There’s something macabre and mystical about Bone Haus Brewing, which draws inspiration from the catacombs of Europe to the mining history of territorial Arizona – and embeds the number 13 and short stories chronicling its fictional patriarch Hans Von Biermann in each of its cans. But it’s also demystifying craft beer, hosting Beer School sessions and bringing classic and inventive brews alike to Fountain Hills. We caught up with Morgan Ringwald, who handles sales and marketing at Bone Haus, to talk about everything they love about the Valley. You can join us to do the same at Best Fest on August 13, where we’ll be celebrating the most laudable people, places and things in Greater Phoenix.
What can attendees expect from you at Best Fest?
First off, we at Bone Haus love beer festivals! There’s simply no better way for us to reach beer lovers than to put one of our beers in their hand and talk to them. We always have a blast, and we’ve made a ton of friends at every festival we attend. And the great part about Best Fest is that we have the chance to meet new people who are there not necessarily just for beer, but for all the great food and other drink vendors who will be there. Obviously, we’re thrilled to be pouring our Sonoran Shimmer Helles Lager, which is the reason why we’ll be at Best Fest in the first place!
What are you most looking forward to at Best Fest?
New faces. One of our challenges is that our brewery and taproom is in Fountain Hills. That entire community is incredibly supportive, and we always have a good crowd of both locals and visitors. But we don’t have a physical presence in Downtown Phoenix or Scottsdale like some of the other great breweries here in Arizona, so any chance to introduce new people to our beers is fantastic for us.
If you’re grabbing a beer in the Valley, what’s a place you love to go, besides your own brewery?
Wow, that’s a tough one to single out… but I’ll go with Shady’s for consistently good beer and a great jukebox!
What is your favorite thing about living and working in Phoenix, and why?
You know the old joke, “Why can’t you get yogurt in Phoenix? No culture.” Those of us old enough to remember this being a reality will laugh every time. But while so many of us are transplants from somewhere else, the culture we’ve developed here is all about enjoying the outdoors and sunshine – even in summertime. No, we’ll never be known as a city that never sleeps, but that’s because we go out early and enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer. Hiking, biking, camping, swimming, golf, day trips to the lakes and, yes, Arizona day-drinking. That’s all a big part of our culture here and it’s why so many people, myself included, come to Arizona from elsewhere and stay. It’s an easy city to be alive in.
What’s one of the most underrated things about Phoenix in the summertime?
Petrichor (the smell of the first rain after a long, warm dry spell). A very simple and fleeting pleasure. And how easy it is to get around town to deliver beer when half the city is in San Diego for the summer!
