The Juneau Food Tours experience combines food with the colorful history of Juneau, Alaska’s capital city. Our visit to the Alaskan Hotel & Bar definitely meets these qualities. The history of the hotel and bar is rich and quite colorful. Some may recognize it from a 2014 episode of Hotel Impossible.
Juneau was founded on the mining industry. The Treadwell Mine on Douglas Island produced more than 5,000 tons of ore daily, employed more than 2,000 men, and produced well over $66 million in gold during its 35 years of operation.
Back in Juneau, the Alaska-Juneau Mine, commonly known as the A-J Mine, was thriving and boasted a production of more than $80 million in gold. The mine closed in 1944 when mining was considered a non-essential wartime activity.
Typical of a booming mining community, bars, missions, and boarding houses popped up to meet the growing population’s needs. In 1913, the Alaskan Hotel was built by two Canadian miners who saw the need for a more upscale living arrangement. Located on Franklin Street in downtown Juneau, the hotel is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Alaska. It is also home to the very first phone number in Juneau.
Inside the Alaskan Hotel we will find the bar. This is the haunt of many who live and used to live here. Yes, it’s haunted. This fact is one of the top reasons some visitors like to stay at the hotel. The hotel and bar feature beautiful architecture, historic photos, and newspaper clippings.
This tasting location features the award-wining beer of Alaskan Brewing Company. We locals love our beer and to have a local brewery makes Juneau practically perfect. The vision of owners Marcy and Geoff Larson to create a great beer in our picturesque community came to fruition with their first beer, Alaskan Amber. It is an homage to the old miners who founded Juneau. Along with Alaskan Amber, guests will enjoy tastings of Alaskan White and the very popular Freeride APA.
Juneau Food Tours seeks to provide the best Alaska’s capital city offers in food and beverages. A trip here wouldn’t be complete without having an Alaskan (beer) in the Alaskan (bar) with an Alaskan (your guide). It’s the trifecta for visitors.
We feel our culinary tour would lack a certain local flare if we missed this historic location. On any given night, the bar will be filled with locals who enjoy the ambiance of eras gone by and an ice cold Alaskan beer. We are excited to feature this real Alaskan food (beverage) made by real Alaskans.
