What to drink in AZ?

For hoppy beers go to Sun Up Brewing. They make some of the best IPA's and varients around. Beyond that Four Peaks, Huss, Fate, Papago and San Tan are all solid for hops. You should also look for Lumberyard in bottles or on tap. Huss, Fate and Papago all have guest taps as well and normally they have quite a few hop centric beers. Arizona Wilderness is worth a visit but their beers are too inconsistent for me and I don't like sour beers that smell like puke but from time to time their IPA's are good.

For other beer places, OHSO, Angels Trumpet, Flannys, Tops, Sun Devil liquor, Whole Foods in North Scottsdale, Chandler or 20th st in Phoenix are all good places to hit. Avoid North Mountain, Old World, Bad Water and Desert Eagle. Mother Bunch, Dubina, Beer Research Institute and Scottsdale Beer Company are all new and I can't honestly give them a thumbs up or down at this point in time.

If you take the time to read the forum you will see other posts covering this topic already ad nauseum. Use Seekabrew to see what is distributed here.

 

Hey welcome.
Not sure of your dates but AZ beer week i pretty close:
starts Feb 12 i think:
http://arizonabeerweek.com/


Even if the timing is off the webpage there lists many of the good places to go.

Also please use the search feature: there are many threads about AZ bars, breweries, beers etc. in this forum

You should be able to find some freshly dated cans of Lumberyard Knotty Pine APA
That's the one that won the medals at GABF in 2013, 2014 for APA if that means anything to you.
Current release says best by "March 2015"
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23675/111705/
despite low BA score it's pretty solid.


Dragoon makes excellent IPAs. they dont bottle but may be on draft around PHX.
Mother Road make one of the best Black IPAs ive had from any state. It's available in bottles everywhere.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28391/94740/


Many PHX are bars use Taphunter now so you can get a look at draftlists.

We get Green Flash, Odell, Caldera, Knee Deep, Squatters, Mission, Ninkasi, Nebraska, and Upslope here in AZ (all of which i think don't go to IL) who all make several solid IPAs.

Seekabrew is somewhat out of date about breweries distributed to AZ. New ones show up almost every week. But it is still a good place to start.

If you have questions feel free to reply.

 

four peaks in tempe. ohso in phoenix. wilderness in gilbert.

you might also check with the hungry monk in chandler. they do some good taps.

for good eats.. british open pub in scottsdale. fnb in scottsdale.

 

@luwak 's suggestions were spot on, especially Dragoon, and I second his suggestion to just use TapHunter because so many of our better beer bars use it and keep it updated.

There's a growing list of local breweries so my advice is don't get bogged down on just one place. Taste broadly and get a good sense about what local beers are like here:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/place/city/29/

 

haven't noticed it myself. I would try TOPS liquor first.

 

Chuck Noll just posted this on FB. Maybe some of this will be around when you are here so bring a growler.
"Since the cat is more or less out of the bag, thought we would give you some updates. We will be carrying the fine beers of Alpine Brewing starting in the next couple of weeks. We will initially be draft only with the hope of package down the line. The lineup to start will be Hoppy Birthday, Mcilhenney's, Nelson, Captain's Stout, Alpine Ale and Duet. Because of their relationship with Green Flash, most of the initial shipment will go to the accounts that best support Green Flash. Hope to have some more fun stuff coming your way shortly."

I believe both Tops and Papago have some Knee Deep on the shelves.

 

could be wrong, but i believe Wholefoods carries Knee Deep.

 

I've seen Knee Deep at Whole Foods AND Papago.

 

Jumping back into this thread since I saw it come up in search --

Going to be in Phoenix for a few days next month, and wanted to know if there were places that typically get Arizona Wilderness beers on tap near US Airways arena (or anywhere downtown), or if it's luck of the draw, really? Want to get to the brewery, but may not be able to based on what my wife also wants to do while we're in town. So any places I can expect to find it other than there?

Thanks!

 

Unfortunately, they currently don't distribute their beers outside the brewpub, so your only option would be to head to the brewpub. If I recall correctly, it'd be around 35 minutes by car from downtown Phoenix to AZW.

 

Ah, damn. Appreciate the help. That's a bummer, but may have to rework plans to accommodate.

 

@CityofWind_brew I was told by the beer distributor for Knee Deep was no longer in AZ. They had trouble selling it believe it or not, not enough awareness of the beer.

 

If it were me, I'd rework to hit Fate in Scottsdale, as I find their brews far superior. If you're staying downtown and need a spot generally accessible via transit (or a shortish car ride), Sun Up Brewing is a solid choice. Always have a couple cask offerings and good/frequently rotating seasonals.

 

Thank you for those tips! Will be grabbing dinner in Scottsdale on Saturday, so I'll redirect there.

I'll have some time to hang out around Phoenix before the Suns game that Sunday night (sad Knicks fan here), so will make Sun Up a priority.

 

If you want to stay closer to the arena Sunday night, you also might head over to Angel's Trumpet Ale House -- 30 high quality taps, usually 3-5 locals, with the remaining a mix of really good craft and import stuff. If you enjoy a good walk -- maybe 15-20 mins -- you can hoof it to/from the arena or just get a cab/pedicab.

There's also Copper Blues, just a block or two from the arena, in the CityScape complex. 60+ handles, maybe not as many "deep cuts" from the craft world, but respectable enough. I prefer the vibe of Angel's Trumpet, and I tend to trust they take care of their tap lines/have better turnover than Copper Blues, but the latter ain't bad if you wanna keep it nice and close to the arena.

Edit: there's also a new joint on 7th St and Roosevelt, far enough to want a cab/pedicab most likely, called Mother Bunch, which has a couple house brews and then maybe 15-20 locals. I haven't had MB's own stuff yet, so I can't speak to its quality, but it's one more option if you're looking to hit several spots.

 

Great stuff! I'll definitely read up on those. We'll likely want to stay close to the arena for dinner on Sunday, if only so we can just walk right over afterward.

Would you recommend the food at any of those spots? I'm up for anything, though my wife doesn't like anything *too* greasy (and doesn't eat pork).

 

Angel's Trumpet has a fun, quirky menu, replete with house-made pop tarts among other goodies. Think creative gastropub fare. You can view the menu via their FB page. Their flatbread pizzas are usually solid and well portioned. Last time I was there, I think the wife had the grilled cheese, which she quite enjoyed, and I the Nutter, a peanut butter, banana, and raspberry chipotle jam sandwich, which was tasty if a little dense. I'm a sucker, though, for the hot pretzels (excellent crispy exterior) and beer mustard. Overall, better food than Copper Blues for sure, which is more standard pub/grill food, pizzas, wings, etc., generally not too greasy or anything, just more conventional and not as good as Angel's Trumpet, IMO.

Other options for grub downtown might be Arrogant Butcher -- good steaks, of course, but lots of other tasty stuff on the menu (including some really good salads, if that interests you/your wife more), good charcuterie board, and a solid, though not extensive, mix of local/regional craft options. If you want pizza, there's Hanny's, really modern/stark sort of interior, but the ingredients are fresh and tasty, and the $5 martinis (gin, extra olives, of course ) are surprisingly solid. For some Southwest-oriented fare, there's Sam's Cafe, which is in the Arizona Center nearby. Good stuff, but not really beer-oriented. Oh, and Fuego Bistro, next door to Arrogant Butcher, will also satisfy your Southwest-style cravings. Those would be my reccs, but there's plenty of other options, depending on your mood.

I should add there's Pizzeria Bianco nearby as well, which has garnered a ton of national awards, but I hesitate to include it as the lines can be pretty ornery. Not always, though, so it's worth a shot if it intrigues you. Nobuo, in the same little area as Bianco, is fantastic, per the reports of my sister, but I've never been. Japanese fare, owner/chef Nobuo Fukuda is a former James Beard winner, and the lunch menu is surprisingly affordable. From everything I've heard, if you guys enjoy something a little more adventerous, it's well worth taking a chance on.