Flavor Profile
Alaskan Summer Ale balances a softly malted palate with the clean freshness of hops. In the tradition of the style, neither overpowers the other. Both hops and malt come together to refresh and renew the palate. The straw-gold color and easy drinkability are an enjoyable way to celebrate summer.

History
Brewed in our original brewhouse in 1997, this beer is part of our Rough Draft series and has met success with each limited edition release. The enthusiastic reception led the Brew Crew to bring it to the West Coast as a summer seasonal. A gold medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup and silver at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival have Alaskan Summer Ale fans wishing it was available in every season.

Ingredients
Alaskan Summer Ale is made from glacier-fed water and a generous blend of European and Pacific Northwest hop varieties and premium two-row and specialty malts. Our water originates in the 1,500 square-mile Juneau Ice Field and from the more than 90 inches of rainfall Juneau receives each year.

Recommendations
Enjoy this Kölsch-style beer with delicately flavored foods like fresh, wild Alaska crab or halibut or try it as an accompaniment to salads. Either way, like summer, Alaskan Summer Ale won't last all year - so enjoy it now!

Story Behind the Label
Summer excursions on Alaska waters often include up-close encounters with a host of marine life, the most impressive being the killer whale or orca. Male orcas grow to nearly 30 feet in length with dorsal fins reaching upwards of six feet. The gray or white saddle patch found behind an orca's dorsal fin is a characteristic used to identify individual whales. In the same way, a cold Alaskan Summer Ale can identify individuals with an appreciation for great beer.

   

    
History of Alaskan Brewing
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 10 western states.