Newcomers might be asking: What exactly makes local craft beer so special?
Andrew Bauman, deputy director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, explains that, in the mid-1980s, there were fewer than 50 different breweries across the country, and they were all producing similar-tasting beer, mostly American lager. Brewers, he says, would travel to Europe and find out just how badly the American beer landscape was lacking. This was the inspiration for the explosion of craft breweries in recent decades and the renewed emphasis on innovative flavor and locally sourced ingredients.
Now, the U.S. has about 10,000 breweries, and the Brewers Association, a national organization, recognizes roughly 131 styles of beer.
That would be too many awards to give out, so the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild has narrowed it down to around a dozen categories, such as IPAs, hazy beers and ambers. There are also special awards for Industry Leader, which recognizes community education and service, and Brewery of the Year, for the brewery that takes home the most points from its gold, silver and bronze medals.
In 2023, Brewery of the Year went to Pedal Haus Brewery, for its gold-winning pilsner, Beach Cruiser and Desert Classic. This year, the Craft Brewers Guild is expecting over 200 beers to be entered.
To make all this happen, the Guild has collection points where brewers can drop off their beers in Tucson and Phoenix. The beers are then brought to Shamrock Foods, where they’re evaluated by about 35 judges.
"In flights of between four and six beers," Bauman says, "(they) choose the best one and choose the second one, and maybe go onto another round depending on how many beers are in that category. And we end up with the winners for our awards."
The awards will be given at a private ceremony in the beginning of October, ahead of the Oct. 19 festival. This will be the third edition of the awards and festival, with the event formerly held outside State Farm Stadium.
General-admission tickets — sold for $45, though the price goes up after Aug. 31 — include a commemorative cup and 15 drink tickets for 4-ounce samples of the beers. Parking garages are accessible in the Mill Avenue area, and designated-driver tickets are available for $15. All guests must be 21 or older.
"These are all small businesses," Bauman says of the craft breweries. "And I think one of the important things is these are all family-run and -owned businesses. It’s a pretty amazing part of our community."
AZ Craft Beer Festival
Oct. 19660 S. Mill Ave. Tempe
