Alaskan Freeride APA brewed by Alaskan Brewing - Juneau, Alaska         

Alaskan Brewing is releasing their first new, year-round bottled brew since 2009 with Alaskan Freeride APA. This floral, fruity and citrusy American Pale Ale features Citra, Centennial and Cascade hops in balance with a medium malt body. “It was a long ride to perfecting this recipe,” said Production Operations Manager Dave Wilson. “We had been experimenting with American Pale Ale recipes that we liked, but when the Citra hop variety showed up, it matched the malt profile in a way that made it both really refreshing and full of flavor.”
     

  
First brewed on Alaskan’s pilot system in 2010, Alaskan Freeride APA became a local favorite through Alaskan’s Rough Draft series of draft experimental brews available in Alaska only. Alaskan then shared Freeride APA with select draft locations in the lower 48 via their Rough Draft Export series in the spring of 2012 to celebrate their role as the official beer of FLOW Tailgate Alaska and the annual World Freeride Festival held each year in Thompson Pass near Valdez, Alaska.
  

  
“Some of us on the brew crew spend a lot of our free time in Alaska’s backcountry, skiing and snowboarding,” said Alaskan Brewer Tyler Lindquist. “The APA grew out of our attempts at brewing the perfect après-ski beer, but it turned into basically a great après-anything beer.”

Like all Alaskan Brewing labels, Alaskan Freeride APA features scenes from life in Alaska, including backcountry snowboarding near Juneau and snow-biking on a glacial lake. While previous Alaskan label art features vibrant illustrations of Alaska activities, this new package features photographs of Alaskans in action which directly connect the new brew to the people and places that inspired it. Alaskan Freeride APA will be available on draft and in bottles in the 14 states where Alaskan beers are sold beginning in March. Fans can learn more about where to find Freeride APA and other Alaskan Brewing products by using the online Brewfinder at alaskanbeer.com.
 
  
 
History of Alaskan Brewing
Alaska has a rich history of brewing. From the explorers of the 1700s through the Gold Rush, many a thirsty Alaskan has been able to enjoy locally made beers.

In 1986, 28-year-olds Marcy and Geoff Larson reignited that tradition when they opened the Alaskan Brewing Company, the 67th brewery in the country and the first brewery in Juneau since Prohibition. Alaskan beers reflect many of the same characteristics of beers that were brewed here during the gold rush era. From the historically based Alaskan Amber recipe to alder-smoked malts and Sitka spruce tips, Alaskan beers reflect Juneau's local brewing history and innovation.

Marcy and Geoff were drawn to the beauty and adventure of Alaska, but finding a livelihood that would allow them to stay was a challenge. "Why not start a brewery?" a friend suggested. Other than the extreme financial and logistical challenges of brewing beer in the Last Frontier, they couldn't think of why not.
Maybe the idea wasn't so far-fetched. After all, Geoff was a chemical engineer and a homebrewer and was married to Marcy, an adventure-seeking accountant and aspiring bush pilot. Together they brought a unique skill set to the task of opening a brewery in Alaska.

While researching brewing in Alaska, Marcy unearthed shipping records from Douglas City Brewing Co. (1899-1907) that listed ingredients for its popular beers and a newspaper article that described the way it was brewed. Geoff homebrewed a batch of the Gold Rush-era brew and they could see what made it so popular. That beer is now known as Alaskan Amber.

In December 1986, Alaskan Brewing Co. officially began operations when Geoff, Marcy and 10 volunteers spent 12 hours hand packaging the first 253 cases of Alaskan Amber for distribution in Juneau, Alaska. From that very humble beginning, Alaskan Brewing Co. has grown to become the most award-winning craft brewery in the history of the Great American Beer Festival and expanded distribution to 14 western states.