Midnight Sun Brewing Company

We took a much needed trip up to Anchorage earlier this week because after enough time passes, the I must get off Kodiak itch starts to fester.  Like a mosquito bite that just won't go away.  The best way to scratch the itch is to take a Space A flight up there for an overnight or two. - So that's exactly what we did.  God bless Space A.

Midnight Sun Brewing Company was on our "gotta check out in Anchorage" list, along with some food spots that were recommended to me by an Anchorage local I sat next to and chatted with on a flight once.

It was a perfect, quick trip to shake off the Kodiak doldrums that had set in.  Seems to descend sometime in January or February, when there's more time spent indoors than outdoors because of the relentless rain and gloom.  A trek up to Anchorage is a pretty effective cure!  It was nice to see the sun for a change.

Look at that blue sky!  Haven't seen that in a while.

I was digging the upstairs loft of the brewery where we went for lunch and a few cervezas.  I love to experiment with new beers, so the only logical conclusion was to get a flight.  A flight, for those of you who may not know, is a sampler of several different beers, usually with a common theme.

From left to right:  Fallen Angel, Golden Ale, Snowshoe White, and the Panty Peeler.  The Snowshoe was my favorite

Mmmmm, beer

I went with a flight called "Light it Up" that showcased their Belgian Wit style beers.  They also had a dark flight with stouts, porters, and dark ales, but I opted for the lighter one this time.  Maybe next time I'll try the dark flight. 

I liked the style of the loft space, and I've decided that it's a no brainer to pair a local brewery with local artists.  They had some unique pieces displayed, but the psych major in me appreciated the state of Alaska Rorschach most.  If you look, you can see that these are outlines of the shape of Alaska arranged and flipped around to resemble the classic Rorschach inkblot test that was a pretty common psychological test in the 60's.  Kinda cool, no?

You've gotta give it to the artist for being unique

The menu was a welcome change of pace from our sad selection of restaurants on Kodiak.  Since it was the day after Mardi Gras, there were lots of cajun and creole specials on the menu, which enticed us both.  Shrimp etouffee for me and a cajun chicken po'boy for the hubby.

More art and a funky chandelier

Our waiter was a Chicago native, so I had to tap into his knowledge about the city and get some recommendations for our upcoming trip there this summer.  Apparently I need to go visit his 80-year old pistol of a grandma named Marty who's still working at the original Pizzeria Uno.  I got some other good tips, which you know you'll read all about come this summer when I post about our trip.

The bar area

So, we can check Midnight Sun Brewing Company off our list of Alaskan breweries to check out.  I still want to go to Sleeping Lady in Anchorage and Denali Brewing Company in Talkeetna.  Both are in the near future!  Just a matter of time before the mosquito bite comes back and we have an intense need to get the hell off this island again!

Ta-ta for now.