Arizona is home to more than 100 breweries across the state, and the number of destinations where local homebrewers-turned-tastemakers are creating top-notch beers continues to grow. Shiny fermentation tanks, bready aromas and seasonal sips abound at craft beer destinations around the Valley. Here are our top 10 picks for the best breweries in metro Phoenix.
Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.
201 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix912 N. Colorado St., GilbertArizona Wilderness Brewing Co. works to put a little bit of State 48 into every glass, showcasing their love for the outdoors and mission of conversation and sustainability. Throughout the year, drinkers can taste locally grown barley, dates and citrus in their beers. The Dreamsicle Double Milkshake IPA uses hundreds of pounds of oranges from Gilbert's Agritopia Farm. Pair it with a PB&J Burger and Wilderness' duck fat fries. The brewers are also crafting unique hybrid beers, infusing ingredients and techniques used for making wine and cider. You'll find those and more at Wilderness' two taprooms, with a third in the works on McDowell Road near 14th Street, which is slated to open this year.
Catalyst Crafted Ales has a side pull, a faucet-like tap that creates a foamy, European-style pour of some of its lagers and pilsners.
Sara Crocker
Catalyst Crafted Ales
1845 E. Broadway Road, #106, Tempe9241 E. Cadence Pkwy., #105, MesaBrewer Will Walthereson honed his talents around California and Arizona before opening Catalyst Crafted Ales in Tempe in October 2023. The brewery is a craft nerd's paradise, serving playful sours, hoppy IPAs and plenty of imperials. But, for less adventurous drinkers, Walthereson has more traditional styles to choose from, including Vesuvio, an Italian pilsner that drinkers can have poured from Catalyst's regular taps or via its side pull, a faucet-like tap that creates a European-style pour with a couple extra inches of foam. A pint goes well with an ahi tuna tostada from the in-house eatery S.A.L.T. The brew team is regularly experimenting with its seltzers, too, packing in big flavors in sessionable and higher-ABV options. In addition to the Tempe taproom, Kreg Bahm, who is a co-owner of Catalyst, has recently opened an East Valley outpost in the former location of Cork Crush in Mesa, serving beer from Catalyst with food from S.A.L.T.
Front Pourch Brewing
1611 W. Whispering Wind Drive, #7Walking into Front Pourch Brewing feels something like stepping onto a modern country-western movie set. A large wooden facade rises like a storefront behind the bar. Walls are covered in corrugated metal. Wooden barrels serve as light shades, patio lights are strung overhead and a white picket fence edges the room. It’s a large warehouse-like space that, since opening in 2019, has been transformed successfully by its owners into a cozy and welcoming spot. Not to mention the beers here are delicious. In the summer, beat the heat with Chime Time, a blonde ale made with cherries and key limes. Come winter, try the S’mores Stout, made with a specialty graham cracker grain and cacao nibs. Food trucks often park outside to complete the experience at this family-run spot.
Goldwater Brewing Co.
3608 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale5942 E. Longbow Pkwy., #105, Mesa
9895 S. Priest Drive, #102, Tempe Amid the hustle and bustle of Scottsdale, Goldwater Brewing Co. provides the perfect spot to slow down and sip on an expertly made craft beer. The original location debuted in Old Town in 2015. Then in 2020, the father-and-sons-owned business opened a second taproom in east Mesa, followed by a south Tempe spot in 2023. That’s good news for many metro Phoenix beer drinkers, as the brewery’s hoppy IPAs, award-winning stouts and refreshing lagers will soon be closer to home. For a true taste of Arizona, order the Desert Rose, a Kolsch-style beer brewed with bright pink Arizona prickly pear fruits, which impart a rosy hue on the sweet and satisfying sip.
Find Greenwood Brewing, complete with a taproom and two large patios, in downtown Phoenix.
Natasha Yee
Greenwood Brewing
922 N. Fifth St.Two large dog-friendly patios; a modern, chic taproom; and a location right on trendy Roosevelt Row: What more could you ask for? Great beer? It's got that too. Megan Greenwood opened her namesake Greenwood Brewing in Phoenix in 2020, and the craft beer destination quickly became celebrated as one of the few women-owned breweries to ever operate in the Valley. Over the past few years, it’s become a staple of the downtown drinking scene, in an area where concepts turn over frequently. Seasonal brews often appear on the menu. In the fall, be sure to try the Harvest Diem Spiced Ale, served with a honey and cinnamon sugar rim. The Rosemary IPA is a year-round offering that brings herbal notes to the table, or stick with the classic brew that helped this spot get off the ground, the Herstory Pale Ale, a crisp and refreshing sip.
Huss Brewing Co.
Multiple LocationsHusband and wife team Jeff and Leah Huss are possibly the most qualified craft beer couple in the Valley. Leah graduated from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and was a managing partner at Papago Brewing Co. for 14 years. Brewmaster Jeff holds a degree from the Siebel Institute of Technology, recognized as the top brewing school in the world, and previously worked as the head brewer at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in Chandler. The duo combined their years of craft beer knowledge to open Huss Brewing Co. in 2013. Now, cans of Huss beer are some of the most recognizable symbols of Arizona brewing. In metro Phoenix, fans can sip on Papago Orange Blossom or Koffee Kolsh from a taproom at its Tempe brewery, at outposts in uptown and downtown Phoenix or in the reimagined Papago taproom in Mesa that serves Huss beers and many others.
Kitsune Brewing Co.
3321 E. Bell Road, Suite B-5Since opening its doors in October 2022, Kitsune Brewing Co. has quickly cemented itself as a neighborhood staple and a draw for craft beer fans. It was Phoenix New Times' Best New Brewery of 2023. Owner Tyler Smith and his brew team are putting together fun, irreverent, tasty sours that lean into nostalgic flavors, real and imagined. Those range from orange creamsicle to Bantha Milk, a beer inspired by the creamy blue milk from the yak-like creatures in “Star Wars.” Kitsune is brewing solid traditional styles, too. Sip on Forager, a juicy, hazy IPA, or the malty Fox Diver Brown. The brewery keeps the energy going with a regular rotation of events and food trucks, and it hosted the first Tomodachi Beer Fest in the spring.
Saddle Mountain Brewing Co.
15651 W. Roosevelt St., GoodyearWhether you live in the West Valley or not, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co. and its award-winning beer are worth the drive. This Goodyear destination is both a brewery and full-service restaurant with pub classics like pretzels and wings and Southwest favorites such as Pork Chili Verde and fajitas. All pair well with the brewery’s craft beer creations, including Sun Scorched Kolsch and West Coast IPA Hop Snob. Taildragger Clan-Destine, a Scottish-style ale, is the proud winner of five Great American Beer Festival medals, making this brew a must-try for beer fans in the Valley.
Wren House won a gold medal for its Festbier at the 2022 Great American Beer Festival.
Brewers Association
Wren House Brewing Co.
2125 N. 24th St. Ask anyone in town about their favorite brewery, and you’ll probably hear the name Wren House Brewing Co. thrown around. This cult-favorite spot has a large following, and for good reason. It’s tucked into a cozy cottage on 24th Street that feels like a friend's living room. Tiny plastic dinosaurs dot the back of the bar. There’s a brewery cat named Gravy, and last but not least, the beer is excellent. Keep an eye out for rotating specials and seasonal drops that sell out quick, or saddle up to the wood-topped bar for a staple brew, such as the refreshing Valley Beer lager or the multi-award-winning IPA Spellbinder. And, if you want to get your international beer-drinker passport stamped, with a side of Wren House brews, wine, cider and food from James Beard Award-nominated chef Derek Christensen, check out the brewery's sibling beer hall, Wren Südhalle in Ahwatukkee.
12 West Brewing Co.
12 W. Main St., Mesa3000 E. Ray Road, Barnone Building 6, #110, Gilbert
From the outside, this storefront along Main Street in Mesa looks like a restaurant with a patio. What's unexpected is the cavernous space that opens up just inside the doors at 12 West Brewing Co. This two-story brewery feels reminiscent of an old-school beer hall, a space where the community gathers and slides steins down the bar. Service here is a little more refined than that, but the vibe is fun, casual and craft. The space is a full-service restaurant, taproom, cocktail bar and bottle shop all rolled into one. Order a 12 West Burger, fries, and a pint of award-winning Zona Pils for a classic brewery dinner, or switch things up a bit with an order of Fish and Chips and a Blap! Blap! blood orange wheat. The Main Street restaurant opened in 2019 and is the second location of 12 West; the first is a small taproom, which opened in 2016, inside of Barnone at Agritopia in Gilbert.
