It's the most wonderful time of the year! Well, for me at least. Its almost time for one of my favorite Arizona Beer Festivals. Now in its 5th year, the festival is returning to the Scottsdale Civic Center to celebrate and showcase some of the best craft beer to be found in cans! I'll just add, if you are one of those people that still insists beer just isn't as good in cans, you can stop reading now, and continue to deny yourself some of the best beer in America!
Doors open at 1 (VIP opens at Noon), tickets are $35 presale ($45 day of) that includes your adorable souvenir 4 oz. can, and 20 4 oz. pours!
What I love about this event, its canned beer, so for the most part, you are getting a breweries core line up, their flagship brews, and some seasons offerings. There aren't these special, super limited, once in a life time barrel aged, sour beers that people stand in line for days for. Not that there is anything wrong with that, those beers are wonderful, but for me, this festival showcases what makes the breweries who they are. This is a great festival for the beer snob in you to find new favorites, and a wonderful festival for the person that may just be getting into craft, and still trying to find those styles they love. Its a great time, with great people, great beer, wonderful food, and a great location. This one has it all....
"Ok Beer Czar, but what beers can I expect to find there?" Only 300+ canned beers, representing not only Arizona breweries, but breweries from all over the country, and some that aren't in regular distribution here in our state. What's that, you want me to be more specific? Ok, well, here is a list of the beers you will find next weekend.....
Abita Brewing, Purple Haze, Strawberry Lager and Jockamo IPA
Alameda Brewing, Klickitat Pale Ale, P-Town Pilsner and Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA
Alaskan Brewing, Amber and APA
Anchor Brewing, California Lager, IPA and Summer Wheat
Anderson Valley Brewing, Hop Ottin’ IPA, Summer Solstice, Kimmie, Yink and Holy Gose
Austin Beerworks, Black Thunder, Fire Eagle, Peacemaker, Pearl-Snap and Heavy Machinery Half IPA
Avery Brewing, White Rascal, Ellie’s Brown Ale and Avery IPA
Ballast Point Brewing, Longfin Lager, Pale Ale, Sculpin IPA and Big Eye IPA
Barrio Brewing, Barrio Blonde, Barrio Rojo and Barrio Blanco
Bell’s Brewery,Two Hearted and Oberon
Big Sky Brewing, Moose Drool, Big Sky IPA, Trout Slayer, Scape Goat, Pygmy Owl and Summer Honey
Black Market Brewing, Hefeweizen, Deception, Rye IPA and Aftermath
Borderlands Brewing, Noche Dulce
Boulder Brewing, Hazed Hoppy Session Ale, Mojo IPA, Buffalo Gold and Singletrack
Caldera Brewing, Caldera IPA, Pilot Rock Porter, Hopportunity Knocks, Lawnmower Lager, Caldera Pale Ale and Ashland Amber
Cigar City Brewing, Jai Alai, Maduro, Invasion, Florida Cracker and Tocobaga
College Street Brewhouse & Pub, Big Blue Van and Fraternity Of Hops
DC Brau Brewing, The Public Pale, The Corruption India Ale, The Citizen Belgian Style Pale, El Hefe Speaks, Penn Quarter Porter and On the Wings of Armageddon
DESTIHL Brewery, Vertex IPA, Hoperation Overload Double IPA, Abbey’s Single and Wild Sour Series
Epic Brewing, Escape to Colorado and Lil’ Brainless Raspberries
Firestone Walker Brewing, Union Jack IPA, Pivo Pils and Easy Jack IPA
Fort George Brewery, 1811 Lager Quick Wit, Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale and Cavatica Stout
Founders Brewing, All-Day IPA
Four Peaks Brewing, 8th Street Pale Ale, Sunbru, Hop Knot, Peach Ale and Kilt Lifter
Golden Road Brewing, Golden Road Hefeweizen, Point the Way IPA and Wolf Among Weeds IPA
GoodLife Brewing, Descender IPA, Mountain Rescue Dry Hop Pale Ale and Sweet As Pacific Ale
Goose Island Beer, 312 Urban Wheat Ale, 312 Urban Pale Ale and Goose IPA
Grand Canyon Brewing, White Water Wheat, American Pilsner, Sunset Amber Ale and Black Iron IPA
Hops & Grain Brewing, Greenhouse IPA, Pale Dog, PorterCulture and The One They Call Zoe
Huss Brewing, Scottsdale Blonde, Magic In the Ivy and That’ll Do IPA
Joseph James Brewing, Hop Box and Fox Tail
Lumberyard Brewing, Diamond Down Lager, Flagstaff IPA, Lumberyard Red and Knotty Pine Pale
Ale
Marble Brewery, India Pale Ale and Pilsner
Maui Brewing, Bikini Blonde Lager, Coconut Porter and Mana Wheat
Mike Hess Brewing, Claritas Kolsch, Grazias Vienna Cream, Jucundus Orange Honey Wheat, Solis Occasus IPA and Habitus Rye IPA
Mission Brewing, Cortez Gold, IPA, El Conquistador and Shipwrecked Double IPA
Moab Brewery, Johnnys IPA, Red Rye IPA, Rocket Bike Lager and Squeaky Bike Nut Brown
Mudshark Brewing, Full Moon, Desert Magic IPA, Wild Water Melon Wheat and Upriver Light Lager
Nebraska Brewing, Brunette Nut Brown Ale, EOS Hefeweizen, Cardinal Pale Ale, India Pale Ale and Alestorm Blonde Ale
NOLA Brewing, NOLA Brown, 7th Street Wheat, MECHA, Irish Channel Stout and Rebirth Pale Ale
Oskar Blues Brewery, Dales Pale Ale, Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Old Chub Scotch Ale, G’Knight Imperial Red IPA, Deviant Dale’s, Pinner and Gubna Imperial IPA
Papago Brewing, Orange Blossom
Phoenix Ale Brewery, Camelback IPA, Watermelon Ale and Biltmore Blonde
Prescott Brewing, Achocolypse, Ponderosa IPA and Liquid Amber
Rahr & Sons Brewing, Rahr’s Blonde, Pride of Texas and Bucking Bock
Revolution Brewing, Anti-Hero, A Little Crazy, Bottom Up Wit and Eugene and Fist City
Rogue Ales, Rogue American Amber Ale
Saint Archer Brewing, Blonde Ale, White Ale, Pale Ale and IPA
Samuel Adams, Boston Lager, Sam Adams Summer Ale and Rebel IPA
Santa Fe Brewing, Happy Camper IPA, Black IPA, Java Stout and Freestyle Pilsner
SanTan Brewing, Devil’s Ale, Mr. Pineapple, HopShock IPA, Hefeweizen, SunSpot Gold and Fat AleBert
Sierra Nevada Brewing, Pale Ale, Torpedo Extra IPA and Nooner
Ska Brewing, Modus Hoperandi, Mexican Logger and True Blonde
Sleepy Dog Brewery, Red Rover Irish Amber Ale, Wet Snout Milk Stout and Tail Chaser IPA
Snake River Brewing, Monarch Pilsner, Snake River Lager, Snow King Pale Ale, Snake River Pale Ale, Pako’s IPA and Zonker Stout
Sun King Brewing, Sunlight Cream Ale, Wee Mac Scottish Ale, Osiris Pale Ale, Fistful of Hops, Indian’s Lager and Afternoon Delight
Traveler Beer, Curious Traveler
Two Brothers Brewing, Wobble, Ebel’s Weiss, Outlaw, Dog Days and Side Kick
Uinta Brewing, Ba Ba Black Lager, Hop Nosh IPA, Wyld Pale and Sum’R Ale
Upslope Brewing, Upslope Pale Ale, Upslope IPA, Upslope Brown Ale and Upslope Craft Lager
Victory Brewing, Summer Love
Worthy Brewing, Worthy IPA, Lights Out Stout, PreFunk Pale Ale and Easy Day Kolsch
If you can't find something you like in this list, well then you are a first rate beer snob, and I can't
help you.
ALSO, local restaurants and food vendors will serve up some delicious grub including Brat Haus, Honey Bear’s BBQ, Craft 64, Arizona BBQ Club, Burgers & Fries, and Treatery.
There is live music too! The entertainment lineup includes Two Tone Lizard Kings, Dry River Yacht Club, Catfish Mustache and DJ Slippe.
This is a 21 and older event, no exceptions.
For more information on this event, go to the official event
website here.....
If you go, keep en eye out for me, I get there early, so expect to see me there as the gates open, and stop by, and say hello, I'd love to meet you!
Until next time (or next Saturday!)
Bottoms up my friends
The Beer Czar
