Today’s beer painting is of HooDoo Brewing Company’s IPA! Be forewarned, this 7.2% IPA should be enjoyed responsibly. I was responsible enough to leave my car at the hotel and make the 10 minute short walk over to the brewery. When I arrived to the new Fairbanks hot-spot known as HooDoo, I was blown away with the cool outdoor ice bar that was about to melt in the above-30-degree weather, which was also a pleasant surprise! A crowd of thirsty beer lovers was already crowding the tasting room! I got situated, tasted all the on-draft offerings, and realized my favorite was the IPA, and got to work making this painting. This was my first onsite beer painting in a brewery. I have done photo-shoots at breweries before, but painting live was a first for me.
Fairbanks is so cool now that it has HooDoo right there in town. Silver Gulch Brewing Company in Fox has been a favorite of mine since I first visited it over five years ago, but making a 20 mile round trip drive just for fresh beer seems like a bit of a schlep. Nonetheless, after driving 350+ miles to Fairbanks, we checked into the hotel, and drive straight to Silver Gulch. There is totally room for another brewery, or three in the Fairbanks area — a hub of a pretty large Alaska community.
HooDoo was founded by Bobby Wilken, a local Fairbanksian, who started home brewing in college in Montana. He found his passion for craft beer, graduated with a business degree, left for Germany to study the art of brewing in München, traveled extensively in Europe honing his palette, and returned to Fairbanks to build HooDoo in 2011.
I enjoyed painting this beer as I was surrounded by its loyal consumers! I also found it to be a spot on IPA, even though it is not very session-able. Those pints felt large, too! Seemed more like 20 oz than 16, but those engineers in Fairbanks always give a little wiggle room! It is floral and delicious, more of a double than a single, which is my normal octane. I was on overdrive as I finished this piece up and having a blast!
To HooDoo, you are fine hosts in our central Alaskan hub! Bringing fine beer culture to a great Alaskan destination! Cheers!
You can purchase this painting, or a limited-edition print at my Etsy Shop.
View the complete Year of Beer Paintings gallery.
Year of Beer 03.28. IPA at HooDoo Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.
