A few beers in Flagstaff, Arizona

In January, we were visiting with some friends in Phoenix, and decided to make a trip up to the Grand Canyon.  Originally we were planning on staying overnight somewhere near the Grand Canyon Park, but then realized that there really wasn't much to do around there in the evening.  So, after looking around a bit, we decided to stay in Flagstaff and then drive the hour and a half to the Grand Canyon in the morning.

Flagstaff is a great little city to spend an evening and try out some beers.  There are four breweries easily within walking distance of each other in the downtown area, along with a couple of others that are within a mile or so.  

Hops on Birch (22 East Birch Avenue #2, Flagstaff, AZ)

After checking into our hotel, we were still trying to get our bearings, and happened across Hops on Birch.  Since this was one of the places we wanted to check out anyway, it seemed like we might as well go in and have a beer.

Hops on Birch is the place that you want to be your neighborhood bar. There are about 25 taps of GOOD beer, and they change frequently.  The bartenders are friendly, and so are the rest of the patrons, including the pups that are welcome to join their owners inside.  They have live music four nights a week, along with darts and other games.  There's no food, but there is $1 off all beers during happy hour (3-6pm).


This is a place that was built by people who like beer, and who wanted to be a part of the community.  I wish we had this bar in my neighborhood.  Unfortunately, after only one beer, it was time to move on; we had lots of places to check out, and only one evening to do so.

Mother Road Brewing (7 South Mikes Pike, Flagstaff, AZ)

After leaving Hops on Birch, we walked a few blocks to our first brewery stop: Mother Road Brewing.  This was our favorite of the three breweries that we visited; not only did we feel that the beer was the best, we also enjoyed the environment the most.

There is a small bar, that would seat around a dozen, and a number of high-tops for additional seating.  The bar area sits right in the middle of the brewery, with the fermentation tanks looming over you, reminding you at all times that the beer came from right over there.

When we were there, they had seven beers on tap, along with a cask of their pale ale which they had added citra hops to.  Along with being able to get a pint, you can also get 4-5 ounce tastes of whichever beers you want for $1 each.  

All of there beers were very good; I would rate most as 7 or 8 out of 10.  Even though I'm not a big fan of fruit beers, I was really impressed with the Cherry Red Pale Ale.  It had just a hint of cherry sweetness, and was really nicely balanced.  The Lost Highway Black IPA was nice, but I thought it could use both more hops and more malt, considering it was a black IPA.  The Stranded Spiced Porter was nice; on first taste, I didn't really recognize much spiced flavor, but it built after a few sips and turned into a really nicely balanced spiced porter.

We really enjoyed our time here.  Since it was a Monday night, it was relatively slow, but we had a nice time chatting with the couple next to us (who thoughtfully reminded us that we were at an elevation of over 7000 feet, and that the alcohol would hit us harder than at sea level).  The bartender, Cedar, was great as well.  We had a great time talking to him.

Since it was the middle of January, we didn't have a chance to enjoy their patio,but it looked like a great place to hang out on a nice afternoon or evening.

They don't have food for purchase, but you can bring in food from one of the nearby restaurants.

Beaver Street Brewery (11 South Beaver St #1, Flagstaff, AZ)
When we left Mother Road, it was a short walk to Beaver Street Brewery.  They had beer, they had food, so we decided to have dinner here.

Have you ever been to one of those brewpubs that can't decide if the beer or the food is more important...so they both suffer?  Welcome to Beaver Street.  Nothing was bad here, but there really wasn't much to say great things about either.

They had around 8 beers on tap, and they were ok, but nothing great.  I guess one of their big sellers is their Beaver Street Red Raspberry.  If you like fruit beers, you

may like this, but I thought it was a really light beer with an overpowering raspberry flavor.  The oatmeal stout and ESB were pretty solid, but I wouldn't rush back to get them.

Since they have woodfired pizzas, we decided to get a couple of those for dinner.  Again, they were ok, but nothing outstanding.  Actually, the crust had the texture and flavor of a frozen pizza; that was a big disappointment.

Overall, I wish we had stayed at Mother Road, and ordered a pizza from the place around the corner from them.

Flagstaff Brewing Company (16 East Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ)
Now it was time to walk back across the train tracks, and head to the Flagstaff Brewing Company. 

As it was getting later on Monday night, things were pretty quiet at the brewery.  There were only a couple of other patrons in the bar when we got there.  

Flagstaff Brewing's pub is a pretty big establishment, with a long bar and quite a few tables.  There are also ping pong tables in the back.

When we were there, they had 6 of their own beers on tap, along with other beers available.  Their 4-5 ounce samples were $1 each, and I had four.  

• Bitterroot ESB - This had a pretty decent flavor, and not too much bitterness.  
• Agassiz Amber - This amber just seemed off; it had a sweetness and a bitterness that were odd together.  
• Blackbird Porter - This one was really quite good; it actually had a bit more flavor than many porters. That may be because they didn't actually have a stout on tap, so there porter was a little deeper than many others would be.  
• Three Pin Pale Ale - Ok, but the flavor just seemed a little off with this one too.

Overall, the bar was ok, but it wasn't a favorite.

The State Bar (10 E Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ)
Our last stop of the evening was at The State Bar, just a couple of doors down from Flagstaff Brewing.   This is a great place to go, especially if your an Arizona tourist.  All 36 or their taps, along with all their wines, come from Arizona.  I've never been at a bar where EVERYTHING is local (or at least comes from the local state).  What a great idea.

Even at the late hour, there were a few people hanging around the bar.  Strangely, throughout the night we had seen a British guy who was doing the same thing as we were...bouncing from bar to bar to see what Flagstaff had to offer; it was a perfect way to end the evening to see him here as well.

I ended up doing a tasting of four non-Flagstaff beers to end the night.  The flight was $6, which seemed reasonable.

• Sonoran White Chocolate - This was the first time that I've ever had a 'light' colored chocolate beer.  It was really interesting.  It had a slight bitterness, but mostly it just had a nice chocolate flavor.
• San Tan Sex Panther  - There wasn't a ton of chocolate flavor in this one.  It was very drinkable, and not heavy at all.
• Creamy Demon Nitro - This had a little bitterness, but overall a nice chocolate flavor.  The flavor was a little light, as are many nitrogenated beers.
• Grand Canyon Winter Bourbon Barrel - This was ok, but it was a little bland for either a winter beer or for a bourbon barrel.

We also picked up a couple of Arizona beers to enjoy while sitting at the Grand Canyon the following day.

• Borderlands Noche Dulce Moonlight Vanilla Porter - 9/10 This was yummy.  It had a nice balance, and was both chocolate-y and vanilla-y.  This one was a little expensive, but it was really tasty.  Actually, it was one of the best beers I had in Arizona, even if it came out of a can instead of from a tap.

• College Street Sweet Devil Stout - 6/10 This was ok, but not stellar.  It didn't really read like a stout...more like a dark porter.  It was sweet, but not really chocolately.

If you are in Arizona, and happen to be somewhere around Flagstaff, plan on spending an afternoon or an evening to try out all the options in this great little city.