The brewhouse and kitchen, located on Fifth Street, just south of Roosevelt Street, is slated to open this fall. The new concept takes inspiration from nature and its surroundings, according to a news release.
“Just like stones that shape grand arches or birds soaring in unison, Formation can create something greater than the sum of its parts," Formation Brewing CEO Robert MacEachern said in the release. "Together, we brew not only fantastic beer, but create a shared experience that unites us all.”
What to expect at Formation Brewing
Inside the first floor of the 10,000 square foot space will be a dining room and sunken seating area with room for 110 people, all in view of a 19-tank brewing system. The kitchen will serve a menu using Arizona ingredients from local purveyors. The space will also boast a 1,185-square-foot patio equipped with fire pits and misters. A second-floor mezzanine that overlooks the main floor below is also in the works. It will feature another bar and space for up to 100 guests. Formation Brewing will have 24 taps including four signature brews inspired by the desert: Cloud Drifter Hazy IPA, Desert Racer Pilsner, Sun Crest Tart Peach Ale and Western Winds West Coast IPA. The brewery will also sell canned beers to-go.
College pals Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford launched Denver Beer Co. in 2011. The brewery has since expanded from its downtown Denver brewhouse and tasting room to five locations around Denver and its suburbs. Its flagship beers include the raspberry Kolsch Princess Yum Yum, the roasty Graham Cracker Porter and the tropical IPA, Juicy Freak.
The Denver company isn't the first out-of-town brewer to come to the downtown Phoenix area. Buqui Bichi Brewing opened its first taproom outside of Mexico in Chandler in 2023, quickly followed by a downtown location on Van Buren Street and First Avenue.
While Formation is a new concept, its owners have plenty of experience to lean on. MacEachern calls the Phoenix brewery a culmination of the Denver Beer Co. team’s past 13 years.
“When it comes down to it, we want to be known as a go-to place that serves great beer, great food and where people are happy to be, where people feel that strong sense of community and inclusivity,” he says.
