Alaska brewers and distillers to host first-ever Alaska Crafted festival

For the first time ever, brewers and distillers from across Alaska are coming together for the Alaska Crafted festival. This premier, outdoor beer and spirits tasting event will take place in downtown Anchorage on Saturday, May 21, from 5-10 p.m., and will specifically feature craft beverages – brews, spirits, mead, wine, and cider –made in the Last Frontier.

Scheduled during American Craft Beer Week, the festival will celebrate Alaska brands, bands and artisans with live music, educational seminars and product demonstrations highlighting the emerging craft beverage industry in the state. More than 25 brewers and distillers will showcase as many as 40 Alaska varieties, hailing from Haines in Southeast Alaska to Fox from Alaska’s Interior. In addition to meeting the makers behind the brands, festival goers can expect a variety of cuisines, live entertainment and even an area featuring lawn games.

“We’re looking forward to kicking off the summer season by celebrating the products that are made right here, in the Last Frontier, with the extended community of distillers, brewers and consumers,” said Heather Shade, president of the Distillers Guild of Alaska. “We want to support this emerging Alaska market while emphasizing the importance of buying local.”

This outdoor special event is for ages 21 and up and will be held in downtown Anchorage on F St. between 6th and 7th Ave. Tickets are $75 each, or $120 for two tickets, and can be purchased at www.alaskacrafted.com.

The festival is hosted by the Distillers Guild of Alaska and Brewers Guild of Alaska with support from the State of Alaska Division of Economic Development. For more information, visit www.alaskacrafted.com and follow @AlaskaCrafted for festival updates on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

American Craft Beer Week will be recognized May 16 – 22, 2016, by small and independent craft brewers and the community of better beer retailers to celebrate the ever advancing beer culture here in the U.S. Plus, tens of thousands of today’s beer beginners, beer enthusiasts and hard core beer geeks make time to toast the week.