Fairbanks welcomes two new distilleries to the area. Ursa Major is a small independent distillery whose products are distilled using local barley grown in Delta Junction and certified Alaskan Grown. Their stills are hand made by the distiller to produce exceptionally smooth spirits including Fairbanks Sourdough Rum (Alaska's 1st Rum), Summer Harvest Gin, and their flagship Long Winter Vodka. Ursa Major also features a tasting room which provides friendly and informational tours.

Fairbanks Distilling Company, is a new local artisan's distillery that uses all Alaskan sourced grains, berries, potatoes, and other products to create delicious high latitude ultra-premium spirits.  Preparing to open their doors to the public soon in the historic “Old City Hall” building that was once the seat of government for Territorial Alaska. Located in downtown Fairbanks, the owner's hope is that his handcrafted products in conjunction with the historic structure will be enjoyed by the community and visitors.

These two new distilleries join the well-respected ranks of locally-crafted libations of three area breweries. Northern Light Ale, Prudhoe Pig Stout, Coldfoot Pilsner and Fairbanks Lager, let the names speak for themselves. “Fairbanks, where the people are unusual and the beer is unusually good” is Silver Gulch's clever slogan. The Silver Gulch brewery, housed in an attractive, renovated gold mining camp is home to some of the most original, great tasting brews. Fairbanks crafted, world approved recipes are relished year-round at the Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling Company.

The small batch, small town focused HooDoo Brewing Company, named after the Alaskan mountains bearing the same name, takes the phrase “the ART of brewing” totally seriously. The painstaking process yields enticing rewards as HooDoo fans will attest to.

There is a third upstart brewery just right down the road (about a hundred miles) in Healy that everyone is talking about. We are lucky enough to live in a big place with a small population that can boast of not one, not two, but yes, three outstanding microbreweries.

For more information on distilleries in Fairbanks and breweries in the Fairbanks and Denali, contact Explore Fairbanks at 800-327-5774 or (907) 456-5774 or write to 101 Dunkel Street, Suite 111, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701-4806. You can also order the guide or view it interactively on line at www.explorefairbanks.com.

###

About Explore Fairbanks

Explore Fairbanks is a non-profit marketing organization whose mission is to be an economic driver in the Fairbanks region by marketing to potential visitors and optimizing the visitor experience. Explore Fairbanks markets Fairbanks as a year-round destination by promoting local events, attractions and activities to independent travelers, group tour operators, travel agents, meeting planners and the media.