Juneau, Alaska (September 2nd, 2022) – After a two plus year hiatus, Alaskan Brewing is reviving its long-time fan-favorite and staple: Winter Ale. Hitting shelves this September for its first ever can run, the Winter Ale promises to bring uniquely Alaskan flavor to drinkers nationwide in an easy-drinking winter warmer brew.
Brewed in the style of an English Olde Ale, the copper-colored brew balances the sweet, heady aroma of spruce tips with the clean, crisp finish of Chinook and Sterling hops. The Winter Ale boasts a hearty 6.4% ABV and mild 22 IBU’s complementing the brew’s malty richness and spruce notes with the warming sensation of alcohol.
It’s the Winter Ale’s use of locally-sourced Southeast Alaskan spruce tips which make it unlike any other beers. Spruce tips are a bright green new growth at the end of a branch. The trees hunker down for winter, then in the spring they send out this tender new growth that yields a light citrus flavor when boiled.
Alaskan Brewing’s spruce tips come from the small town of Gustavus – just outside of Glacier Bay National Park. Blessed with an abundance of spruce trees and a vibrant community, the entire town of Gustavus takes to the forests to trim the sweet conifer needles from the branches once a year.
The use of spruce tips dates back over 10,000 years as a traditional food source for Alaska’s first peoples. Our spruce grows on the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit, which we respectfully acknowledge.
Paying homage to this time honored heritage and quintessential piece of Alaskan culture, spruce presents with a delightful ester-y sweetness in the Winter Ale. As winter’s bite begins to creep in, enjoy the warmth of Alaskan’s Winter sip.
