With over 8,000 breweries in the country it can be easy to overlook the early pioneers, regardless of how big they are and how ubiquitous their beers are. So, when a bottle of Alaskan Amber showed up unexpectedly at host John Holl's house recently he wanted to catch up with the brewery's founders.

From talking about the early days of sourcing ingredients for historical recipes to beers that they hoped would take off but did not, Geoff and Marcy Larson talk about their brewery, what brought them to Alaska, and how it has grown over the years.

There has obviously been changes to the way the brewery operates in light of COVID-19 and in the wake of recent social justice movements. Geoff Larson talks about his upbringing, before beer, and how it shaped his company's response.

And finally we get into smoked beers and how they are under appreciated and how difficult it can be to do historical research into the style.

For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.

• Host: John Holl
• Guests: Geoff and Marcy Larson of Alaskan Brewing
• Tags: Beer, Craft Beer, Alaska, Amber Ale, IPA, Smoked Beer, History

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