Devil's Club is not weed. Sorry.
What's up, Y'all? How's your week gone? I'd say this week was busy but that just seems to be the way life goes anymore. It's hot here in Georgia again, we got some cool temps in the 80s this week. As a huge contrast to that we talked to Evan Wood and Jake Ridle from Devil's Club Brewing Co. in Juneau, Alaska. When we mentioned our upper 90s heat wave i think they both were ready to pass out.
I've never been to Alaska. Maybe I'll jump on one of the cruise ships that Evan tells us raises the population of the town each Summer. Juneau's the 3rd largest city in Alaska at about 30,000 year-round residents. They've got mixed feelings on those tourists. On one hand, it's great for business. Devil's Club says beers that months to empty during the slower season move in about 1 1/2 weeks. This allows them to try out more, new recipes. On the other hand, it's a bunch of tourists wandering around your town.
Beer laws be crazy.
Brewing isn't an easy game in Juneau. The laws are surprisingly strict considering they are all about their legal weed. Taprooms have to close at 8:00 PM but a new law that passed will allow them to stay open until 9:00 PM... starting in two years.
Besides the tough laws, it's crazy expensive to get ingredients shipped in. They do have some cool local ingredients to brew with, lots of berries, and it's nearly a requirement for an Alaska brewery to do a spruce tip beer.
Jake was sipping a Disc Dog Pilsner as we chatted but noted the locals aren't really on board with craft Pilsners yet. They do love their signature IPA, Signature IPA, though. And the Silt Milk Stout is a favorite as well.
We get the scoop on the next big thing for Devil's Club, hard seltzers. They're working their magic on them now and they'll launch very soon.
Devil's Club is a medicinal plant.
In case you're wondering, Devil's Club is a plant and the brewery's logo is the plant's leaf. They get asked a lot if it's a pot leaf. Probably from people that are high since it looks nothing like one. It does have medicinal properties used by the native people. Have they brewed a beer with it? Nope. The native population requested they don't use it in alcohol and they are honoring that request.
