Andrew H.
Yelp
I have been waiting for this brewery to open since...what feels like forever!
I love the name and I love the concept. The name is based on Odin's two messengers/helpers. The theme is playfully Nordic. In addition to beer they make wine and mead! Sidebar: the history of mead is fascinating...it may be the first ethanol-containing beverage humans ever consumed! Look up the origin of "Honeymoon".
The location is like lots of breweries in Anchorage. In a weird semi-industrial strip mall you've driven by a dozen times. Most concise way I can describe it is "close to the Huffman post office".
The staff here, were the nicest this side of Cynosure. The place was packed to the gills on opening day, and it was filled with friendly helpers, mostly staff but even some close friends of the brewery! We had a handful of beverages, here are my notes:
Nautilus (Hazy IPA): I was really nervous upon smelling this, and even more nervous when I tasted this. It was very, very off. I'm not sure if the flavors were intentional or not but...it tasted like spoiling/over-ripe fruits. I was going to force myself to drink the whole thing until my partner (whom is way more empathetic than I...goals) convinced me to take it back. I don't like to complain, and I will often suffer quietly rather than send something back but...I mustered up the courage to take it back and offered to pay for a replacement. They happily took it off my hands and gave me another beer for free. All my fears were unjustified, it felt great!
Dinner 4 Two (Westcoast/"normal" IPA): waaaay better than the Hazy IPA. Still a little bit caramelly for my personal tastes.
Honey Shot (braggot ale): a braggot is a beverage that is made from fermented honey and grains. Depending on who you ask, it's a beer with a lot of honey in it or a mead with a lot of barley in it. This was excellent! Clean, lightly malty, with a honeyed finish. Tastes like a beverage all to itself.
Blackberry Smash (blackberry mead): I'm no expert on meads. I've never made one, and I've had very few commercial examples. I'm not sure what they are "supposed" to taste like. This one was strong and sweet. It reminded me of port wine.
Smash and Splash (Blackberry Smash mixed with a local orange/ginger softdrink): this was our favorite! Fresh, fizzy, refreshing! The addition of the local NA beverage really added some complexity and drinkability to the very sweet smash.
We'll definitely be back! I can't wait to see how this brewery grows and refines their recipes and processes. There's a lot of potential here.
I would like to close out this review with a lyric form the venerable Family Matters theme song, it encapsulates the vibe here perfectly:
"Well then there must be some magic clue, inside these gentle walls
Cause all I see, is a tower of dreams
Real love burstin' out of every seam!"