This year is going to be big for craft beer in Alaska. The big powerhouses have some exciting releases and expansions underway. It is also the year of a few new breweries hitting the Alaska brewery scene. Resolution Brewing Company (RBC) has been years in the making for Brandon Hall, the owner and brewmaster. This weekend is the Grand Opening of his passion – craft beer! I had the pleasure of sitting down yesterday with Brandon to talk about RBC. I will also be at the Grand Opening this weekend and will update this blog with those pics too! Check out the IG video we did.
First – if you are in Anchorage, you gotta come out and support RBC and welcome them to the neighborhood. Today and tomorrow (March 13-14, 2015) at 3024 Mountain View Dr, which is just behind and above the Bass Pro Shop, from 12-8pm is the Grand Opening. RBC will keep just Friday and Saturday hours for the first few weeks as they ramp up beer supply. They then will go to a Thursday to Sunday schedule and hopefully by summertime be open all week long.
Brandon Hall enjoying the Father Dyer Brown Ale (my fave!)
Initially, it was called Chugiach Brewery, but Brandon and his advisors decided to change the name to Resolution Brewing Company. This name has so much more meaning for Brandon. I was surprised to learn that Capt Cook’s ship that mapped out the coastline of Alaska was called the Resolution. I like it for the name of an Alaskan Brewery!
When Brandon was in college he had the chance to study in Belgium where he grew to love the style of Belgium beers. Then 9/11 happened and he came back stateside to study and take a commission in the United States Air Force. Thanks for serving Brandon! He was stationed in Alaska and fell in love with the state. He left kicking and screaming.
Brandon calls both Florida and Leadville, Colorado, home and had planned to open his brewery in Leadville. After a lot of thought, he decided he wanted to move back to the state that had won his heart. He packed up his truck last year and made his way back to The Last Frontier. Brandon started brewing when he was just 19 years old. In the Air Force, he was brewing two different beers every weekend perfecting his craft. He knew this is what he wanted to do when we left the military.
Mazzie is the certified Brew Dog of Resolution. She is such a cutie! It was hard not to want to take her home with me!
RBC has a 3-barrel system that will be going at full blast. Brandon has decided to concentrate on local, retail sales for his business strategy. He will have kegs in a few Anchorage restaurants as well. He wants to be the place where you grab a pint and a growler on a Friday or Saturday. I think with him being right next to Bass Pro Shops that he will have a lot of people grabbing a growler on their way out of town to go fishing.
Where all the magic happens. 🙂
Speaking of growlers, check out this 64 oz Stainless Steal Growler Keg! WANT! Seriously, I need this in my growler collection! These are $28 and then $10 to fill up. There are also regular glass growlers as well as 32 oz glass growlers that you can fill up for $7. A tasting flight is just $5 and a glass of your fave RBC craft beer is $5.
64 oz Stainless Steel Growler Kegs for $10
There are 4 beers on the tap for opening weekend: Peak 3 Pale Ale, Tent City Saison, Father Dyer Belgium Brown Ale, and Rewind IPA.
The Peak 3 Pale Ale is pretty tasty for an ABA. It is light doesn’t have a lot hops but has a lot of body and flavor. This is an easy drinking ale that has good flavor to it. I would definitely take a growler of this out on the boat!
R2D2 is taking a little break in between batches.
I am a huge fan of saisons and was expecting a traditional sour not hoppy bear. Well, RBC went the other way with this one. The Tent City Saison is more Belgian style with it not being very sour at all and much more hoppier. He did this by letting the temperature creep up to 80 degrees while fermenting – like what it would do if it were in an old farmhouse. He didn’t control the fermentation and dry hopped it. It is quite good, just not at all what I was expecting!
Try the Tasting Flight!
I bet you are all shocked to know that my favorite was the Father Dyer Belgium Brown Ale. You know I love my beers dark with a ton of flavor throughout! Funny story about the naming of this beer… In Leadville, CO, Father Dyer used to cross country ski from Leadville to Denver and hit all the villages along the way delivering mail and medicine. He was Bad Ass! Brandon’s brother has a restaurant in Leadville and has threatened to brew a beer and name it Father Dyer. Well in this sibling rivalry, looks like Brandon got it first. Father Dyer is an American style porter made with Abbey Ale yeast. Love it.
Father Dyer Brown Ale – More Please!
The Rewind IPA is not one that we will see again. It was hopped completely upside down for a Maris Otter and Crystal 15, with an English Ale yeast strain. It is big, sweet, and annoyingly hoppy. If you like it, better grab it while it is available!
Love all the Swag available. Those sweatshirts are quite comfy I might add.
I will have more pics from the Grand Opening and some more cool tidbits about Brandon and who are his brewmaster idols. Good luck Resolution Brewing Company!
Resolution Brewing Company’s Info:
3024 Mountain View Dr
Those stainless steel kegs look really cool. I don’t think I’ve seen a glass keg before though. Are those very common?