Brewing for a boomtown
Skagway Brewing traces its roots to Gold Rush-era brewing and Hermann Barthel, a German immigrant brewer who moved north from San Francisco.
Since 1897
Gold Rush roots. Modern Alaska brewing.
Skagway’s brewing story reaches back to the Klondike era, when German immigrant brewer Hermann Barthel came north after brewing in San Francisco to serve prospectors headed for the goldfields.
The flagship takes shape
The brewery’s modern core lineup was developed around approachable house beers and a distinctly regional signature: Spruce Tip Blonde Ale.
Kitchen + brewhouse culture
Dan “Doc” Nelson joined in 2008 and later helped shape the menu, Spruce Tip Ale fish batter, house recipes, brewing program and the idea that eventually became the indoor farm.
Tradition meets experimentation
The current brewing team continues the core lineup while adding fresh-hop beer, fruit beer, root beer, hard seltzer, coffee beer, German styles and northern collaborations.
The through-line
Make something that belongs here.
The most compelling part of BrewCo’s story is continuity without nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake: local water, spruce tips, Gold Rush brewing roots, Alaska seafood, community events, and a willingness to keep experimenting.
Meet the beers →