One of the things I love most about Alaska is the craft beer community here. Back in September, I went to the Talkeetna Brewfest, and had heard about Bodega-Fest put on by La Bodega. La Bodega is one of the best craft beer stores in Anchorage. What’s better yet, is that it is owned by Pamela Hatzis, who also hails from Arizona! She is pretty dang awesome and does a fantastic job in having a killer craft beer selection. What sets La Bodega apart though is the sheer amount of beer knowledge that she and her staff has and their willingness to share that with others.

Getting the Party Started

 

Nothing like walking up to an event and seeing planes everywhere. Ok, I might have really loved that this was held at the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum.

The line went around the building as people were waiting to get into Bodega-Fest which had 27 tasting tables!

Guess who was the first person to break a glass? Yep, ME! Yes, I was quite embarrassed. Hadn’t even had a drink yet!

The Beer!

Bodega-Fest was held on Dia de los Muertos and it was quite appropriate that the first beer I had (and loved) was the Porter from Mexian-based craft brewery Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

I’m a huge cider fan, loving that they are coming out organic to boot. I had no idea that La Bodega carried Samuel Smith’s Hard Apple Cider!

The Venue

Gotta love all the airplane history here. I want to come back and check the museum out as there were quite a few awesome exhibits. 

Lots of pretty cool signs… I really liked this one. I would rather fly for an hour, by the way.

More Beer!

There were both Alaskan and other craft breweries in attendance at Bodega-Fest. I was super excited to try Eylsian’s Night Owl Pumpkin Ale as I had heard that it was the best pumpkin beer on the market. The rumors were true – it is incredibly delicious. 

Love seeing Lee, the head brewer at Midnight Sun Brewing Co. He is a goofball and can make some pretty tasty brews.

Midnight Sun Brewing Company: Anchorage, Alaska

I was happy to see Kenai Rivers Brewing Company there with that awesome Smores beer that I fell in love with at the Talkeetna Brewfest. Rumor has it, I might be getting a growler of this awesomeness on Monday. YAY!!

Kenai River Brewing: Kenai, Alaska

I really enjoyed the Autumn Serenade from Arkose Brewery – very light and crisp and perfect for a cool Fall day.

 Akrose Brewing: Palmer, Alaska

You all know my love affair with Rogue Brewery, and I was quite happy to taste their Voodoo Donut. It is happiness in a cup.

I was SO happy to see Chris Hem from Sierra Nevada flew in from Seattle to come to the fest. He is a truly wonderful guy and works for one of the largest craft breweries in the US. Remember when I went and saw them in May?

Ninkasi Brewery, another great brewery out of Oregon made the trek up for the beer festival. That Vanilla Oatis being poured had a little bit of a hop kick which really balanced out the creaminess of the stout. Not bad at all.

I’m a huge cider fan. Looks like I just found another one to add to my Favorites List – Square Mile and PNW Berry.

This is not your typical cider. Only try it if you want to drink the whole bottle – kind of hard to set the glass down!

It was great to see Denali Brewing Company there – they have a great lineup of beers and that Chuli Stout always seems to have my name on it.

Denali Brewing Company: Talkeetna, Alaska

Don Oso by Broken Tooth Brewery was a new beer for me. I need to head to the La Bodega this week and pick some up. Complex and delicious – and a beer I would like to savor more than just a sip of!

Broken Tooth Brewing: Anchorage, Alaska

49th State Brewery always brings great beers with them. I was a tad disappointed that they didn’t have their sour, but happy to try the Seward’s Folly Imperial Stout.

49th State Brewery: Denali, Alaska 

We even had Baranof Brewery from Sitka in attendance! What’s a little plane ride to get to an awesome beer festival?

Baranof Island Brewing Company: Sitka, Alaska

The Extras!

Can’t have a beer fest without entertainment. I thought at first that they had just dressed up for the event, but no, they were one of the bands performing – Superfrequency. 

The best part of Bodega-Fest though was hanging out with my friends Kim and Scott and meeting a few new friends too!

 

I’m getting this book so I can see how many places I’ve already hit and how many more I have to go! I lot, I bet. 🙂