The "Draft" Picks are in | Arizona Beer Hubs: Flagstaff
These five craft breweries nestle in the city’s walkable downtown and offer up a tasty cure for whatever ales you.
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Dark Sky Brewing Company, Flagstaff. Credit: An Pham.
Dark Sky Brewing Company
In both name and décor, Dark Sky Brewing riffs on Flagstaff’s status as the first International Dark Sky City, the celestial discoveries at in-town Lowell Observatory and the fact that astronauts trained for lunar missions nearby. Inside, the barrel-clad taproom offers a constantly rotating selection of a dozen microbrews, ranging from traditional pilsners, ales and porters to wild ales, which incorporate wild yeasts or bacteria to create exotic flavor profiles. Outside, you can sip by a firepit in the beer garden, which is adorned with astronaut murals and open to far-out mountain views. Pro tip: If you want to sound like a local, make sure to refer to the brewery as “DSB.”
Founded in 1994, Flagstaff Brewing Company boasts the distinction of being the city’s first licensed brewery, helping popularize the craft beer craze in the Grand Canyon State. The historic red-brick building was constructed in 1893; the bar seating and inside tables have a neighborhood feel, while the front patio is a great bet for people watching. Even by microbrewery standards, Flagstaff Brewing is smaller than most, but the brew master cooks up an impressive and constantly changing range of hand-crafted ales, lagers and experimental suds. For anyone on the crawl whose palate needs a change of pace, they also have an expansive collection of single-malt scotches and small-batch bourbons.
Spun off in 2015 from the original Historic Brewery a few miles to the northeast, Historic Barrel + Bottle House is a hip, eclectic and comfortable hangout that includes a taproom and cocktail lounge. In addition to a rotation of seasonal beers, Historic has five mainstays always on tap, and a beer sampler that’s served on a carved-out book. Two of the must-taste offerings include the cherry-vanilla Piehole Porter (which Historic notes as “the beer that put us on the map as a brewery”) and Salt River, a lime-and-salt infused light gold Arizona lager that earned a gold at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival.
Lumberyard Brewing Co. is a rare example of truth in advertising — it’s housed in the historic Halstead Lumberyard Building that was built in the early 1900s. If you’re a beer aficionado, you’ve surely tasted their beers elsewhere in the state, but a pilgrimage here is worth your while. The main space is industrial and open, with red brick and stucco walls and views of the gleaming brewing equipment and the staff brewing up the next batch. Choose from familiar favorites like Hazy Angel IPA and Humphry’s Hefe, pull a pint of their seasonal and special brews or try the sampler to discover something new.
Adopting its moniker from John Steinbeck’s nickname for Route 66, Mother Road Brewing is Arizona’s third-largest independent craft brewer. The industrial-style taproom offers a front-row seat to the brewing equipment — or if the weather’s nice, head out to the dog-friendly patio. The regular lineup includes their flagship Tower Station IPA, Daily Driver Juicy Pale Ale and Conserve & Protect Golden Ale, the last of which also contributes some of the proceeds towards Arizona Game and Fish Department’s conservation efforts. While Mother Road’s beers are widely available throughout the state, visiting the mothership is the only way to tap into some of their exclusive experimental brews and single-hop varietals.
Renowned for the craft butchery shop, this relaxed eat-at-counter restaurant features a wide range of fancy sandwiches made with Arizona’s best farm-raised meats, poultry and cured products.
Established in 1929, Motel DuBeau provides everything you need in an ale-trail home base: Comfortable, clean and casual—and easy on the budget so you can spend your bucks where it matters most.
Enjoy all four seasons in Northern Arizona’s biggest city.
About the Author
Jake Poinier
Jake Poinier is a veteran freelance writer, editor, and author whose work has appeared in USAToday, Blue Water Sailing, and Golf Illustrated, among numerous other publications. When he's not at his desk writing for corporate clients and editing books, he can probably be found hiking or fishing along the Mogollon Rim, skiing in the White Mountains, or sailing just about anywhere.
