Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. - Gilbert, AZ

Arizona Wilderness was one of the places we had really been looking forward to. They have pretty rare beers, and even though mine was expensive (unexpectedly $10! oops!!), it was very good! The Rim Country Framboise Noir (5.5% ABV) - Sour Red aged in French oak w/ wild foraged blackberries from the Mogollon Rim! YUM!

Bobby's beer was only $3, so they DO have a good range of prices. We got lucky, it was Taco Tuesday, so we got Pork Tacos, which were very juicy, dripping in fact. They had a good spice to them, and I definitely needed some food at this point!

"WE ARE GILBERT’S FIRST BREWERY!

For years we've dreamed of bringing together our two loves: The beautiful and diverse state of Arizona together with hand crafted, artisanal ales. While backpacking the wondrous depths of Arizona we forged ideas that would one day become Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. Well, here we are! We will continue our endeavor into the remote beauties of both the Arizona Wilderness and Craft Beer.

Our belief is that beer is more than a beverage to guzzle on Sundays, just another beverage at the party, or cheap yellow fizzy stuff dad drank while wearing his dirty flannel shirts. Beer is culture and we have a true PASSION for this amazing beverage! Check out our food menu, as it was created to pair quite nicely with our fine ales. C’mon in and see what we are up to next!"

 

Papago Brewing Co. - Scottsdale, AZ

Another stop on our quest for craft beer was Papago Brewing Co. 

7107 E McDowell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257

We drove a little ways to get to this place, but it was really nice. We almost couldn't find it, because it was one of the few businesses still operating in this strip mall. Nonetheless, I am really happy we went! The food was decent too, not a huge menu but the Nachos with pork added were good, the Caprese Salad was fresh, and the Thai Chicken Wrap was great! 

Their food was a nice addition to the amazing beer selection! And, it is a bottle shop where you can have the bartender open any bottle in the cooler and drink it on sight! They also had quite a few beers on draught, including their own beers, 30 taps with various, rotating selections. I took a pick your 6 pack home. 

We tried the Transatlantic Kriek beer from New Belgium / Lips Of Faith. It was amazing!!! Love the tart cherry flavor and the beautiful red color of this beer. 

THE BEER

"We feature 30 beers on tap. And every time a keg runs out, a different one takes its place. You will never see the same lineup twice. We also offer over 500 different bottled beers to drink on site or to take home. We love beers from all over the world, and you can choose from a wide selection of Belgian, German, and English beers from our coolers and on tap. But our pride and our specialty is kick-ass American craft beer. We love to drink local, and we love to offer the best of the best from microbreweries around the country."

The Thai Chicken Wrap, Potato Salad, and a Pickle. 

The nachos were also good. we added pork to them, and there were all sorts of good toppings. 

Learn more about the Transatlantique Kriek Ale here. It's sour and delicious! 

About This Beer: "In a never-ending quest to create new beers and defy category, New Belgium Brewing and Old Beersel of Belgium have partnered to create TRANSATLANTIQUE KRIEK, a spontaneously fermented lambic ale made with sour cherries. The 2016 edition of Transatlantique Kriek began life in the oaken vessels of Gert Christiaens’ Oud Beersel, a 130-year-old Belgian lambic brewery. After time spent aging in wood, Oud Beersel’s lambic was blended with tart cherries and shipped across the Atlantic to New Belgium. In concert with Oud Beersel’s cherry lambic, or kriek, we blended in a portion of our own sour Felix from our foeder forest, and created a golden brew to mix in, and round out, the engaging beer. The intense cherry nose leads to a pleasing tart, sweet flash across the palate. Crisp and effervescent, Transatlantique Kriek is a trip worth taking."

I thought it was really neat that families gathered here either before or after their kids' baseball games. I saw lots of families in Papago.