“I saw myself as having a vineyard when I retired. Then I slowly came to the realization that I was never leaving Fairbanks.” — PATRICK LEVY
Fairbanks Distilling Company
where townsfolk arrested for public drunkenness stayed until they sobered up. Ironically, Levy will eventually store whiskey barrels down there. Levy himself helped make history when distillers and brewers combined forces to lobby for changes to the state’s antiquated liquor laws. The result was the passage of Senate Bill 9 in 2022 that will allow a slight increase in licenses (which are capped by a municipality’s population), distilleries and breweries to ship directly to consumers, and tasting rooms to be open until 9 p.m. instead of the current 8 p.m. However, it didn’t change the tasting room limit of three ounces of distilled alcohol (about two cocktails) per person per day. And the new rules don’t go into effect until January 1, 2024. “I fought real hard in the last legislature and we actually got it,” he said. “That was a super irritation. Here we are, a manufacturer in Alaska, but we can’t send our product to any consumers.” Visitors to Fairbanks can enjoy their two-drink limit with cocktails developed by Levy’s wife, Lori Neufeld, who’s also a local public radio host and programming director. While it’s fun to relax on the distillery’s patio when the days are 20 hours long, it’s those dark, bone-chilling winter days inside the old firehouse when the camaraderie and stories flow with the drinks, like the story of why Levy opened a distillery in the first place. “I was actually involved in all things wine,” he reminisced. “I saw myself as having a vineyard when I retired. Then I slowly came to the realization that I was never leaving Fairbanks.” Since grape stocks can’t survive 68-below winters, Levy turned to potatoes and barley and the rest, as they say, is history. — C. Dow W W W . ARTISANSPIRITMAG . C O M
The hand built bar in the tasting room at Hoarfrost Distilling. PHOTO BY CARRIE DOW
Alaska,” he laughed. “At the same time, we have a very strong tourism industry based on Asian tourists, especially during the aurora months during the winter.” With Alaska holding a frontier mystic for 3501 Lathrop St., Unit F, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 international consumers, Luick makes ul( 907) 479-6128 tra-pure Alaskan barley vodka using techhoarfrost.vodka niques that go beyond a typical U.S. distillery. Lifelong Fairbanks resident Toivo Luick is He even customized his equipment to reach a distiller with a purpose — to create a vodka his exacting standards — standards that forthat he would not only personally enjoy drinkeign markets will pay a premium for. ing, but could also rival the high-end vodkas “I fully understand the processes that go of Europe. into making vodka because as a chemist, the “Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland — this is processes are things I’ve dealt with for dethe vodka belt,” he announced. “The best vodcades,” he said, noting his work at Alyeska kas in the world are made over there and are Pipeline Service, a job he still does, only generally hard to find here. In Alaska, you’re working at the distillery during his off weeks. not going to find them … If you specialize “I’ve rebuilt my own condensers and my own in tasting vodkas, you quickly learn there’s a purification column and built my own actigreat breadth of scope and quality out there vated carbon column because I wanted it to and price isn’t necessardo what I want it to do.” ily a good indicator.” He The process starts on a “As a business proposition, says that is especially giant, custom-built colAlaska has a very good true of mass-produced umn still that is 10 inchromantic image, but it’s better U.S. vodkas. es in diameter and about “My goal was to make the further you get from Alaska. 10 feet tall and holds vodka on par with inaround 300 gallons. At the same time, we have a ternational quality ones While the giant column very strong tourism industry that I could export,” he distills a refined product, continued. “As a busiit’s his carbon process based on Asian tourists, ness proposition, Alaska that puts the vodka over especially during the aurora has a very good romanthe top. months during the winter.” tic image, but it’s better “What separates most the further you get from — TOIVO LUICK, Hoarfrost Distillery vodka from really good
HOARFROST DISTILLERY
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