Last month, MXSW broke the news about the Phoenix Brewers Invitational, which makes its debut Friday and Saturday at Heritage Square (map) in downtown Phoenix. More than 70 breweries from all over the country will be represented.
Today, I got the tapping schedules for the festival’s rarer beers:
Friday’s tappings
- Noon- 2 p.m.: Abita Kaiser Alt, Alaskan Baltic Porter, BJ’s Belgium, Lumberyard Raspberry Ale, Coronado Stupid Stout, Mission Dark Seas IPA, Prescott Ponderosa IPA, Redhook Winterhook
- 2-4 p.m.: Desert Eagle Holiday Hooch, Old World Yard Dog Tart Porter, Wood Chuck Pumpkin Cider, Mother Road Stranded Spiced Porter, Sierra Blanca Alien Stout, Shiner Winter Ale, Napa Smith Hopageddon Imperial IPA, Nimbus Monkey Shine Barley Wine
- 4-6 p.m.: San Tan Rail Slide, Thunder Canyon Good Vibrations IPA, Phoenix Ale Brewery Ironwood Imperial Porter, Tap It Fest Bier, Boulder Blood Orange Wit, Left Coast Uno Mas, Rubicon IPA, Ass Kissers Double IPA
- 6-8 p.m.: Goose Island Pere Jac, Four Peaks Barrel Aged Rye Wine, Papago Brewing Wild Raven Double Black IPA, Ska Mole Stout, Sam Adams Merry Mischief Christmas Ale, Lagunitas IPA, Full Sail Wassail Holiday, Maui Brewing Liquid Breadfruit
- 8-10 p.m.: College Street Sweet Devil Stout, Oscar Blues Ten Fidy, Stone Ruination Double IPA, Ship Yard Old Thumper Barley Wine, Epic Brewing Brainless Belgium Ale, Tenaya Creek Haulin’Oats Oatmeal Stout, Odell Mountain Standar, Sierra Nevada Imperial Pilsner
Saturday’s tappings
- Noon-2 p.m.: Sleepy Dog Belgium Triple, Firestone Walker Wookie Jack, Ace Cider Pumpkin Cider, Ommegang Rustica Belgium Golden, Left Hand Warrior, Big Sky IPA, Full Sail Wassail Holiday Ale, Boulder Orange Blood Wit
- 2-4 p.m.: Grand Canyon Shaggy Bock, Breckenridge Christmas Strong Ale, Oak Creek Chocolate Cherry Porter, Rogue Double Chocolate Stout, Dogfish Head Ta Henket, Mission Dark Seas IPA, Deschutes Abyss, Widmer Old Embalmer Barley Wine
- 4-6 p.m.: Port Brewing Gift of Magi, New Belgium LOF Imperial Coffee Stout, Crispin Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear, Lost Coast Winterbraun, Mudshark Abominable Double Chocolate Mint, Phoenix Ale Brewery Ironwood Imperial Porter, Sam Adams Merry Michief Christmas Ale, Maui Brewing Liquid Breadfruit
- 6-8 p.m.: Redhook Winterhook, Goose Island Pere Jac, San Tan Rail Slide, Alaskan Baltic Porter, Stone Ruination Double IPA, BJ’s Belgium, Shiner Winter Ale, Sierra Blanca Alien Stout
- 8-10 p.m.: Desert Eagle Holiday Hooch, Mother Road Stranded Spiced Porter, Ship Yard Old Thumper Barley Wine, Firestone Walker Wookie Jack, Breckenridge Christmas Strong Ale, Oscar Blues Ten Fidy, Tenaya Creek Haulin’ Oats Oatmeal Stout, Deschutes Abyss
The festival, the brainchild of Phoenix Ale Brewery co-owner Greg Fretz, runs noon to 10 p.m. each day. The unusual Friday kickoff is a tie-in with Phoenix First Fridays activities.
Admission into the festival is free, but beer drinkers must buy a 2012 souvenir mug for $10 in addition to $1 wooden tickets. A three-ounce beer sample will be one token; a 12-ounce beer will be four tokens.
VIP tickets are $125 and include mug, 30 tokens, VIP beer garden, private restrooms, and a Thursday night VIP party at Phoenix Ale Brewery. The fest is offering an online deal for half-off VIP tickets ($62) here.
