It's certifiably, undeniably, outside beer-drinkin' weather. I'm almost afraid to feature it, lest I jinx this incredible weather pattern. I'm worried Ma Nature is in the background, waiting to come back with a watery vengeance. This is vexing, especially when I have one of my best beer-drinking buddies about to fly to Alaska for his annual escape from even hotter weather in Arizona.
First, the formalities. It's a no-brainer that although every Alaskan relishes periods of extended dry, warm weather, we need rain in southcentral Alaska, and we need it bad. The fire danger is incredible, and much is at risk during an almost historic drought in our area. Of little consequence to anyone else, another favorite beer drinking location for me is in the woods, with friends, around a campfire, at night. No chance of that with the burn ban, and if something doesn't change between now and next week, my heat refugee from outside is going to be doubly disappointed.
My remote mining camp has a sprawling front "yard" with some interesting features. This includes some sexy curves as the landscape drops over the knoll towards Resurrection River, three hundred feet away. A couple of years ago, my buddy and I got drunk and made a really cool fence out of pecker poles during one of his visits. We also used a huge rock that the mighty Resurrection had worn holes through over the centuries and painted it gold, like the nuggets we always hoped to find. The best feature, though, is the semblance of a lawn that I have nurtured and babied for over a quarter-century.
Now, the lawn is parched and brown. The earth below has pulled away from itself, creating cracks like a dry riverbed, parched, and gasping for water. It feels crunchy underfoot, almost like rice paper, as I walk on it with a beer in hand.
Regardless, the heat makes lighter beers very appealing right now. The thought of a heavier beer, or even something robust, like an IPA, is distasteful. I want something clear, golden, or lighter, quenching and refreshing.
Here's how I'm dealing with the effect.
Great, light, refreshing local beers are plentiful right now, many of which are in my favorite wilderness format — aluminum cans. I'll grab growlers — the bigger can format that affords the luxury of a pull from a local tap at the brewery. But I'm done bringing growlers to the woods. They are too fragile in the wilderness and need to be consumed immediately.
Not every beer in every brewery makes the 12 oz. or 16 oz. grab-and-go format, and certainly, those same beers can't be one-stopped at your favorite gas shop. Sometimes you just have to go to the source, and growlers remain my favorite, draught fresh option.
Right now, 49th State Brewing Company's 2022 Denali Sunset — a sour Saison that's dry-hopped and bottle-conditioned is a top pick. The sourness is tart but unobtrusive — it's just enough to be a quenching. Honestly, you can even use it as a palate cleanser at a barbeque or after a big plate of tacos. The hops are disciplined enough and almost background. They're complementary and balancing, not noisy in the mouth. Expect a nice, refreshing citrus feature in this light, effervescent refresher. You can get it at the brewery's downtown Anchorage location, or if you're cruising north, the Healey location also features it. Although I get it at Costco because it's a bit cheaper and it's easier to haul an ample supply via shopping cart.
49th State's Blonde Eagle Ale is another rock-solid summer sipper, as is the brewery's Alaska 8-Star Frontier Style Lager. Both come in 16-ounce cans, so my refrigerator's been cooling a lot of beers these days.
Another can't-miss summer sipper is Midnight Sun Brewing Company's Just Across the Water Japanese-inspired lager. It's "inspired" because it has puffed rice in it, and that's perfect for this style of beer! But the real feature is the Yuzu infusion that adds the great twang to this very pale beer. At 6-percent alcohol by volume, Just Across the Water comes in just out of the sessionable range, but that's just in the booze, not the drinkability.
While at the brewery, or wherever you're sourcing it (I got mine at La Bodega), Permesso, Midnight Sun's Italian Pilsner, is another solid summer beer. Again, a tad large at 6-percent alcohol by volume, it's very light and spritzy on the palate. The Nelson Sauvin (New Zealand) dry-hopping adds great zest, especially in the nose and back swallow in this slightly malt-forward example of the style.
If I want something a touch heavier and with a bit more body, my go-to wheat is King Street Hefeweizen. This is one of the more stylistically accurate local hefeweizens. While there are good examples from other local sources, this one just stands out for me and has the added 12-ounce can convenience. The aromatics are perfect — light clove, banana and high esters. With the added feature of edge tartness, the beer lends a nice, zesty snap that waves back at the sun with every sip. It's around at Costco, too, if you don't source it at the brewery or your favorite liquor store.
If your travel plans drag you to or through the Kenai Peninsula, Kenai River Brewing Company's White Crane Rice Lager is a light-gold, very crisp, squeaky clean, easy downer. A 4.5-percent, making it well suited to sip slowly and enjoy more than one during your adventures.
Just up the road in Nikiski, in the backwoods, is Kassik's Brewery, where 1896 Golden Ale has been a feature for a couple of years now. This is a medium gold beer that's a tad heavier across the palate with distinct ale notes in an otherwise very light and imminently drinkable summer beer.
Hint: it's worth the adventure to locate and visit the brewery for something uber-fresh on tap, but 1896 is widely available at liquor stores here in Anchorage and across the Peninsula.
I could ramble on and on about summer beers. They are a big feature now, down south and all the way to Fairbanks on our road system if you're road-trippin'. If you're not familiar with beer styles, light lagers, pilsners, blonde and golden ales, and just about anything on the sour side, make great, quenching, easy-drinking beers as we wait out the heat.
Stop at the breweries wherever you're going. You are bound to find something light you can't get anywhere else. It all adds to a great Alaska adventure in the most epic spring and summer I've seen in my forty-three years up here.
