34 Best Nightlife in Alaska, USA

The go-to spot for locals thirsting for well-crafted beer in Fairbanks is HooDoo. The company sells growlers to go, but its beer is best enjoyed outdoors on a sunny afternoon around the brewery's spool tables—or if the weather gets bad, inside the airy taproom. The beer line is often long, but it moves quickly and it's a good place to meet new friends. The only issue is that it closes at 8 pm. Free brewery tours take place on Saturday at 4 pm.

The rustic interior here is all stone, wood, and antlers, but the real attraction is the sun-soaked two-story rooftop deck where, on clear days, you can see Denali hovering over the northern horizon. The menu of pizzas and hearty bar bites emphasizes all things Alaska, including giant burgers appropriately named for noteworthy peaks. Beers are brewed on-site using local ingredients like Sitka spruce tips and Talkeetna birch syrup. The restaurant also hosts a range of events in its on-site theater, including improv comedy and trivia nights.

The company's tasty, award-winning beers—including Alaskan Amber, Icy Bay IPA, White, and Freeride Pale Ale—are brewed and bottled in Juneau. This is no designer brewery—it's in Juneau's industrial area, and there is no upscale café-bar attached—but the gift shop sells T-shirts and beer paraphernalia. You can also visit the brewery's Downtown Depot, on Franklin Street; though you can't sample the beer there, you can find out more about the brewing process and purchase Alaskan Brewing Company gear. From the Depot you can also take a shuttle to the brewery; $25 includes round-trip shuttle, brewery tour, and six beer samples. Shuttles run hourly in the summer.

A sign frequently placed outside this historic bar reads: "Have an Alaskan with an Alaskan at the Alaskan," referring to the locally made beer, the clientele, and the bar itself. And it's true that this triple convergence can be found here any night of the week—the bar always has at least one type of Alaskan Brewing Company beer on tap, and the crowd is primarily local, even in summer. On the ground floor of the Alaskan Hotel, this is Juneau's most historically authentic watering hole, with flocked-velvet walls, antique chandeliers, and vintage frontier-brothel decor. Just keep in mind that in recent years the vintage charm has begun to look decidedly worn out, but it's still worth visiting just the same.

Dance to lively bands on weekends at Alice's, which attracts nationally known singer-songwriters. When you're all danced out, be sure to fill up on their great bar grub or grab a "bag of burgers" to eat back at your hotel room (a deal that consists of 6 cheeseburgers and fries for $40).

Arguably the most artistic brewery in the entire state, ABC's inventive beers skew toward the sour. Grab a glass in the high-ceiling tasting room and wander freely among the brewery's towering wood casks, or carry your pint outside to the cozy patio with a firepit.

Beer lovers will want to check out the brewery's taproom, open daily from 2 to 8 pm. Under state law, patrons can only consume up to 36 ounces in one visit (that's for breweries only).

In addition to its selection of Alaska and Pacific Northwest craft beers, "The Pub" is known for handcrafted classic cocktails made with freshly squeezed juices. If you're tired of seafood, this is a solid choice; dinner options include racks of lamb, top sirloins, and French dip sandwiches. The pub has a stage for live music; nonmusical diversions include two pool tables, a dart area, and plenty of wide-screen TVs.

This low-key lounge pulls in plenty of twentysomethings looking to dance, drink, and tackle the late-night menu served on the equally expansive outdoor patio. On weekends there is usually a good local DJ upstairs and a mediocre live band outside.

A rambling timber building with sawdust floors, loud music, weekend DJs, and rowdy customers, Chilkoot Charlie's is where young Alaskans go to get crazy. The legendary bar has many unusual nooks and crannies, including a room filled with Russian artifacts and a reconstructed version of Alaska's infamous Birdhouse Bar.

Lots of old-timers favor the dark bar of Club Paris. This is your spot if you like a stiff, no-nonsense drink.

Housed in the former 1930s city hall, this family-staffed distillery is a labor of love for owner Patrick Levy. He provides tours by appointment; downstairs, the whiskey ages in a former Fairbanks Police Department holding cell. Visit any night and you'll likely find him behind the hand-built copper bar, radiating Fairbanks pride while pouring drinks made from local Fox Spring water and Nenana potatoes.

Young locals pack into lively, informal Fat Stan's, a cute spot with a decent selection of beers, wines, and spirits. You can snack on pizza as you sip.

A friendly spot to grab a beer and a snack while checking email—or visiting with the locals—the Fogcutter epitomizes the laid-back, unpretentious vibe for which Alaskans are known.

Operating out of a former firehouse, Goldie's swings open its double garage doors to host events like live music, open mic nights, and the occasional drag show. The bar—housed in a converted 1956 Airstream trailer—serves up beer, cocktails, and slushies, with rotating food trucks pulling up to the colorful patio.

This downtown microbrewery sells beer by the sample glass or pint glass and in liter growlers to go. Captain Cook's Spruce Tip Ale is a good choice, best enjoyed on the back deck if the weather complies. Just note that the brewery is cash only. In recent years Haines has become known as a hub for the craft beer movement; in May, the town hosts the Great Alaska Craft Beer & Home Brew Festival, a wildly popular event.

With ships' wheels, nautical pictures, and a mounted red snapper, the Harbor Bar's decor stays true to Petersburg's seafaring spirit. The bar's liquor store has a separate entrance.

A local institution, the Howling Dog specializes in live blues and rock and roll. A party crowd of college students, airline pilots, tourists, miners, and bikers assembles for the cocktails, bar food, and music. Shows are played on a red-carpet stage acquired after Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II's visit to Fairbanks in 1984.

One of Anchorage's biggest bars, Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse serves up rock, blues, and folk several nights a week, along with dozens of microbrews (more than 40 beers are on tap) and surprisingly tasty pub grub. Check the website calendar for the full spread of bands, open mics, and trivia nights. You can grab one of Humpy's delicious halibut burgers on your way out of town—the company has a satellite restaurant in Terminal B of the Anchorage airport.

A remodeled former dive where locals like to drink, shoot pool, and meet singles, the Imperial retains mounted moose and bison heads and other vestiges of its divey decor. Other noteworthy features include the original pressed-tin ceiling and what is reputed to be the longest bar in Alaska. The Imperial Grill, located within the bar, serves food until 1 am on weekends.

This downtown bar boasts 36 taps that highlight a range of Alaska breweries, while the walls feature black-and-white images of Fairbanks history. The small space attracts a younger crowd and fills up quickly.

The city's bigger bands get the summer spotlight at Town Square Park. Designed for the after-work crowd, these Thursday evening shows start at 5:30 pm and feature a beer garden from Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse. 

Alaska's premier gay bar offers dozens of LGBTQ+ community events. Though housed in an unassuming beige building, the glittery interior offers weekly karaoke, DJ sets on the dance floor, lounge-y couches, a cozy patio, and a kitchen menu only overshadowed by the cocktail list. The main event is the all-inclusive drag show every Friday and Saturday night that rivals anything in the Lower 48. The entrance for Myrna's is in the alley between 5th and 6th Avenues.

As far as the locals are concerned, the few green-and-white-vinyl booths at this bar across from the harbor make a fine destination. The Pioneer is vintage Alaska, with pool tables, rough-hewn locals clad in Carhartts and XtraTuf boots, hundreds of pictures of local fishing boats, and occasional live music. 

Skagway was once host to dozens upon dozens of watering holes in its gold-rush days, but the Red Onion is pretty much the sole survivor. The upstairs was Skagway's first bordello, and you'll find a convivial crowd of Skagway locals and visitors among the scantily clad mannequins who represent the building's former illustrious tenants. A ragtime pianist tickles the keys in the afternoons, and local musicians strut their stuff on Thursday night. Pizza and nachos are available in the bar. The saloon closes up shop for winter.

The Spit's infamous Salty Dawg is a tumbledown lighthouse of sorts, sure to be frequented by a carousing fisherman or 20, along with half the tourists in town.

A trendy place for the dressy crowd, the bar at Simon & Seafort's Saloon & Grill has stunning views of Cook Inlet, a special single-malt-Scotch menu, and tempting cocktails. The lavender martini is a highlight. Take advantage of the two happy hours each day, including a late-night stretch starting at 9 pm.

Guests can ski straight to the back patio and firepit at this rollicking bar and grill. The Sitz hosts an event nearly every winter night under its spiral-painted ceiling, from game nights and trivia to nationally touring music acts. The bar closes each spring and fall as The Hotel Alyeska shifts between mountain bike and ski seasons; call to confirm hours before visiting.