Even with our six-month summers, Valley beer fans don’t need much prompting when it comes to flipping the fall-brew switch. Give us one sub-90-degree day, and we’ll drink whatever exotically spiced Christmas ale you stick in front of us. Still, if you want something to ease the transition, this roasty yet refreshing red from Simple Machine Brewing Co. in Phoenix will do quite nicely. With its malty, caramel-forward backbone, it’s a throwback beer to be sure, reminiscent of the great ’90s ambers that jump-started the modern craft movement, but with the subtle fruity esters and artful flourishes that have come to typify Simple Machine, launched late last year by expatriated members of Tucson’s highly respected Borderlands Brewing Co. Call it a fall beer for when it still feels like summer outside.
