I have spent a big part of my life living in Arizona, but I never have managed to become an Arizona Cardinal's fan. That said I wish them success this weekend at the Super Bowl. If you are looking for Arizona beers for the big game here is what I would suggest.

First off ignore Cave Creek Chili Beer, it's a gimic beer not intended for the serious craft beer enthusiast and I only ever use the beer to flavor my chili. It may be the only beer that consistently makes it out of Arizona and I think it's because the locals don't drink it.

The AZ Brewing Guild is a great source to find out about craft brewing and they recently updated their website. If you find yourself going to Arizona this site would be my go guide for the state, after my site of course.

Four Peaks is probably the largest brewery in the state. Every time I hear about them they are finding ways to expand in a confided space. Kiltlifter is probably their flagship beer. It's a Scottish style ale and if you can find any of their beers it's probably this one. My favorite of theirs though would be the 8th Street Ale, their take on an English Best Bitter.

Nimbus Brewing, based in Tucson, is another large brewery in the state. Their Brown ale is the only one I have had with any regularity and it's tasty. Old Monkey Shine is an Old English ale that friends from Tucson always rave about but I haven't tried it.

Mudshark in Lake Havasu is another brewery you might see on the market. They make a Hefeweizen and Belgian Wit, which don't sound too unusual until you find out they serve them in cans. I don't recommend you drink them that way, pour it into a glass then enjoy, but their Wit is a very solid beer.

Oak Creek Brewing is an old favorite but frankly people outside of Arizona only see it at GABF. They are one of the most award winning brewers in the state for good reason. Inspired by German traditions that have fueled into more experimental brewing in recent years. Frankly I think their best offerings only make it to their pub or festival booths. That said their Nut Brown, Amber, and Pale ale are great beers and their traditional Hefeweizen recently was started to be bottled. Seek them out and you won't be disappointed.

Any of the above beers, except the Chili, would be a great offering for your party this weekend.

A couple of quick Arizona beer updates for while I certainly don't live there anymore, I still care and hear the occasional interesting bit of news.

Four Peaks Beer Dinner
Thursday, December January 22th - 6pm
Pesto Brothers Piazza
Flagstaff, AZ
Four Peaks hosts a beer dinner in my favorite mountain town. The menu has not been settled yet, but based on friends' opinions who have dined at Pesto Brothers I am sure the food will be great and worth the price. For more details call (928) 774-3020 or email ted@fourpeaks.com.

My spies, ahem, informants tell me Old World brewery will have a kickoff party Saturday, January 24th at 2pm. It will be great for Arizona to have another craft brewery in the mix so look for them in the Phoenix area soon. I'll have to work on Anonymous Mike or someone else out there to stop by and perhaps write me up a review of the event.

While I was in Arizona I was able to sit down with Gene, one of the brewers at Beaver Street, and discuss the planned expansion. While he was able to explain things in more detail, many of the points we talked about were not set as they haven't even started construction yet.

The planning Gene said had been going on for the last few years. The site had been selected last year, but until the city owned building cleared the sale process they could discuss their intent. As the location was a Lumberyard they would like that theme to factor into the brewery. At the same time as the building is a historic site that will play heavily into the renovation to keep those elements in the final design.

The brewery will be a stand alone operation with separate staffing from the existing brewpub. The powerhouse behind the brewing will be a 30 barrel system, which should provide plenty of capacity to provide their beers statewide.

Construction is hoped to begin soon with the beers hitting the shelves next Fall.