Phoenix Area

Closest to your area is Four Peaks (now owned by Bud) so depends how you feel about all of that but I won't support them anymore, then you have Pedal Haus and Taste of Tops in Tempe near the campus. Not far away is McFate South and Papago Brewing, Goldwater Brewing, OHSO, Helton Brewing and Wren House. On Mill Ave you have plenty of food/beer options. Tops is doing a Dogfish event with Sam Calagione this Thursday so they will probably have some left over special beers since it is a very small place and takes them time to blow through beers. You should also consider light railing it to Sun Up Brewing.

 

just echoing the above..

if around south scottsdale, hit mcfate and papago. might also suggest british open pub for some food. bottle shops in the area would be tops liquor and liquor express.

would also recommend hitting az wilderness, in the gilbert/chandler area. id head east and hit gcm (gilbert convenience mart) for bottles.

if in phoenix, hit wren house. closest/best bottle shop in the area is kings convenience.

 

The Brass Tap is a good bar right next to the Cubs complex. The Yard near ASU is a great place to eat and hang out. For Breweries, the places with the best combo of good beer and food would probably be AZ Wilderness and McFate South.

 

Just spent several days visiting family in Phx for Thanksgiving...we went to several places...nothing was really amazing but being from the East Coast I'm probably just spoiled.

Standouts were:
Arizona Wilderness
Wren House
Trumpets Ale House

AZ Wilderness and Trumpets are places to eat great food and drink pretty decent beer. I think AZ Wilderness is releasing cans this Saturday of their "Dirty Hop Water" series...had several decent beers there one night for dinner. Food is awesome there.

Tops is a good spot to grab a few beers and the store (attached) had a good selection of beers you can take home or drink on site.

 

They are. Although it will most likely sell out that day. Check their social media when you get here and see if they still have it. Worth picking up for sure if the last entry in the series is any indication. If it does sell out, usually keg stays on for at least a few days, if not longer. They may even fill a growler for you.

Regardless, AZ Wilderness is a MUST.

Also worth noting: Modern Times (out of San Diego) is having some tap takeovers in the valley next week. Check out their events page for Arizona. They are putting out some great stuff, and their distribution is still really small. I know I'll be attending one of those events just to get a taste of that Blam! Blam! IPA.

Other than that, I mostly second all of the recommendations here: McFate South/Papago, (Taste of) Tops, and I'm sure you'll have a hell of a time on Mill, if that's what you're into. There's an Irish Pub at the North end of the Mill Ave stretch called Rula Bula. Great food there. You could get a Guiness (when in Rome...), or you could just get the canned Dragoon IPA they offer.

Definitely try Dragoon if you can, and Mother Road, although you won't be able to visit the breweries, most likely, as they are in Tucson and Flagstaff respectively. I'd also mention Huss for some high quality brews in south Tempe. They do mostly good work.

Sorry for the book. Just trying to help out.

 

A timely thread for me as I will be in Phoenix the following week. Is there a definitive resource you locals use to keep track of tap takeovers and other events? Definitely plan to hit AZ Wilderness. I went there shortly after they opened the last time I was in town and was really happy that they came to North Carolina earlier this year to participate in one of our beer festivals. What a fantastic brewery!

 

Was just in PHX so I can echo some of this.

AZ Wilderness is awesome. It's $8 for five 5oz pours, and they overfilled the hell out of all of my pours so you're getting a looooooooooooooot of beer for $8. They had about 20 things on tap, running the gamut of styles, doing very well with all of them. They have bottles and crowlers to go and great food.

Four Peaks is solid since you're gonna be in the area, but nothing overwhelmingly special beer wise.

Huss is a little further away but great, great beers and $6 six packs/$30 cases to go.

My favorite beer on the trip, though, was 12 West. It's kind of far from where you'll be but seriously terrific beers. Also have great food and there's a dope wine bar next door too

GCM had a great selection for sure and another place I stopped (City Wine & Spirits I think? Mesa area) had an even better one.

Lastly: if you can find fresh San Tan Moon Juice definitely grab some. Phenomenal IPA.

 

I've never heard of 12 West. Certainly didn't think I'd be learning something about our local beer scene from an out-of-towner! I'll have to check it out next time I'm out that way.

Also, I agree about the Moon Juice. One of the better year-round IPAs in the state.

 

I believe the place opened up legit like two weeks ago, so that's probably why. It's in an old airplane hangar in Mesa right by Joe's Farm Grill.