Category: Craft Beer

If it’s Arizona Beer Week, that means Chimi Week is back at SanTan Brewing…

BLD in Chandler will host an Oskar Blues beer-pairing dinner at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8. Chef Ehren Litzenberger has incorporated three of the Colorado ales into the four courses. Oskar Blues beer dinner menu: 1st course: Doughnut hole, Deviant

The bearded crew from Arizona Wilderness Brewing will be at Whole Foods Chandler at 5 p.m. Saturday for what’s being billed as a “Beer’d” & Mustache Contest. Enjoy $4 pints of the Gilbert brewery’s latest beer, Baboquivari Belgian Blonde, along with

Hopheads have been a-Twitter this week with the much-anticipated arrival of Bell’s Hopslam double IPA in Arizona. The late winter seasonal hit Valley bars and stores Wednesday morning and was sold out at many of them by the end of

It’s Thursday, which means craft beer events… At Boulders on Broadway in Tempe, they’ll be tapping kegs of 2012 and 2013 Abyss imperial stout, along with some other Deschutes beers, from 5-8 p.m. Firestone Walker will be at Flanny’s Bar

When Scottsdale home brewer Phil Spivey decided to upgrade his beer-making equipment, he wanted to set up the ultimate home brewery. The problem? He couldn’t find equipment where, in his words, “high quality, functionality and reasonable cost intersected.” Thus, the

It’s just 27 days until the 14th annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival, the kickoff of Arizona Beer Week. Nearly 120 breweries will take part in the sure-to-sell-out event at Steele Indian School Park in central Phoenix on Saturday, Feb. 15. The

Arizona Wilderness Brewing is teaming up with Irish pub Skeptical Chymist in north Scottsdale for a beer pairing dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8. Cost will be $35-40. RSVP: remythebartender@gmail.com. Amuse: Roasted squash, cardamom foam, leek and orange peel

If you’re a fan of Belgian beers, Thursday’s monthly tap takeover at Flanny’s in Tempe is a not-to-be-missed event. Instead of a specific brewery, this month’s featured guest is Vanberg & DeWulf, the first company dedicated to importing Belgian beers into

“Adventures in Brew,” a locally produced TV show about craft beer, has launched a crowd-funding campaign to take the program on the road. The show is a collaboration between Valley beer guru James Swann and Scott Kelly of Black Dog

House of Brews in Gilbert is hosting a five-course Oskar Blues beer dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Oskar Blues beer dinner pairings 1st course: Roasted duck spring roll, wasabi cream, Thai peanut (Mama’s Little Yella Pils) 2nd course: Andouille sausage, Dauphinoise potatoes,

If you’ve been eager to try the new Anniversary Baltic Porter from Wanderlust Brewing but haven’t had time to trek up to Flagstaff, you’re in luck. The northern Arizona brewery will be selling bottles at 6 p.m. tonight at Papago Brewing in

The second Thursday of the month means it’s once again Beer & Bacon Night at The Hungry Monk in Chandler. Tonight’s beers will be from Colorado’s Odell Brewing.

Victory Brewing, one of Pennsylvania’s most-acclaimed breweries, will begin selling its beers in Arizona, distributor Hensley announced. Victory has six core beers: HopDevil (IPA), Prima Pils (German pilsner), Golden Monkey (Belgian tripel), Storm King (imperial stout), Headwaters (pale ale), and Dirtwolf (double IPA). Storm

Last month, we told you about Jared Dubina, a Valley home-brewer who was trying to raise $20,000 through Kickstarter to start a European-style brew pub in north Phoenix. Well, it looks like Dubina Brewing Company will become a reality. The Kickstarter

SanTan Brewing taps its late winter seasonal Sex Panther at 11 a.m. today. The double chocolate porter (6.9% ABV) gets its name from this scene in the 2004 movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy.” (Has it really been 10

The Arizona Society of Homebrewers, the largest home-brewing club in the country with more than 500 members, held its annual holiday party Saturday, announcing its 2013 ASHy Awards and revealing election results for its 2014 offices. Echoing a national trend,

Yet another reason Valley beer drinkers are huge fans of Fate Brewing: The Scottsdale brewpub is donating 100 percent of its profits today to be shared among its staff as holiday bonuses. Owner Steve McFate is tapping into his hidden reserve

Four Peaks Brewing has introduced the latest version of its Winter Wobbler, and it has decidedly south-of-the-border flavors this year. The brewery, which celebrated its 17th anniversary earlier this week, changes the style of its winter seasonal every year. This

Fast-growing SanTan Brewing, which plans to begin distributing its beers in several other Southwest states in 2014, has hired Wendy Weathers as its first national business development director. Weathers formerly was national sales director for Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery. “We

Two popular winter seasonal beers face off when Bar Fight 5, the final culinary showdown of 2013, starts today at Nosh Arizona gastropub in Chandler. Here’s how Bar Fight works: Every other month, Nosh chooses two craft beers, and chef Stacey

The Phoenix Brewers Invitational, which takes place Saturday at Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix, is offering a Cyber Monday special: $20 tickets. That’s $5 off the advance price and $15 off the gate price. More than 60 brewers are bringing

You’ve had your turkey. Now for your Goose. At 6 p.m. today, Papago Brewing will host a Goose Island tasting. On the tap list: Bourbon County Stout, Bourbon County Barleywine, Lolita, Illinois IPA, Sophie, and Matilda. The highlights for craft

If you’ve never been to the Great American Beer Festival – the largest ticketed beer festival in the U.S. – in Denver, Taste of Tops is offering you the next best thing. At 5 p.m. today, the Tempe craft beer bar will

Winter Warmer is here! Winter Warmer is here! SanTan Brewing has tapped its award-winning winter seasonal for 2013. Winter Warmer is based on a traditional English Old Ale recipe and then spiced with ginger and sweetened with orange blossom honey.

Fate Brewing celebrates its one-year anniversary on Saturday with an all-day celebration. Starting when doors open at 11 a.m., Steve McFate‘s brew pub will be serving special backyard burgers on the grill as well as a special “anniversary pizza.” Anniversary glassware

From 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Watering Hold bar at Whole Foods Chandler will host an Arizona launch party for Santa Barbara-based Telegraph Brewing. The California brewery – whose founder and CEO, Brian Thompson, grew up in Arizona – will ship

If you missed out on last month’s frenzy – when Arizona Wilderness Brewing‘s debut batch of Picacho Pecan Pie Brown Ale lasted just three days – you have another chance. Brewers Jonathan Buford and Patrick Ware filled a cask with

Although it won’t open until January, the much-anticipated World of Beer Gilbert will hold a pre-opening party Saturday at Arizona Wilderness Brewing. Starting at 3 p.m., you can meet the team behind WOB’s second East Valley craft beer bar and

Rob Fullmer, a three-time president of the Arizona Society of Homebrewers (ASH), has been named executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild. The non-profit guild was formed in 1998 to promote the craft brewing industry in Arizona. It represents 39

Welcome back, Avery Brewing. The Boulder, Colo., brewery’s beers are back on Valley shelves this week after a two-year-plus absence, and Papago Brewing will host a “Welcome Back to Arizona” party at 6 p.m. Thursday. The 20-year-old brewery pulled its

The Wolfpack is on the prowl again. Twenty representatives of the Valley’s top craft beer bars got together last June to collaborate on the brewing of a double IPA, which was released on National IPA Day. Now the group, which

So where are you going Friday to celebrate International Stout Day? A good place to start might be Fate Brewing, where brewer Steve McFate will reintroduce his acclaimed Candy Bar Milk Stout. The specialty ale won a silver medal at last

Lots of beer promotions include glassware giveaways. But Thirsty Lion Pub & Grill is taking it to a new level Friday. From 6-8 p.m., Guinness reps will be handing out 50 free pint glasses at the Tempe Marketplace venue. They

In one of Arizona’s most-anticipated beer events of the year, Papago Brewing Co. will tap a fresh cask of Pilsner Urquell flown directly from the legendary European brewery Friday. The Scottsdale bar won the wood cask in August in a Draft

Arizona Wilderness Brewing in Gilbert taps its much-anticipated new beer – Picacho Pecan Pie Brown Ale – at 11 a.m. today. “We literally threw whole pecan pies in the beer while making it,” brewermaster Jonathan Buford told the AZ Republic. AZWBC then added

One great sign of Arizona’s burgeoning craft beer industry is Flanny’s 3rd Anniversary Beer Festival, which will feature beers from 30 Arizona breweries Saturday. The festival, dubbed Arizona on Tap, will run noon-5 p.m. in the Tempe craft beer bar’s

RailSlide makes its seasonal debut at SanTan Brewing in downtown Chandler today. The imperial spiced ale will be available on draft and in cans during November and December. The 7.1% beer traces its lineage to 12 Daze, a collaboration with Liberty

San Francisco microbrewery Speakeasy Ales & Lager will hold its official Arizona release party from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday at Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert. Speakeasy, whose beer names reference the Prohibition era and its organized crime, will have six beers

SanTan Brewing is busting out its remaining cans of Mr. Pineapple, the Chandler brewery’s summer seasonal, for a breast cancer fundraiser today. Grab a six-pack of the fruity wheat beer – the last you’ll find until next summer – for

Congrats to Flagstaff’s Lumberyard Brewing, which picked up Arizona’s only gold medal at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival in Denver over the weekend. Lumberyard’s Pinecone Pale Ale took top honors in the American-style pale ale category. But you can’t rush out

In a surprise announcement, Colorado-based Avery Brewing says it will resume distribution in Arizona in mid-November. The 20-year-old brewery, located in Boulder, pulled out of Arizona and seven other states in April 2011 because it couldn’t keep up with production demand.

When ASU hosts Colorado in Pac-12 football action Saturday, the Buffaloes will be looking to avenge last year’s 51-17 drubbing by the Sun Devils. And Colorado brewers will be trying to avenge last year’s loss in Lucky Break‘s Beer Wars.

Flanny’s annual Oktapperfest – which features more than 20 Four Peaks beers, food, and games – will run 6-9 p.m. Thursday. This year’s event will spill over into the south Tempe bar’s parking lot. Beside Four Peaks’ core beers, the tap

Tour de Fat – New Belgium Brewing’s annual 12-city celebration of bicycles, music, and beer – stops at Tempe Beach Park next Saturday, Oct. 5. The event, which encourages eclectic attire, begins with an 11 a.m. bicycle parade around north

Four Peaks Brewing releases its most popular seasonal, Pumpkin Porter, today (well, technically at midnight last night) and for the first time is selling it in cans. This year’s version debuts a week earlier than last year’s. It’s available in

It’s Thursday, which means craft beer promos around the East Valley: • The Hungry Monk in Chandler is turning last month’s successful Beer & Bacon Night into a monthly event. Tonight’s kickoff will feature the debut of Grand Canyon Brewing‘s grapefruit-tinged Ruby Red

Last month’s Beer & Bacon Night was so popular The Hungry Monk has decided to do it every month. And the next one, this Thursday, will feature the debut of Grand Canyon Brewing‘s new grapefruit-tinged Ruby Red Pale Ale. Bacon

Yesterday I told you about the City of Chandler’s upcoming four-week class on homebrewing. Wannabe beer-makers also can attend a series of classes in Tempe. The Arizona Society of Homebrewers (ASH), the nation’s largest homebrewing club, is running a five-week class, which

If you’ve wanted to learn how to brew your own beer but didn’t know how to get started, you might want to check out the City of Chandler’s homebrewing class, which returns Oct. 15. It meets from 6-8:30 p.m. for

On Thursday, Sierra Nevada releases another of its Beer Camp pilot creations with an East Valley connection. Breakfast at Chico’s – brewed by J.P. Watts from World of Beer Tempe, Chris Shin from Boulders on Broadway, and Ron Amneus from the Yucca Tap Room – is a

Arizona Wilderness Brewing, Gilbert’s first brewery, celebrated its official grand opening Monday by launching a streamlined version of its kitchen menu. Duck-fat fries, anyone?

Taste of Tops in Tempe is hosting an evening of Belgian beers tonight. On tap: Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaiser Blue Strong Belgian Dark, Gueuze Fond Tradition Belgian Gueuze Sour, Scaldis Strong Belgian Pale, Duvel Belgian Strong Pale, Anchor

If you’re among the legions eagerly waiting for the release of Four Peaks‘ seasonal Pumpkin Porter, the Yucca Tap Room is ready to whet your appetite. The Tempe bar and grill is tapping a long-saved keg of 2012 Pumpkin Porter

Arizona Wilderness Brewing is off and running. Since its soft opening Saturday, Gilbert’s first brewery has added two more beers, bringing its draft offerings up to five total. The newcomers are Refuge IPA, which debuted Sunday, and Bear Wallow Berliner Weiss,

Last February, MXSW broke the news Four Peaks would be begin canning its Peach Ale by the end of summer. Well, that day is almost here. The Tempe brewery announced cans of Peach Ale will be sold at its three

Boulders on Broadway in Tempe will tap a 2011 keg of Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA at 6:30 p.m. today. Also on draft from DFH: Burton Baton, an English old ale mixed with Imperial IPA; Red & White, a witbier fermented with Pinot noir juice; and 60 Minute

James Swann, general manager of The Perch, and Andrew Bauman, its head brewer, will be talking about the soon-to-open Chandler pub and nanobrewery on the GeoBrau Buzz podcast at 5 p.m. today. If you miss the live show, you can

Huss Brewing opens at noon today in south Tempe. And just in case you didn’t read our preview earlier this week, be aware: Owner Jeff Huss won’t start brewing beer until next week. Until those beers are ready, the brewery

More than 25 craft breweries will be showcased at the fourth annual Beat the Heat  Arizona Winterfest beer festival on Friday and Saturday at The Venue in Old Town Scottsdale. The fest runs 5-9 p.m. Friday and 1-6 p.m. Saturday. General

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales will be the focus of this week’s Friday Beer Class at Whole Foods Chander. The informal tasting will feature 10 of the Dexter, Mich., brewery’s ales. The highlights will be its Baudelaire IO saison, which has

Flanny’s craft beer bar in Tempe announced it will celebrate its three-year anniversary Nov. 2 with a beer festival in its parking lot. The event will feature more than 20 breweries, all from Arizona. More details to come.

Cartel Coffee Lab, which jumped into microbrewing earlier this year, will tap two new beers at 2 p.m. Friday at its Tempe location on Ash Avenue. The new brews are Johnson’s Junk, an oak-aged brown ale dry hopped with whole-bean

The Hungry Monk in Chandler will tap the Heroes 19 tribute beer at 3 p.m. and hold a group toast at 6. All proceeds from the golden ale, a collaboration between most of Arizona’s breweries, are being donated to the families

Taste of Tops in Tempe will host a Bear Republic Brewing promo from 6-8 p.m. today. Although the Sonoma County, Calif., brewery is best-known for its Racer 5 IPA, tonight will focus on some of its specialty ales. Bear Republic tap

World of Beer and Stone Brewing are teaming up for a nationwide “Stonehenge Simul-Tapping,” for which the San Diego brewery has recreated its Ruination IPA Grapefruit Slam, previously only available at the brewery. The brew, which will be tapped at 4