By Kendell Worden, KSM GM
Inspired by the likes of Jolly Pumpkin and Jester King - American pioneers in harnessing the powers of wild microorganisms and oak - Gabe Fletcher founded Anchorage Brewing in 2010 after getting bored brewing the same ol’ straight production beers (blondes and ambers and browns, oh my!) day in and day out for his now-defunct employer, Midnight Sun.
Fletcher made his name with beers like Anadromous, a black sour ale, fermented in French oak foudres by a “clean” Belgian yeast, conditioned in pinot noir and whisky barrels in the presence of Pediococcus and Brettanomyces, and finished on marionberries. When I was a wee one working for Stone Brewing in 2012, I so vividly remember drinking this beer in their lush, must-be-seen-to-be-believed gardens. Who knew beer could taste like all this, and who knew biergartens could be fantastical tropical oases?!
Since then, Anchorage has branched out from its initial core offerings (375mL stubbies of mixed culture goodness), although there are still plenty of those on offer. We have seven SKUs from them at the moment, but to highlight four that run the gamut:
Blade Show IPA ($19.99/4pk) was brewed to be the official beer of the Atlanta(!!)-hosted 2026 Blade Show, the world’s largest knife show. It boasts a session-friendly 4.0% ABV and is dry hopped with Luminosa, Citra, and Strata - hazy and decidedly un-dank, with peach lemonade, candied orange peel, and wild strawberry vibes.
Wasteland Triple IPA ($24.99/4pk) is 180° off Blade Show both in terms of booziness (10% ABV) and aromatic bouquet. Nelson Sauvin gives gooseberry and white wine, while Simcoe and Mosaic deliver dankified grapefruit, earthiness, and tropical fruit.
All Seeing ($16.99/375mL) is a mixed culture ale rested on hand-picked Alaska blueberries. While not the barnyard-iest of Anchorage’s sours, it’s got a hint of wet hay and slightly tannic oakiness, but otherwise, it’s blueberry skins, lemon zest, and blackberry jam.
Fingal ($16.99/375mL) is a saison produced under the influence of so many different critters. It’s a coolship-inoculated beer, so the wild microflora of Alaska’s rarefied air have been invited to the party, along with an intentionally introduced saison strain. The beer is then racked into foudres rife with Brettanomyces, resulting in a lemon-y bright, tart, summer crusher, accented with clove and stone fruit.
