This summer, the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly approved an ordinance this summer allowing Eaglecrest Ski Area to serve alcohol, but skiers will likely have to wait until next winter to enjoy a beer in the lodge.
Eaglecrest General Manager David Scanlan said Friday that he expects the evaluation and permitting processes to last for most of this winter, but that a pub should be ready by winter of 2018.
Scanlan, who started as the ski area’s general manager this summer, said there’s quite a bit still to work through. Contracting with the CBJ, working with the Alcoholic Beverage Control board and working with a vendor to renovate pub space will take at least a few months.
The ski area Scanlan ran in Maine — Mt. Abram Ski Area — serves alcohol, and Scanlan was surprised when he first heard that Eaglecrest doesn’t have alcohol service.
“It is really standard,” Scanlan said. “Let’s put it this way, I’ve never been to a ski area that doesn’t have alcohol service in some capacity.”
The ordinance the Assembly passed this June allows Eaglecrest to serve beer, wine, alcoholic ciders and similar beverages. It does not allow the ski area to serve hard alcohol. Private, catered events at Eaglecrest have served alcohol before, but the ski area does not have an operating bar on site.
Scanlan said he’s excited to be involved in this change, and that having a bar will add to the friendly atmosphere at the ski area, as people share stories of their adventures up on the mountain.
“I think it’s just going to be another part of building the family culture, so to speak,” Scanlan said, “the social camaraderie that’s so prevalent in skiing and snowboarding.”
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com.
