February 2008
Alaskan Amber:
Exciting New Package, Same Great Taste of Alaska
Alaskan Brewing Co. is adding some excitement to shelves this March with new packaging for the Alaskan Amber. The updated design features a vibrant red label and new dramatic artwork from renowned Alaskan artist John Fehringer. Fans of Alaskan Amber will be relieved to know that although the bottles have a brand new look, when it comes to the recipe of Alaskan Brewing's flagship beer, we haven't 
changed a thing.
The illustration on the new packaging also maintains the image of the Southeast Alaskan fishing vessel featured on the past Alaskan Amber labels since its release in 1986, but with a new sense of place and the exhilaration of running the waters of the Inside Passage. Alaskan Brewing co-founders Marcy and Geoff Larson recall searching for the perfect boat to serve as a character model for the Amber Package, that is, until the morning when Marcy looked out of her window to see the fishing vessel Caribou anchored just off shore from their home in Juneau, Alaska. The F/V Caribou, which is owned and operated by local Juneau resident and fishing captain Will Metcalfe, represents the remote coastal lifestyle of those that call Southeast Alaska home.
"Our motivation for the 2008 package redesign was to refine the artwork and lend the vivid red of the boat to the package as well," says brand manager Cindy Burchfield, "When the opportunity arose to work with John Fehringer, we knew we were on to something." Having lived in and around Southeast Alaska since 1980, Fehringer has developed a reputation for capturing the Alaskan experience in his artwork.
Fehringer says that he considers it a privilege to be a part of the label design process and made it his goal to "portray the duality of the term 'art' with Alaskan Amber; the artwork on the package, and the art of creating Alaskan Amber beer." Fehringer used his signature technique of airbrush and gouache, and opaque watercolor to bring new life and fresh excitement to the vessel and the dramatic Southeast Alaskan landscape.
Over the next two years, Alaskan Brewing will work with Fehringer to redesign and update the imagery of the Alaskan brand line. The complete set will continue to promote to the "family of products" produced by Alaskan Brewing Co. To learn more about John Fehringer and his work, visit his website at www.fehringerstudios.com.
Alaskan Brewing Co. celebrates bottled Barley Wine success at Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival
The Egan Convention Center reached capacity January 18 & 19 for the 13th Annual Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival. One of the most highly regarded festivals of its kind, the Anchorage event brought beer enthusiasts from all over the country to compare brews and share their appreciation for craft brewing. More than 5700 attendees and volunteers enjoyed live music and local entertainment, as they tasted the more than 200 draft beers on tap over the weekend. A portion of the proceeds from the sold-out event was contributed to the American Diabetes Association.
This year the festival provided the option of an alternative "Connoisseur's Session" Saturday afternoon, during which Alaskan Brewing featured an exclusive pour of the vintage 1996 Alaskan Smoked Porter. Also on tap this year from Alaskan Brewing was Alaskan Amber, Alaskan Stout, Alaskan Winter Ale, Alaskan IPA, Alaskan Smoked Porter and, of course, the Alaskan Barley Wine.
Alaskan Brewing Co. first introduced the Alaskan Barley Wine at the Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival in 2003 and fans of the specialty brew have been asking to see it in bottles ever since. Five years and several awards later, Alaskan Brewing returned to the festival in January to celebrate the success of the first-ever limited release of Alaskan Barley Wine in 22-ounce bottles.
The Alaskan Barley Wine first arrived in stores, as well as on draft, in select locations in Alaska, Washington and Oregon in early January, but the limited-edition release did not stay on shelves for long. Alaskan Brewing Co.'s gift shop sold out so quickly that even those who brewed the Alaskan Barley Wine had to stand in line to purchase a bottle.
"It was in and out," says Matt Maples at Liquid Solutions, a national internet-based beverage distribution company, of the Alaskan Barley Wine. "We started with 55 cases - they sold out in less than a week." Maples isn't surprised about the high demand for the 22oz bottles, "people make a lot of crazy barley wines, but this one is so well put together and balanced it's quite the hot ticket." When asked about the second shipment of cases he received in mid-January, Maples replied, "It's gone."
For more information about where to buy or order Alaskan Barley Wine and all Alaskan Brewing Co. products, please visit www.alaskanbeer.com/faq.html.
Alaskan Brewing Crew hit the trail for the 2008 Iditarod Sled Dog Race®
Alaskan Brewing Co. is proud to be an official sponsor of the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race®. The Alaskan Brew Crew are no strangers to overcoming the challenges of the remote Alaskan landscape, making the Alaskan Amber a natural partner for "The Last Great Race." Since 1986, Alaskan Brewing has been brewing and bottling all of its beer in Juneau, Alaska despite the 1,500-square-mile ice field and the daunting peaks of Mt. Juneau and Mt. Roberts, which separate this remote coastal town from the rest of the country.
"The Iditarod is an event that is so unique to Alaska it draws people from all over the world," says Brew Crew member and Iditarod volunteer Charlie Brown, "It represents the spirit of volunteerism and the excitement of an authentically Alaskan adventure."
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race® challenges the courageous spirit of the mushers and their teams as they race against the elements and cross over two of North America's tallest mountain ranges along the more than 1,150 miles from Anchorage to Nome. More than 100 ambitious teams are kicking off the grueling race this year on March 1, in Anchorage.
Alaskan Brewing Co. is also sharing the excitement of the Iditarod with its West Coast consumers by hosting two sweepstakes winners and their guests at the start of the 2008 Iditarod. Randy Sooter from Tucson, Arizona was the winner of the 2007 Princess Cruises Passport Sweepstakes and Kathryn Bakken from Everett, Washington was the winner of the 2007 Leader of the Pack Iditarod Trip.