Alaska Beer – Liquid Gold in the Land of the Midnight Sun

Alaska Beer
160 Pages
ISBN 9781626194496

Alaska's fermented legacy retains the fiercely independent spirit that propelled the state's beer drinkers through the gold rush and sustained them through Prohibition. Today, craft brewers produce outstanding suds in some of the harshest and most remote locations on the planet. And while the beer scene in Alaska has roots that trace back to days when spirits had to have "medicinal, mechanical, and scientific purposes," the contemporary crop of breweries can thank industry pioneers like the Alaskan Brewing Company for staying on the cutting edge of beer-making technology. Join beer columnist and historian Bill Howell on an exploration through this hop-filled history of the Last Frontier.

William Howell

About William Howell (Sterling, Alaska Author)

William Howell

Bill Howell has been an avid home brewer and lover of craft beer for over twenty years. He was born and reared in New Orleans, Louisiana, and discovered a love of beer at an early age. He attended Tulane University on a Navy ROTC scholarship and upon graduation in 1984 began a career in nuclear submarines. During his career in the US Navy, he discovered homebrewing and American craft beer. In addition, while serving, he had the opportunity to sample the best beers from around the world. His duty stations included a three-year stint in London, which allowed him to visit pubs and breweries all across Britain and Western Europe.

After retiring from the Navy in 2004, Bill moved to Alaska and created a beer appreciation course entitled The Art and History of Brewing, which he teaches annually at the University of Alaska. He blogs about the Alaskan craft brewing scene at Drinking on the Last Frontier (www. alaskanbeer.blogspot.com). He also writes a monthly beer column for his local newspaper, The Redoubt Reporter and is the Alaska Correspondent for the Northwest Brewing News magazine. In February 2010, Bill was selected as the Wynkoop Brewing Company's 2010 Beerdrinker of the Year at the annual competition in Denver, Colorado.

Bill lives in Sterling, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula along with his wife Elaine and their three cats.