Thirsty Thursday: Best Rainy Weekend Options for Craft Beer Releases

The weekend forecast calls for rain, which is a pain for local craft breweries that rely on people drinking outside on their patios. So, instead of the weekly top 10 list, here are some good craft beer options to pick up and bring home to enjoy indoors this week. Stay dry and drink responsibly!  

Herstory Pale Ale at Greenwood Brewing (Phoenix) 

Shoutout to Greenwood Brewing, celebrating six months in business and giving you some sweet anniversary deals along the way. Enjoy Herstory Pale Ale in $4 bottles to go and $15 growler fills all week. 

Merlin’s Orchard SMASH Orange IPA from Goldwater Brewing Co. (Scottsdale & Mesa) 

Like a wizard’s magic spell, IPAs from Goldwater have a hold on our minds. Merlin’s Orchard uses orange peel and the SMASH (single malt and single hop) approach with Strata hops for an IPA that will captivate your mind with fruity flavor. Available in cans starting Friday at both locations. 

Slam Dunkel collaboration from Kitsune Brewing & Simple Machine Brewing (Phoenix) 

Normally you’d expect to see a dunkelweizen (German for dark wheat beer) released in the fall, but we’re not complaining! Bring on this new creation from newcomer Kitsune and its friend Simple Machine. This small batch has limited availability in cans. 

Dirty Hop Water from Arizona Wilderness Brewing (Gilbert & Phoenix) 

Who knew dirt could taste so good? This new varietal is called From Mars to Sirius (a hazy IPA) and is the sixth variant of the Dirty Hop Water series. It goes on sale in cans at both locations on Thursday. 

Strawberry Shortcake Sour Ale from Tombstone Brewing Company (Phoenix & Tombstone) 

Dessert in a can is becoming more and more popular among craft brewers, with most coming in the form of a thick and sweet stout. However, Tombstone and some others are bringing pastry sours to the table, like this tart combination of strawberry, lactose and vanilla. It’s the liquid form of strawberry shortcake in a can – but make sure to pour it into a glass for the full effect! 

Hazy Tangerine from Wren House Brewing (Phoenix) 

The beer that won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival deserves a nice tropical vacation. This Hazy Tangerine version of it accomplishes that and is available in crowlers for $14. If you’re not up for the new tangy experience, a fresh batch of regular Spellbinder was canned this week, selling for $16 per four-pack. 

Teddy Gosevelt from 1912 Brewing (Tucson) 

The 26th President of the United States has lots of beers named for him – Teddy Mercury (The Shop Beer Co.), The Roosevelts DIPA (Arizona Wilderness) and now Teddy Gosevelt. This fruity sour collaboration comes from the minds behind The Theodore craft beer bar in Phoenix, The Golden Pineapple craft lounge in Tempe and Tucson’s sour powerhouse 1912 Brewing. Available to-go at the 1912 taproom. 

Biscotti BA Dream Crusher from The Shop Beer Co. (Tempe) 

Looking to go big this weekend? Look no further! Aged for 15 months in George Dickel Whiskey barrels, this one checks in at 14.5% ABV with notes of coffee, hazelnut, chocolate and vanilla. Available in 375ml bottles for $20 each.  

Got a favorite local brewery you want us to check out? Send me an email to matthew.johnson@citieswestmedia.com and let me know about it.