Thirsty Thursday Top 10: Ranking the New Craft Beer Releases from Arizona Breweries

It’s a bittersweet week for craft beer fans in the Valley. Helio Basin is permanently closing, but Tombstone is moving in to take over that space in Arcadia. Make sure to raise a glass to toast the coming and going. Here are the top 10 choices of new craft releases to do it with.

1. Tombstone IPA and No Coast IPA

We might as well put this at the top of the list to get ready for Tombstone North’s anticipated opening on Friday.  The flagship IPA and a new version of No Coast IPA are fresh in cans at fine craft beer stores across the Valley, and are great to enjoy at home if you can’t make it to the new location.

2. Pumpkin Day at O.H.S.O.

Inject autumn into your veins! All four locations will have at least 15 pumpkin beers on tap on Thursday, with mini-pumpkin pie slices to pair with.

3. Double La Ciudad from Arizona Wilderness

To celebrate a year of being open on the corner of Second Street and Roosevelt in Downtown Phoenix, Wilderness has doubled up on its classic La Ciudad IPA for a much bigger 8.5% ABV DIPA, which releases on Saturday. Also be on the lookout for Pecan Pie Brown Ale coming out on Friday on draft and in cans.

4. Scheduling Conflict Milkshake IPA from Throne Brewing & TCBC

Glendale brewery Throne (formerly Dubina) collaborated with fellow west side nanobrewery TCBC out of Litchfield Park to brew a hazy strawberry milkshake IPA. Social media posts indicate its brewed in honor of Simple Machine Brewing, the north Phoenix brewery that has created several milkshake IPA styles recently. They must all be friends because Scheduling Conflict is available at all three locations on draft and in cans this weekend. Cheers to inside jokes!

5. Triple can release from Pueblo Vida

The brewers down in Tucson are busy again! Rufous Pale Ale, Press IPA and Stadt Beer German- style Pilsner are all hot off the canning line and bundled in four-packs to go.

6. Fuzzberry Sour from Simple Machine

When they’re not engaging in beer wars (see above), the folks at Phoenix’s Simple Machine are packing loads of berries into sour beers, like they did with the peaches and blueberries found in the 5.5.% ABV Fuzzberry Sour. Bring a growler to fill up and stay for the food trucks.

7. The Hefe Is A Chai from 8-Bit Aleworks

If you’re in to chai tea and spices, this is something you need to try! Avondale’s 8-Bit Aleworks took its Wheat Wine and hacked the flavors of clove and bananas with chai spices to make a super creamy beer. It’s on tap in 8-oz. pours and available in growler fills.

8. The Battle of Los Angeles from B.R.I.

Mesa’s Beer Research Institute cranks out some epic names for beers, but this one sounds like a blockbuster movie production! The Battle of Los Angeles is a Schwarzbier– a dark lager worth drinking during one of the cooler Valley nights we’ll soon be enjoying.

9. Sweet Baby Hazy IPA from Old Ellsworth

Queen Creek is getting some love for the first time in our weekly top 10 ranking. Sweet Baby Hazy IPA weighs in at a light 4.8% ABV and is brewed with a new varietal of hop called Talus. This light hazy hits with flavors of pink grapefruit, pine and tangerine – and would pair nicely with some of the mouth-watering desserts you’ll find on the menu.

10. New brewery alert!

Congrats to Belfry Brewery on its grand opening earlier this month along Main Street in Cottonwood. The wood-fired grill and brewery features a full menu for lunch and supper, plus a list of about nine craft beers including two IPAs, two Stouts and two Hefeweizens.