In May/June 2023, Jill and I toured Alaska by land and by sea. We traveled from Fairbanks to Whittier by motor coach and train and then sailed from Whittier to Vancouver aboard the Majestic Princess. We had a blast!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about my tour of Fairbanks Distilling Company, where the spirits moved me!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about my tour of Fairbanks Distilling Company, where the spirits moved me!
Fairbanks, Alaska (Monday, May 29, 2023) “I wasn’t done day tripping downtown Fairbanks,” I wrote at the end of A Stroll through the Golden Heart of Alaska. “An interesting activity awaited me!”
I’ll get right to the point…
The week before I flew to Alaska, I read ‘Downtown Fairbanks: What to See & Do,’ a travel blog written by Diana Hubbell. I scrolled through her list – she highlighted eleven experiences – and zeroed in on one ‘see & do’ I hadn’t thought about.
I’ll get right to the point…
The week before I flew to Alaska, I read ‘Downtown Fairbanks: What to See & Do,’ a travel blog written by Diana Hubbell. I scrolled through her list – she highlighted eleven experiences – and zeroed in on one ‘see & do’ I hadn’t thought about.
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Back in the fevered days of the Fairbanks gold rush, Alaska had plenty of homemade hooch going around, none of which had a particularly favorable reputation. Thankfully, all that has changed.
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Diana recommended a tour and tasting at Fairbanks Distilling Company, located in the Old City Hall building.
I’ve toured several distilleries – the most recent on a trip with Jill, a few years back, to Ruidoso, New Mexico – and enjoyed each experience. So, it was no surprise that my first thought was, That sounds like fun! I wonder where it is.
With Google Maps, I didn’t have to wonder for long.
The distillery was located just two-tenths of a mile from Golden Heart Plaza, the last stop on my self-guided tour of downtown Fairbanks.
Okay, then.
I called the distillery to ask about the tour, priced at ten dollars per person. A man answered. I introduced myself.
“Hello Howard,” he said. “My name is Patrick Levy, and I’m the owner and distiller.”
“Nice to meet you,” I replied. “I’m calling to see if you’ll be open on Monday, as I’d like to tour your distillery. I know it’s Memorial Day, but…” My voice trailed off.
“Unfortunately, we’re not open on Monday – not because it’s Memorial Day but because we’re closed to the public Sunday through Tuesday so that we can focus on distilling our spirits. How about this Saturday or next Wednesday?
“Monday is my only day in Fairbanks,” I sighed.
There was a pause, and then Patrick said, “I’d be happy to come in to give you a tour.”
“Really! What time is best for you?”
“How about one o’clock?”
“Thanks, Patrick. I’ll see you then.”
I was stoked!
I’ve toured several distilleries – the most recent on a trip with Jill, a few years back, to Ruidoso, New Mexico – and enjoyed each experience. So, it was no surprise that my first thought was, That sounds like fun! I wonder where it is.
With Google Maps, I didn’t have to wonder for long.
The distillery was located just two-tenths of a mile from Golden Heart Plaza, the last stop on my self-guided tour of downtown Fairbanks.
Okay, then.
I called the distillery to ask about the tour, priced at ten dollars per person. A man answered. I introduced myself.
“Hello Howard,” he said. “My name is Patrick Levy, and I’m the owner and distiller.”
“Nice to meet you,” I replied. “I’m calling to see if you’ll be open on Monday, as I’d like to tour your distillery. I know it’s Memorial Day, but…” My voice trailed off.
“Unfortunately, we’re not open on Monday – not because it’s Memorial Day but because we’re closed to the public Sunday through Tuesday so that we can focus on distilling our spirits. How about this Saturday or next Wednesday?
“Monday is my only day in Fairbanks,” I sighed.
There was a pause, and then Patrick said, “I’d be happy to come in to give you a tour.”
“Really! What time is best for you?”
“How about one o’clock?”
“Thanks, Patrick. I’ll see you then.”
I was stoked!
I arrived at ten minutes to one and knocked on the front door. Patrick answered.
“Thanks for meeting me on your day off…and a holiday, to boot,” I cheerfully said. “I hope I didn’t take you away from family and friends.”
“It’s just my wife and me,” he replied, “and no, you didn’t.”
Patrick was an affable guy – friendly, good natured, easy to talk to – and a fount of information about Fairbanks and the distillery.
“Thanks for meeting me on your day off…and a holiday, to boot,” I cheerfully said. “I hope I didn’t take you away from family and friends.”
“It’s just my wife and me,” he replied, “and no, you didn’t.”
Patrick was an affable guy – friendly, good natured, easy to talk to – and a fount of information about Fairbanks and the distillery.
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Fairbanks Distilling Company, located downtown in the refurbished historic City Hall, is blending nostalgia with innovation, renewing and revitalizing downtown while preserving the frontier-ism that makes Fairbanks the best city in Alaska.
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~ downtownfairbanks.com
“This building,” Patrick began, “was originally built in 1935. It served as city hall, police station, and fire station. The large doors at the front are reproductions of the rolling doors used by the fire department. We can open them to patio seating.”
The two-story Art Deco style building, built of reinforced concrete, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
‘After almost eight years of hopes, dreams, spirit-making classes and building renovations,’ the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported in May 2016, ‘Fairbanks Distilling Company is opening its doors.’
The two-story Art Deco style building, built of reinforced concrete, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
‘After almost eight years of hopes, dreams, spirit-making classes and building renovations,’ the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported in May 2016, ‘Fairbanks Distilling Company is opening its doors.’
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“This was the perfect place to launch my distillery,” Patrick said, “so I bought the building from the city in 2014. It needed quite a bit of work to bring it up to code – electrical issues, plumbing issues, structural issues, you-name-it issues.”
This work took the better part of two years to complete. And as he worked on the rehab, he purchased and installed the distilling equipment I saw on my tour. Patrick distills two spirits; he started with vodka and added rum a couple of years later. A brief digression… |
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There are seven types of distilled spirits: vodka, tequila, gin, rum, whiskey, mezcal, and brandy. And while I’m partial to whiskey, especially single malt Scotch whiskey, I’ve tasted each at least once.
(Okay, you got me. I’ve tasted them all more than once!)
But in my vocabulary, whiskey (or tequila, gin, etc.) was ‘alcohol’ or ‘liquor’ – or merely, ‘a drink,’ as in, ‘I think I’ll have a drink.’
So how did these distilled liquids come to be called ‘spirits?’ I wondered.
As I learned (inquiring minds – well, mine – wanted to know), no one knows for sure. In fact, the origin of ‘spirits’ has been a spirited debate.
(Yes…pun intended!)
Of the many stories I read, I liked these the best.
From Gentlemen Ranters (gentlemenranters.com), which offers whiskey reviews and history…
(Okay, you got me. I’ve tasted them all more than once!)
But in my vocabulary, whiskey (or tequila, gin, etc.) was ‘alcohol’ or ‘liquor’ – or merely, ‘a drink,’ as in, ‘I think I’ll have a drink.’
So how did these distilled liquids come to be called ‘spirits?’ I wondered.
As I learned (inquiring minds – well, mine – wanted to know), no one knows for sure. In fact, the origin of ‘spirits’ has been a spirited debate.
(Yes…pun intended!)
Of the many stories I read, I liked these the best.
From Gentlemen Ranters (gentlemenranters.com), which offers whiskey reviews and history…
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Acclaimed alcohol connoisseurs (DeGrodd, Wondrich, and Pacult)…attributed the term ‘spirits’ with none other than Aristotle. They state that Aristotle detailed the distillation of spirits as early as 327 BC…and named the alcohol ‘spirits’ as he thought that when one was to drink the alcohol, they would be left with an ‘invigorated spirit.’
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And from Scientific American, a ‘scholarly source on science, health, technology, the environment, and society’…
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‘Spirits’ can refer to an eclectic mix of terms--a human soul, a disposition, a member of the Holy Trinity, or even a distilled alcoholic beverage. So how did some alcohols start being called spirits? That depends on how the origin of the word ‘alcohol’ is traced.
Most believe the word ‘alcohol’ originated in the Middle East since the prefix ‘al’ is a definite article in Arabic. One theory is that the word alcohol is derived from ‘al-ghawl,’ an Arabic word that means ‘spirit.’ |
As the saying goes, ‘choose your poison’ – one of these stories, perhaps, or from a myriad of other tales. Cheers!
Now, back to the main topic, the Fairbanks Distilling Company.
Now, back to the main topic, the Fairbanks Distilling Company.
Patrick named his vodka ‘68 Below Alaskan Potato Vodka.’
“Why ‘68 Below?’” I asked.
“Why ‘68 Below?’” I asked.
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“During the winter of 1989, it hit sixty-eight degrees below zero in low places around town,” he replied. “That cold snap lasted two weeks, and it numbed the body and mind.”
Yowza! And to think that I get cold when it dips below fifty. Then Patrick said, “When we spoke last week, you mentioned that you booked a room at the Princess lodge. Did you happen to see the gardens out back?” |
“Yes, this morning when I walked the grounds after breakfast,” I answered. “It looked like they were prepping the beds to plant flowers.”
“That’s not all they plant,” he declared with a twinkle in his eye.
(Pregnant pause.)
“The lodge also grows Yukon Gold potatoes, which is the main ingredient in our vodka. We barter with the lodge – we get their potatoes, and they get our vodka. The lodge isn’t our only supplier – in fact, they represent a small percentage of the potatoes we need for the vodka we produce – but it’s been a great relationship these past several years.”
Patrick had a satisfying smile on his face when he shared this story, and that smile got bigger when I told him that the lodge featured his vodka in a specialty cocktail that they named ‘68 Below Princess Mule.’
“I didn’t know that,” he said. “That’s cool!”
“Tell me about the rum you produce.”
I’ve distilled (ba-dum-ching!) ten minutes of conversation – mostly Patrick talking, me listening! – into these few paragraphs.
“That’s not all they plant,” he declared with a twinkle in his eye.
(Pregnant pause.)
“The lodge also grows Yukon Gold potatoes, which is the main ingredient in our vodka. We barter with the lodge – we get their potatoes, and they get our vodka. The lodge isn’t our only supplier – in fact, they represent a small percentage of the potatoes we need for the vodka we produce – but it’s been a great relationship these past several years.”
Patrick had a satisfying smile on his face when he shared this story, and that smile got bigger when I told him that the lodge featured his vodka in a specialty cocktail that they named ‘68 Below Princess Mule.’
“I didn’t know that,” he said. “That’s cool!”
“Tell me about the rum you produce.”
I’ve distilled (ba-dum-ching!) ten minutes of conversation – mostly Patrick talking, me listening! – into these few paragraphs.
The city traced its roots to a trading post that E. T. Barnette – a riverboat captain, banker and…swindler! – established on the banks of the Chena River in 1901. He christened the site ‘Chenoa City.’ A year later, he renamed it ‘Fairbanks’ in honor of Senator Charles W. Fairbanks, a Republican from Indiana.
To pay homage to the man who founded Fairbanks, Patrick named his rum, ‘E.T. Barnette’s Tanana River Naval Strength Golden Rum.’
(That was a mouthful of a name if I ever heard one!)
“We make our rum with cane, molasses, brown sugar, and locally sourced birch syrup,” Patrick said. “The birch syrup gives this spirit complex flavors of cinnamon.”
(Well, that got my salivary glands going!)
“Ready for the tour?” he asked.
“Sure am,” I replied, as visions of vodka and rum danced in my head.
To pay homage to the man who founded Fairbanks, Patrick named his rum, ‘E.T. Barnette’s Tanana River Naval Strength Golden Rum.’
(That was a mouthful of a name if I ever heard one!)
“We make our rum with cane, molasses, brown sugar, and locally sourced birch syrup,” Patrick said. “The birch syrup gives this spirit complex flavors of cinnamon.”
(Well, that got my salivary glands going!)
“Ready for the tour?” he asked.
“Sure am,” I replied, as visions of vodka and rum danced in my head.
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A number of small business owners are branching out into the small batch distillery world where they can control the alcohol content and flavor of their spirits. Creating unique blends of whiskey, beer, vodka, and other alcohols allows small business owners to have a claim to fame that’s spread around by word-of-mouth.
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~ stilldragon.com
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“We have state-of-the-art equipment, some of which I designed,” Patrick said as he talked me through his small batch distilling process for vodka.
I took notes as Patrick talked – I wrote furiously! – and as he talked, we followed the flow of the distilling process from one piece of equipment to another. Don’t quote me on this, but as I listened to Patrick, it seemed that the distillation process was 90% chemistry and 10% art. (For the record, any mistakes in the description that follows – it’s my thumb-nail sketch from a thirty-minute tour – are mine and not Patrick’s.) |
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“We start with Yukon Gold potatoes,” said Patrick. “They go into a mash tub, which rotates much like a washing machine. This process breaks down the potatoes, a starch, which we then heat and mix with an enzyme to convert it to a sweet mixture of liquefied cooked potatoes."
(Scribble, scribble!) “Then we transfer this mixture to the fermentor, where we add yeasts to begin the fermentation process that converts the sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide. As you can see here, the carbon dioxide bubbles away. |
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“The next step takes place in the still, where we heat and vaporize the alcohol. The vapors, which are ninety-five percent alcohol, condense to form clear drops of distilled spirits.”
(Scribble, scribble!) “We then transfer the condensed vapors to a blender, where we mix the concentrated alcohol with distilled water – I use a natural spring water from Fox, Alaska – to dilute the concentration of alcohol to forty percent. The result is an eighty-proof vodka. “The final step is packaging – actually, it’s a two-step process that involves bottling and labeling.” |
“The process for distilling rum is similar with a few differences," he said with a wink. "Any questions?”
“The last time I toured a distillery,” I said, “the owner said something about heads, hearts, and tails. Would you explain this to me?”
“Great question,” he replied. “Those words refer to the three parts of the condensed vapors collected from the still. The heads are the spirits at the beginning of the run, while the tails are the spirits at the end of the run. For various reasons, we cannot use either the heads or the tails in our bottled spirits.”
“So, you’re after the hearts, which must come from the middle of your run,” I said. “Right?”
“That’s correct,” he answered. “And this is where ‘art’ enters into the distillation process, as I need to cut, or eliminate, the heads at the beginning and the tails at the end so that we capture, and eventually bottle, the smoothest alcohol. The art is in knowing when to make those cuts.”
And with that, Patrick invited me to taste his vodka and rum.
“I thought you’d never ask!” I said with a wink.
Patrick led me to the bar, where he grabbed a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum.
(In my mind, I heard Billy Joel sing the words ‘a bottle of red, a bottle of white’ from Scenes From an Italian Restaurant!)
“The last time I toured a distillery,” I said, “the owner said something about heads, hearts, and tails. Would you explain this to me?”
“Great question,” he replied. “Those words refer to the three parts of the condensed vapors collected from the still. The heads are the spirits at the beginning of the run, while the tails are the spirits at the end of the run. For various reasons, we cannot use either the heads or the tails in our bottled spirits.”
“So, you’re after the hearts, which must come from the middle of your run,” I said. “Right?”
“That’s correct,” he answered. “And this is where ‘art’ enters into the distillation process, as I need to cut, or eliminate, the heads at the beginning and the tails at the end so that we capture, and eventually bottle, the smoothest alcohol. The art is in knowing when to make those cuts.”
And with that, Patrick invited me to taste his vodka and rum.
“I thought you’d never ask!” I said with a wink.
Patrick led me to the bar, where he grabbed a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum.
(In my mind, I heard Billy Joel sing the words ‘a bottle of red, a bottle of white’ from Scenes From an Italian Restaurant!)
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First, he poured the vodka into a couple of shot glasses – one for me, one for him. I took a sip – it was clean and crisp – and then I knocked back what remained in my glass.
“Well?” he asked. “The taste was a bit earthy,” I answered, “and the liquid warmed my throat. I like it!” Patrick smiled, and then proudly said, “My vodka won two gold medals at the Berlin International Spirits Competition in 2019 and 2020, as well as medals in other competitions.” |
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Then he grabbed two more shot glasses, which he filled with rum.
(There it was again – another lyrical wormhole. ‘Fifteen men on a dead-man’s chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.’)
As Patrick handed a glass to me, he said, “This will taste more complex, and you will definitely want to sip it.”
And that was what I did.
“It’s sweet!” I exclaimed after I took my first sip. “I can taste the molasses…and the cinnamon, too.”
I must admit, as I did to Patrick, that I rarely drank rum. But I liked his rum – I REALLY liked it! – so I bought a bottle to enjoy at home.
“Patrick, thanks again for giving up a couple of hours on your day off to give me a tour and a taste. It’s been fun!”
I’ve often heard and sometimes voiced the expression, ‘The world works in mysterious ways.’ Well, this was certainly the case when, by chance, I read Holland’s blog. I was glad that I did – it was fate – because it opened the door to an awesome experience at Fairbanks Distilling Company!
(There it was again – another lyrical wormhole. ‘Fifteen men on a dead-man’s chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.’)
As Patrick handed a glass to me, he said, “This will taste more complex, and you will definitely want to sip it.”
And that was what I did.
“It’s sweet!” I exclaimed after I took my first sip. “I can taste the molasses…and the cinnamon, too.”
I must admit, as I did to Patrick, that I rarely drank rum. But I liked his rum – I REALLY liked it! – so I bought a bottle to enjoy at home.
“Patrick, thanks again for giving up a couple of hours on your day off to give me a tour and a taste. It’s been fun!”
I’ve often heard and sometimes voiced the expression, ‘The world works in mysterious ways.’ Well, this was certainly the case when, by chance, I read Holland’s blog. I was glad that I did – it was fate – because it opened the door to an awesome experience at Fairbanks Distilling Company!
I made my way to the Cultural Center to catch the shuttle to the lodge, and as I walked, I heard the unmistakable Ping! that alerted me to a new text message. It was from Jill, whose flight to Fairbanks was scheduled to land late afternoon.
“Dad, I’m here! I checked into our room. Where are you?”
“Waiting for the shuttle to the lodge,” I typed. “What room #?”
“307. I’m going to Trackers to grab a bite to eat. Meet me there.”
I did.
Jill was seated with a young lady I didn’t know.
“This is Allison,” she said, and then added, “She’s a journalist from New York and is part of our press tour. Her sister, Amanda, will arrive tonight.”
Allison and Jill had ordered a light meal and I did the same. In fact, I ordered the same as I had the night before – a bowl of salmon chowder and a Caprese salad.
“Well, was downtown Fairbanks what you expected?” Jill asked.
“And more,” I chuckled.
I told them of my wanderings – just a few of the sights I saw – and tour, and then shared a handful of the photos I took.
After we finished eating, Jill and I headed to our room to rest a bit and clean up before the evening ‘festivities’ – a cocktail reception at 7:30 and group dinner at 8:30.
At the reception, over drinks, I met the other journalists (Taylor, Jennifer, Dan, and LeAura), their guests (Andy, Justin, and Scott), our guide for the land portion of the tour (Carlos), and our Princess host (Briana).
What did I drink?
A 68 Below Princess Mule, of course!
Although it was clear that everyone was tired – all except me had traveled to Fairbanks that day – we enjoyed pleasant conversation over drinks and food as we began the process of getting to know one another.
Around 9:30, the group began to break up. First one couple left, then another. And within minutes, everyone was gone, ready (I was certain) for a good night’s sleep.
The cocktail reception and dinner – and not just the Mule – were a fitting nightcap on a most-excellent day, a day of exploration and discovery where I learned more about the people, wildlife, landscape, and culture of Fairbanks and Interior Alaska.
As I laid down to sleep, I set my sights on the twelve-day Cruisetour that lay ahead.
Click to read my next story, Rollin' Down the River.
“Dad, I’m here! I checked into our room. Where are you?”
“Waiting for the shuttle to the lodge,” I typed. “What room #?”
“307. I’m going to Trackers to grab a bite to eat. Meet me there.”
I did.
Jill was seated with a young lady I didn’t know.
“This is Allison,” she said, and then added, “She’s a journalist from New York and is part of our press tour. Her sister, Amanda, will arrive tonight.”
Allison and Jill had ordered a light meal and I did the same. In fact, I ordered the same as I had the night before – a bowl of salmon chowder and a Caprese salad.
“Well, was downtown Fairbanks what you expected?” Jill asked.
“And more,” I chuckled.
I told them of my wanderings – just a few of the sights I saw – and tour, and then shared a handful of the photos I took.
After we finished eating, Jill and I headed to our room to rest a bit and clean up before the evening ‘festivities’ – a cocktail reception at 7:30 and group dinner at 8:30.
At the reception, over drinks, I met the other journalists (Taylor, Jennifer, Dan, and LeAura), their guests (Andy, Justin, and Scott), our guide for the land portion of the tour (Carlos), and our Princess host (Briana).
What did I drink?
A 68 Below Princess Mule, of course!
Although it was clear that everyone was tired – all except me had traveled to Fairbanks that day – we enjoyed pleasant conversation over drinks and food as we began the process of getting to know one another.
Around 9:30, the group began to break up. First one couple left, then another. And within minutes, everyone was gone, ready (I was certain) for a good night’s sleep.
The cocktail reception and dinner – and not just the Mule – were a fitting nightcap on a most-excellent day, a day of exploration and discovery where I learned more about the people, wildlife, landscape, and culture of Fairbanks and Interior Alaska.
As I laid down to sleep, I set my sights on the twelve-day Cruisetour that lay ahead.
Click to read my next story, Rollin' Down the River.