Local brews and epic views? Count us in!
We are diving in to one of Alaska’s most popular breweries: the infamous Girdwood Brewery in Alaska’s favorite skiing town of Girdwood.
Stop by and visit the taproom built out with local art and an engaging ski theme, or enjoy the beautiful weather in their beer garden. You can also enjoy yourself in the beer garden even in the notorious not-so-beautiufl weather.
Girdwood Brewery offers 4-packs and growlers to go if you are short on time, but we recommend making some time to visit this one. Invite a friend or two, and we promise it will be hard to leave.
If you don’t drink, or you are the designated driver for the day, you can still partake in something delicious! Girdwood Brewing Company offers house brewed root beer, cold brew coffee, and kombucha in addition to what they have on tap.
Read on to learn more about the Brew Crew and why Girdwood needs to be on your Alaska brewery crawl must-visit list!
Their Mission
Girdwood Brewing Company is a local institution. Deeply active in their community of Girwood, they prioritize donating to nonprofit organizations and outdoor adventure organizations they believe in.
Is there anything better than having a great beer, and feeling good about where that money is going? Makes you want to order another 4 pack to go!
What’s On Tap On Their Core List
Girdwood Brewing Company offers both a Core Tap List as well as a Rotating Tap List. They use local ingredients when possible to bring out some seasonal flavor, and stock their core list of beers full of everyone’s favorite brews.
Try these beers as tasters or a 12 ounce pours inside the taproom, or take them to go as growlers, 5-gallon kegs, or 4-packs of 16-ounce cans.
Here is what you can currently find on tap at the Girdwood Brewery.
Down the Chute
This cold-fermented ale is both crisp and light. A Kolsch style beer, it offers a lower 5% ABV, as well as only 16 IBU. The name “down the chute” is perfect for this easy drinking light beer made with Pilsen malt.
It is exactly what the brewers say: “A cold-fermented ale, the Down the Chute Kölsch is a crushable beer for the masses.”
IP-AK
The brewer states that this one offers “A citrusy aroma from the Citra hops used in dry-hopping followed by a juicy mouthfeel from the Simcoe, Amarillo, and Citra hops used in the whirlpool, with a clean and slightly bitter finish signature of a west coast IPA.”
Sounds like this one would pair well with a chicken sandwich or some fresh-caught Alaskan salmon.
The 6.5% ABV and 80 IBU make this one a lip smacker.
No Woman No Cryo
This one’s an award winner! It’s the first beer brewed with Cryo Hops in Alaska and has a hazy, tropical, and juicy taste.
This infamous beer boasts hazy, tropical, and juicy flavors that pair well with the high 7.5% ABV. And it’s an easy drinker at only 37 IBU.
Hippy Speedball
Sip a rich, smooth stout with hints of coffee aromatics: say hello to the Hippy Speedball. This is our favorite autumn and winter brew on the list, with a roasty, chocolatey flavor.
With an impressive line up of malts, including 2-row, crystal, roasted barley, chocolate malt, and flaked oats, this one’s thick enough to chew.
This one is brewed with 20 pounds of Black Cup Boretide Blend coffee, which is added to the fermentor at cold crash! Talk about a zip to your beer.
You will find this a nice drinker at 7% ABV and only 24 IBU.
Space Tornado
The Space Tornado was Girdwood Brewery’s 100th batch! Currently on tap, you will find version 13.0. Expect fruity aromas and an easy finish.
Enjoy the aromas of fresh pear and ripe pineapple, following up with a signature pillowy finish. It comes in at 6.9% ABV and 26 IBU.
Chrome Pony
Chrome Pony is brewed to support Bikewood.org, a local Girdwood nonprofit organization that promotes the creation of new trails.
The brew has notes of pineapple, citrus, and pine — so refreshing after a day of being outdoors.
This session beer has your name written all over it, coming in at 5.5% ABV and 24 IBU.
Alyeska Brewski
This class is Girdwood Brewing Company’s first pale ale at 5.9% ABV and 31 IBU.
Brewed specifically for Alyeska Resort, this beer is loaded with notes of tropical fruits, pineapples, and oranges in the aroma. This hazy pale ale follows through with a creamy mouthfeel and a refreshing finish.
This juicy, crushable beer is perfect for après after an epic powder day on the slopes!
Dysfunktional
The Dysfunktional brew is the Girdwood Brewing Company’s first sour beer, fruited with peach and tangerine notes.
This version is an all-stainless fermented sour that is double fruited with peach and tangerine. This process produces a pleasant tropical and citrusy aroma that follows with a juicy tartness, coming in at a low 4.5% ABV and 0 IBU.
Chris Von Imhef
This classic cloudy German hefeweizen offers Pilsen, wheat, and spelt malts to offer a noticeable classic cloudy appearance and white frothy head. This beer puts off notes of bubblegum, banana and clove, and finishes crisp and crushable. Only 4.8% ABV and 12 IBU.
It is named Chris von Imhof to pay homage to one of the most recognizable and instrumental Girdwood citizens, who was able to pave the way for what Girdwood has become today.
Rhu Hefner
Another German hefeweizen, this flavors of rhubarb and wheat.
This beer was infused with 10 gallons of rhubarb while in the brite tank, giving it a sharp tart beauty. The yeast offers fantastic flavors of banana and clove.
This refreshing brew is a flavorful German Hefeweizen with fruity esters, and only 4.4% ABV and 11 IBU.
Alpen Go
Locally brewed by Chugach Mountain Roasters, the Alpen Go is a cold brew coffee rather than a beer. Enjoy the bold and silky taste of this blend! We love to take this one to go to power up our mornings on the mountain.
Rotating Taplist
Girdwood Brewery has a rotating taplist with over 42 other brews and flavors! Here are a few that we are looking forward to trying:
Creme Peche
They had us at “milkshake IPA”! The Creme Peche is packed with vanilla and peach aromas after an extensive brewing process.
This unique brew is bursting with oranges and creamy vanilla flavor. Brewed with lactose in the kettle, the beer coats your mouth and finishes smooth — leaving you wondering if you should drink this beer for breakfast or dessert?
High on alcohol at 7.4%, it nevertheless has a low, smooth flavor and only 24 IBU.
Apres Rose
The Apres Rose is a barrel aged wild ale with hints of sour cherries, maraschino cherries, and vanilla. Tart and sweet in all the right places!
Aged for 18 months in oak with their house culture, it is conditioned with dark, tart sour cherries, maraschino cherries, and vanilla. This refined beer comes in at 5.8% ABV and 32 IBU.
Papa Bearzen Marzen
This lager was brewed to celebrate Oktoberfest!
Amber, malty, and smooth, this one will pair great with your bratwurst and pretzels. It is smooth and malty with no perceivable bitterness, coming in at only 12 IBU.
The addition of the melanoidin malt adds depth to the flavor. And coming in at only 5.4% ABV, this beer is made to drink all day long.
We love that it is making another appearance this fall, so we can celebrate Oktoberfest Alaskan style.
This list is subject to change depending on availability and seasonality! Check out their website for more current rotating taplist selections. And make sure to swing by to get a chance to try some of these amazing beers on draft.
On Site Food Trucks
What’s a day at the brewery without something delicious to snack on?
Check out Girdwood’s calendar of food trucks to see what will be serving during your visit. Many guests plan their visit to Girdwood Brewing Company to coincide with their favorite food trucks.
Blue Ristra
Blue Ristra’s unique blend of New Mexican food is a treat for your tastebuds. Find burgers, fries, tacos, slammers, and other surprises at Girdwood most weekends.
Izakaya
Izakaya food truck serves up Japanese cuisine at Girdwood Brewing every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!
Pair your favorite brew with a delicious bowl of ramen, pork belly steam bun, or sushi roll.
Bruceskis
Nosh some Turkish cuisine at Bruceski’s food truck! They offer traditional eats like kebabs and baklava, as well as gluten free and vegetarian options.
Crepes de Paris
Does it get more French than a crepe? A the Crepes de Paris you can satisfy your savory and sweet cravings with a variety of toppings on fresh, fluffy crepes.
Bon appetit!
Mochilero
Guatemalan and American fusion food is served at this food truck voted Alaska’s best in 2019. Grab some pupusas or taquitos – they offer vegetarian options.
Mountain Pies
Who doesn’t love pizza and beer? Grab a personal pizza that is the perfect size to snack on during a leisurely day at the Girdwood Brewery. They have stromboli as well for a handheld meal on the go!
El Senor Moose
El Senor Moose is one of the newer food trucks on the Alaskan cuisine scene, but arguable already one of the best. Enjoy large servings of you Mexican food favorites, from burritos to tacos to quesadillas.
The Hungry Deckhand
We hope you are hungry! You don’t have to be a deckhand to appreciate this food truck’s thick and delicious sandwiches.
We recommend the namesake sammie: The Hungry Deckhand. Made with gruyere and provolone, this cheesesteak-adjacent mammoth also includes a savory steak blend, green pepper, mushroom, garlic aioli and a sweet carmelized onion jam.
The only question is: what beer will you pair with it?
How To Show Your Support
Had a great experience at Girdwood? You can shop their merch store online to pick up all the swag you want to let the world know you are a fan.
Incredible, inventive brews, pretty views, and packed with personality?
Girdwood Brewery is one of our favorites in the whole state! There is no better place to kick back after a day on the mountain and enjoy some of the finest beer in Alaska.
If you have found yourself with food truck fever at Girdwood Brewery, be sure to check out these food trucks in Anchorage.
After living over 14 years in Alaska, Megan McDonald can confidently state that there’s not much of the state on the road system that she hasn’t visited. From the Brooks Range to McCarthy, Homer, and everywhere in between, every nook and cranny of Alaska is always her new favorite place.
As President and co-founder of Alaska-based boutique media agency HuMu Media, she spends her work time writing, photographing, and traveling, and her off time writing, photographing, and traveling. They say do what you love, and she is lucky enough to do so!
You can follow her travels on Instagram at @theitinerantginger