AZ Beer Week 2024 | Did Someone Say ‘Flagstaff Breweries?’

Everyone knows beer just tastes better at 7,000’! And with Arizona Beer Week 2024 quickly approaching, this year’s event promises to deliver even more fan favorites with tastes, flavors, and outdoor adventure pairings. To help guide beer lovers through Flagstaff’s many attractions, we thought we’d pair tasty Flagstaff brews with favorite things to do in and nearby Flagstaff.

Let us know what you think by sharing a selfie from any of these places worth seeing by ale aficionados. Get extra Beer Week AZ bragging rights by capturing a can of the appropriate brew in the shot!

Not only is Flagstaff “A Leading Craft Beer City,” as proclaimed by former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, but this mountain town also boasts some of the state’s iconic attractions – from national parks and monuments to famed Route 66. All are perfect to conjure a thirst and have it quenched during AZ Beer Week 2024.

We’ll explore the following colorful pairings of sites and beers, all framed in an entertaining comic-book style:

1.)  928 Local Farmhouse Ale by Wanderlust Brewing Company Pairs with Flagstaff Brewery Trail

928 is, of course, the area code for Flagstaff and scenic Northern Arizona. So, it makes sense that we would pair Wanderlust’s 928 Local with the hyper-local Flagstaff Brewery Trail.

Explore the Flagstaff Brewery Trail using the digital app and passport that guides you to each of the eight award-winning Flagstaff breweries during Beer Week AZ, and all year-round too. It’s a good idea, Captain Marvel, to call ahead for opening hours. Ring! Ring!

Once you’ve checked into all eight craft brewhouses, bring your completed digital passport to the official Flagstaff Visitor Center located in the historic train station, 1 E. Route 66, to receive your commemorative souvenir pint glass.

Take your time and enjoy each brewery! There’s a story behind each brew pub and every ale, so make time to uncover each tale. During AZ Beer Week, connect with locals to make new friends or engage with fellow beer enthusiasts everywhere by sharing your photos and stories using #craftbeerflg.

If time isn’t on your side, there’s no need to complete the whole Flagstaff Brewery Trail in one visit. We know you’ll love us so much that—SHAZAM!you’ll be back for a return trip! It is easy to walk the trail or call Uber or Lift as your designated driver! Please drink responsibly to ensure a chill Arizona Beer Week 2024.

2.)  Opposable IPA by Historic Brewing Pairs with Museum of Northern AZ

The Museum of Northern Arizona is known for its giant, almost two-story-tall sickle claw dinosaur skeleton on display in the museum lobby. Holy Paleontology, Batman!

So then, it’s only fitting that we would pair a Flagstaff brew with a dinosaur skull on its label to one of Flagstaff’s favorite attractions, the Museum of Northern Arizona.

The museum focuses on connections between people, places and time of the Colorado Plateau, which surrounds Flagstaff. The Colorado Plateau, by the way, is the geologic and geographical region that encompasses the Four-Corners region of the American Southwest. You’ll learn all about it at the museum.

Grab Historic Brewing Company’s Opposable India Pale Ale and toast “Claude,” the dinosaur with huge, sickle-like claws. Have pity on him; he wouldn’t be able to “grab” a beer without opposable thumbs.

3.)  Pairing Snow Play with Lumberyard’s Humphreys Hefeweizen

When it comes to snow play, Flagstaff has the rest of the southwest beat! The annual average snowfall in downtown is—BAM!—109 inches, or over nine feet of snow, and that’s half the story as to why Flagstaff is Arizona’s officially designated winter wonderland.

Whether you’re building snowmen, making snow angels, tubing in the forest, snowshoeing at the Arizona Nordic Center, or schussing down Arizona Snowbowl on skis or boards, you’ll love your snow-play time in Flagstaff.

That’s why we’ve paired snow fun with Lumberyard Brewing Company’s Humphreys Hefeweizen. The crisp Weissbier matches our crisp mountain air…think pink cheeks and cold noses.

Humphrey’s Peak, you probably know, is the highest in Arizona at 12,637 feet above sea level. The mountain water shed from the peak is one of the ingredients and reasons for the delicious results of Flagstaff breweries.

Get the scoop about getting out into the snow at Winter Recreation. And, please, if you pack it in, be sure to pack it out. From picnic supplies to tubes, pack them out to ensure our wildlife and beautiful forest are left in better condition for all to enjoy.

4.)  Sasquatch Stout by Flagstaff Brewing Company Pairs with Flagstaff Extreme

What do ziplines and rope courses have to do with—GULP!—Sasquatch? You usually “see” bigfoot in the trees… and in the trees, you’ll be at Flagstaff Extreme.

You might find yourself swinging through the ropes, shouting, “Here I come to save the day!” like Mighty Mouse.

With all that outdoors tomfoolery, we’re pairing up Flagstaff Extreme with Sasquatch Stout from Flagstaff Brewing Company, one of the first Flagstaff breweries. The dark, malty ale will surely put a smile on your face, just like Yeti does!

During AZ Beer Week 2024 make sure to sample their Maibock. Most Flagstaff breweries are crafting their version of the Germanic-style lager for AZ Beer Week, and we think Flagstaff Brewing Company will tap a noteworthy rendition.

5.)  Grand Canyon Brewing’s Sunset Amber Goes with Grand Canyon National Park

You don’t need to wonder why we paired Sunset Amber with Grand Canyon National Park, one of the World’s Seven Wonders. The amber ale crafted by Grand Canyon Brewing + Distillery features national park vistas right on the outside of the can.

Pop the top, and —Suffering Sappho! Inside, you’ll discover a rich red color with bronze and gold highlights. Just like a Grand Canyon sunset or sunrise off Mather Point!

Grand Canyon National Park is in our backyard, only 81 miles away. That makes a Canyon visit a thrilling Arizona Beer Week 2024 side trip.

Alternatively, you could pair Lumberyard’s Bright Angel IPA with your Grand Canyon adventure. A part of the proceeds from this beer is donated to Grand Canyon Conservancy to help maintain the Bright Angel Trail. We love our trails!

6.)  After Thoughts by Dark Sky Brewing Pairs with Lowell Observatory

Is the astronaut on the label of this American pale ale having “after thoughts?” Heavens to Murgatroyd! Regardless, After Thoughts by Dark Sky Brewing Co. perfectly pairs with Flagstaff’s own Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered and part of the team instrumental in getting astronauts on the moon.

The space jockey on the can is one of the themes of Dark Sky Brewing Co., named for Flagstaff, the world’s first International Dark Sky City. Initially known for its innovative small batches, Dark Sky Brewing Co. now distributes its out-of-this-world craft brews throughout Arizona and Colorado.

Before or after a visit to the world-class Lowell Observatory, stop at Dark Sky Brewing Co., just down the street, to sample After Thoughts, dry hopped from Yakama Chief Citra Cryo. Tell us what you think of this pairing with a photo on your fave social media channel using #craftbeerflg.

7.)  Pair Tower Station by Mother Road Brewing with Historic Route 66

Get your kicks on Route 66 with this coupling of Tower Station IPA by Mother Road Brewing Company and the historic highway. Mother Road Brewery takes its name from John Steinbeck’s epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, about the Dust Bowl migration.

Steinbeck described Route 66 as “the mother road, the road of flight.” Mother Road Brewing and tasting room sit right on one of the lost sections of Route 66. You see, back then, the highway followed Mikes Pike, the street where the brewery sits, until the road was realigned to pass under the railroad track.

The popular India Pale Ale is named for Tower Station, a Route 66 spot that opened its doors in 1936 in Shamrock.

Did you know Flagstaff is closer to more national parks and monuments than any town on Route 66? That makes Flagstaff the perfect Route 66 gateway to the great outdoors!

Learn more trivia on a fun Route 66 walking tour between your Beer Week AZ activities.

8.)  Railhead Red by Beaver Street Brewing Pairs with Flagstaff’s Historic Train Station

We paired Beaver Street Brewing Company’s Railhead Red with Flagstaff’s historic train depot, just down the street, for Beer Week AZ. Flagstaff had its beginnings as a railroad town. Likewise —KAPOW!— the Flagstaff craft beer scene had its beginnings with Beaver Street Brewery!

For over three decades, Arizona’s beer enthusiasts have cherished Railhead Red. The full-bodied amber ale is now so popular that it’s brewed in the larger tanks of sister brewery, Lumberyard Brewing Company.

Beaver Street, and just months later, Flagstaff Brewing Company set the stage in 1994 for breweries in Flagstaff AZ. Great American Beer Festival judges recently awarded Railhead Red the prestigious 2023 Silver Medal.

The Santa Fe Railway completed construction on the Flagstaff depot in 1926, when the federal government officially commissioned Route 66 as a US highway. Today, you’ll find the Flagstaff Visitor Center, where you can find suggestions for Flagstaff breweries and places to stay or dine during Arizona Beer Week 2024.

AZ Beer Week 2024 | Breweries Flagstaff AZ Events

AZ Beer Week starts with a pub crawl in historic downtown Flagstaff on Thursday, February 15.

Various pubs will host Flagstaff breweries, where brewmeisters will serve their beers, including the special Maibock that many crafted for AZ Beer Week.

On Friday, February 16, the Pluto Pub Crawl celebrates Flagstaff and Lowell Observatory’s role in discovering Pluto. At 6 pm, restaurants and breweries involved in the event will feature Pluto-inspired drinks and deals. Along the way, educators from Lowell Observatory will conduct science presentations and trivia contests.

The Museum of Northern Arizona and Historic Brewing Company join forces to host a happy hour at the Eastside Taproom, located at 4366 E Huntington Drive. From 4 to 7 pm On Thursday, February 22, the occasion features special pricing on draft beers and complimentary brewery tours. Proceeds from retail sales during the event will be contributed to the Museum of Northern Arizona.

On Saturday, February 24, the annual Arizona Brewers and Veterans (ABV) dinner will take place, supporting veteran services in Arizona. Tickets for the nine-course craft beer dinner are available for purchase at www.eventbrite.com/e/abv-dinner-tickets-90021738443.

Check out dozens of other Arizona Beer Week 2024 Flagstaff events.

Stacey Wittig is a travel writer based in Flagstaff, AZ. “Flagstaff is the perfect place to come home after my adventures across the globe,” she says.