Alaskan Amber is based on a 1907 recipe for Gold Rush-era ale

To create its amber ale, Alaskan Brewing Co. took a page from its home city’s rich history. Its Alaskan Amber is based on a recipe from a turn-of-the-century brewery in the Juneau area (the old Douglas City Brewing Co.), which was popular with gold miners way back in the Gold Rush days. This amber is basically liquid gold, using glacier-fed water, originating in the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Ice Field, a generous blend of European and Pacific Northwest hop varieties and premium two-row pale and specialty malts. The Alaskan Amber was voted “Best Beer in the Nation” in the 1988 Great American Beer Festival Consumer Poll. Today, it’s one of Alaskan Brewing’s best beers.

On the label is a fishing boat. There are no roads connecting the remote coastal community of Juneau to the Lower 48 or even the rest of the state. Everything must travel by air or sea. Ocean-going vessels, from fishing trollers to small skiffs, are a common sight as they travel the icy waters of Southeast Alaska. Each evening fishermen from all walks of life return to a safe harbor and close the day with a cold Alaskan Amber. Or that’s the idea at least, and a pretty good idea at that. For more insights, watch the video above.