Welcome to the Alaska Beer Events Site

If there is some event in Alaska and Beer is the focus...We want to know!!

(Not that nasty - Cheap and superficial beer...But Grand and Glorious QUALITY Beer)

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The Year at a Glance

May 24 & 25 , 2013

21st Annual Great Alaska Craft Beer and Homebrewer Festival - Haines, Alaska

This event consists of three parts.

On May 24 there is an BJCP sanctioned homebrew competition (see below for details) and a beer dinner. On May 25 there is a beer festival.

Beer Dinner:

Location: Harriet Hall at the Southeast Alaska State Fairgrounds

Time: May 24 at 6:00 p.m.

Cost: $75 per person. Note that there is also a service charge of $3.62 per person bringing teh total up to $78.62 per person. One must be at least 21 years of age to attend.

Description: This will be five course gourmet dinner with each course paired craft beers. A menu of what the food will be may be found at: http://www.seakfair.org/gourmet-brewers-dinner-menu.

Tickets may be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/315076.

The tickets will be mailed to you. The tickets and a valid photo ID are required for entry into the dinner.

For additional information contact the director of the Southeast Alaska State Fair office at (907) 766-2476 or director@seakfair.org.

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Beer Festival:

Must be at least 21 years old to attend!

Location: Dalton City located at the Southeast Alaska State Fairgrounds

Time: May 25 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Cost: $35.00 per person. Note that there is also a service charge of $2.22 per person bringing the total up to $37.22 per person. Including in the cost are a custom sample glass and several beer samples.

Description: There will be a beer festival in which several breweries from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest are represented. There will be live music on stage throughout the day. Food will be available for purchase from various vendors.

There will be a free shuttle service between downtown Haines and the fairgrounds.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/315076. Note that only 250 tickets are sold and will like sell out prior to the event which was the case for the past four years. If tickets are still availble they will also be sold at the event entrance.

Tickets purchased online will be mailed to you. The tickets and a valid photo ID are required for entry into the beer festival.

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Homebrew Competition:

This is a AHA/BJCP sanctioned competition.

Accepted BJCP styles: All BJCP styles beer, mead and cider will be accepted.

Entry Fee: $5.00 for the first entry and $3.00 for each additional entry. Please make checks out to Robert Miller.

Number of bottles required: Two 12 oz. bottles per entry. The bottles should be free of ink, paint or labels.

Entries may be dropped off or shipped (do not mail) to:

Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Company
5429 Shaune Drive
Juneau, AK 99801
(907) 780-5866

or

Haines Brewing Company
108 White Fang Way
Dalton City Southeast Alaska Fairgrounds
Haines, AK 99827
(907) 766-3823

Entry Deadline: Entries must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21at the Juneau location and Thursday, May 23 in Haines.

Judging: Will take place starting at 11:00 a.m. on May 24 at in the Klondike Saloon at the Southeast Alaska Fairgrounds. Judges and stewards will receive a free pass to the beer festival (but not the beer dinner).

The winners will be announced on Saturday, May 25 during the beer festival.

For additional information regarding the homebrew competition please go to: http://www.seakfair.org/beer-fest and/or contact Rob Miller at hainesbrewfest@gmail.com or (907) 303-0075.

The contacts for the 21st Annual Great Alaska Craftbeer and Homebrewer Festival in general are the Southeast Alaska State Fair director - (907) 766-2476 or director@seakfair.org and Haines Brewing Company's Paul Wheeler - (907) 766-3823 or hainesbrew@yahoo.com.


June 17-23, 2013

Solstice Brew Fest - Healy, Alaska

There are several beer events scheduled to take place in Healy during a seven day period.

Monday, June 17:
Beer Chat: The beers of Alaskan Brewing and Glacier Brewhouse will be highlighted and sampled with a talk from the brewers.
Time: 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse (mile 238.9 of the Parks Highway)
Cost: $7.00

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Tuesday, June 18:
Beer Chat: The beers of Denali Brewing and Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling will be highlighted and sampled with a talk from the brewers.
Time: 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse
Cost: $7.00

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Wednesday, June 19:
Beer Chat: The beers of Sleeping Lady Brewing and Midnight Sun Brewing will be highlighted and sampled with a talk from the brewers.
Time: 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse (mile 238.9 of the Parks Highway)
Cost: $7.00

Beer Dinner:
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: To be arranged
Cost: To be arranged

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Thursday, June 20:
Beer Chat: The beers of Kassiks Kenai Brew Stop and King Street Brewing will be highlighted and sampled with a talk from the brewers.
Time: 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse (mile 238.9 of the Parks Highway)
Cost: $7.00

Beer Dinner:
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: 49th State Brewing Company (mile 248.4 of the Parks Highway)
Cost: $50.00 per person

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Friday, June 21:
Beer release party at 49th State Brewing all day long.

The events on Friday and Saturday are ticketed.
Cost: $12.00 for each day or $20.00 for both Friday and Saturday's events

Grilling with Beer Seminar: Learn how to grill with beer from a master. Free sampling at the end of the talk.
Time: 4:00 p.m.

Introduction to Homebrewing:
Time: 5:00 p.m.

Musical performances by Denali Cooks, H3, and Superfrequency:
Time: 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Location: 49th State Brewing Company's outdoor stage

Late night dance party indoors:
Time: 1:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.

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Saturday, June 22:
Beer release party at 49th State Brewing all day long.

The events on Friday and Saturday are ticketed.
Cost: $12.00 for each day or $20.00 for both Friday and Saturday's events

Homebrew Competition:
Time: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Description: This competition is open to anybody aged 21 or old who would like to enter a beer. An area of the yard will be designated for the competition. Only people aged 21 or older will be allowed to enter that area. Once there, people can sample the available homebrews at no additional cost. Entrants may bring as many beers as they would like but only one may be entered in the competition. Note that 49th State Brewing will be provided the homebrewers with tents, tables, ice, tasting glasses and beer storage for Friday night and Saturday morning. They will NOT be providing any means for the beer to be served (e.g. jockey boxes, CO2, pinic taps etc.) or somebody to pour the beers. Homebrewers interested in entering the competition need to pre-register with Ellen Maloney at promotions@dv3corp.com.

Each entrant in the competition will receive:
- Free admission to the Solstice Festival on Saturday eveningJudging will be based upon popular vote of the attendees
- 1 Free 49th State Brewing T-shirt
- 10% off Camping at the campgrounds next door for Friday and Saturday night

Homebrew competition judging will be based upon popular vote of the attendees.

Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place prizes.

The prizes are as follows:
1st Prize: $100 gift card (redeemable at 49th State Brewing, Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse or the Denali Park Salmon Bake) and the winning beer will be brewed at the 49th State Brewing (assuming it can be practically scaled up) and will be served during their Augtoberfest.
2nd Prize: $50 gift card redeemable at 49th State Brewing, Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse or the Denali Park Salmon Bake
3rd Prize: $25 gift card redeemable at 49th State Brewing, Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse or the Denali Park Salmon Bake

Grilling with Beer Seminar: Learn how to grill with beer from a master. Free sampling at the end of the talk.
Time: 4:30 p.m.

Transitions in Brewing Seminar: Hosted by Master Brewer Jason Bullen and brewer/owner David McCarthy from the 49th State Brewing Company. This seminar covers steps in transitioning from homebrewing to nanobrewing to microbrewing.
Time: 5:30 p.m.

Musical performances by Denali Cooks, H3, and Superfrequency:
Time: 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Location: 49th State Brewing Company's outdoor stage

Late night dance party indoors:
Time: 1:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.

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Sunday, June 23:
Disc Golf Putting Competition (no fee):
Time: 12:00-5:00 p.m.

The prizes for the Disc Golf Competition are as follows:
1st Place: Augtoberfest Mega Pack which includes two tickets on the Alaska Railroad, two tickets to Augtoberfest and free lodging at The Salmon Bake Cabins plus a $100 gift card for Augtoberfest weekend.
2nd Place: $50 Gift Card redeemable at the 49th State Brewing Company
3rd Place: $25 Gift Card redeemable at the 49th State Brewing Company
4th-10th Place: 49th State Brewing Company hats

Live music by the Mudge Family Band:
Time: 12:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: 49th State Brewing Company's outdoor stage

Tickets for the various events may be purchased at http://www.49statebrewing.com or at the gate. If you have any questions please contact Ellen Maloney at promotions@dv3corp.com or (312) 623-5549.


July 13, 2013

2013 Golden Days Beer Fest - Fox, Alaska

Location: Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company's Beer Garden (2195 Old Steese Highway)

Time: 3:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Cost: The cost os $20.00 which gets you a total of 10 samples and a tasting glass. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Silver Gulch's retail store or at the gate on July 13. - Note that the cost and number of tickets one receives has not been confirmed and is based upon last year's event. This page will be updated when that information is available. This note will be removed when the information is updated or confirmed.

Description: There will be over 150 beers available for sampling. Note that multiple tickets may be required to sample some of the rare or harder to find beers. Food will be available to purchase.

For more information contact Silver Gulch at (907) 452-2739.


July 20, 2013

E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition - Fox, Alaska

This is an AHA/BJCP sanctioned competition.

The Grand Prize for Best of Show is $500!

Prizes will also be awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places.

Entry Fee: Please include a check or money order for $5.00 per entry. Checks or money orders should be made out to Scott Stihler.

Number of bottles required: Three 12-16 oz. brown or green bottles per entry. Crown topped bottles are preferred but flip-top (i.e. Grolsch type bottles) are okay. The bottles should be free of any ink, paint or labels. Entries with labels will be disqualified and the corresponding entry fees will be considered donations to the prize fund!

Entries will be accepted: June 24 to July 17, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. - No Exceptions!

Judging: Judging will take place on Saturday, July 20th at the Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company in Fox starting at about 10:00 a.m. The best entry from each of the seven judged categories will be entered into the final round of judging to determine the Best of Show.

The Judged Categories

European Amber Lager - 3
A. Vienna Lager
B. Oktoberfest

English Pale Ale - 8
A. Standard/Ordinary Bitter
B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter
C. Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

American Ale - 10
A. American Pale Ale
B. American Amber Ale
C. American Brown Ale

Porter - 12
A.
Brown Porter
B.
Robust Porter
C.
Baltic Porter

Stout - 13
A.
Dry Stout
B.
Sweet Stout
C.
Oatmeal Stout
D. Foreign Extra Stout
E. American Stout
F. Imperial Stout

India Pale Ale (IPA) - 14
A. English IPA
B. American IPA
C. Imperial IPA

 

Fruit/Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer - 20/21A
Fruit Beer - 20
Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer - 21A

In the above table the numbers represent the BJCP categories while the letters correspond to the subcategories. The category names have been linked to the corresponding BJCP webpage in which the respective categories are described.

Note that depending upon the number of entries in each of the seven categories it may be necessary to consolidate two underrepresented categories or subcategories into a single one.

Entry Shipping: Entries should be shipped by FedEx, UPS etc. to the following address:

ETBHC
c/o Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company
2195 Old Steese Highway
Fox, Alaska 99712
(907) 452-2739

There is no mail delivery to the above address! Items mailed to that address go to a post office not frequented by the folks at Silver Gulch. Aside from the legalities (or lack thereof) of sending entries via the U.S. Postal Service, doing so more than likely will result in them not being picked up in time for the competition. Please do NOT use the U.S. Mail for shipment of your entries!!!

Shipping to Alaska is a bit more expensive than doing so in the contiguous United States. To save yourself some money you might wish to consider entering the competition with a friend and sharing the shipping costs.

Please note that FedEx Overnight Delivery and UPS Red to Alaska are NOT delivered the next day. Although one pays for this service such packages are delivered in two business days. Likewise, FedEx Second-day Delivery and UPS Blue to Alaska are really delivered in three to five business days. Please keep this in mind when shipping your entries.

Due to the large area covered by the 99712 zip code* NONE of the private carriers (e.g. FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, DHL, Airbourne Express etc.) will ship to the brewery via their ground based service. Please do NOT ship your entries by ground based carriers. Although this service is less expensive, the entries will likely not arrive at their intended destination until well after the competition.

When packaging your entries please be sure to use large amounts of bubble wrap and other packing materials. An employee of FedEx recommends that packages should be able to sustain a three-four foot fall and remain intact. Although this may seem a bit excessive please note should it become apparent that entries have broken in transit, some shipping companies may not deliver your package; such packages would simply be thrown away.

We recommend placing each bottle within a large zip-lock bag prior to bubble wrapping. We also recommend placing the paperwork and entry fees in a ziplock bag. If shipping multiple entries please place all of the paperwork at the top of the package to act as a sort of packing list. Lining the shipping box with a garbage bag which is then sealed around all of the entries, packing materials etc. is also not a bad idea. Taking such precautions should ensure that the package still be delivered despite any mishaps which may happen along the way.

I believe shipping via FedEx tends to be a bit less expensive than UPS. However, one should be warned that FedEx has changed their alcohol shipping policy. All declared and undeclared alcohol shipments that break are treated as Dangerous goods spills. The FedEx policy for alcohol shipping is such that only known shippers are allowed to do so.

If a package containing a homebrew entry were to break AND leak, the Dangerous Goods person at FedEx would be required by policy to contact their legal department.

Although with proper packaging one can guard against entry breakage and possible leaks things still can happen. Therefore, please use extreme caution should you choose to ship your homebrew entries via FedEx.

Entry Drop off: Entries may also be dropped off at the Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Company's retail store after 4:00 p.m. on week days and after 11:00 a.m. on weekends. Please have the entries in six-pack carriers and/or boxes (i.e. make the entries as self-contained as possible).

Entry/Bottle ID Forms: The Entry and Bottle ID Forms may be printed from the links below. We recommend you use them, however, the standard AHA/BJCP forms may also be used. If the AHA/BJCP forms are used please be sure to include your T-shirt size and e-mail address. Since bottles have been known to break in transit we recommend putting the Entry Form and your check or money order in a separate zip-lock bag. Also please attach Bottle ID Forms to each of the three bottles per entry with rubber bands (Please do NOT use tape or glue!). If the tape or glue is used to attached these forms to the bottles, the offending entry or entries may be disqualified and the entry fee considered a donation to the cause. Whether or not such an entry is disqualified depends upon the degree to which the tape and/or glue was used AND mood of the Registrar and Organizer at the time said entry or entries were checked in. Yes, these criteria are rather arbitrary. However, one can avoid this issue entirely by simply NOT taping or gluing the Bottle ID forms to the bottles.

Three bottles per entry are required just in case there are sufficient entries to warrant multiple flights during the initial round of judging. Also the additional bottles are added insurance against the loss of an entire entry due to breakage. Because of the logistics involved unused bottles will not be returned. Sorry.

Please indicate on the Entry Form which of Category and Subcategory to which you wish to entry your beer. A complete listing of the BJCP style guidelines may be found at the following URL: http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php.

Note that one MUST indicate the Classic Beer Style for entries in the Fruit/Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer category. Please indicate the classic beer style in the space provided on the Entry Form and include the category number and subcategory letter. For example, for a Coconut, Mint Bavarian Weizen the classic beer style would be Category 15: German Wheat and Rye Beer; Subcategory A: Weizen/Weissbier. If you do not indicate the classic beer style for Fruit/Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer entries then beer styles will be randomly assigned to each of these entries!

Extra awards: In addition to the normal competition we have the Battered Bottle Cap Award for the most humorous beer name and the Globe Trotter Award for the farthest traveled entry. We also give out the Club Spirit Award which is to recognize and honor homebrew clubs which support our competition. Individuals who support the competition above and beyond the call of duty are also recognized. Three or more separate entrants specifying their respective homebrew club will receive this prestigious award. Individuals with five or more entries and, therefore, have plenty of club spirit all by themselves, will also receive the Club Spirit Award. In 2009 we introduced The Order of the Bronze Hyphen. A hyphen as in what separates the words anal and retentive. This award is given to those entrants who show a high degree of attention to detail and legibility when filling out their paperwork. These entrants not only filled out the paperwork completely and legibly but they also took measures to prevent and contain breakages without bordering on the excessive.

A few FYI's for new entrants:
(1) This is pretty much an internet based competition. We will notify you of developments with respect to the competition via e-mail.

(2) We try to stay out of the way of the good folks at Silver Gulch as much as possible. We will come in on the evening/night of the final day in which entries are accepted (i.e. July 11) to check them in. Prior to this please use your tracking number to check on the status of the entry package. Please do NOT call Silver Gulch! If there are problems with the tracking, contact the shipping carrier your used (e.g. UPS). The good folks at Silver Gulch do not have time to go looking for your package. Please do not bother them.

(3) Please check your e-mail on Thursday, July 18. After checking in entries we send an e-mail to the entrants telling them that their entries arrived okay. If there is some sort of problem with an entry we will notify you at that time as well. Since we often do not finish checking in entries until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m., the e-mails may not be sent out until the next morning. We generally send them out when we get back home but if we are particularly tired we may blow that off until the morning/afternoon (i.e. later in the day). If you do not hear from us sometime on Thursday then there may be some sort of problem and you should contact us ASAP.

If you do not have an e-mail account and there is some sort of problem we will call you some time on Thursday.

(4) We will notify the Best of Show winner with a phone call from the Silver Gulch shortly after the overall winner has been determined. We are generally finished with the judging between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ADT (i.e. 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. EDT).

(5) A results webpage is constructed and generally posted on the Sunday following the competition. We will send out an e-mail notifying the entrants that the results are posted and provide a direct link to the results webpage. Please do not ask us for the results prior to this.

(6) On the Monday following the competition (i.e. July 22) a certified check for $500 will be mailed to the Best of Show winner via U.S.P.S. Express Mail.

(7) The entrants' prize packages and competition score sheets are generally mail out 2-3 weeks following the competition. An e-mail will be sent out to the entrants notifying them that the prize packages are on the way.

We need experienced judges to help out with the judging on July 20!!!

If you'd like to judge or need more information about the E.T. Barnett Homebrew Competition please contact Scott Stihler at home - (907) 474-2138, work - (907) 474-5450 or stihlerunits@mosquitobytes.com.

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* Note that I was curious as to exactly how large an area is covered by the 99712 zip code. I went online (http://www.zip-codes.com/zip-code/99712/zip-code-99712.asp) and found that the 99712 zip code encompasses about 3,530 sq. miles (9,144 sq. km). This is greater than the areas of the states of Delaware (2,489 sq. miles/6,446 sq. km) and Rhode Island (1,545 sq. miles/4,001 sq. km). In fact, it is over twice the area of Rhode Island. Hmmm...the area of the 99712 zip code turned out to be a bit larger than I had expected.

Who was E.T. Barnette?

Forms Needed for the 2013 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

Entry Form (HTML)

Entry Form (PDF)

Bottle ID Form (HTML)

Bottle ID Form (PDF)



Pictures and Summaries of Previous Events:

1999 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2000 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2001 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2002 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2003 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2004 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2005 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2006 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2007 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2008 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2009 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2010 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2011 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

2012 E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition

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Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2000

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2001

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2002

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2003

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2004

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2005

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2006

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2007

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2008

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2009

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2010

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest 2011


Below is a listing of beer-related events taking place in Alaska during 2013. Upcoming events for which I have information are listed above and the details are given there. The dates of several of the events listed below may not be known at present (or at least not known to me). This information will be updated when I have more details. Most events listed here are annual events and although the exact dates may vary from year to year the approximate dates are correct and can be used as a guide to the remainder of the year as well as next year.

The Following Events are for the Year 2013

January 18 &19

Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival - Anchorage, Alaska

February 9

Fur Rendezvous Homebrew Competition - Anchorage, Alaska

April 5-7

Talkeetna Beer Trippin' - Talkeetna, Alaska

April 13

Snow Goose Breakup Homebrew Competition - Anchorage, Alaska

April 20

The Culmination Beer Festival - Anchorage, AK

April 27

Taste of Alaska Beer Festival - Fairbanks, Alaska

May 4

Zymurgist Borealis National Homebrew Day Celebration/Big Brew - Fairbanks, Alaska

Mid-May

Goblets of Gold Mead Competition - Homer, Alaska

May 24 & 25

Great Alaska Craft Beer & Homebrew Festival - Haines, Alaska

June 17-23

Solstice Beer Fest - Healy, Alaska

July 13

Golden Days Beer Fest - Fox, Alaska

July 20

E.T. Barnette Homebrew Competition - Fox, Alaska

August 10

Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival - Soldotna, Alaska

August 2 & 3

Augtoberfest - Healy, Alaska

Early August

Anchor Town Invitational Homebrew Competition - Anchorage, Alaska

September 14

Capital Brewfest - Juneau, Alaska

Late September

Zymurgist Borealis Septemberfest - Fairbanks, Alaska

September 28

Talkeetna Beer Festival - Talkeetna, Alaska

Late September

Bodega-Fest - Anchorage, Alaska

Late September

Alaska Meadery Equinox Competition - Anchorage, Alaska

October 5

Great Alaska Beer Train - On a train traveling from Anchorage to Portage, Alaska

Late October

Eagle River Brew Fest - Eagle River, Alaska

Late October

Home Brew Competition - Valdez, Alaska

Late October

Mighty Matanuska Brewfest - Palmer, Alaska

Late October

Southeast Alaska Autumn Pour - Juneau, Alaska

Late November or Early December

Humpy's Big Fish Homebrew Competition - Anchorage, Alaska

If you have any information regarding a beer related event that should be listed in this calendar please contact Scott Stihler at stihlerunits@mosquitobytes.com or (907) 474-2138.

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