Eat. Work. Worry. Eat. Drink. Worry. (Repeat.) More than a year ago, we chose the theme for Winter: The Drinks Issue. Throughout the turbulence of the following months, our contributors and partners have rallied around this theme, making it our biggest issue of this challenging year. It appears we are ready for a little celebration, and spending time creating delicious beverages of all kinds (surprise: non-alcoholic treats outnumber their spirited cousins in this issue) has generated some needed cheer for all of us.
Alaskans’ passion for all things local doesn’t stop with food. We like to drink local, too. In this rich issue our storytellers and partners celebrate the delicious beverages the state has to offer. Breweries and distilleries have proliferated like mad here in recent years, placing Alaska squarely on the national drinks map. Alaskans also love their coffee—Juneau and Anchorage rank first and second in the nation for the most coffee shops per capita, according to the National Coffee Association. Writer Jonathan Bower profiles two of Anchorage’s micro-roasters in what is the beginning of an ongoing series.
Writer Lisa Maloney returns with a dive into the state’s farm-to-bottle movement. Most of Alaska’s distilleries use local ingredients, and Maloney profiles several in this issue. Trying to drink less? Check out Recover Alaska’s mocktail recipes or make Julia O’Malley’s AF Party Basement Punch. We have two looks at wild beverages—Yéilk’ Vivian Mork introduces us to drinking chaga, and Kristin Link brings a recipe for smreka, a fermented drink made from juniper.
We take a step back in time with Culinaria Obscura, as S. Hollis Mickey welcomes guest columnists Ian Hartman and Frederick Johnson to take us on a tour of Eastchester Flats, a historic Anchorage neighborhood that was home to some classic bars. Mickey has created a special handmade tribute to the iconic “Jack and coke” that was popular there.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on how tenuous a hold so many have on secure housing and food. Winter makes life for many even harder. As you feel the tug of generosity this season, consider supporting organizations that feed people. We can’t say enough good things about Catholic Social Services and Bean’s Café in Anchorage, The Glory Hall in Juneau, and the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, among all the organizations in smaller communities working to keep Alaskans fed and healthy. And stay tuned. Our Spring issue, also planned well before COVID, will tell stories through the lens of food justice and food sovereignty, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
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