‘Brewfest’ season begins Saturday

September is winding down and ‘tis the season for all things beer-related around the state.

Alaska ranked 20th of the 50 states last year for barrels of craft beer produced per year, rolling in with 182,530 barrels, according to the national Brewers Association website. We ranked 31st for number of craft breweries — 22 — and seventh in breweries per capita — per 100,000 residents over 21 — with 4.3.

Surprised? Check out what’s brewing this month, and the numbers may make more sense.

To kick things off, the Denali Arts Council is hosting a viewing of the documentary entitled “Crafting A Nation” on Friday, Sept. 19 at 9:30 p.m. as part of Talkeetna Brewfest 2014. The documentary concerns the on-the-rise industry of American craft brewers, and tickets cost $6 for Council Members and Brewfest participants, $8 general admission.

The actual Brewfest starts at 2 p.m. the following afternoon, Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar, located at 22249 South D Street, Talkeetna. Beer lovers aged 21 or older are invited to sample up to 15 four-ounce glasses of a wide variety of craft beers provided by more than a dozen different Alaska breweries. Proceeds go to Northern Susitna Institute, a collaborative non-profit educational organization that runs a variety of programs.

Also in the Mat-Su Valley, Arkose Brewery is celebrating three years in Palmer and the anniversary debut of “Blue Skies Organic Ale” on Oct. 11. A special “Beer Meets Chocolate” event will also take place on-site at 2 p.m. with Jenny Bunker of Palmer’s JB Chocolatier. There will be a general drawing for prizes — Arkose beer, “swag,” and chocolate, for example — at 4 p.m. for anyone who enters their name during the day.

To sign up for the beer tasting on that Saturday, call 746-BEER. Otherwise, the tasting room is open Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m. Brewmaster Stephen Gerteisen also gives a free tour of the Brewery every Tuesday at 6 p.m.

This year’s Mighty Matanuska Brewfest will take place on Oct. 17 and 18 at Raven Hall on the Alaska State Fairgrounds. The Brewfest will feature live music by Nervis Rex and special guest Voodoo on Friday night, and Against the Grain and special guest Element 47 on Saturday. In addition to the more than 70 different brews being offered, “beer-friendly” food will be available for purchase.

For the potentially more dedicated members of the Mat-Su Valley — and those able to procure a designated driver — beer enthusiasts can head into Anchorage for the Celestial Meads Equinox Competition or the Pirate Pub Crawl.

The meads competition is AHA/BJCP sanctioned, and interested parties can contact Breck Tostevin for details at 907-884-1819, though the entry deadline is past. Anchorage Downtown Partnership sponsors the pub crawl, which includes 12 different bars. For more information, visit bit.ly/1rry5HJ.

Next on tap are Alyeska Oktoberfest, German Club of Anchorage Oktoberfest and the Great Alaska Beer Train. Both Oktoberfests are happening Oct. 3 and 4, and the Beer Train is running Saturday, Oct. 4.

The Alyeska Oktoberfest continues through the following weekend, Oct. 10 and 11, and includes live polka music and “authentic Bavarian fare,” according to the Alyeska Resort website.

The German Club is hosting their event at the Egan Convention Center, and festivities start at 7 p.m. each night. Oktoberfest is a 50-year-old tradition, according to the club’s Facebook page.

The “Microbrew Express,” as the train is called, departs the Anchorage depot at 4 p.m. on Saturday and returns to the depot at 8:30 p.m. that evening. The price of this 80-mile journey from Anchorage to Portage and back covers appetizers, six half-pints of Glacier Brewhouse Beer and free parking in Anchorage for the day. For more information or to purchase seats, check out the Alaska Railroad website at bit.ly/1u1U5eG.

Eagle River Lions Club also is hosting a brewfest, on Friday, Oct. 10. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call 907-694-5437.

As much fun as all these events are sure to be, please remember to use a designated driver or walk with a buddy if the location of the brewfest is close to your destination for the evening.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.