Ever-expanding 49th State Brewing Co. set to explode into Ship Creek

49th State Brewing Company got too big for its brewing britches a long time ago when it first built the brewpub in Healy in 2010. A seven-barrel brew system was being sourced with the hopes of feeding their other businesses in "the canyon," or Denali Village, 13 miles north of the Park's entrance. That included, primarily, Prospector's Pub and Pizzeria and the Salmon Bake, where local beer is a big feature.

The seven-barrel brewery didn't happen right away. In July of 2011, then-brewer Jason Bullen was cranking out beers on a half-barrel system — essentially a system just north of a homebrew set up —and was trying to source a five barrel system. By July of 2012, a larger system was in place, but the brewery always operated at capacity and still couldn't keep up with demand. In 2014, a 15-barrel brewhouse was installed.

The big move came in 2015. In a surprise announcement, I learned that 49th State purchased Anchorage's Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing Company and planned for a complete retrofit. In one of the most anticipated beer events in my foamy history up here, 49th State Anchorage opened on the Fourth of July in 2016. I drove back from my mining camp in Hope to make the gig.

More than two years later, all I can say about the venue’s explosive popularity is — good luck getting in there and getting a table. Even if you want to just hang in the bar area to sip your suds, expect to have to elbow your way in and strategically search out someone getting ready to leave if you want a table. With the brewery in Healy cranking out suds and the brewery in Anchorage doing the same, it still isn't enough.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard that 49th State was in the planning stages of opening a production facility just below the 3rd Avenue showpiece in a property that provided warehouse space and offices for an oilfield outfit. The location is west of the railroad station. This didn't surprise me at all. What surprised me — and I should have known this — is that this is no spur of the moment decision based on demand for beer. It's part of the brilliant, Alaska-focused vision of the 49th State owners and it's been in the works since the Healy days.

“I can tell you that going back to the start when we opened in Denali, the plan was always to grow within our means and according to demand,” says David McCarthy, one of the 49^th State owners. From the day we opened we wanted to be in a larger city. We looked at FBX, then Anchorage, but even before we opened the brewpub, we went in there, we told the Goose owner that we knew the production wasn’t where it needed to be. We needed production close to shipping routes. The concept was there before opening the pub in Anchorage.”

In retrospect, this doesn’t surprise me either. McCarthy and his group are serious planners; nothing is taken lightly at 49^th State. Sure, it’s a great sign of keen business acumen, but it also has to do with an unerring love for the people and employees that embody the 49^th State empire and the impact that new venues can have on the downtown corridor and Anchorage overall.

“Look, we’re building a corporation one beer at a time. The production facility is a catalyst for growth, sure, but we have to be careful; people’s livelihoods are at stake,” says McCarthy. “We have an aggressive concept for the years to come, and this production facility is a big part of it, but we have be cautious in over-extending our overflowing passion,” says McCarthy.

Still, a production facility combined with modern, shared upscale office space as part of 49^th State’s partnership with The Boardroom will create jobs and help put the Ship Creek area more firmly on the map.

“We looked at some other properties off the Seward Highway and out in Eklutna. But we’re so invested in the strength of downtown Anchorage we wanted something here. Ship Creek isn’t the most highly desirable space to go visit, so we took a huge leap of faith about bought the building. We partnered with the Boardroom. There’s a lot of synergy with a brewpub tasting room in there and the cutting edge concept the Boardroom brings to Anchorage,” says McCarthy of the 8,000 square foot, almost brewery-ready building he discovered one day while riding his bike to work.

“When I look at the sheer numbers of people, we increase the traffic downtown. A rising tide raises all ships,” says McCarthy. “This is a very progressive mixed-use design concept.”

Still, it’s as much about the people as the beer. “We’ll add between 12 and 20 additional full time positions to start and we’ll need a lot of part time as well. It’s not just about the numbers. It’s not just about making beer; it’s as much about making a cool community. I believe in myself and I’m surrounded by people that share my vision and that I can depend on. We don’t want to just have the best beer, we want to be the best employer at the same time,” says McCarthy.

Although none of this is happening tomorrow - the open-concept production brewery and pub – won’t open until the fall of 2019, and perhaps the pub a bit later – it means big changes for the brewing operations.

“The goal is to have production for year-round beers prior to the summer. The brewery will come first then the tasting room will follow in the early fall of 2019,” says McCarthy.

“Our brewing staff is actually three guys,” says 49^th State-Anchorage brewmaster David Short. “I’m taking over as brewmaster all the way around and I’ll be the production manager for the three brewing operations,” he says.

“Production management is about logistics, supply chains and shipping; it’s not the most fun part of the job. I’ll be in charge of the three facilities, quality management and just the direction of our operations, the production of the beer and where it goes,” says Short.

After five seasons as the brewer for the Healy operation, Vince La Rochelle will become the head brewer at the new production facility. Devin Wagner has been working in the Anchorage brewery at 49^th State and will continue there, in what’s affectionately called the “Lab” where small batch beers and specialty beers will come from.

“Devin’s passion lies in the small batch, hand-crafted realm and he’ll be pushing the beer envelope there. Vince wants to come to Anchorage and set up permanent roots. He deserves this; he’s super-knowledgeable, detail-oriented and is the perfect guy to oversee the production facility. Although Vince will continue to guide the Healy operation, we’ll be searching for a new head brewer up there. All of the packaging will move to Anchorage, says Short.

As for the pub itself, patrons will be rewarded to an entirely new concept. “I love Alaska and I want to feel like I’m drinking a beer while sitting outside. Up in Healy, we put trees inside the pub and a huge round out-doorish fireplace in the middle in the pub,” says McCarthy. “I want the new tasting area to be a more refined city version of Denali, which is more rough and edgy. What we did was take the love of the outside element and incorporate it with a more modern feel with lot s of copper, tile work, a more modern fireplace, and a more open floor plan for larger groups but adaptable for any size gathering.”

Large windows both facing outside and glass walls inside jutting into the brewery production space will provide a unique experience front and back. “There’s a large bar area, but in the tasting room, the wall that faces the equipment; it’s all convertible glass like you’re actually sitting in the production facility; it’s like you’re sitting in there with the brewers,” says McCarthy.

Slow, purposeful and over time as the market demands and the community grows. That seems to be the ongoing 49^th State mantra. I’m on board.

Look for new digs in Ship Creek in the middle of next year.