Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Fest 2006

January 2006, Anchorage, Alaska

Ben checks out the competition in the fest program.

Gabe anxiously awaits results of the barley wine competition.

Jim Roberts (aka Dr. Fermento) announces the winners of the barley wine competition.

Midnight Sun takes 1st place with Arctic Devil Barley Wine 2005.

Now...let's pour some winning beer.

Gabe Fletcher (Head Brewer), Ben Johnson (Brewer) & Gail Fletcher (Gabe's wife) show off the new bling.

Gabe with Matt Bailey (Sales Manager)

Time to stitch a new year/win on the Arctic Devil shirts.

1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005...and now 2006!

At the post-fest party at Cafe Amsterdam, Gabe readies to pour cask CoHoHo Imperial IPA from a firkin. Life is sweet.

Rob raises a toast to the sweet life.

Gabe pours a magnum of bottle-conditioned Epluche-culotte (aka Panty Peeler) Trippel. (While the first wine goblet contains trippel, the next three serve up a vertical tasting of Arctic Devil Barley Wine...years 2003, 2004 and 2005.)

Gabe mans the firkin while Mark Staples (founder & el presidente) observes the crowd. Dan Constantine enjoys his firkin beer.

The red shirt boys (Ben, Gabe & Rob) ham it up.

Gabe & Gail

Cafe Amsterdam co-owner and purveyor of all good beers, Ken Pajak, tends BeeR bar with Mark and Gabe. (I swear...these are the biggest smiles I could coax out of these guys on a night like this. Maybe they need to be on The Other side of the bar for a while.)

Rachel (Alaskan Brewing), Tyler (Moose's Tooth Brewing) and Paul (Haines Brewing) enjoy fabulous beers in a relaxed setting after the fest.

Steve (Homer Brewing) with Clark (Moose's Tooth Brewing)

Kim and Gary Busse (General Manager) and Cindy and Ed Harrington (long-time homebrewers) enjoy some fabulous beers with friends.

Cal Larson (long-time homebrewer) raises a toast to Cafe Amsterdam.

Rob and Ben relax as the crowd winds down.

Geoff Larson (Alaskan Brewing founder) with brewers

Jim Roberts (aka Dr. Fermento), Steve Schmitt (Great Northern Brewers Club president), Shawn Wendling (homebrewer/former Head Brewer at Glacier) and Barb Miller (MSBC VP)

Marty Compton (Alaska Distributors, right) with Special Imports folks