A $1,000 Beer Tasting? Not For Locals

Jay Barrett/KMXT
Kodiak’s local brewery got some national attention over the weekend, with a short review appearing in the Chicago Tribune’s Sunday Travel section. Writer Lauren Krause paid a visit to the new location of Kodiak Island Brewing Company and praised the décor and the exclusivity of the beers, noting that they can’t be found anywhere else.
In the article, owner Ben Millstein explained why he did not export his beer, saying if every local brewery tried to ship their brew, it’d take a beer store the size of a Wal-Mart to handle it. Instead, he said he prefers to serve the local community and keeping his carbon footprint low.
Why was the review in the Travel section of the Trib? Because, as Krause wrote, “a taste test will cost you about $1,000 – the price of a round-trip ticket” from the Lower 48.