Drink local during Arizona Beer Week at these 12 metro Phoenix events

It’s time again to raise a glass to local brewers. Arizona Beer Week starts on Thursday. Many Valley breweries will tap special releases, host unique events and showcase how their brews can be expertly paired with food.

There’s plenty going on over the event’s 10 days. Like any good taster flight, we’ve put together a sampling of what’s in store. Check out these 12 events celebrating craft beer around the Valley.

Donut Daze at O.H.S.O. Brewery

Feb. 12
Multiple locations
A sweet kickoff to the week, O.H.S.O. Brewery’s Donut Daze event pairs BoSa Donuts with beers inspired by the confections, including a lemon hefeweizen, apple fritter lager, raspberry pale ale and coffee maple brown. The event will take place at each of O.H.S.O.’s six Valley locations in Arcadia, Paradise Valley, Sunnyslope, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Surprise. Beer options will vary by location, and brewpub doors open at 11 a.m. 

Cinnamon Kolsch Brunch

Feb. 12
2811 N. Central Ave. 
Brunch will be served for dinner at Kings Beer & Wine on Thursday. The Phoenix taproom and bottle shop will unveil its popular collaboration brew made with Huss Brewing Co., starting at 5 p.m. The beer is made with the popular cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and will be poured, “until we run out!” an Instagram post said.

Goldwater Brewing Co. Special Releases

Feb. 13
Multiple locations 
Goldwater Brewing Co. has five limited releases planned to celebrate Arizona Beer Week, including three that will be tapped on Friday. Be among the first to taste Go Go Sour Rangers: Pink Ranger, Zero Fox Given West Coast IPA and Big Nasty Imperial Stout. The sour is the third in a fan-favorite series, made with pink guava, raspberry and dragon fruit. The West Coast IPA is a collaboration with Mesa’s Phantom Fox Beer Co. And, Goldwater worked with the crew from North Dakota’s Drekker Brewing Co. to brew the imperial stout. These beers will be available on draft at Goldwater’s taprooms in Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa. Go Go Sour Rangers and Zero Fox Given will also be available in cans to-go.

R.A.R.E. Shit Fest

Feb. 13
912 N. Colorado St., Gilbert
Short for “really awesome, really exclusive,” the R.A.R.E. Shit Fest will feature new and vintage brews from Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., starting at 5 p.m. at its Woodnotes Cellar in Gilbert. Guests will get the first taste of the brewer’s Camp Coolship release, For Here is Rest, as well as vintage Camp Coolship releases. The brewery’s Camp Coolship series uses a titular coolship, a tray-like open-air vessel that encourages spontaneous fermentation through wild yeast. These specialty brews are then fermented for one to three years. The free event will also include limited bottles from Cantillon and other Belgian breweries and a screening of the lambic beer documentary “Bottle Conditioned.” 

Tap Takeovers

Feb. 13-15 and Feb. 20-22
3150 E. Ray Road, #150, Gilbert
Beer Barn, the farm-inspired beer hall at Gilbert’s Epicenter at Agritopia, will host two tap takeovers during Arizona Beer Week. The first kicks off Thursday, featuring Tucson’s Slow Body Beer Co. and Southern California’s Everywhere Beer Co. That includes the release of Keep It Solid, a double dry-hopped West Coast IPA, a collaboration between Beer Barn and the two breweries. The following weekend, Beer Barn will pour brews from San Diego’s North Park Beer Co. and New York’s Fidens Brewing Co.

Arizona Strong Beer Festival

Feb. 14
7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale
Show your craft beer love at the 25th annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival. More than 160 breweries will bring over 500 beers to the event, including some of their biggest, aka highest-alcohol, sips. Just about every brewery in the state and plenty of out-of-towners will be on hand, pouring samples. If you splurge for VIP passes, swing by a day early to get your wristband. You’ll be rewarded with a pre-party where you can sample beers and ciders while the University of Nebraska takes the mound against the University of Connecticut during the Desert Invitational. General admission tickets cost $70 and VIP admission is $99. Purchase tickets through TicketWeb.

SanTan Crusin’ for a Brewsin’ Bike Ride

Feb. 15
140 W. Warner Road, Chandler
The fact that all craft beer drinkers are cycling enthusiasts is a modern trope in itself. Lean into the caricature, get on your bike and ride. The SanTan Brewing Co.-backed cruise kicks off from Jolie’s Place. Registration begins at 1 p.m. and riders will depart shortly after, per event details posted online. Stops include Cogburn’s Big Wings, SanTan Gardens and Tom Ryan’s. Each stop will feature a SanTan beer. Ride guidance is provided by Tempe Bicycle Action Group. All riding experience levels are welcome for this social-paced cruise. Tickets are $42 in advance and may be reserved online.

Sixth Annual Montucky Mile

Feb. 15
14 N. Robson, Mesa
Not every beer week event is focused on casually sipping craft brews. Downtown Mesa’s Chupacabra Taproom will test people’s endurance and intestinal fortitude with the return of its Montucky Mile. Runners will be asked to drink a Montucky Cold Snack, run a quarter-mile lap, and repeat this process three more times. Costumes, cowboy hats and other “ridiculous outfits” are encouraged by event organizers. Prizes will be awarded to the fastest finisher and best dressed. Runners can reserve their spot online for $20.

8-Bit Boss Battle

Feb. 17
1050 N. Fairway Drive, Building F #101, Avondale
The Avondale brewery 8-Bit Aleworks is a fan-favorite among craft beer-loving gamers. For its Boss Battle, patrons are the players in a game that involves the entire taproom. The brewery owners have created “boss monsters,” like those in a video game, based on their seasonal beers. When a guest spends $5 or more, they will roll a die to deal “damage” to these monsters. Each time a monster is defeated, everyone who participated will get to draw prizes, which vary based on how much damage players can inflict. This one-of-a-kind event starts at 8-Bit’s taproom at 4 p.m. The event is free to attend, and more details are available on Facebook.

Fifth Annual Arizona Beer Week Open Golf Tournament

Feb. 18
11500 Hayden Road, Scottsdale
Sipping a cold one on the golf course is nothing new, but Huss Brewing Co., PHX Beer Co. and Starfire Golf Club have teamed up for a beer week-inspired tourney. Golfers will tee off from the Mulligan 9 course in a shotgun scramble that starts at 3:20 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the first-place team and the golfers with the longest drive and longest putt. Each player will be entered to win a prize pack that includes a custom golf bag, a foursome round at Starfire and a $100 PHX Beer Co. gift card. Twosomes are $130 and foursomes are $260; golfers can reserve their spot in the tournament on Eventbrite. 

Bricks and Brews

Feb. 19
24 W. Camelback Road
The Joy Lush Club will host an Arizona Beer Week Edition of its LEGO building and craft brews event. The bar and bottle shop has teamed up with Arizona breweries and smash burger spot Stoop Kid for a family-friendly night out. A ticket ($48) includes a choice of a LEGO kit, a pint of an Arizona craft beer and a meal from Stoop Kid. Featured breweries include local favorites Roses by the Stairs Brewing and Wren House Brewing Co., plus Tucson’s Pueblo Vida Brewing Co. and Slow Body Beer Co. Tickets may be purchased on Eventbrite.

Girl Scout Cookie Pairing

Feb. 22
290 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler
Downtown Chandler beer bar and bottle shop The Sleepy Whale has several events on tap to celebrate beer week, and it ends on a sweet note. The Sleepy Whale has teamed up with Girl Scouts for a beer-and-cookie pairing. Sample five-ounce pours of four different brews with Lemon-Ups, Tagalongs, Samoas and Thin Mints. Tickets for the pairing are $30 and may be purchased online. Girl Scouts will also be on-site selling cookies to Sleepy Whale patrons from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.