The 49th State is Alaska and the name of an Anchorage brewery

         This fall I got to thinking how long ago it had been since I had seen Alaska (close to half a century) and when I learned of the Great Alaskan Beer Train run on the Alaska Railroad, I figured I should go up there again.  A flight to Anchorage  and soon I was at the tourist information center, a log cabin in the heart of downtown.  Lining up some sightseeing trips led to the identification of some vital destinations in center city.  

Two blocks from the tourist center I spied the brewpub 49th State Brewing and moseyed in for a mid-afternoon pint.  The substantial building sits on the edge of a bluff, created by the 1964 earthquake which rocked the city, traces of its damage still plain to see.  A 15-bbl brewing system in the lower level cranks out a good choice in beers.

The tap handles at the bar indicate the variety of styles.  Some are carved from local materials like whale bones.  I tried a pint of the Blonde Eagle (5.2%) upon learning that this was the flagship ale.  Stomach full, I passed on the foods offered in the menu but saw a number of tasty-sounding salmon options.  

The Russian Imperial Stout (11.2%) merited a can to take to my lodgings and try that evening.  William Seward, the Secretary of State named to his cabinet by Abraham Lincoln and still serving Andrew Johnson in 1867, negotiated the purchase of Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million.  The transaction was derided by some in Congress as Seward's Folly; the critics had no idea of the riches this land contained.  The rich, sweet, malty flavor disguises the potent alcohol content of this one-and-done stout.  

(Visited 09/29/2022)

Found in Schenectady: Frog Alley

 

        The old factory town of Schenectady (light bulbs and GE appliances, locomotives), for several postwar years home and source for fiction ideas of Kurt Vonnegut, has been perking up a bit from its classic rustbelt look lately.  Near the Mohawk River and the community college, lower State Street now features a block of new buildings, capped on one corner by the Frog Alley Brewing Co. Open since 2018,

the brewery shares a wall with Annabel's Pizza, where pizza and sandwiches can be ordered through an opening in the pub. An expansive area in the back offers frequent music events.  The name derives from a once-marshy area near the river and then an eponymous baseball team. This sporting nine became famous in 1903 by playing a game vs. Albany on a Sunday, in violation of the blue laws, and spending the night in jail courtesy of the Schenectady P.D.  

    Brewing is done on what looks like a 20-bbl system with a canning line.  Draft beer flows though a pair of sixteen tap handles. While IPAs predominate, good choices remain in the darker and maltier styles. I tried a flight with a winter ale (pale in color but with the same spicy flavors that marzen style usually has), a pilsner, a brown and a porter.  All nicely done and the darks would have been good for a pint later.

    The day I stopped in, the World Cup was on and the U.S. vs England game was starting to draw a crowd near one of the many tv screens in the pub area.  

(Visited 11/25/2022)