(Anchorage, AK) – Gabe Fletcher of Anchorage Brewing gave his first interview last night on the Beer Sessions podcast. Here are my notes…

– Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead is distributing Anchorage beers in Vermont. Fletcher actually grew up in Vermont. The two have discussed the possibility of Hill travelling to Anchorage next summer to work on a beer.

– Brewhouse is a JV Northwest system

– Process: Primary fermentation happens in 60-barrel oak foudres (4-yr old oak foudres came from a Napa Valley winery). The beer then goes into oak barrels for six months to a year where Brettanomyces does its magic (Fletcher prefers not using American oak because the wood impacts the beer too much / he’s into subtlety). The beer is then blended back into oak foudres where wine yeast is added. Beer never touches stainless until the bottling line.

– Bottles six times a year (900 to 1,300 cases per run)

– He’s the only Anchorage employee

– Will be in Boston for the Extreme Beer Fest

Aside from those few tidbits, there is some talk about sour beers among other things. Garrett Oliver was on to ask questions of Fletcher as well. Worth a listen.