Copper State Beer Festival, Mesa AZ | Jan 13th 2024

Sweaters are being stripped off, sleeves are being rolled up, and hats are perched on heads as the sparkling winter sun permeates Mesa, AZ’s Riverview Park. Copper State Beer Festival is in full swing, and the weather is offering up its desert best for the 5,000 visitors the event has attracted. This is the third year the festival has taken place, drawing beer lovers from across Arizona and further afield to one of Phoenix’s hippest suburbs for an afternoon of imbibement. As Arizona’s craft beer scene blooms like a cactus flower, consumers are catching on, creating space for this frankly huge event featuring 72 breweries, plus a range of cideries, wineries, meaderies, distilleries, seltzer makers, bars and bottle shops. While the focus is firmly on beer, this is an event with something for everyone and an opportunity for local businesses to showcase their offerings alongside high-profile national names. There’s even a skating rink and axe throwing, which beats the heck out of the usual spin-the-wheel attractions beer festivals offer (FYI there was also spin-the-wheel).

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Real Wild & Woodsy Festival | Flagstaff, Arizona

For lovers of mixed culture, foeder-conditioned, funky and barrel-aged beers, the Real Wild & Woodsy Festival really is the Teddy Bears’ (or should that be Teddy Beers’?) Picnic of festivals. Held just outside the center of Flagstaff at the Arizona Historical Society’s Pioneer Museum for the first time this year, the festival feels like a secret garden party.

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2 Days 2 Nights | Scottsdale, Arizona: Spring Training Edition

Northeast of Phoenix, Scottsdale comes alive every spring training when the Cactus League brings the deprived baseball fanatic out of their winter hibernation to enjoy the sunshine and the promise of a new season. With 10 stadiums in the greater Phoenix area, there are two that call Scottsdale home. With cities that have suffered for lack of tourism in recent years, there is an excitement to finally be welcoming back the influx of commerce and community. With an abundant nightlife, several golf courses, casinos and spas, Scottsdale can give an exciting vacation to any traveler.

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Ultimate 6er | Six Arizona Beers to Weather Any Weather

The snow is melting. The sun is shining. Spring has sprung! Or has it? This time of year, the weather can never seem to make up its mind. One day could be a sunny day at the beach. The next, you may need to ask Noah to build another ark. Whatever the weather, you’ll need a beer to make it through. These six Arizona Beers are sure to help you withstand any weather. Read More

Button Brew House & Old Ellsworth Brewing Company | Dark Elevation

For those of you that have been around the craft beer scene for a while, think back several years ago and it’s easy to see that many styles have come and gone. Even some of the styles that have stood the test of time have evolved over the years. One style, in particular, comes to mind: Black IPAs. This style was highly popular for a few years, then quietly phased out of many breweries’ lineups. However, Black IPAs have started to make a comeback in popularity.

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What We’re Drinking | July 27, 2018

Picking up a new hobby or craft is pretty common during the Summer, but if your latest DIY project was a huge fail, fear not and let craft beer become your new hobby; it’s ours! It is guaranteed to be more relaxing than getting rained on while painting the house or the “new” Summer deck that became a hazard area at your last BBQ. The PorchDrinking staff’s got your back and have plenty of beers to share in this week’s What We’re Drinking.

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