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Craft Beer

Destination Beertown: Flagstaff, AZ

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We Tried Every Beer Made in Downtown Flagstaff — Here’s a Guide to 6 Northern Arizona Breweries
DAVE CLARK | JANUARY 25, 2016 | PHOENIX NEW TIMES

For many Valley residents, winter in Arizona means getting in the car, driving north, and seeing the snow. There’s no better place to do it all than Flagstaff, a two-and-a-half-hour drive for most Phoenix-area residents and a city that’s home to a burgeoning craft brewing scene.

Downtown Flagstaff has many breweries and virtually all are within walking distance of each other, so we took it as a personal challenge to try every single beer made in downtown Flagstaff — you know, to help you filter through the “filler” and get to the heart of the area’s best beers. If you’re heading to Flagstaff anytime soon, check out these breweries and let this list be your guide to great craft brewing enjoyment.

Lumberyard Brewery
5 S. San Francisco Street
lumberyardbrewingcompany.com

The red brick and stucco interior projects a feeling of comfort in this renovated old-style building. Patrons can see the action in the brewery which is behind glass and readily visible. Lumberyard is a hot spot and definitely a destination place. Knotty Pine Pale Ale, Flagstaff IPA, and Humphrey’s Hefeweizen are all recommend beers crafted to style and impressively done. These three beers are “can’t miss,” but try the full sampler platter to get the entire Lumberyard experience.

Historic Brewing’s Barrel & Bottle House
110 S. San Francisco St.
www.historicbrewingcompany.com

Historic says, “We not only make great beer, we craft awesomeness.” With a mantra like that, it’s a must-stop on any Flagstaff brewery tour. Piehole Porter is the undisputed star of the show, a cherry-vanilla porter that drinks like a liquid cherry cordial. This beer garners buzz all over the state and there is no doubt why. Beaches and Ho Ho Holiday Ale is a delicious seasonal offering. This beer drinks like a fresh-cut Christmas tree smells, with spruce aromas dominating alongside a well-balanced array of spices. At 7.7 percent ABV, it delivers a punch along with its spicing.

Flagstaff Brewery
16 Historic Route 66
www.flagbrew.com

A casual pub atmosphere awaits with a varied clientele of locals and vacationers, young and old. Blackbird Porter is the showcase here with roast and chocolate notes working well together with a firm hop backbone. This beer is, by far, Flagstaff Brewing’s best offering.

Dark Sky Brewing
117 N. Beaver St.
www.darkskybrewing.com

Dark Sky is the newest member of the Flagstaff brewing scene, having opened May 1, 2015. Creativity is key at Dark Sky; they are willing to try just about anything. Their business model is to produce 100 different beers in the next year and receive public input; the most popular ones will become permanent. Hot Chocolate Serrano Stout topped the charts with big chocolate flavors and a pleasant pepper aroma and light heat with a hint of roast. Bloody Hell is a 6 percent ABV ale made with Roma tomatoes created to taste like a Bloody Mary. The creativity doesn’t stop there as Marga Wheata Wheat Ale is an easy drinking, 4.3 percent ABV beer made with Himalayan Sea Salt and fresh lime, tasting like, you guessed it, a margarita.

Mother Road Brewery
7 S. Mike’s Pike St.
www.motherroadbeer.com

John Steinbeck once referred to Historic Route 66 as “The Mother Road,” and there’s no doubt Steinbeck would have enjoyed one of these brews while crafting a novel. Groveside delivers a strong, pleasant flavor of clean, natural oranges. Tower Station IPA provides an array of hop derived aromas and flavors such as mango, pine, and grapefruit with a crisp, clean finish. The brewery also serves a cask-conditioned version of the beer, lending cantaloupe-like notes to the aroma. The 3rd Anniversary Ale is, by far, the most complex beer, marrying flavors of bourbon and vanilla on a traditional stout base. Check it out, but take it slow with this high-alcohol sipping beer.

Beaver Street Brewery
11 S. Beaver St.
www.beaverstreetbrewery.com

Beaver Street Brewery was the original brewery of the folks who also founded Lumberyard. The brewery features Lumberyard beers to go along with its extensive menu. While most offerings are the same as at Lumberyard Brewery, the R&R Stout is a unique offering that provides roasty, chocolate, and molasses character in a malt-forward presentation.

 
Dave is a certified cicerone and former professional brewer. When he’s not doing something beer-related, Dave enjoys writing, listening to, and performing music, hiking, skiing, and watching baseball.
This article first appeared in the Phoenix New Times January 25, 2016.
Craft Beer

Dissecting The IPA: America’s Favorite Craft Beer Style

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IPA, short for India Pale Ale, dominates tap handles and sales numbers in the craft beer world. In 2008 IPA was already the most popular style of craft and in eight short years it has increased twenty fold in total sales! Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman introduced hop forward beers to the mainstream with his Pale Ale back in 1980. So for those who think hops are a fad, it’s a 37 year-old fad that shows no signs of slowing up.

The showcased ingredient in IPAs is the hops, which come from the plant Humulus Lupulus. This is a vine-like plant that produces hop flowers known as strobiles. Within these strobiles are two prized contributions to brewing: alpha acids and hop oils. Alpha acids, when boiled, provide the bitterness in beer which gives the drinker the crisp, clean finish and acts to balance the sweet malt. The hop oils produce the flavor and aroma, which, in American style hops, typically provide flavors and aromas of pine, grapefruit, tropical fruit and citrus.

There are various sub-categories of IPA such as light or “session” IPAs, Black IPAs, Red IPAs, Belgian IPAs (fermented with Belgian yeast) and many more. Standout examples of IPAs include: Ballast Point Sculpin, Deschutes’ Fresh Squeezed, and Firestone Walker Union Jack. To many craft beer lovers, bitter is better and there’s no sign of IPA’s popularity slowing down anytime soon.

Legend has it that British colonists and military personnel who were stationed in India were thirsty for the beer of their homeland. Beer exported from England to India had to travel for many miles usually in very hot temperatures. Heat and oxygen are enemies to beer and what arrived in India was often undrinkable. Brewers soon realized that in addition to adding bitterness and flavor to the beer, hops also contained anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties. British brewers loaded their traditional pale ale with hops to see if it would sustain through the long, hot journey to India. Not only did it sustain, many of the colonists actually preferred this new style of beer to their traditional pale ale, and out of necessity, a new style was born.

Since the “pale” in India pale ale refers to color, it creates a bit of a misnomer in the modern beer world when you hear of beers known as Black or Red IPAs. A beer can’t really be pale and black, can it? For now, until a new moniker sticks, we will still refer to these beers as IPAs, regardless of color, even if it may be grammatically incorrect.

IPAs are intentionally unbalanced beers that showcase the hops, usually with just enough malt to back up the hop assault. Traditionally made with mostly base malt which gives IPA their pale color, and just enough character malts such as Crystal, Munich or Victory to add some color, body and complexity, these beers tend to hover in the 6-7% abv range. The drinker will find a lot of flavor up front and a pleasant dry, crisp finish. IPAs pair wonderfully with fried foods since they are a terrific palate cleanser.

Craft Beer

Visiting PHX? Here’s 5 Must See Breweries

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DAVE CLARK | DECEMBER 22, 2016 | PHOENIX NEW TIMES

Craft beer is all the rage across America, and it’s no different here in the Valley. Breweries are popping up at an amazing rate and though many are still in the middle of their learning curve, the five we are featuring today produce delicious, consistent beer that rivals many larger, more established nationwide breweries. Whether you’re a local, a snowbird, or just visiting for the weekend, these are five breweries you need to check out right now.

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company
721 North Arizona Avenue, Gilbert

What’s in a name? A lot, if you’re Arizona Wilderness. Owners Jonathan Buford and Patrick Ware create specialty beers with a local feel. Recently, they produced a saison called Connections that featured grain, hops, (and, of course, water) that was all locally sourced to produce an exemplary take on the classic saison style, a fairly complex beer style that they have mastered.

With brewers Chase Saraiva and Nick Pauley recently joining the team, quality control has reached a whole new level and the output is off the charts. Arizona Wilderness currently boasts 21 different options, with only their flagship Refuge IPA being available year round.

In October, the brew team went down to Apple Annie’s Orchard in Willcox, Arizona, to pick some apples for a future brewing project. The culmination of that project has come to fruition in the form of Biere De Wassail, a wintery Belgian strong ale made with these apples and old English mulled cider spices. The beer has a substantial base of malty dark fruit, and the tartness of the apples are a perfect counterpoint. As with most Wilderness offerings, this will be a limited offering, so it’s just another reason why you should stop in right now and check them out.

Helton Brewing Company
2144 East Indian School Road

Brian Helton has worked in the industry more than 19 years and brewed thousands of batches, including more than 60 different styles of beer. He’s a Certified Cicerone and an Ohio native who hails from the Cincinnati area, a city known for its appreciation of great beer. Helton is an unassuming, somewhat quiet guy filled with beer knowledge who is happy and eager to engage all his customers in beer-related conversation.

The bright yellow chairs catch the eye and welcome patrons to this spotless, inviting taproom. Helton typically has a few year-round beers along with some specialties and seasonal offerings. His Scotch Ale is very traditional, with a malt-forward sweetness that lingers pleasantly into the finish. The IPA has a fresh pine and citrus aromatic quality that continues through the flavor into a crisp, refreshing finish. The pilsner, a challenging style to produce, is done with pristine attention to detail, providing a crisp and clean malt. Though you’ll have to wait until next fall to try it, Helton’s Dark Munich Lager may be the best traditional-styled beer produced in Arizona. Just tapped is the Black IPA, with all the hop flavor and aromatics of a traditional IPA showcased within a dark-colored body resembling a stout or porter without the roasty character that typically accompanies those styles. They also have a milk stout available, giving you your choice of traditional carbon dioxide or nitro for that creamy, softer essence. No matter what beers you choose, do not leave without trying the Belgian waffle, which pairs well with most of the lineup.

McFate (South) Brewing Company
1312 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

Steve McFate opened his first brewery in North Scottsdale in 2012, originally called Fate Brewing, with the intent on making finely crafted beers to pair with his delicious wood-fired pizzas. Scottsdale, and the rest of the Valley, took notice, and the popularity of the brewery necessitated opening a second, larger location at the other end of Scottsdale. The new facility, often referred to as”McFate Souths” showcases some of the finest brewpub architecture in Arizona, providing a comfortable environment to enjoy these finely crafted beers. Whether you prefer to sit inside or enjoy a breeze in the open-air bar or patio, the knowledgeable and friendly staff is ready to accommodate your every need.

McFate is also known for producing very clean, repeatable beers. The Irish Red is a style that not many breweries produce, and maybe they should, because this example is outstanding. A Southwestern take on a cream ale, the Hatch Chile Cream Ale provides delicious and clean pepper flavor without any distracting heat. This is a must try on any trip to McFate’s. A golden ale, pale ale, and an IPA are typically available and are solid. All the rage, especially this time of year, is the Candy Bar Milk Stout. Creatively infused with honey-roasted peanuts, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, and sea salt, this sweet stout features enough natural chocolate flavor to make you think someone melted your favorite bar of Ghirardelli into your glass. If you love chocolate, or have a friend who says they don’t like beer, bring them here for a Candy Bar Milk Stout and you are sure to convert them to the dark side. This beer won a silver medal at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival when the fledgling McFate (or Fate, at the time) Brewing had been open just five months.

Pedal Haus Brewery
730 South Mill Avenue, Tempe

Speaking of fine architecture, Pedal Haus opened in fall 2015 with one of the area’s nicest facilities, in the heart of Sun Devil country on Tempe’s Mill Avenue. Pedal Haus mastermind Julian Wright has already remodeled the entire facility, improving the size of the brewing system to keep up with demand and even more importantly, he created an entirely different feel to the brewpub that focused on “multiple intimate environments under one roof,” according to Wright. The new look is stunning.

Wright’s business partner and brewmaster Derek “Doc” Osbourne has been producing quality beers for decades in the Phoenix area. Though they feature some styles you’d expect, such as a quality IPA and an easy drinking lager, Pedal Haus also focuses on some lesser-known styles such as kolsch, an English porter, and this writer’s personal favorite, the Biere Blanche Witbier. Blanche features soft white wheat, orange peel, and coriander, and truly rivals any traditionally brewed Belgian example. This beer itself is worth the journey to Pedal Haus, but don’t stop there. The English porter provides notes of roast and chocolate on a fairly light body making it very drinkable. The kolsch features subtle grainy malt sweetness with a slight fruity yeast character making it a great thirst-quencher. Want to take it up a notch? Try the barrel aged quad that checks in at 10.6 percent ABV. It provides sweetness from both the huge malt bill and the pleasantly warming alcohol. If you do, take it slow, as it will catch up to you before you know it. No matter what you prefer to drink, the Bavarian Pretzels are a perfect accompaniment to any beer, and they are served with three dipping sauces including beer cheese, honey butter, and spicy mustard.

North Mountain Brewing Company
522 East Dunlap Avenue

Beer and music is a combination that is hard to beat, and at North Mountain Brewing Company, they have plenty of both. Besides frequent live entertainment, musical references are often weaved into the names of the beers. A perfect case in point is their latest offering, N.I.B. Imperial Stout, a not-so-subtle reference to the classic Black Sabbath song. Equally unsubtle is Grooving with a Pict Scottish ale, a reference to an old school Pink Floyd classic. After all, a great beer should be accompanied by a great name.

North Mountain Brewing provides a comfortable setting whether your intent is to have a meal, a few beers, hang out with a small group, or listen to some music. The full service brewpub has a solid menu, and each of the items we tried were enjoyable and paired well with the beer sampler.

Founded by Arizona native Rob Berkner and his wife, Candy, North Mountain focuses on beer and community — and they do it well. All of the beers we sampled were solid to outstanding, with the “Pict” being one of the standouts. On a chocolate kick? How about enjoying a Chocodelia Porter, which pairs wonderfully with most of the dessert options on the menu.

 
Dave is a Certified Cicerone and former professional brewer. When he’s not doing something beer-related, Dave enjoys writing, listening to and performing music, hiking, skiing, and watching baseball.
This story first appeared in The Phoenix New Times December 22, 2016.
Craft Beer

Arizona Road Trip: 5 Breweries off the Beaten Path

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5 Arizona Breweries to Check Out During Your Next Weekend Getaway

DAVE CLARK | APRIL 14, 2017 | PHOENIX NEW TIMES

There’s nothing quite like the sound of the open road, cranking the tunes and mentally ejecting from the day-to-day working life for a weekend of fun. Phoenix residents love to venture out to cooler spots as the weather heats up, and what better reason to get out of town than to check out a new brewery … or five?

No matter where your plans take you, we have the perfect Arizona watering hole for you to check out while you’re there.

That Brewery
In the Tonto National Forest
3270 AZ Route 87, Pine

Scenic Route 87 is not only a beautiful and easy drive from Phoenix, but it’s also something of a precursor to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The sensory overload of pine is hypnotizing, and very similar to the aromas found in many hop-laden IPAs. Pine, citrus, and fruit are key descriptors of an IPA, and that’s exactly what any hop lover will be looking for after this drive. That Brewery doesn’t disappoint, offering three different varieties of hoppy IPAs along with their pale ale. Located in a small building just past the Natural Bridge State Park, there’s even a volleyball court outside. If the weather doesn’t agree, there is a full-service dining area and bar inside the building, with classic rock playing on the jukebox. A full menu is available along with a rotating lineup of That Brewery’s beers. The Monsoon Mud Stout and Chocolate Creamsicle Porter were the standouts on our visit, with Knotty Nut Brown, Barefoot Pale Ale, and Road Rash IPA also doing the job.

Verde Brewing Company
In the Prescott National Forest
325 South Main Street, Camp Verde

Verde Brewing Company builds on the Verde Valley’s agricultural prowess to fulfill their mantra of “Beer for Life.” They start the cycle by using local ingredients in their beers. Even their hamburgers are locally sourced. Verde Brewing provides a number of different brews, including two stouts, BullPen Stout (a rich bourbon stout) and Honey Pot Stout. The honey is locally sourced and prevalent in several of their beers. If honey is your thing, they also offer a Honey Brown, a beer with rich toasted malt flavors. It is also a key ingredient in the very popular Off To Jail Pale Ale, both a fan and owner favorite. Copper Canyon IPA and its 90 IBUs will satisfy the hop seekers of Arizona, while Red Neck Rodeo and Saison fill out the current beer lineup. The food menu provides lots of choices from typical bar favorites such as nachos, onion rings, and wings to full entrees, many of which are featured on different nights of the week. Three steak options, salmon, and penne marinara are staples along with a huge list of sandwich and burger options. Nightly specials include the fish and chips on Friday, prime rib on Saturday, and chicken piccata on Sunday. Occasionally, Verde Brewing will feature live music — check their website for up-to-date information on live performances. This is a great spot for someone traveling to or from the Sedona, Cottonwood, or Prescott areas, just a short drive east off I-17.

Oak Creek Brewing Company
In the Coconino National Forest
336 Route 179, Sedona

People travel from all over the world to see Sedona’s famous red rocks. And the hiking and mountain biking are also some of the country’s best. All that outdoor activity works up quite a thirst, and Oak Creek Brewing Company has been satisfying for more than 20 years. Oak Creek’s owner is a trained brewmaster and incorporated a rarely used brewing art known as spunding into the production of Oak Creek’s beers. Spunding is the process of trapping some of the natural carbon dioxide given off during fermentation and using it to carbonate the beer. This produces a somewhat smoother carbonation that is very pleasant on the palate. Speaking of the palate, the full menu is reason alone to check out Oak Creek and if you’re not too distracted looking at the beautiful outdoor sites, you can watch the meals being prepared in the display kitchen. Grab a “fire kissed” pizza or a rotisserie chicken. The beers at Oak Creek have won numerous awards, including the gold lager, hefeweizen and pale ale. But no beer here is finer than the wonderfully crafted Nut Brown Ale, which showcases rich, toasted malt flavors with a hint of pecan-like nuttiness, with just enough hops to balance the malt sweetness and allow the beer to finish crisp. Don’t leave Oak Creek without trying at least one. And if you like it as much as we think you will, you can find Nut Brown Ale in bottles at fine craft beer stores all over Phoenix. Located in the historic Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village, you can enjoy some window shopping or maybe catch a live musical performance in the courtyard before or after your brewery experience.

Pueblo Vida Brewing
115 East Broadway Boulevard, Tucson

This small Tucson brewery has been getting a lot of buzz in the brewing community, especially for the hop-forward beers. And there are no shortage of hop options to choose from at Pueblo Vida. Four IPAs and two pale ales means hops dominate more than half of the current lineup. Those not particularly hop-savvy need not fear; malt forward options such as the house favorite Bavarian Hefeweizen, the Table for One Saison and the Breakfast Stout (finished with cold brew coffee from a local roaster) give patrons some non-hoppy options. And for those who like to hang somewhere in the middle, the Paradox dry-hopped American brown ale may be just what you’re looking for. Pueblo Vida’s passion is brewing; striving for quality, uniqueness, and repeatability. The aim of owners Kyle Jefferson and Linette Antillon is to create an authentic beer drinking experience by brewing unique and world-inspired beer styles that are locally crafted with the highest quality ingredients. Pueblo Vida is open seven days a week, and often, Tuesdays are infusion nights where a certain house beer is infused with exciting and exotic spices or other ingredients to give it an entirely new character. Pints and Poses happens on Sundays, when you can do a little yoga before your Sunday day drinking. Hey at least you’re breaking even, right?

Wanderlust Brewing’s Head brewer Jesse Kortepeter filling a barrel with beer that will age and develop character.
Photo: Nathan Friedman

Wanderlust Brewing Company
In the Coconino National Forest
1519 North Main Street, Flagstaff

True, the taproom at Wanderlust is only be open Wednesday through Saturday, and this one is slightly off the beaten path compared with other Flagstaff breweries, but the creativity and top-notch beers are worth adjusting your schedule to ensure a trip here is part of your vacation plan. Wanderlust was created five years ago by owner Nathan Friedman with a focus on Old World traditional beer styles crafted with new modern and local twists. Wanderlust constantly rotates seasonal and specialty releases around their three year-round staple beers. Chateau Americana is a Belgian pale ale, highlighting beautiful Belgian malt character with subtle but pleasant hopping, while Pan-American Stout is a vanilla coffee stout made with Mexican vanilla extract and locally sourced coffee. 928 Local is an 8 percent ABV farmhouse ale that is the brewery’s flagship beer, brewed with local honey and fermented with a locally harvested yeast domesticated by the brewery. Wanderlust has an extensive barrel aging and sour program, some of which gets bottled from time to time, to their fans’ delight. Wanderlust tends to focus on approachable yet unique styles with an emphasis on local first. The consistency and quality control practiced by head brewer Jesse Kortepeter are evident in everything they do at Wanderlust.

 
Dave is a Certified Cicerone and former professional brewer. When he’s not doing something beer-related, Dave enjoys writing, listening to, and performing music, hiking, skiing, and watching baseball.
This story originally published in the Phoenix New Times April 14, 2017.
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