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Best Bars and Breweries in Juneau 2026

Last Frontier Events|June 6, 2026|4 min read

Bars and Breweries in Juneau — Drinking in Alaska's Capital

Juneau is Alaska's capital and its most isolated large city — no road connects it to the rest of Alaska's highway system, so everyone arrives by plane or ferry. That geographic reality shapes the culture: Juneau is self-contained, dense for an Alaska city, and has a bar and brewery scene that punches above its size. With a population around 30,000 and a tourism industry that runs through the summer cruise ship season, the bars and breweries here serve both a loyal local crowd and visitors arriving from ports around the Pacific.

Alaskan Brewing Company

Alaskan Brewing Company is the most recognized brewery in the state and one of the most influential craft breweries in the country. Founded in Juneau in 1986, it was the first brewery to produce the Alaskan Amber, which became a benchmark for the American craft beer movement. The Juneau brewery and taproom sits on Shaune Drive, and the tour and tasting experience is one of the most popular visitor activities in the city. The Amber is the flagship — a clean, malt-forward ale that has remained consistently excellent for nearly four decades. The Alaskan Winter Ale, brewed seasonally with spruce tips, is the most distinctively Alaska beer they make. The taproom is busy during cruise ship season but quieter in the shoulder months.

Devil's Club Brewing

Devil's Club Brewing is Juneau's newer craft brewery, named for the thorned shrub that grows across Southeast Alaska's rainforest understory. The taproom downtown has built a loyal local following with a rotating lineup of ales, lagers, and experimental brews that reflect Southeast Alaska's rainforest and marine environment. The sourced ingredients — spruce tips, devil's club extract, local botanicals — give some of their seasonal beers flavors that are specific to the place. It's the craft beer experience that complements the Alaskan Brewing visit rather than competing with it.

The Hangar on the Wharf

The Hangar on the Wharf sits on the Juneau waterfront in a former seaplane hangar. The building itself is the experience — original industrial structure converted into a sprawling bar and restaurant with views of Gastineau Channel and the floatplane traffic that defines Juneau's transportation scene. The tap list leans toward Alaska craft beers, and the food menu covers Alaskan seafood and pub standards. It gets crowded during peak summer tourist season, but in the shoulder months it's one of the most atmospheric bars in Southeast Alaska.

Amalga Distillery

Amalga Distillery in downtown Juneau produces small-batch spirits using local ingredients, including a line of gins that incorporate Southeast Alaska botanicals. The tasting room offers flights and cocktails, and the production space is visible from the bar — a genuine craft operation in a compact space. For visitors who want spirits rather than beer, Amalga is the right Juneau stop.

The Imperial Bar

The Imperial Bar is one of Juneau's oldest continuously operating bars, having served the capital city through multiple eras of Alaska's political and commercial history. The bar is on Front Street downtown and has the worn-in quality of a place that doesn't need to try hard — the regulars have been coming for years, and the atmosphere is the result of genuine history rather than manufactured character.

Drinking in Juneau — What to Know

Cruise ship season: From May through September, the waterfront bars fill with cruise passengers during port days. If you're a local or a land-based visitor, go early or wait until after 6pm when ships depart.
Weather-driven culture: Juneau receives over 60 inches of rain per year. Bars are functional as much as social spaces during the long rainy stretches. The warm, wood-heavy interiors of Juneau's better bars are designed for this.
Alaskan Brewing tours: The brewery tours run during the summer season and require no reservation for most days. Check current hours before visiting.
Devil's Club hours: The taproom keeps later hours than the brewery destinations. It's a good option for an evening drink after the tourist attractions have closed.

Juneau's bar culture is the most Southeast Alaska thing about the city — connected to the water, the weather, and the isolation that makes the place feel different from the interior. Start at Alaskan Brewing, finish at Devil's Club, and let The Hangar handle the meal in between.