require cab/uber/lyft/shuttle if you’re visiting on a ship, or you might end up on a whale watching excursion based out of the harbor across the street. Amazing views, OK beers. Also serves food. Other spots for a beer downtown: Hangar on the Wharf - largest selection of handles in the city. good food. great view. handles rotate quick during the season. worth a stop. Alaskan Hotel - Dark hole in the wall. Live music. good selection of handles, and probably something on you won't find anywhere else in town. Skagway Skagway Brewing - Great beers, great food, great atmosphere. Be sure to drink the spruce tip. Klondike Brewing - The new kid in town. Haven't made it to their location yet, but had some really top notch beers from them. Excited to see what's in store. Haines Haines Brewing - The only game in town, and there's nothing sad about that, as Paul's beers are top-notch. Sitka Harbor Mountain Brewing – Zach and company are brewing some of the best beers in Southeast. Wide variety of top notch beers. The pizza is outstanding as well Hoonah: (Icy strait point) Icy Strait brewing - It sounds like they're back up and running, so if you are on a cruise that stops at Icy Strait Point, you could wander into town and have some beers. ANCHORAGE (AKA Los Anchorage, the big city) Anchorage is the other main entry point for most folks visiting the state. I've broken up the ANC spots roughly based on geography: South: Midnight Sun Loft - good food, the biggest selection of MS beers you'll see Anchorage Brewing - Definitely a must-hit. There will likely be beers here that you won't find anywhere else, both on tap and in bottles. plus, it's an amazingly beautiful space. King Street – You’ve got to pass King Street to get to Anchorage, so you might as well stop. Solid classic styles. Turnagain Brewing – In the old King Street space, with a focus on Belgian styles, but a wide variety. Worth a stop when you’re in the area Magnetic North – Tasty beers in an out of the way taproom - if you’re hitting any of the South ANC breweries, it’s right there. Ravens Ring – Another new brewery in South ANC. No intel yet. Downtown: Glacier Brewhouse – One of the older spots in town. be sure to look at the seasonals and special releases at the bottom of the beer list. Amazing barrel program, but usually only on tap in Jan/Feb. Good food, too. Humpy's – Formerly the best beer bar in the city, stuff you likely won't find other places. Flattop Pizza is run by the same folks, and may have beers on that Humpy's doesn't. 49th State's anchorage location is downtown, with great food, an awesome rooftop deck in the summer. Always busy, so plan ahead. Tent City Taphouse – The new king of beer bars in ANC. Stuff on from all over the state, hard to get beers you won’t find anywhere else in town. If you're looking for bottles: Crush – probably the best downtown selection. Brown Jug Downtown – limited selection, but had gotten way better the last time I was in. Midtown: Mooses Tooth/Beartooth- Old guard, decent pizza, solid beers. Mooses Tooth is usually packed, Beartooth has different food and usually easier to get into. Onsite Brewing – small taproom in a strip mall. Worth the stop! Great Beers. Cynosure Brewing – Kind of in no-mans land compared to the other breweries, but worth a visit if you’re out in midtown. Their saison is damned near perfect. Brewerks – Near Cynosure. This one is new to me. Matanuska – One of their three locations. Wide range of beers. Widely distributed in state. If you're looking for bottles: La Bodega - great bottleshop, awesome staff, and go next door to Cafe Amsterdam and have a pint. Brown Jug Warehouse - probably the best bottle selection in town. Might as well swing by Moose's Tooth if you go here. Mountain View: Alpenglow Brewing is in the old Resolution space. I’ve not been since the change in ownership or had any of their beers. The Valley (Eagle River/Palmer/Wasilla/etc) If you're driving north to Denali or on to Fairbanks, this is on your way. Odd Man Rush - Great hockey-themed brewery with classic and modern styles. Bleeding Heart – Great beers, definitely worth the stop if you’re on the way through the valley Bearpaw River – Solid beers. Makes a great stop with Bleeding Heart Matanuska – The main brewery in Palmer, and a taproom in Eagle River. Again, wide variety. Might have one offs. Last Frontier – No intel on this one yet, but looks like classic styles. Susitna - Another newcomer I’ve yet to check out. Parks Highway (Talkeetna/Healy) Denali Brewing – Two locations, the Tasting Room and Brewpub. Slightly different menus. If you’re going to Talkeetna, might as well hit both! 49th State – Their original brewery/taproom/beer garden. It’s like an amazing whiskey bar that has a great brewery. Good food too! Only open during the summer season, so if you’re visiting off-season, hit the ANC location Not a brewery, but great beer selection: Prospectors Pizza – Pizza and beer in what we call “glitter gulch”, directly across from the park entrance. Also summer-only, but if you’re staying at the park, it’s your best bet for good beer. FAIRBANKS (AKA the golden heart city) Hoodoo – The first new brewery in Fairbanks. Classic styles, done to perfection. Don’t come here expecting the latest murk bomb or adjuncted stout. That said, it’s one of two absolute musts if you’re visiting Fairbanks. Amazing beer garden, rotating food trucks. Black Spruce - The oldest “new” brewery in Fairbanks. Where Hoodoo does classic styles amazingly, Black Spruce has your fix for the haze and sours, and an amazing barrel aging program. The other absolute must if you’re visiting Fairbanks, and they’re just a short drive from Hoodoo. Lat 65 – The newcomer. Great space, recent award winning beers. I’ve not had a ton from them, and the initial buzz was that they’d gotten off to a rocky start, but after a recent visit the beers I had were quite good. There’s also an in-house BBQ spot if that’s something you’re interested in. Midnite Mine – A true “micro” in Fairbanks, located upstairs in the famous (infamous?) bar of the same name. Small eclectic batches, and worth a stop. Silver Gulch – Recently reopened. There are better beers and food in Fairbanks, hopefully the service is better than it used to be. That said, the space is really cool and if you’re looking to tick them all, it’s worth a trip out to Fox. Not breweries: Lavelles Taphouse - Fairbanks’ first true beer bar, conveniently located downtown. Their taplist is on digital pour, so pretty easy to check and see if you want to stop by and grab a pint! Tuffys – The other beer bar in town, on the west side. Also has a digital pour taplist for ease of decision making. If you go here, you should also go across the street and have a drink at the Boatel, a legendary Fairbanks dive. KENAI PENINSULA South of Anchorage is the peninsula. A nice little hotbed of breweries as of late. Less detailed descriptions here, as it's been a while since I made it down there. I'll try to get updates for these in the near future. Again, roughly divided by geography: North: Girdwood - Arguably the best beers on the peninsula. Definitely worth a stop if you're driving down the highway. Usually has multiple food trucks. Cooper Landing - Solid beers and food. Nice taproom with large outdoor space. West: Saint Eilas - Classic Kenai brewpub. It's been a while since I've had their beers, but still going strong. Great pizza. Kenai River - Solid beers that are available in cans statewide. Likely some one offs or other beers not packaged available. Kassik’s - Last I heard was that they were moving over the winter, and I've not heard that they've opened back up for 2025. Let's hope that they make it through! Naptowne Brewing - A relative newcomer in Sterling. I've not been there yet, interested to check them out. Homer: Homer Brewing - Classic styles, definitely worth a visit. Also on tap just about everywhere in Homer. They used to package in returnable salad dressing style bottles. That was fun. Grace Ridge - New since I've last been out to Homer. I've heard good things. South: Stoney Creek - Another of the relatively new spots - on tap and in cans around the area. Limited hours at the brewery. Seward - The old guard in Seward. Only open during the tourist season. OUTLIERS These spots are more remote, and significantly less frequented by visitors. Again, I'll try to update details later. On the road system: Gakona Valdez Growler Bay Big Delta You need a plane/boat: Kodiak Copper River
Excellent information and resource. Thanks! Quick question. My wife's uncle works in Skagway during the summer months. He has nothing but good things to say about the brewery Taphouse. I know this is kind of random, but do you happen to know if they fill growlers there? They're going to swing by our home on the way home to Tennessee, and I wouldn't mind having some of their Spruce tips ale around. Been a long time...
I visited Sitka last year and went to Harbor Mountain. Great folks and good beers! Definitely worth a visit.
As far as I know, they're still filling growlers. I believe they might also have crowlers these days. I'd also recommend that you have him pick up some beer from Klondike, as everything I've had from them has been very solid.
FAIRBANKS - update: Humble Roots Beer Project - The folks formerly known as Midnite Mine upstairs, with a fresh new brewery and taproom right next door. Soft open is this Monday (6/9), so if you're making it to the Golden Heart city this summer, stop by and check them out!
@blackcloud - Thank you for all of this awesome info. It looks like Alpenglow is closed permanently just FYI. A few quick questions for you. Do you have food menu details from King St and/or Cooper Landing? I couldn't find this on either website. Yelp had zero food pictures from CL and only a few from King St. Would you drive to Cooper Landing if going to and from Seward in a day from Anchorage? i didn't realize this was there the last time we were in Alaska. It doesn't seem far off the path. Worth it or skip it? If I've been to Girdwood, Matanuska, Glacier, Anchorage, Denali Brewing on our last visit any new or new to me must go to suggestions in Anchorage that we missed? I do want to go to Midnight Sun. I'll definitely go back to Anchorage one or multiple times, but I'm not committed to going back to any of the others except Girdwood. We also plan to go to Seward Brewing and Bleeding Heart this time as we're going to Seward and Palmer on different days.
And I'll just add that we are visiting Alaska for about a week in August. So we aren't crunched for time. Our first time visiting in the summer. I did forget to add that we've also been to Moose's Tooth too. Last time we visited was Fall/Winter of 2021.
Cooper Landing has Blue Yeti - burgers and such. King Street has pizza. If it was me, I'd swing over for the tick. It's not much of a haul off the Seward Highway. But, if you're pressed for time, it's not a huge miss. I definitely wouldn't hit it at the expense of not going to Girdwood. In Anchorage proper, I'd say 49th State and Onsite are worth visits. If you're going to Midnight Sun and/or Anchorage, Turnagin and Magnetic North are close enough to be worthwhile.
Thank you! Looking forward to it. Only about a month out now. We wouldn't miss Girdwood to go to CL. Those would be on separate days.
We just got back from a cruise/trip to AK. I drank plenty of beer, but the only place I visited was Glacier Brewing in Anchorage. It was really good, both the beer and the food. I was that guy (ordered an IPA flight) but they had a nice variety of beers. We walked into Skagway Brewing, but opted out, due to time, and the crowd. I wasn't super intrigued by anything on the menu, but that isn't quite fair to them.
Thank you @blackcloud for this updated information on Alaska. I just committed to a cruise next year. We end up in Whittier. We are planning to stay in Anchorage for 2 nights, 3 days. Where in the city Anchorage would you recommend staying? Been 3 times but not in the last 26 years. So I’m sure it’s changed. My palate for good hoppy beers has changed from those days. Looking for good food and good local beers. We will be 4 and we are in our upper 50’s and mid 60’s. Good pub with local vibes and local brews. Thx.
I'll just ask too, any recommendation between the original 49th State Brewing in Anchorage or the new location they just seemed to have opened called The Rail? Are there different beer lists and different food menus between the two?
I don’t see Chilkoot Charlie on your list. Is Chilkoot a thing of the past? The times visiting ANC in the military we would always visit Chilkoot and The Great Alaskan Bush Co.
The last time I inquired about "koot's", I got the the impression that the locals don't take it seriously. I always thought the place was a hoot myself (with a decent beer selection as well), but apparently my sense of humor isn't shared by the local population.
We got put up in the downtown Hilton after the end of our cruise/land package, and left the next day. It was literally the worst hotel I've been to. It's super nice in the lobby, but the HVAC didn't work, 1 of the 2 elevators was down, hallways were dark/dingy, no icemaker. Other than that, Anchorage was nice. Lots of homeless downtown, which was sad.
In short - I've not been to the new location yet - that said, the main pub definitely has a wider food variety. The taplists are online for all of their locations - looks like the rail has more taps than the main pub, so a bit more variety. The main pub is a bit more conveniently located in general, and is usually very busy so the rail might be a nice option.
I usually stay downtown-ish. It depends on a couple of things - are you looking to stay in a hotel, or airbnb. Airbnb obviously opens up things a bit. Hotels are concentrated in a few locations. Downtown or Midtown would be likely the easiest. A car would definitely be recommended for that length of stay - which also opens things up a bit. Knowing a bit of your beer preferences, Anchorage, 49th State and Onsite should probably be your top destinations. Glacier is a good spot for food and beer. Humpys and Tent City will offer some additional beer options with fairly standard bar food. koot's is still alive and "well". ha. I don't include it as a must-hit beer destination, but it should be fairly consistent with your previous experiences. (same for the bush co) If you come through Juneau on your cruise, hit me up. First round's on me for all the OC intel I've gleaned from your posts over the years!
Will do. And thx for this thread. I miss Fairbanks scene. We need to get back there soon. But first, this cruise. I’ve been wanting to hit up Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. Glacier Bay is the bonus. Didn’t realize there were that many breweries in those towns. It will be a trip to my wife and her sister and husband. They’ve never seen moose walking in a city. I’ve never seen so many moose’s. Cheers.
Unfortunately Anchorage always seemed like a run down city to me, and friends who lived there held the same opinion. Years ago I stayed for 2 nights on my way back from Nome at the downtown Hilton and it was the worst hotel experience I’ve had in my life. $200 a night back then was a total ripoff. I’d imagine it must be $400+ these days!
