1. 49th State Brewery wins beer awards
By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com | Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2015 8:45 pm
HEALY — The 49th State Brewing Company
continues its winning ways, taking prizes for its beer
and brewery recently in back­to­back beer festivals.
For the second year in a row, the brewing company
won in the Favorite Beer Category at the Annual
Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival for its beer, Double on
Tundra. The brewery also won Best Brewery at the
Third Annual Beer and Bacon Festival in Anchorage.
The first award, granted in Soldotna, was for the
49th’s Belgian Dubbel­style beer which is part of their
Hibernation Series.
“The Hibernation Series is unique to the 49th State
Brewing Company,” said Ellen Maloney,
spokeswoman for the company. “As most small
breweries cannot afford to shut down production to
allow certain styles of beer to condition for the months
they require, we can, because we’re only open for six
months.”
When the brewery closes in October, Maloney said, head brewer Jason Bullen carefully prepares
these particular beers, and “he gives them up to the beer gods for a long hibernation.” He sees the
result of all that hibernating in late February.
The second award, for Best Brewery, was granted in Anchorage last week at the Third Annual Beer
and Bacon Festival.
The brewery offered four beers at the festival, including The Augtoberfest, a crowd­pleasing malt.
Also on tap was the newest release, the Bohemian Pilsner, a traditional Czech­style pilsner described
as crisp and refreshing.
The Smoked Marzen, part of the Hibernation Series, was included. Traditionally made in Bamburg,
the smoked malt is reminiscent of a campfire in a glass, “without being too chewy,” Maloney said.
“It still has a light body.”
The fourth beer was another Hibernation Series beer called Seward’s Folly Russian Imperial Stout.
Beer honors
Ellen Maloney and Shane Meacham
celebrate another win for 49th State
Brewing Company. Maloney is social
media director for the brewery, and
Meacham is a brewing assistant at the
brewery.

2. “It has a deep, rich color and is loaded with nuanced flavor,” Maloney said.
“The 49th State uses organic, fair­trade cocoa nibs from Ecuador,” she added. “No corner is cut in its
production, and it shows. Notes of coffee, dark fruit and even a touch of vanilla greet your tastebuds
in waves with every sip you take.”
The 49th State Brewery plans to attend the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, the beer festival in Talkeetna
and perhaps some additional festivals.
The 49th State Brewing Company also has installed a new small­batch bottling system with plans to
bottle and make available its beers in local stores in the coming months.