I noticed and have been pondering the last few weeks, why Arizona doesn't have any breweries on the Top 50 list. It's not a lack of quality beer for sure. Oak Creek, Prescott, Four Peaks, and others all are brewing high quality ales and deserve recognition. But that Top 50 list is size oriented, so what will it take for Arizona's great breweries to get on the list?

Water. Arizona is a VERY dry state, even up here in the mountains so I think this is a major issue for any brewery considering growth. Towns like Flagstaff, Sedona, and Prescott while we can support a brewpub or small production brewery without enough water I doubt we can provided sufficient water supply a brewery on that list. The metro areas like Phoenix and Tucson on the other hand because they have a more reliable and larger water network to tap into may be the only places that a Top 50 brewery could be established.

So that said which breweries could develop out to that size? Four Peaks and Nimbus seem the only two obvious candidates. They are already bottling in the urban areas. They have strong brands with good quality. I have seen their beers in Cost Plus World Market packs, which while may be based regional is a good way to develop a reputation in larger markets.

However if Oak Creek, Prescott, or maybe even Beaver Street decided to open a production brewery in some place with more water or perhaps set up a contract brewing for their beers they have the quality and GABF reputation to make a play for the big time.

I don't see Arizona making the big time soon, but when we do they brewery will have certainly earned the title.

The first Saturday of May is National Homebrew Day and to celebrate this year Oak Creek Brewing and Northern Arizona Homebrewers will celebrate at the brewery. There will be brewing demonstrations, tours, and other fun so if you are in the area please stop in and join the fun.

Yes the photo evidence is true, second photo in the series, I was at the Dogfish Head Off-Centered Experience at Papago Brewing this weekend. The event raised funds for Brain Cancer Research.

It was a great experience. Ron Kioth, the owner, provided the perfect venue and environment for it to be a success. The tickets were limited to 100 each of the two sessions and while I know many others were interested in attending but couldn't because of it selling out early. The smaller group size provided a good balance of crowd, but not so much you couldn't move or enjoy yourself.

There was the best selection of Dogfish Head beers for the event that I have ever seen in Arizona. Of course there were the usual suspects one can find like the 60 Minute IPA or Chicory Stout. The more interesting were those we don't normally get to see like Chateau Jiahu, Johnny Rawton, and Olde School Barleywine. It was great to have the opportunity to taste those and I hope to see them in the Arizona stores in the near future. I'd love to elaborate on the many ones I was able to taste but sadly keeping indepth notes at any beer festival event is a losing battle, but a fun one to be sure.

I started with the Olde School Barleywine, small wonder I didn't keep excellent notes huh, while it had a strong alcoholic character it was well balanced with slightly Evergreen notes. I thought they were on the pine side, but a certain Food Geek thought they were more on the spruce/cedar side. I also got to sample the Burton Baton it was a very impressive Imperial IPA. It had a bit of a sweet wood component balance with a smooth, not hard bitterness. The Chateau Jiahu had an amazing delicate character, but I wasn't able to appreciate it properly because of the larger beers earlier I had tasted.

Last the entertainment it was well, Off-Centered. See the pictures I link to at the top of the post, but it was a unique experience and that frankly doesn't describe it right.

All and all it was great combination of great beer, people and entertainment, throw in that it was for charity and it was an experience that couldn't be beat. I hope the Off-Centered Experience returns to Arizona in the future.