Alaska's fermented legacy retains the fiercely independent spirit that propelled the state's beer drinkers through the gold rush and sustained them through Prohibition. Today, craft brewers produce outstanding suds in some of the harshest and most remote locations on the planet. And while the beer scene in Alaska has roots that trace back to days when spirits had to have "medicinal, mechanical, and scientific purposes," the contemporary crop of breweries can thank industry pioneers like the Alaskan Brewing Company for staying on the cutting edge of beer-making technology. Join beer columnist and historian Bill Howell on an exploration through this hop-filled history of the Last Frontier.
Bill Howell has been an avid craft beer drinker and homebrewer since 1988. Upon retiring from the U.S. navy in 2004, Howell moved to Alaska where he blogs about the Alaskan craft brewing scene at alaskanbeer.blogspot.com. In 2007 he created a beer appreciation course titled the Art and History of Brewing, which he teaches annually at the University of Alaska. He is the founder of the Kenai Peninsula Brewing & Tasting Society and serves as a media consultant to the Brewers Guild of Alaska.