49th State Brewing Opens Airport Outlet
New 49th State Brewing Company storefront in Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport main terminal.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
One of Alaska’s most popular attractions is now available to travelers without leaving the airport. With its new concession, 49th State Brewing – Ted Stevens brings Alaska-made beers, ciders, and sodas to the Air Crossroads of the World.
Both Sides of Security
At 7,372 square feet, the leasehold is the largest in the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport main terminal. The post-security pub on the C-Concourse features comfortable booths, modern rail seating with power outlets, and wood slab community tables. The storefront also boasts arguably the longest bar in the state.
The shop also has an opening outside of the secure zone. Walk-up service and park-style seating are available for casual dining. Some fan favorites like halibut and chips and hand-breaded chicken tenders make it to the pre-security menu. The beer garden menu is centered around the Bavarian pretzel and gourmet sausages.
The space is essentially two storefronts that share a wall. The pre-security side used to be a Cinnabon, and the restaurant in the concourse was formerly a branch of Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse, a bar and grill in Downtown Anchorage. Between them, only a small, one-way chute passes through a slot in the wall.
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Filling both spaces was a requirement of the state-owned airport’s request for proposals. Airport manager Craig Campbell further committed to selecting a local business.
“We know there are other options, and we appreciate their commitment to local Alaska business,” says Ellen Maloney, communications director for 49th State parent company Northern Hospitality Group.
Maloney adds that the company had been interested in the airport for years. “Our mission is to share Alaska with the world, and the airport provides a perfect stage to do so,” she says. “When the RFP was posted, we offered detailed plans for a restaurant centered around Alaska foods, craft beverages manufactured locally in downtown Anchorage, and atmosphere that celebrates Alaskana.”
Décor is both firmly Alaskan yet distinctly 49th State. Potted spruce trees flank the pre-security shop. In the restaurant, an abstract mural of caribou antlers is arranged over the bar, and custom moose antler sculptures line the route along the concourse. Plenty of barrel staves and barrel ends evoke the Healy-based restaurant’s flagship location near Denali Park and its busy branch in Downtown Anchorage.
The menu, Maloney says, was a labor of love, keeping in mind the dining habits of travelers. The result is a mix of 49th State’s classic pub fare and airport-exclusive items. “Fast, portable, fun items like our flatbread pizzas, quesadillas, and King Crab Rangoon made it on the menu,” Maloney explains.
Both the beer garden and C-Concourse pub offer grab-and-go options as well as a pre-ordering system for carryout. Before heading to the airport, a customer could order by phone and schedule a pickup hours in advance.
49th State Brewing Company’s row of taps.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
“Add to that our Frontier sodas and Wild Scoops ice creams, and the beer garden at the airport becomes a place where the family comes early to pick up their loved ones,” Maloney says.
The airport location expands the company’s total footprint by about 16 percent. The original Denali Park brewpub is 15,000 square feet, and the downtown Anchorage pub is 30,000 square feet.
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