Arizona Road Trip - Suggestions Needed

Sedona:

• Not real familiar with the Sedona beer scene but Oak Creek Brewing Co. production facility/tasting room is a very chill spot. When you google map it DONT go to the one close to downtown. That one is a bit too touristy and stuffy for my taste.

On your way to Tucson: Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.

• I'd suggest more in placing in the Greater Phoenix area, but if you're just passing through Wilderness is a must and they have great food as well

In Tucson:

• 1702, Thunder Canyon (downtown), Borderlands Brewing, Ten Fifty Five Brewing, and more......
  • Tucson's been on a bit of a roll recently with breweries and I'm sure many of my fellow Arizonans commenting here will concur.

I'm sure others will comment with more ideas, but those are my initial thoughts.

 

I'd hit Arizona Wilderness and Fate in Phoenix, Dragoon in Tucson and Lumberyard, Wanderlust and Mother Road in Flagstaff. You can get Grand Canyon brewing beer at most of the bars in the GC resort but they have a lot more on tap in the tasting room in Williams

 

Up in flagstaff theres a couple of decent options. Mother Road and Wanderlust probably have the best beer. Dark sky is a newer option where they experiment a lot but as a consequence can be pretty hit or miss. Historic Barrel + Bottle serve mostly their own beer but do have some guest taps and serve food.

As for the rest of the state I'd def hit up Arizona Wilderness and Dragoon.

 

Folks have covered Sedona/Flag pretty well. Limited in Sedona (although the Whole Foods in town has a pretty solid selection of bottles), Flagstaff is better w/ Mother Road, Wanderlust, Historic, and Lumberyard all worth stops. Wanderlust's hours are pretty limited, so be sure to check their website/FB first to make sure they're open. Mother Road and Historic are a little newer, Lumberyard a little more "classic" in feel (their Knotty Pine pale ale is a hidden gem). All worth a stop.

En route to Tucson, I'd hit the new Fate, personally, on McDowell Rd and Scottsdale Rd. Next door, too, to Papago Brewing, which has a few house beers (Coconut Joe is my go-to) plus guest taps and a nice cooler with to-go bottles. Arizona Wilderness is cool too, though probably a little more off the highway than Fate and, frankly, I prefer the latter's beer. Either way, you can't go wrong.

In Tucson, I'd just say that Dragoon is a must. If the Lazarus is still on, make sure you get a nip of that -- barrel-aged barleywine decadence. But all their stuff is top notch -- great range of styles, from a picture perfect West Coast IPA to German styles.

Enjoy!

 

Just got back a couple weeks ago from Sedona/GC/Scottsdale. In addition to the above:

-Sedona: The Oak Creek Brewing pub in town was also really good beer and food-wise.

-grand Canyon: The lounge in the El Tovar Hotel in GC park has some good tap handles if you need refreshment.

-Scottsdale/Mesa: Scottsdale Beer Company, Tap 64, Beer Research Institute.

 

Fate South or AZ Wilderness for sure. I cannot stress how much you need to try Lazarus in Tucson at Dragoon. Possibly the best Barleywine I've ever had and one of the top 2-3 beers made in the state.

 

Can't speak on the rest of AZ (relatively new transplant), but I can comment on Tucson. Dragoon is a must. All of their beers are solid. Barrio has good brews and burgers. Tap and Bottle has a pretty big selection and always has something good on tap. Also, although I've yet to visit, I've heard from fellow beer enthusiasts that Public has good stuff on tap as well.

 

If I were you and I was leaving the GC/Flag area and didn't have to go back through Sedona and could choose anyway to Tucson I wished, I would take the turnoff in Camp Verde and drive over to Payson and then down into Mesa from there. Excellent drive, really scenic and beautiful, you've got the White Tank mountains and then the Four Peaks on your way down the hill, PLUS, you get to go to THAT! Brewery in Payson. Look into it...

 

Make sure you hit up Pueblo Vida in Tucson. Heard good things about Public Brewhouse but haven't been there yet. For bars, I'd check out Ermanos if you want good food, and Tucson Hop Shop is my new favorite place to drink in town.

 

Anyone know AZ Wilderness growler fill policies? Will they fill any growlers, or only their own? Do they counterfill?