When Rob Borland founded Ursa Major Distilling in 2012, his goals were simple but ambitious: to open Interior Alaska’s first distillery—and to make spirits as resilient and character-filled as the people who call Alaska home. Every bottle, created in handcrafted stills and using inventive botanical infusions, reflects that dedication to craft and community.

Award-winning Ursa Major has grown into more than a distillery: it’s now a gathering place. On any given evening, the tasting room buzzes with artists, entrepreneurs, and neighbors sharing conversation over finely made cocktails. Collaboration thrives, creativity flows, and democracy lives in the space—locals actually vote in elections at the distillery, a testament to just how ingrained Ursa is in Ester and the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

Community runs deep here, and it often shows up on the doorstep. The rhubarb that stars in Ursa Major’s Summer Harvest Gin is grown under the midnight sun and generously gifted by customers. It’s a vivid symbol of the region’s abundance and the deep connection between distillery and neighbors.

As the seasons shift and Ester settles into winter’s rhythm, the team explores new ways to collaborate with the land and neighbors. New ventures like health-friendly botanical non-alcoholic, fruit and fine vinegar shrubs, herbal infusions, a forthcoming line of canned cocktails, unique mixers, and canned seltzer, all reflect a growing interest in herbs and holistic flavor. These creations celebrate Alaska’s ingredients in all their forms, be they spirited or spirits-free.

At Ursa Major, innovation is as natural as the rhubarb that grows out back. Each bottle, shrub, and cocktail tells a story of Alaska’s wild generosity—and of a distillery where craft and community truly go hand in hand.

DELICIOUS SPIRITS HANDCRAFTED BY REALLY PICKY ALASKANS

ursamajordistilling.com
907-347-8951
2922 Parks Highway
Fairbanks