Desert Monks Brewing Co. went through an ownership change in May 2025 but that did not stop it from maintaining its position as an award-winning beer maker. The Gilbert brewery continues to win every single year at the Arizona Craft Beer Awards—and it’s for the same beer.
DMBC’s Alewife’s Pumpkin Pie is one of four entries to medal in all five years of ACBA competition (Wren House Spellbinder, Barrio Blonde and Saddle Mountain ClanDestine are the others). Owners Jason and Brittany Gilmore (who were once bartenders at Desert Monks before they bought it) gave us insight into what makes the beer so special.
Tell us about your background and how you got into the brewing business.
Jason and Brittany both have been craft beer lovers for many years, and Jason started homebrewing over 15 years ago. We became regulars at Desert Monks Brewing before joining their bartending team. We later opened a craft beer bar in Northern Arizona, before having an opportunity to become more involved with Monks and eventually take over ownership.
Congrats on another medal for Alewife’s Pumpkin Pie. That makes it five years in a row for this beer to win a medal. How do you keep it a consistent winner in the Herb/Spice category?
We are very proud of our Alewife Pumpkin Lager, as it has won 8 of our 9 medals. What makes this beer stand out so much is the real pumpkin, squash, and spices that go into making this beer. Many pumpkin beers are made with extracts and flavoring, where we use real ingredients to create a consistent quality beer.
What is the beer or brewing philosophy at Desert Monks and how has it developed over time?
We focus on traditional foundations of the beer while leaving room for creativity. Beer brewed with purpose for the people gathered around it.
What will Halloween be like at Desert Monks this year and what are some other events you have coming up at the brewery?
We don’t go big for Halloween, Oktoberfest is our biggest event of the year. We will be doing a beer/candy pairing flight and a dog costume halloween party. Some other events we do include weekly trivia, a monthly disc golf league, live music and workout classes (yoga and pilates).
While Desert Monks Brewing is almost 8 years old, we are still young in our rebirth from 2025. We are excited for what we’ve been able to do and achieve over the years and excited for what the future holds.
Catch Desert Monks pouring at the Arizona Craft Beer Fest on October 31 in Downtown Mesa. Tickets on sale now!
