Thirsty Thursday! Top 10 New Arizona Craft Beer Releases for November 5

Did you plow through your stash on Election Night or the day after and now need to restock? You’ve come to the perfect blog! Here are the Top 10 best new craft beers released this week from Arizona breweries to head into the weekend.

1. Spellbinder from Wren House

We start this week with the Gold Medal winner in the Hazy IPA category at this year’s Great American Beer Festival. Spellbinder beat more than 400 other entries to win the top prize for a beer style that has quickly become the most popular in America. A fresh batch of Spellbinder is available for to-go options at the brewery. Wren House also has a new batch of Jomax Coffee Stout just in time for International Stout Day (Thursday November 5). It’s back in cans for $15 for a four-pack.

2. Big Fish, Little Pond TIPA from Tombstone

Released late last weekend, this triple New England IPA is on tap at the new Phoenix location. Owner Matt Brown told me during an interview for another story (yet to be published) that this is one of his favorite IPAs Tombstone has ever done.

3. Southern Half DIPA from Arizona Wilderness

Using hops only grown in the southern hemisphere (Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy) this double IPA is one of the more popular releases when Wilderness puts it out. Look for it on tap at both Gilbert and Downtown Phoenix locations, as well as in to-go four-packs.
Hell’s Hip Pocket Brut IPA is also releasing this week on draft and in cans. Brut means more carbonation with a dry mouthfeel and hints of tropical citrus.
Make sure to donate to Arizona Wilderness’ Pints For Veterans program, where you can purchase a pint for a veteran, redeemable starting on Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11).

4. Tipsy Juice DIPA from Goldwater

It’s been awhile but it’s nice to have Goldwater Brewing back on the weekly Top 10 list. This Friday, the locations in Scottsdale and Mesa are releasing a double dry-hopped double Hazy IPA collaboration with The Tipsy Cactus to celebrate the beer bar’s four-year anniversary. Congrats to Tipsy Cactus. We’ll raise a toast to you with this one! Available in single cans, on draft and four-packs.

5. Death’s Door Porter from Dark Sky

With snow in the forecast in Flagstaff, there’s no better time to warm up with an easy drinking dark beer than this weekend. Death’s Door hits you with malty yet sweet flavors of chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut coffee beans. Available on tap this weekend, likely in cans by next week.

6. Honey Nut Hoppy-Os from B.R.I.

This one brings me back to my childhood, although I don’t know if there’s a message at the bottom of the can that reads “You Did It” like was the case with my Cheerios cereal bowl. What I do know is that this one is brewed with Honey Nut Cheerios, lactose, honey and hops to create a New England-style IPA available at The Beer Research Institute in Mesa starting Friday. Appropriate for breakfast? Maybe for some adults.

7. Monks Habit Pumpkin from North Mountain

Stouts, porters and sweet ales are abundant. So how about a little sour changeup to the pumpkin spice game? Phoenix’s North Mountain Brewing has unleashed this Belgian Brown Sour that seeks to improve upon the popular fall flavor. Available on tap this weekend.

8. Beer, beer and more beer at Pueblo Vida

It’ll be a busy weekend for beer lovers in Tucson, with a triple release from Pueblo Vida. In addition to the weekly Infusion (this week it’s a peach/mango pale ale) there’s two new IPAs in cans to take home and enjoy. Cereus IPA is in six-packs for $15 and Nonpareil IPA can be yours for $17 for a four-pack.

9. Special Anniversary Release from Four Peaks

Cheers to 23 years in business for the Valley’s original craft beer maker. Four Peaks will celebrate with the release of a Bourbon barrel-aged Kilt Lifter, a Bourbon barrel-aged Raj IPA and Hopsquatch barleywine. All three release Monday, November 9.

10. New Meadery Alert!

OK, so it’s not craft beer, but Superstition Meadery is fantastic if you haven’t tried it before. It’s opening the new Downtown Phoenix location near 11th and Washington streets this week and debuting some new meads to the public. The menu includes a Bourbon barrel-aged Black Rose as well as Coconut and Strawberry variants of its popular Peanut Butter Jelly Crime mead. From one beer drinker to another, trust me, you’re going to like the drinks from Superstition.