Category: Craft Beer

It’s a big week for Cartel Brewery in Tempe. On Thursday, the recently upgraded brewhouse (now with a 7-barrel system) debuts its new tasting room at Ash and University. The room is meant to provide a more intimate and quiet option

SB 1030, the so-called Arizona Beer Bill, sailed through the Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday, its final passage by a unanimous 59-0 vote. It’s now being transmitted back to the Arizona Senate, where it was approved last week, to be sent to the

If you like SanTan Brewing‘s Mr. Pineapple seasonal ale, you’ll want to check out its younger sibling, Lime Leaf Cream Ale. Lime Leaf debuted last year, but without much fanfare. The seasonal was rolled out for this year at the Great American

At 6 p.m. today, the new Craft 64 kicks off its first tap takeover with Sirius Black, Double Knot, Single Tank Belgian Red, Barrel Aged Diablo Rojo and more from the Tempe brewery. Today also is the birthday of Craft 64

When SB 1030, known as the “Arizona Beer Bill,” was passed overwhelmingly by the Arizona Senate this week, some people celebrated the new “law.” Those people, obviously, got a D in high school civics class. The bill now goes to the

The Florida-based chain is flying in kegs of the unfiltered and unpasteurized pilsner straight from the historic brewery in the Czech Republic. The kegs, extremely rare in this country, will be tapped at World of Beer Tempe and Gilbert locations at 7 p.m. Thursday. In addition,

The City of Mesa is the latest entity to jump aboard the craft beer bandwagon. The state’s third-largest city is launching a new annual event – the Downtown Mesa Brew Fest – to kick off Cactus League play each year.

Yesterday’s list from distributor Crescent Crown now has been updated with info from Hensley and others (D means draft): Camelback Ranch (Dodgers, White Sox): Four Peaks (Sunbru, Kiltlifter, 8th Street Pale Ale, Short Hop Session IPA), Goose Island (Honkers), Sierra Nevada (Nooner-D), Kona (Longboard), Firestone

With baseball’s month-long spring training starting, the Valley distributor has these brands at local ballparks (D means draft). Hohokam (A’s): New Belgium Ranger (D), New Belgium Fat Tire (D), New Belgium Slow Ride, SanTan Mr. Pineapple, Ballast Point Longfin Lager

The craft beer bar will have more than 20 big beers (at least 10% ABV) on tap, including: Smuttynose Oak Aged Tripel Four Peaks Sirius Black Four Peaks Double Knot Bell’s Hopslam Freak’N Sweet Thang Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad with

Please welcome Arizona Brewery Tours, the Chandler-based company that offers guided bus trips to craft breweries throughout Arizona, as MXSW’s newest sponsor. Launched by John Alvarado and his son, John Jr., in February 2013, AZ Brewery Tours has public tours Wednesday through

The Gilbert brewery has had six beers aging in spirit and wine barrels that will be tapped at 4 p.m. today: Bier De Wassail batch 2014 aged in pinot barrels New Brood batch fall 2014 aged in Superstition Meadery barrel (previously

The event, which runs from 6-8 p.m., will feature the debut of two new beers from the Williams brewery – Deep in the Green double IPA and Scotchy Scotch Scotch Ale – along with its Black Iron IPA. Scotchy Scotch

What’s a Hot Scotchy, you ask? It’s a drink made by brewers by adding Scotch to wort (the hot malt sugar of a beer mash). Some have called it “the greatest beverage in the world.” Unless you (or someone you know) brews their

According to brewer Jeff Huss, the refreshing lemon-and-toasted-coconut beer was inspired by a dessert made by his wife’s grandmother. Also on tap will be 21 Hour Sizzurp, a barrel-aged imperial stout with cocoa nibs, and Grapefruit IPA. The stout is a

I’m seriously considering not covering next year’s Arizona Strong Beer Festival. My problem with the state’s premier craft beer event? It’s getting downright boring in terms of news value. The 15th annual version took place Saturday at Steele Indian School

1. Saturday’s 21-and-over event, capped at 7,500 people, will feature a record 140-plus breweries. See the latest update of who’s participating and what beers they’re pouring here. 2. The festival takes place at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. See a

Ten days. More than 400 events. Thousands of craft beers. The annual hops-fueled orgy that is Arizona Beer Week starts its fifth run Thursday. Craft beer geeks have been waiting an entire year for this. If you don’t understand what

The Colorado brewery’s 90 Schilling Ale, 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Runoff Red IPA, Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout, Levity Amber Ale, and Silver Golden Copper Ale will be poured at the restaurant’s monthly tap takeover Thursday, Feb. 12. The monthly beer dinner

The calendar for Arizona Beer Week is really beginning to fill up. The latest event: The first-ever Barleywine Festival at the Handlebar Tempe on Tuesday, Feb. 17. If you’re unfamiliar with barleywines, they’re strong ales with 8% to 12% alcohol by

The 15th annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival has released its preliminary list of participating breweries and the beers available for sampling at the state’s premier beer fest Saturday, Feb. 14. More than 140 breweries from Arizona and worldwide will bring

And you may notice Mr. Pineapple himself has a new look for 2015. Gone is the belly-flop into a pool of beer. Now he’s giving drinkers a smile and a thumbs-up. SanTan first introduced its pineapple-tinged wheat beer at its

No one can accuse Arizona Wilderness of resting on its laurels, even when those include being named the best new brewery in the world. Last week I caught up with co-founder Jonathan Buford, who filled me in on the many,

Bad Water Brewing in Scottsdale will host the first annual Brewers Bowl beer festival – featuring at least 15 Arizona breweries, live music, and food trucks – on Saturday, Jan. 31. Participating breweries so far include Bad Water, Beer Research Institute, College

When website Beer Advocate recently asked its users to pick the world’s best 250 beers, Alpine Beer Company landed eight of its ales on the list. It was a remarkable feat for the tiny Alpine, Calif., brewery, which only produced about

SanTan Brewing in downtown Chandler has tapped the third release in its new From the Vault series – The Mad Czar Russian Imperial Stout. The 9.9% ABV (alcohol by volume) ale is available in pints at the brewpub. Four-packs of

The five-course dinner will feature the California brewery’s new year-round beer, Nooner Pilsner, and its new spring seasonal, Hoppy Lager. Sierra Nevada beer dinner menu: Course 1: Shrimp fritters with micro greens and a Nooner Pilsner red pepper lemon sauce. Paired

SanTan Brewing in Chandler has just announced a couple of must-attend events during next month’s Arizona Beer Week (Feb. 12-21). The first is the first-ever Brewers Roundtable at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, featuring some of Arizona’s best-known brewers. Jon Buford

Overwhelming demand is forcing the recently opened Beer Research Institute in Mesa to change its policy on growlers. The brewery, which launched in November, is having trouble keeping enough of its own beers on its 15 taps. As a result,

Borderlands Brewing will be the featured brewery of the monthly tap takeover 6-10 p.m. Thursday at Flanny’s in Tempe. The three-year-old Tucson brewery will bring 14 beers, including its popular Noche Dolce vanilla porter, Prickly Pear Wheat, and Horchata Cream

Beer and cheese pairings? Done. Beer and sausages? Done. Beer and chocolates? Done. Beer and doughnuts? Done. But what about beer and S’mores? That’s right. The Brass Tap at Mesa Riverview is hosting a special Stouts & S’mores pairing from

The launch of the bar and grill’s new monthly tap takeovers will feature two of Arizona’s first kegs of Hoppy Lager and Nooner Pilsner. Hoppy Lager, a new spring seasonal, is a revisit of Electric Ray, an India pale lager brewed with Ballast

Two months after opening, the Mill Avenue brewery (formerly The Tavern on Mill) finally taps its first beer today. A VIP and media reception starts at 5 p.m., followed by general admission at 6. Orange Bomb pints will be half-price

The Bell’s event, which runs 6-8 p.m., also will include the Michigan brewery’s Winter White, Expedition Stout, Hopsolution Double IPA, Oarsman, and Christmas Ale. Bell’s rep Beer Kristine will be at the Tempe bar with swag.

The dinner, which starts at 6 p.m., is $50++ per person. Reception: Salt cod fritters, jalapeño-cheddar hushpuppies, and Korean wings with Sunspot Gold First: Nantucket bay scallops with Epicenter amber Second: Hot and sour sweetbreads with Mr. Pineapple wheat Third:

With Arizona Beer Week little more than a month away, breweries and bars are beginning to announce events. Four Peaks Brewing and Green New American Vegetarian in Tempe will pair up for what they’re billing as the Valley’s first vegan beer dinner

House of Brews in Gilbert is launching a weekly beer class at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Each class will “study” three beers. Tonight’s inaugural class will feature Odell Myrcenary Double IPA, Stone Go To Session IPA, and Two Brothers Heavy Handed

Changes are in the works at three-month-old Dubina Brewing Company in Glendale. Jared Dubina (pictured on right), who owns the brewery with his father, has hired Patrick Mccanna (left), whose resume includes stops at SanTan Brewing and Uncle Bear’s. “We are making him

(Arizona Beer Class is an ongoing Thursday series profiling Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.) This week, SanTan Brewing founder Anthony Canecchia talks about his seasonal Sex Panther Double Chocolate Porter (6.9% ABV). Beer style: “Sex Panther

(Arizona Beer Class is an ongoing Thursday series profiling Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.) This week, Arizona Wilderness co-owner Jon Buford talks about his seasonal Picacho Pecan Pie Brown Ale (6.6% ABV), which will be released

The Brass Tap at Mesa Riverview will celebrate the end of Oktoberfest season with its first “Taptoberfest” on Friday. Starting at 11 a.m., Warsteiner pints will be $3, while all Marzen, Oktoberfest, and other German-style beers are $4. Taptoberfest tap list:

Check out Lagunitas Brewing’s Censored – a beer banned by the federal government – when The Brass Tap in Mesa hosts a “Steal the Glass” event with the California brewery today. Originally called the Kronik, the amber ale (6.7%) was

(Every Thursday, MXSW reveals the story behind one of Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.) This week’s subject: Pumpkin Porter from Four Peaks Brewing Pumpkin Porter is a seasonal ale (5.2% ABV) that debuted in 1999 at

(Every Thursday, MXSW reveals the story behind one of Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.) This week’s subject: Wet Snout Milk Stout from Sleepy Dog Brewery Wet Snout Milk Stout is a dark-colored milk stout (5.7% ABV)

(Every Thursday, MXSW reveals the story behind one of Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.) This week’s subject: Fretzy’s Unfiltered Ale from Phoenix Ale Brewery Fretzy’s Unfiltered Ale is an unfiltered English-style pale ale (5.0% ABV, 30

(Every Thursday, MXSW reveals the story behind one of Arizona’s noteworthy craft beers. See previous Arizona Beer Classes here.) This week’s subject: Sun Up Trooper IPA Trooper IPA (6.2% ABV) is the flagship beer of Sun Up Brewery in Phoenix. It debuted in

World of Beer Tempe will celebrate its second anniversary on Mill Avenue with an all-Arizona 58-tap takeover all day Saturday. Dubbed “The Arizona Great 58,” the tap list will feature beers and meads from nearly every brewery and mead-maker in