Alaska Trends

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ew regulations greeted Alaska’s alcohol industry in 2024. A law enacted in 2022 took effect with the new year, loosening rules for breweries serving their own suds in tasting rooms. The rewrite of Title 4 had to strike a balance between bars, which have spent decades cultivating their clientele, and a brewing industry that’s still growing after being reestablished in the state less than forty years ago, after the Prinz Brau debacle of 1979.

As of 2024, instead of closing at 8 p.m., breweries and distilleries can stay open until 9 p.m., and they may hold a limited number of live events each year. Still no chairs, stools, or TV sets allowed; those amenities are exclusive to bars. And serving sizes are limited to samples.

The Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, the operational arm of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, enforces those rules. Statewide regulation allows for local control, such that thirty communities choose to ban possession of alcohol altogether. (Only two of those dry communities, Tanacross and Gulkana, are on the road system.) The rest regulate potent potables.

As a toast to Amy Newman’s article “Travelers’ Brews” about 49th State Brewing’s newest location, this edition of Alaska Trends looks at data from the Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office and distills the interesting facts about alcohol licensing. Cheers!

Source: Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office
Circa the Last Century
Between 1899 & 1918, 50% to 80% of local revenue came from liquor licenses.
Revenue Sharing
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board shares revenue generated from alcohol licensing with local governments semi-annually. Payments from FY 2021 were as follows:
Location
1st Half
2nd Half
Anchorage
$298,450
$44,300
Cordova
$5,800
$3,100
Craig
$7,350
–
Fairbanks
$61,950
$13,850
Haines
–
$11,400
Homer
$25,750
–
Juneau
$42,050
$12,200
Kenai
$11,900
–
North Pole
–
$4,000
Palmer
$12,900
$600
Petersburg
$6,100
$300
Sitka
$11,750
$7,800
Skagway
$6,200
–
Soldotna
$8,300
–
Valdez
$9,600
$1,250
Wasilla
$16,000
$7,600
Wrangell
–
$9,500
Total
$524,100
$115,900
Licensed Alcohol Manufacturing Facilities
Data as of January 16, 2024; the data does not include pending applications.
Location (Population)
Breweries/
Brewpubs
Distilleries
Wineries
Municipality of Anchorage (287,100)
20
4
8
Matanuska-Susitna Borough (113,300)
10
2
5
Fairbanks North Star Borough (95,400)
5
4
3
Cities in the Unorganized Borough (75,800)
7
–
–
Kenai Peninsula Borough (60,700)
11
–
5
City & Borough of Juneau (31,700)
4
3
1
Ketchikan Gateway Borough (13,700)
1
1
–
Kodiak Island Borough (12,700)
2
1
1
City & Borough of Sitka (8,400)
1
–
–
Haines Borough (2,100)
1
1
1
Denali Borough (1,600)
1
–
–
Municipality of Skagway (1,100)
2
1
–
TOTAL STATEWIDE
65
17
24
Cartoon marmot sticking out of burrow next to pile of coins holding a beer bottle
“Bone Dry” Law
Two years before Prohibition (1918), Alaska enacted the “Bone Dry” law by a vote of nearly two to one. The 21st Amendment (1933) repealed the law.
Cartoon marmot sticking out of burrow next to pile of coins holding a beer bottle
Local Control
In 1979, the alcoholic beverage laws were revised, allowing communities to prohibit the sale or importation of alcoholic beverages.
Wholesale Licenses
General wholesale ($2K+ value based fee)
sell alcoholic beverages at wholesale
Limited wholesale brewed beverage and wine ($400 + value based fee)
sell beer/wine at wholesale
Manufacturer Licenses
Brewery manufacturer ($1.25K)
operate a brewery for the manufacture, packaging, storing, and sale of its brewed beverages
Winery manufacturer ($1K)
operate a winery for the manufacture, packaging, storing, and sale of its wine
Distillery manufacturer ($1.25K)
operate a distillery for the manufacture, packaging, storing, and sale of its distilled spirits
Retail Licenses
Beverage dispensary license ($2.5K)
sell/serve alcoholic beverages for consumption in one room containing a fixed counter/bar connected to permanent plumbing
Beverage dispensary tourism license ($2.5K)
sell/serve alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption; the board may issue a beverage dispensary tourism license if it appears that the issuance will encourage the tourist trade
Destination resort license ($2.5K)
sell alcoholic beverages at noncontiguous locations at a destination resort for consumption on site, in conjunction with the activities provided by the licensee while the cruise ship is in port
Outdoor recreation lodge license ($2.5K)
sell alcoholic beverages to overnight guest of the lodge for consumption on site or in conjunction with outdoor recreation activities provided by the licensee
Common carrier dispensary license ($1K-$2K depending on vessel)
sell alcoholic beverages for consumption aboard a boat, plane, or train licensed for passenger travel
Package store license ($1.5K)
store & sell alcoholic beverages with federally compliant labels to a person on site
Club license ($1.5K)
allows for club/fraternal organization, patriotic organization, or social organization chartered by a state or national organization for a predetermined period of time to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on site
Theater license ($1.25K)
sell alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption in a designated area of a theater site for 1 hour before the event and during intermissions
Sporting activity or event license ($1.25K)
sell beer/wine at multiple noncontiguous locations for 1 hour before & after a sporting activity that is not a school activity
Fair license ($1.25K)
sell beer/wine at multiple noncontiguous locations held on fairgrounds for consumption on site; the fair license is limited to 30 events in addition to an annual fair
Golf course license ($1.25K)
sell beer/wine for consumption on the golf course, a driving range, a club house, and other buildings located on the course, and a vending cart to, from, and on the golf course; it does not include the parking lot
Brewery retail license ($1.25K)
store/sell/serve brewed beverages for consumption on and off the premises; daily on site consumption is limited to 36 ounces of the holder’s beer per person, or 18 ounces of the holder’s sake per person; daily off site consumption is limited to 5.167 gallons of the holder’s beer or sake per person
Pub license ($1.25K)
sell beer/wine for consumption on the campus of an accredited college or university. Limit 1 per campus
Distillery retail license ($1.25K)
store/sell/serve distilled spirits for consumption on and off site; daily on site consumption is limited to 3 ounces of the holder’s distilled spirits per person; daily off-site consumption is limited to 3.75 liters of the holder’s distilled spirits per person
Restaurant or eating place license (1.25K)
sell brewed beverages/wine for consumption in a restaurant and allows for people under 21 years on site to consume food & nonacholoic beverages
Seasonal restaurant or eating place tourism license ($1.25K)
sell beer & wine for consumption onsite for six months per calendar year and allows for people under 21 years on site to consume food & nonalcoholic beverages
Winery retail license ($1K)
store/sell/serve on the licensed premises wine for consumption on and off site; sell for consumption on site is limited to 18 ounces of the holder’s wine, mead, or cider containing 8.5% or more alcohol by volume, 36 ounces of the holder’s mead or cider containing less than 8.5% alcohol by volume, or the alcoholic equivalent to a person on the licensed premises; sell for off-site consumption is limited to 5.167 gallons of the holder’s wine, mead, or cider
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