Take the light rail to local breweries with new Ride the Rail event

A collaboration among Phoenix and Mesa breweries along the light rail encourages patrons to drink local and travel safely using public transportation.

The Ride the Rail Summer Brewery Tour, which starts on May 24 and runs through June 30, showcases seven breweries and eight locations, all within walking distance of a light rail stop. Participants can grab a punch card at any of the featured breweries and get it stamped when they drop in. The first 300 people who fill their card will receive a commemorative pint glass with the breweries’ logos.

The participating breweries are Mesa's Phantom Fox Beer Company, Oro Brewing Company, The Beer Research Institute and Cider Corps plus Phoenix craft beer destinations Walter Station Brewery, PHX Beer Co. and Huss Brewing Co. Downtown and Uptown.

Ride the Rail aims to drum up support for these small businesses during the seasonal lull and spread awareness about responsible travel, says Tara Yagdir, the tasting room and events manager at Walter Station. She came up with the idea and reached out to the other breweries.

“It’s a way to boost summer sales and a cool way to help each other out,” Yagdir says. “We want people to try these breweries but do it responsibly. The light rail was an added bonus to make it easy.”

The expectation is not for patrons to complete the tour in a single day, hence the five-week timeframe. It’s also meant to entice Arizona beer fans to visit a spot they haven’t heard of or have been curious about but have never been.

For larger establishments like Huss Brewing Co., it’s a way to synergistically share the love with their smaller, newer brothers-in-brewing.

“The industry is so tight-knit and a fun group, and it's truly a way for us to help spread their name and our names,” says Heather Ferreira, district manager of taprooms and restaurants for Huss. “I love that people can see other breweries they may not know about and hopefully go and say, ‘Oh, that’s a cool joint. I’m glad I checked it out.’”

Guests can take advantage of any specials or deals individual breweries may be offering along the rail, including happy hour pricing at Huss’ two restaurant locations.

In the end, it’s all about camaraderie and coming together to benefit the entire industry while making it fun for those who brave the Arizona summer.

“It’s a great thing we can do among ourselves and do for our guests,” Ferreira says. “It’s a fun way to have a beer and do it differently, like a scavenger hunt.”