So many great breweries, but we only have two days. Challenge accepted! We’re in Flagstaff to kick off Arizona Beer Week 2022 (Feb. 17-27) and touring each of the eight spots along the famed Flagstaff Brewery Trail. Beer Week is filled with special events, collaborations, new releases and an appearance at Strong Beer Fest in Mesa on Saturday, Feb. 19. Here’s what each one is offering, along with our Instagram Live videos at each spot. Come along with us by following @phxmagazine on Instagram.
Arizona Beer Week is a nice stretch of ten days for any brewery in the state, but for Grand Canyon Brewing, the big news hits a week later. Yes, the long awaited location in Page is officially set to open on March 5. The Page location will be Grand Canyon Brewing’s third spot in northern Arizona, allowing space for more beer and more distilling. Win win! According to brand manager Kevin Callaway, Page is likely to be a great location to hold more barrel-aged beers while the Williams location focuses on distilling and big batches of its regular beers. The Flagstaff location on Milton Road recently added small barrel tanks to brew experimental and small batch beers. Expect more hazy IPA’s to come from this setup.
Make sure to check out their setup at Strong Beer Fest, where they will have three tents set up to pour six beers. In addition, Grand Canyon’s vodka will be used inside the VIP tent for cocktails such as bloody mary’s. Grand Canyon is also partnered with Scottsdale-based fitness outfit Earn Your Booze and will be pouring its collaboration beer together at Strong Beer Fest on Saturday, Feb. 19 in Mesa. In the meantime, if you visit the Flagstaff brewpub location, here are our must-try menu items.
The original Flagstaff craft brewery (opened in 1994) is still going strong 28 years later and remains one of our favorite family spots in northern Arizona. During Arizona Beer Week, Beaver Street Brewery is releasing the Beer School Pale Ale, brewed in collaboration with the Arizona Society of Homebrewers and the NAU brewing program. Look for this special ale to be poured at the LumberYard tent at Strong Beer Fest on Saturday, Feb. 19. Beaver Street is also unleashing some big time food specials and Oatmeat Stout floats during Beer Week, along with fun events, including a beer movie night, keep the pint night and a raffle for Beaver Street gear.
It’s not just the beer that’s legendary around here. Apparently the CEO & founder of Mother Road is too. We caught up with Michael Marquess at the Mother Road taproom Friday afternoon, and soon after our interview, he was swamped with adoring fans — and for good reason. Mother Road always puts out quality beer and a few new brews we sample for Arizona Beer Week hit the mark. Each of these will be at Strong Beer Fest on Saturday, Feb. 19 in Mesa:
During AZ Beer Week, you can find Mother Road all over the state, starting with a couple’s picnic event at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix on Sunday, Feb. 20. Mother Road will be in Tucson on Wednesday, Feb. 23 for a food-beer pairing dinner at Maynards. Look for a launch party at Trevor’s Liquor in Scottsdale to celebrate the release of Great Commotion German-style bock, an all-female brewed collaboration. Mother Road also deserves a shout out for earning the Green Business Award from the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps that’s also what makes Mr. Marquess so popular around these parts.
One of my favorite must-visit spots in Flagstaff, Historic Brewing has three locations in the northern Arizona area: the eastside production facility in Flagstaff, a downtown Barrel + Bottle House with food, beers on draft and a cocktail lounge, plus the Williams location. Historic’s production facility played host to this year’s Flagstaff 9 collaboration, a 7-hop variety hazy pale ale brewed with help from all the local brewmasters in town. During Arizona Beer Week, Historic is offering brewery tours on February 23 and 24 for $20 per person with beer tastings included. Check out their eastside location on Saturday, February 26 for the Beer Week Bash featuring live music, 16 beers on tap and BBQ served up by Frontier Family Fun.
If you’re headed to Strong Beer Fest on Saturday, Feb. 19, hit up the Historic tent to buy merchandise and sample and of these beers:
Since 1994, Flagstaff Brewing Company has been pouring drinks and entertaining locals with live music on the expansive patio in the downtown area, right off Route 66. Founder Jeff Thorsett and his team are welcoming visitors during Arizona Beer Week with beer and whiksy pairings, along with an expanded draft beer tap list. This summer, Flagstaff Brewing Company will celebrate its 28th anniversary in the same spot its been in the entire time.
Head brewer Jordan Gregory has outdone himself this week with the release of eight new beers: four barrel-aged brews in cans and four new sours in bottles. (see and pictures below) Expect to see Dark Sky at Strong Beer Fest with these five beers:
New Releases for Beer Week:
Arizona Beer Week is back in full swing at LumberYard Brewing, one of the O.G.’s of craft beer in Arizona. Built on the site of an old lumberyard from the late 1800’s, this is Flagstaff’s biggest brewery serving up GABF award-winning beers and a full brewpub menu for lunch and dinner. During Beer Week, LumberYard is doing a $12 flight of beers and whisky pairings. Tuesday, February 22 is Keep The Pint night. Wednesday, February 23 features a beer and Girl Scout cookies pairing. Look for LumberYard at Strong Beer Fest and sample the new collab with Beaver Street Brewery. Must try beer: Pumphouse Porter Must try food: Irish Egg Rolls, Mac N’ Cheese balls for starters
Nathan Friedman opened Wanderlust nearly ten years ago (anniversary in October) with a passion for Belgian and German style brews. Today, Wanderlust offers a variety of flavorful and heavy beers for any palate — and Friedman is getting his staff involved in the process. Bartender’s Brew Volume 2 is now on draft for Arizona Beer Week. The tart and fruity sour brew was drawn up and executed by the Wanderlust bartenders and brewing team. It has lots of strawberry and enough funk to please any fan of sours. At Strong Beer Fest, expect to see pours of 928 Local saison, Dunkelweizen, Jasmine Terrace rice saison, Bartender’s Brew Vol. 2 and some of the new hard seltzers (working on a wider release later this spring). For Beer Week, Wanderlust will have an archived beer tasting featuring five cellared beers that have been aging for as long as eight years. Check out Wanderlust’s location which is about two miles east of the main downtown area in Flagstaff.
Residence Inn by Marriott Flagstaff Dark Sky Brewing neighbors this hotel. It’s only a 30 second walk through the parking lot away. Big rooms, breakfast included, free parking, convenient location to everything.
Grand Canyon Brewing & Distillery
Beaver Street Brewery
Mother Road Brewing Company
Historic Brewing Company
Flagstaff Brewing Company
Dark Sky Brewing
LumberYard Brewing Company
Wanderlust Brewing Company
Where to Stay
100 N. Humphreys Street
Exploring the Flagstaff Brewery Trail During AZ Beer Week 2022
Matthew JohnsonFebruary 18, 2022
