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Alaskan Distilling

Alaskan Distilling Co. Named 2025 U.S. Open Cocktail Champion, Brings Home Three Medals

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Alaskan Distilling Co. Named 2025 U.S. Open Cocktail Champion Juneau, Alaska — Alaskan Distilling Co., the spirits division of Alaskan Brewing Co., has taken top honors at the 2025 U.S. Open Whiskey & Spirits Championship, earning the title of U.S. Open Cocktail Champion and claiming three medals in the prestigious competition.

In addition to the Championship title, judges awarded two Gold medals and one Silver to Alaskan Distilling’s innovative line of canned cocktails:

GOLD – Rainforest Gin & Tonic Category: Classic Canned Cocktail
GOLD – CAMP FUEL: Citrus Breeze Category: Citrus Canned Cocktail
SILVER – Solstice Vodka Lemonade Category: Citrus Canned Cocktail

Alaskan Distilling’s standout performance earned the Juneau, Alaska-based company the top overall title in the cocktail category, recognized for creativity, craftsmanship, and flavor in a crowded field of outstanding entries from across the country.

“Being named the U.S. Open Cocktail Champion is a huge honor,” said Maxwell Rule, CEO of Alaskan Brewing Co. “To be recognized alongside so many other talented producers is incredibly meaningful, and it’s a testament to the creativity, grit, and hard work of our Alaskan Distilling team. From concept to can, this crew pours their passion into every step, and we’re proud to see that effort celebrated on a national stage.”

The U.S. Open Whiskey & Spirits Championship is one of the largest and most respected spirits competitions in North America, evaluating thousands of entries across a wide range of categories. A panel of judges conducts blind tastings to determine winners based on aroma, taste, balance, and overall impression.

In the 2024 U.S. Open Whiskey & Spirits Championship, Alaskan Distilling Co.’s Musk Ox Mule took home a Silver award, while the Rainforest Gin & Tonic won Bronze.

This year’s results further solidify Alaskan Distilling Co.’s place as a rising leader in the world of craft spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails. Rainforest Gin & Tonic, Solstice Vodka Lemonade, Musk Ox Mule, CAMP FUEL Citrus Breeze, and CAMP FUEL Legendary are all currently available in Alaska.

About Alaskan Distilling Co.
Alaska’s distilling scene is a vibrant blend of innovation and tradition, deeply rooted in the state’s rugged landscape and rich natural resources. Distilleries across the state harness local ingredients—such as glacier-fed waters, hand-harvested spruce tips, and Alaska-grown grains—to craft unique spirits that embody the essence of the Last Frontier. For instance, Alaskan Distilling Co., a sister brand to Alaskan Brewing Co., has gained acclaim for its award-winning canned cocktails like the Solstice Vodka Lemonade and Rainforest Gin & Tonic, which highlight flavors native to Alaska.

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Alaskan Brewing Announces Alaskan Distilling Company Expansion with RTD Canned Cocktails

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JUNEAU, Alaska— Alaskan Distilling Company is the latest innovation from Alaskan Brewing Company. For nearly forty years Alaskan Brewing Company has been devoted to the art of creating the finest craft beer and is now introducing a selection of craft cocktails to their lineup starting this April.

The Juneau-based brewery started its distilling journey in 2019 with a small batch process focusing on long-standing distilling traditions. “We have always tried to put a little bit of Alaska in the bottle and a little bit of Alaska on the bottle. One thing that we all revel in is the quality of life that this place presents and represents. So for us, we want to make beverages that reflect that sort of feeling and character,” said Alaskan Brewing Company Co-founder Geoff Larson. Alaskan Distilling Company is introducing the Alaska market to their Solstice Vodka Lemonade, Musk Ox Vodka Mule, and Rainforest Gin & Tonic.

Alaskan Distilling Company is running a combination still that can operate both as a pot still and 12 plate column still. This distilling setup will allow the distillery to produce a full range of spirits like whiskey, vodka, and gin in the future.

Seven times distilled, and carbon-filtered Alaskan Distilling Ultra-Pure Pristine Vodka is used in the Solstice Vodka Lemonade, which produces an exceptional neutral flavor. The Solstice Vodka Lemonade is Alaskan Distilling’s most complex mix of ingredients, highlighting wildflower honey and fruit-enhanced lemonade resulting in a flavorful and balanced cocktail.

To achieve an approachable yet distinct lingering ginger heat in the Musk Ox Vodka Mule, Alaskan Distilling produced and blended two different vodkas: Ultra-Pure Pristine Vodka and an Intense Fresh Ginger Vodka.

Finally, the Rainforest Gin & Tonic showcases a gin specifically designed for Alaskan Distilling’s canned cocktail, as well as a house-made spruce tip tonic water. The spruce tip tonic water helps create an exceptionally dry and crisp cocktail since it is made with half the amount of sugar of most commercial tonic waters.

The trio of Alaskan Distilling Company products has on average one-third to half of the amount of sugar typical canned cocktails have without sacrificing depth of flavor. For example, in the Solstice Lemonade, “Sweetness comes from the fact that you might catch a little bit of honey character. Well, the honey does have a sweetness, but it also has an aromatic quality which elicits an expectation of sweetness,” said Larson.

To achieve high flavor with lower sugars, Alaskan Distilling Company relied on complex ingredients like Gustavus spruce tips, rose hips, cardamom, orange peel, and fruit juices like cranberry, raspberry, grapefruit, black and tart cherry, and more.

“The overall impact on the flavor is multi-dimensional. When you sit down and enjoy one of our canned cocktails, your attitude and where you are affects what you perceive in the beverage. This is because of the many different layers of flavor that we’ve incorporated,” said Larson.

Solstice Vodka Lemonade, Musk Ox Vodka Mule, and Rainforest Gin & Tonic are gluten-free and have an eight percent ABV. The canned cocktails will only be available in Alaska starting this April. To find Alaskan Distilling Company canned cocktails near you visit our Beer Finder.

In addition to producing world-class beverages, Alaskan Brewing Company strives for innovation through progressive programs like employee ownership and a commitment to environmental stewardship.

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