49th State Brewing has put Alaska on the map at the European Beer Star Awards, with its Nitro McCarthy Stout earning a spot among the world’s best stouts. Forbes included the beer in its list of the World’s Best Stouts, highlighting its recognition in one of the industry’s most prestigious competitions.
The 2024 European Beer Star Awards featured 2,360 entries from 50 countries, with 225 medals awarded after a blind tasting by an international panel of experts in Nuremberg, Germany.
Nitro McCarthy Stout traces its origins to 49th State Brewing founder David McCarthy, a longtime homebrewer who crafted the beer as a bold take on the classic dry Irish stout. First brewed when the brewery opened in 2010, the stout pays homage to the town of McCarthy, Alaska, named after an Irish pioneer from the Klondike Gold Rush era.
As the only Alaskan brewery producing nitro widget cans since 2021, 49th State Brewing continues to refine its craft. Nitro McCarthy Stout remains a local favorite, featured at the brewery’s downtown Anchorage pub during the state’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
49th State Brewing also received recognition for its Smо̄k Lager, which won its second European Beer Star medal in the Franconian-Style Smoke Beer category, further showcasing the quality of Alaska’s craft beer scene.