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Dr
Fermento's Foamy Rant
Beer
News From Alaska
September 25, 2009
Fairbanks beer
lovers might notice something interesting happening at the Gold Hill Liquor Store
in Ester. The Gold Hill Liquor Store has long been respected as the depot for
the best of the best in beer up north. My history of the store goes back years
and years to my formative days in craft beer drinking in the state. I went to
Fairbanks for a variety of reasons and friends in my drinking circle alerted me
to this little gem along the way.
Regardless,
today, the stores reputation is stellar in the state and this all started
when proprietor Susan Osborne took the reins and cleaned the place up, organized
the offerings and started featuring beer rather than just having it.
Susan
bought a caboose. Yup. Thats right. A real, no kidding Alaska Railroad caboose.
And, shes going to plant it right next to the liquor store, refurbish it
and turn it into a coffee shop. Im jealous.Ive always wanted my own
caboose. I own private property in Hope that Im developing into my retirement
dream. Sure, Ill have a real, no kidding house some day, but I thought a
caboose would be better than some travel trailer or 5thwheel trailer on the lot
to stay in while I constructed my dream home over time. Ive seen other venues
that have used rail cars in one fashion or another for some sort of dwelling and
I guess I just want one too.
I digress Susan was the successful bidder at a recent auction where re-tired cabooses
were being auctioned off. She met the minimum bid and went beyond it and suddenly
she owned a caboose of dubious origin and of more than dubious repair, but just
the same, she owned one. The next problem was getting it to Ester, which is 13
miles out of Fairbanks to the south. The Alaska Rail-road helped get it so far,
but at this point, shes going to have tofigure out how to get it to the
store.
Its
not something you cantoss on the back of someones 62 Chevy pickup
truck with alittle beer bait and move it across from the tracks to the store.So,
sometime in the near future duck in for a cup of mud beforeshopping for your favorite
high-end beer in Ester.