Ursa Major Distilling sits on the Parks Highway just outside Fairbanks, Alaska, where founders Kate Baryla and Jeremy Katan turned a longtime dream into reality in 2014. Kate, a former environmental consultant, and Jeremy, who worked in construction, had been homebrewing and experimenting with small-batch spirits for years before deciding to make the leap into commercial distilling. They started with a modest 26-gallon copper still in a 2,400-square-foot facility, becoming one of the first craft distilleries in Interior Alaska. The operation focuses on vodka and gin, with plans to expand into whiskey as their barrels age. The name comes from Alaska’s state constellation, Ursa Major (the Big Dipper), which you can see clearly from their location on those long summer nights. What began as a side project has grown into a proper distillery where they’re making everything by hand, from mashing to bottling, with Kate handling the business side while Jeremy focuses on production. The facility includes their production area, a small tasting room, and retail space where you can sample their spirits and learn about the distilling process in one of America’s most remote craft spirit outposts.