Southeast Alaska’s other breweries

September 1, 2013 By Brian Yaeger

A hundred miles north of Juneau is Skagway Brewing Co. (7th and Broadway), originally opened in 1897 to service the gold rushers, then relaunched 110 years later when Boom Town is merely the name of its brown ale. Don’t miss Spruce Tip Blonde to taste its terroir. Another spruce tip beer can be sampled at Haines Brewing. The Haines Brewfest just celebrated its 21st anniversary. Out on the Pacific coast there’s Sitka, site of Michael Chabon’s novel The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, home of Baranof Island Brewing (215 Smith St.). Fittingly, the strong Russian influence here inspired Medvejie Stout, bearing the Russian adjectival form of bear, and at 8.5 percent, as strong as one.