Page 154 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

people desired. Taking pride in their craft,
they experimented with beef, pork and
inspected reindeer and, using old world
techniques and seasoning, created high-
quality, artisanal sausage products for
customers to purchase. Herb and Otto
built a loyal following as they became
known for their exceptional work ethic as
well as their understanding and passion
for meat. As Alaska grew, so did the
business. They expanded their offering
and included smoked salmon along
with the sausage. Starting out with high-
quality salmon, they combined spices,
brining and actual smoke, producing an
exceptional quality smoked salmon. After
10 years, Herb purchased Otto’s share of
the business, though the two maintained
a six decade friendship until Herb’s
passing in 2023.
Today, Herb’s son Martin runs Alaska
Sausage and Seafood. He has continued
in his father’s footsteps by never
compromising on quality or the process,
producing some of the finest sausage
and seafood found in Alaska or Europe.

From Homeland to Hearth: The Story

of Alaska Sausage and Seafood

In 1961, a man in Germany had the year. Herb worked in several different
dream of seeing Alaska. Trained as a chef, kitchens, and the months turned into
he had his life neatly laid out before him several years. By this time, Alaska had When you walk into their Anchorage
with work in a family-run hotel. But before become embedded in his soul as firmly store, they will welcome you as family.
he embarked on an acceptable road to as the permafrost that covers much of Whether it is browsing through their retail
adulthood, he needed to see Alaska. the state. store filled with speciality European and
Maybe it was the primal pull of leaving a With a German friend named Otto, who Alaskan items or sampling some of their
comfortable life and venturing into one was a trained sausage maker, the two put famous reindeer sausage, you understand
filled with untold adventure and risk, a kind an old truck up as collateral and took out that Herb’s dream of Alaska lives on in the
of “Call of the Wild” transformation? Or a bank loan for $6,800 and began Alaska business and food he created.
maybe it was the desire for one last spree Sausage Company in 1963. They started
before the slippage of youth? Whatever out processing game meat and because Visit alaskasausage.com to purchase
his heart was telling him, Herb Eckmann of their skill and training, they knew how gift baskets, sausage or salmon. Retail
followed this pull to the wilderness of to process large slabs of moose and store is located at 2914 Arctic Blvd,
Alaska, for what was supposed to be a create the steaks and cuts of meat that Anchorage, AK 99503.

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