Alaskan Brewing 40th Anniversary Press Conference

Alaskan Brewing Celebrates 40 Years From Juneau, Alaska

Today is a big day for one of my favorite breweries from the Last Frontier, as Alaskan Brewing Company prepares to celebrate their 40th Anniversary with a virtual press conference. The event was earlier today and brought Alaskan Brewing leaders together with members of the media to talk about four decades of brewing in Juneau, Alaska. This year marks the special occasion of the Alaskan Brewing 40th Anniversary.

Forty years is a remarkable milestone for any brewery, but it is particularly impressive for a brewery operating in Juneau, where brewing, packaging and distributing beer presents challenges that breweries in the Lower 48 simply don’t face. Founded by Geoff and Marcy Larson in 1986, Alaskan Brewing became the first brewery to operate in Juneau in nearly 100 years. The company has since grown into Alaska’s oldest continuously operating brewery while maintaining its strong connection to the state, its people and its brewing traditions.

It is a remarkable milestone for any brewery, but it is particularly impressive for a brewery operating in Juneau. There, brewing, packaging, and distributing beer presents challenges that breweries in the Lower 48 simply don’t face.

The Alaskan Brewing 40th Anniversary Virtual Press Conference

The Alaskan Brewing 40th Anniversary celebration is not just about the past; it also looks forward to the future of brewing in Alaska.

The Alaskan Brewing 40th Anniversary Virtual Press Conference comes at an especially interesting time for the brewery. Alaskan has already announced one of the most ambitious anniversary beer packages I have seen: the Alaskan 40 Pack.

The limited-edition 40 Pack contains four cans each of 10 Alaskan beers, for a total of 40 beers celebrating 40 years. The lineup includes Alaskan Amber, Husky IPA, Kölsch, Icy Bay IPA, White Ale, Class 5 Pale Ale, Juneau Juice IPA, Excursion West Coast IPA, Ascender Pale Ale and Wildness. The brewery describes it as a thank-you to its fans and a reason to gather and enjoy beer together.

Alaskan Amber is more than simply one of the brewery’s best-known beers. The brewery says the beer is based on a historically inspired recipe and reflects Alaska’s brewing heritage. It is described as richly malty, balanced, and distinctly amber in color.

This idea of gathering feels particularly appropriate for Alaskan Brewing. Co-founder Geoff Larson has emphasized the simple appeal of sitting down with friends, opening beers, and enjoying the moment.

That idea of gathering feels particularly appropriate for Alaskan Brewing. Co-founder Geoff Larson has emphasized the simple appeal of sitting down with friends, opening beers and enjoying the moment. It is a fitting philosophy for a brewery whose history has always been intertwined with Alaska’s outdoor lifestyle and close-knit communities.

Alaskan Amber and My Alaska Railroad Memory

For me, there is also a personal connection to Alaskan Brewing that makes this anniversary especially fun to follow.

I had the opportunity to enjoy an Alaskan Amber while riding the Alaska Railroad toward Denali National Park, and it remains one of those beer-and-travel memories that sticks with me. There was something uniquely appropriate about drinking an Alaskan beer while watching the Alaska landscape roll past the train windows on the way toward Denali.

This combination of beer, scenery, and travel is exactly what I associate with Alaskan Brewing. The brewery’s beers don’t simply carry an Alaska name; they are deeply connected to the place that inspired them.

Alaskan Amber is more than simply one of the brewery’s best-known beers. The brewery says the beer is based on a historically inspired recipe and reflects Alaska’s brewing heritage. It is described as richly malty, balanced and distinctly amber in color.

That combination of beer, scenery and travel is exactly what I associate with Alaskan Brewing. The brewery’s beers don’t simply carry an Alaska name, they are deeply connected to the place that inspired them.

Forty Years of Alaskan Brewing Innovation

The 40th anniversary also provides an opportunity to look beyond the flagship Alaskan Amber. Over four decades, Alaskan Brewing has developed a broad portfolio that includes Smoked Porter, Husky IPA, Icy Bay IPA, White Ale, Kölsch, Class 5 Pale Ale, Juneau Juice IPA, Excursion West Coast IPA, Ascender Pale Ale and Wildness.

The brewery has developed a reputation for innovation, including the use of local ingredients and historical techniques that reflect Alaska’s environment. Its Smoked Porter has become one of the brewery’s most decorated beers.

The 40th anniversary therefore isn’t simply about looking backward. It is an opportunity for Alaskan Brewing to talk about where it has been, where it is today and where an employee- and community-owned brewery from Juneau goes next.

What I Expect From the 40th Anniversary Event

While the full details of the virtual press conference are still to come, I will be particularly interested in hearing about Alaskan Brewing’s future, the continued development of its beer lineup, the company’s connection to Alaska and the significance of remaining an independently operated brewery after four decades.

Craft beer is at its best when it becomes part of a place, a trip, or a memory. Alaskan Brewing has spent 40 years building that kind of connection.

The brewery currently distributes across Alaska and numerous Lower 48 states, while continuing to brew and package its beverages in Juneau.

The Alaskan 40 Pack, meanwhile, gives beer drinkers a tangible way to celebrate the milestone. With four cans each of 10 signature Alaskan beers, it is essentially a liquid history of the brewery packed into one enormous variety pack.

For me, however, the story comes back to that Alaskan Amber on the Alaska Railroad. Craft beer is at its best when it becomes part of a place, a trip or a memory. Alaskan Brewing has spent 40 years building exactly that kind of connection.

Related Alaskan Brewing coverage on MyBeerBuzz.com:
I have been following Alaskan Brewing for years, from the brewery’s classic Alaskan Amber and award-winning Smoked Porter to newer releases and packaging updates. Check out Alaskan Brewing Co. Commemorates 40 Years with Limited Edition 40 Pack, Alaskan Brewing Adding Cold Pale Ale, Baltic Porter, Imperial Hazy IPA, Rocky Coast, Wildness and Smoked Porter, and Alaskan Brewing Updates Spruce IPA for more Alaskan beer news, new releases, packaging and brewery history.

As Alaskan Brewing celebrates four decades, I am looking forward to hearing what comes next from Juneau, and raising another Alaskan Amber to the next 40 years. Thank you to Curtis, Geoff, Marcy, Max, Dave & Emily!

About Alaskan Brewing Company:

Here’s to many more years of success for Alaskan Brewing and the Alaskan Brewing 40th Anniversary!

Alaskan Brewing Company was founded in 1986 by Geoff and Marcy Larson in Juneau, Alaska, reviving a brewing tradition that had disappeared from the city for nearly a century. The brewery describes itself as Alaska’s oldest continuously operating brewery, and its history is closely tied to the state’s distinctive environment, ingredients and culture.

From the beginning, Alaskan Brewing has focused on creating beers that reflect the Last Frontier. The brewery’s beers draw inspiration from Alaska’s Gold Rush-era brewing history, local ingredients and the rugged lifestyle surrounding Juneau. Its Alaskan Amber, for example, is based on a historical recipe, while other beers have incorporated ingredients and techniques connected to Southeast Alaska.

The brewery’s best-known beers include Alaskan Amber, Alaskan Smoked Porter, Husky IPA, White Ale, Icy Bay IPA, Kölsch, Class 5 Pale Ale and Juneau Juice IPA. Over the years, Alaskan Brewing has also developed limited releases and experimental beers that demonstrate the company’s willingness to explore beyond its core lineup.

Alaskan Amber remains an especially important part of that portfolio. The beer is richly malty, balanced and recognizable, making it one of the beers most closely associated with the Alaskan Brewing name. For travelers visiting Alaska, Alaskan Amber has also become something of a destination beer—an easy choice after exploring Juneau, traveling through the state or enjoying Alaska’s spectacular outdoors.

The brewery’s Smoked Porter has been another defining beer. MyBeerBuzz has covered multiple editions of the beer over the years, including the 2026 Smoked Porter, which continues a release tradition that has made the beer an important part of Alaskan Brewing’s identity.

Today, Alaskan Brewing remains deeply connected to Juneau. The brewery says its beverages are brewed and packaged in Juneau by Alaskans, using local ingredients and inspiration from Alaska’s history and lifestyle. The company also operates a tasting room and downtown Depot, giving visitors additional opportunities to experience the brewery while traveling through Alaska.

The 40th anniversary is a significant achievement not only for Alaskan Brewing but also for the Alaska craft beer community. It has survived and grown through the challenges of operating in one of the country’s most remote brewing environments.

The Alaskan Brewing 40th Anniversary Virtual Press Conference provides an opportunity to celebrate that history while looking toward the brewery’s future. With the new Alaskan 40 Pack, continued distribution and a portfolio that stretches from Alaskan Amber to Smoked Porter and modern IPA releases, Alaskan Brewing enters its fifth decade with plenty of stories still to tell.

As Alaskan Brewing celebrates 40 years in Juneau, Alaska, the brewery’s anniversary is a reminder of how important it is to remember the independent breweries that helped build the craft beer movement.

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