Control board to clarify ‘fun’ events at Alaska distilleries

  • Monday, November 13, 2017 10:33pm
  • News

FAIRBANKS (AP) — The Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office will be meeting to clarify whether breweries and distilleries are allowed to host extracurricular activities.

The control board will meet Monday to address the issue after a memo was sent by Alcohol Control Office Director Erika McConnell, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported .

McConnell’s memo stated that events such as painting, poetry readings, festivals, fundraisers and “fun” appear to be prohibited under current legislation.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“The license type does not suggest that members of the public should be encouraged to linger through food service events, and the prohibition of entertainment supports that interpretation,” the memo stated.

Ursa Major Distillery Owner Rob Borland said it feels like McConnell has declared war on distillery owners. Borland hosted a painting event last week.

“They sent me a notice. They wanted me to cancel it,” Borland said. “They haven’t even held this board meeting yet. This new director seems to have it out for us. She tries to limit us nonstop. We jump through hoops. It’s very frustrating. It affects all tasting rooms. To me, it’s overreach.”

In September, McConnell attempted to stop distilleries from serving mixed drinks in tasting rooms. But no official action on the matter has taken place.

Borland sees no reason why people can’t enjoy drinks during an activity, he said.

“It’s her view of what a tasting room should be. She is reinterpreting the statute,” Borland said. “I helped write that statute so I was a little offended when she told me I misinterpreted it. … I can’t believe she put ‘fun’ in the memo. She wants to limit ‘fun’. Am I not supposed to not let anyone smile when they come in here?”

Toivo Lowick, owner of Hoarfrost Distilling, said he likes the idea of clarifying what is allowed but is concerned that the decision will be one-sided. The statute is specific about no games such as darts and pool, but it is less clear on activities such as dancing, he said.

Fairbanks Distilling Owner Patrick Levy said he isn’t so concerned about the memo, but he wasn’t happy when McConnell tried cracking down on mixed drinks.

“We’re into making classic drinks that showcase our product,” Levy said. “We understand there isn’t supposed to be entertainment.”

More in News

Robert Weaver was last seen at the Doroshin Bay public use cabin on June 25, 2025. (Photo provided by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Kenai wildlife refuge seeking information on missing man

Robert Weaver was last seen near Skilak Lake on June 25.

The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team conducts a training mission in Seward, Alaska in 2024. Photo courtesy of the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team
Anchor Point fundraiser to benefit Alaska rescue and recovery group

Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization established in 2016.

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic staff (left to right) Angie Holland, RN; Jane Rohr, Sonja Martin Young, CNM; Robin Holmes, MD; and Cherie Bole, CMA provide an array of reproductive and sexual health services. (Photo provided by KBFPC)
Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic releases report on STI trends on the Kenai Peninsula

The report pulls from data gathered from 2024 to early 2025.

Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Swimmers, parents call on Kenai to support Kenai Central pool

The KPBSD Board of Education last week said communities will need to step up and take over administration of pools within the next year.

Traffic passes by South Spruce Street in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai drops effort to rename South Spruce Street

The resolution would have changed the name to make it clear which road led to North Kenai Beach

Gov. Mike Dunleavy compares Alaska to Mississippi data on poverty, per-pupil education spending, and the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress fourth grade reading scores during a press conference on Jan. 31, 2025. Alaska is highlighted in yellow, while Mississippi is in red. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy calls special session for August

Lawmakers on Wednesday said they were surprised by the move.

A makeshift coffin decrying the risks of Medicaid funding cuts is seen on Thursday, June 26, in front of the Blazy Mall in Soldotna. The cuts were included in legislation passed by the U.S. Senate early Tuesday morning. (Photo by Jonas Oyoumick/Peninsula Clarion)
Ahead of Senate vote, Soldotna protesters defend Medicaid funding

Cuts to the program were included in legislation passed by the U.S. Senate early Tuesday morning.

Board President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Peninsula Borough school board to finalize budget

The new budget designed by the committee will be considered at a public hearing during the full board meeting on Monday evening.

Most Read