Brewing Arizona: A Century of Beer in the Grand Canyon State 9780816530472, 2013005505

Table of contents :
Cover
Title Page, Copyright Page
Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Beer and Its Place in History
2. Pioneer Breweries of the Old Pueblo and Southern Arizona
3. Pioneer Breweries of Central and Northern Arizona
4. Dawn of a New Century
5. Prohibition
6. Rebirth of the Brewing Industry in Arizona
7. A-1: The Famous Regional Beer
8. Dawn of the Multinational Brewery
9. End of an Era and the Start of a New
10. The 1980s: The Birth of Arizona's Microbrewery Revolution
11. The 1990s: Beginning of the Boom
12. The 2000s: The New Millennium
13. The 2010s: The Second Wave of Newcomers
14. A Positive Outlook for Arizona's Craft Beer Industry
Chronological Listing of Arizona Breweries, Microbreweries, and Brewery-Owned Pubs
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Citation preview

Brewing Arizona

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The University of Arizona Press gratefully acknowledges financial assistance provided for the publication of this book bY THE FOLLOWING DONORS

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Brewing

Arizona

A Century of Beer in the Grand Canyon State

Ed Sipos

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The University of Arizona Press © 2013 The Arizona Board of Regents All rights reserved www.uapress.arizona.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sipos, Ed. Brewing Arizona : a century of beer in the grand canyon state / Ed Sipos.   pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-8165-3047-2 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Brewing industry—Arizona—History. I. Title. hd9397.a75s56  2013 338.4'76634209791—dc23 2013005505 Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are provided by the author. Manufactured in South Korea 18  17  16  15  14  13   6  5  4  3  2  1

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This book is dedicated to my wife Alice and daughter Hailey, for their patience, love, and support; to my family whom I cherish; and to the former brewery employees who refer to themselves as the “A-1 Family,” for their heartfelt stories that inspired me to complete this book.

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Contents List of Illustrations, ix  /  Preface, xv  /  Acknowledgments, xvii

1 Beer and Its Place in History, 1 2 Pioneer Breweries of the Old Pueblo and Southern Arizona, 9 3 Pioneer Breweries of Central and Northern Arizona, 31 4 Dawn of a New Century, 63 5 Prohibition, 79 6 Rebirth of the Brewing Industry in Arizona, 97 7 a-1: The Famous Regional Beer, 113 8 Dawn of the Multinational Brewery, 141 9 End of an Era and the Start of a New, 157 10 The 1980s: The Birth of Arizona’s Microbrewery Revolution, 163 11 The 1990s: Beginning of the Boom, 171 12 The 2000s: The New Millennium, 223 13 The 2010s: The Second Wave of Newcomers, 271 14     A Positive Outlook for Arizona’s Craft Beer Industry, 295 Chronological Listing of Arizona Breweries, Microbreweries, and Brewery-Owned Pubs, 305 Bibliography, 323  /  Index, 329

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Illustrations 0.00   A-1 Beer Neon Sign, Casa Blanca Bar, Hanover, NM, xiv 1.00   Flowchart of Brewing Process, 3 1.01   Portrait of John Arnold Spring, 5 1.02   Pioneer Brewery Ad, Weekly Arizonian, November 20, 1869, 6 1.03   Tintype of Beer Drinkers, 7 2.00   Portrait of Alexander and Zenona Levin, 10 2.01   Park Brewery, Main Street, Tucson, c. 1878, 12 2.02   Park Brewery Entrance, c. 1880, 13 2.03   Park Brewery Ad, 1881 Tucson City Directory, 14 2.04   Levin’s Park Ad, 1883–1884 Tucson-Tombstone City Directory, 14 2.05   Julius Goldbaum Inc., Congress Street, Tucson, c. 1890, 15 2.06   Tucson Saloon Roulette Game, c. 1900, 15 2.07   Park Brewery behind Pennington Street, Tucson, late 1880s, 16 2.08   Brewer’s Ranch, Barnabe Palm Brewery, 17 2.09   Alexander Levin with Son Henry Levin, 17 2.10   Pioneer Saloon Ad, Graham Guardian, March 9, 1895, 18 2.11   The O.K. Corral, Tombstone, 19 2.12   Portrait of Ed Schieffelin, 19 2.13   Tombstone Volunteer Fire Department, 1883, 23 2.14   Golden Eagle Brewery Ad, The Tombstone, March 23, 1885, 24 2.15   Postcard of Crystal Palace Saloon, late 1930s, 25 2.16   The Mountain Brewery Ad, Tombstone Daily Prospector,      February 4, 1889, 27 2.17   Brewery Saloon, Brewery Gulch, Bisbee, early 1900s, 28 2.18   Postcard of Interior of Office Saloon, Bisbee, c. 1910, 28 2.19   Muheim Block, Bisbee, 2011, 29 3.00   Jack Swilling and Native American Man, 32 3.01   Portrait of Mathew Cavaness, c. 1880s, 32 3.02   Cavenness & Cosgroves Ad, Weekly Arizona Miner,      September 14, 1872, 33 3.03  Mathew Cavaness Driving a Freight Train, c. 1878, 33 3.04   View of Washington Street, Phoenix, c. 1880s, 34 3.05   Hayes & Lovejoy’s Brewery and Saloon Ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, July 12, 1873, 35 3.06   William B. Hooper & Company Trade Booklet, January 1, 1883, 36

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3.07   Arcade Brewery and Saloon Ad, 1881 Tucson City Directory, 38 3.08   Dick and Geo. Condiff, Palace Saloon, Phoenix, 39 3.09   Louis Melczer Ad, 1895 Phoenix City Directory, 41 3.10   Melczer Bros. Wholesale Liquor Store, 42 3.11   Melczer Bros. Bottle Opener, 42 3.12   Portrait of August Pieper, c. 1890s, 43 3.13   Pinal Brewery Ad, 1881 Tucson City Directory, 43 3.14   Portrait of Ferdinand Rechenmacher, c. 1890s, 44 3.15   August Pieper Saloon, 1890, 45 3.16   August Pieper House, 45 3.17   St. Louis Brewery Ad, Arizona Silver Belt, February 13, 1886, 46 3.18   Globe Brewing Company Ad, Arizona Silver Belt,      September 22, 1888, 47 3.19   Pinal City Brewery Ad, Pinal Drill, September 17, 1881, 49 3.20   Postcard of Freight Train in Front of Arizona Brewery,      Prescott, 1870s, 50 3.21   Portrait of Julius N. Rodenburg, c. 1895, 51 3.22   Arizona Brewery Ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, January 13, 1882, 52 3.23   Portrait of John and Wilhelmina Raible, c. 1872, 53 3.24   Pacific Brewery Ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, January 20, 1882, 54 3.25   City Brewery, Prescott, c. 1878, 55 3.26   The Excelsior Brewery Ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, May 2, 1879, 55 3.27   Export Beer Wagon on Whiskey Row, Prescott, c. 1900, 56 3.28   Saloons in Williams, Arizona, 1913, 59 3.29   Flagstaff Brewery Ad, Weekly Champion, May 17, 1884, 60 3.30   Flagstaff, Arizona, 1880s, 61 4.00   Postcard Showing Craps Table in Prescott Saloon, c. 1905, 64 4.01   Mulvenon Saloon, c. 1890s, 64 4.02   Construction of Arizona Brewing Company, 1903, 65 4.03   Arizona Brewing Company’s Brewery and Bottling Works,65 4.04   Arizona Brewing Company Ad, Elks Minstrels Souvenir      Program, 1905, 65 4.05   Prescott Extra Pale Bottle, 66 4.06   Portrait of William and Ella Johnson Mulvenon, 1890, 67 4.07   Gurley Street Bar, “Mulvenon’s Saloon,” Prescott, 1903, 67 4.08   Arizona Brewing Company Lithograph Advertising      Calendar, 1905, 67

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4.09   Arizona Brewing Company Shipping Tag, c. 1905, 68 4.10   Arizona Brewing Company Corporate Seal, 68 4.11   Arizona Brewing Company “Apache Indian” Tray, c. 1910, 69 4.12   Arizona Brewing Company Picnic, c. 1910, 69 4.13   Portrait of John Slaughter, c. 1896, 70 4.14   Copper City Brewing Company Postcard, 71 4.15   Arizona Special Brew Beer Label, 72 4.16   Palace Hotel, Bisbee, 73 4.17   Portrait of John Merklein in his twenties, 74 4.18   Copper City Brewing Company Lithograph Advertising      Poster, 1910, 74 4.19   Tannhauser Beer Label, 75 4.20   Copper City Brewing Company Letterhead, August 16, 1912, 76 4.21   Prescott Bottling Works Belts and Machinery, c. 1905, 77 5.00   Political Cartoon, Womans Holy War: Grand Charge on      the Enemy’s Works, 1874, 80 5.01   Portrait of Arizona Governor Anson P. K. Safford, 81 5.02   Portrait of Elizabeth Josephine Brawley Hughes, 1887, 82 5.03   Temple Bar Saloon, Flagstaff, Prohibition Card, 1908, 83 5.04   International Union of United Brewery Workmen of America      Local Union #7, Branch 10, Prescott, 84 5.05   Horse-Drawn Wagon with Signs, “Prohibition Does Prohibit in      Arizona” and “Bootleggers Take Warning, Arizona’s Dry,”      Downtown Phoenix, 1920s, 85 5.06   Arizona Brewing Company Advertising Tray, c. 1910, 87 5.07   Barette Beer Label, Copper City Brewing Company, 88 5.08   Copper City Brewing Company Tin Charger, “Tannhauser Girl,”      c. 1910, 88 5.09   Arizona Fizz Near-Beer Label, Arizona Brewing Company, 90 5.10   Co. G, First Infantry, Douglas, c. 1910, 91 5.11   Stills Confiscated in Raid of Hogan-Miller Outfit,      Prescott, 1928, 93 5.12   Postcard Illustrating Cold Storage Beer at Agua Prieta, Sonora,      Mexico, c. 1928, 94 6.00   Postcard of Sugar Beet Factory, c. 1908, 98 6.01   Name the Beer Contest Ad, Tri-State Brewing Company,      Phoenix Gazette, July 10, 1933, 99 6.02   Southwestern Brewing Company Ad, Phoenix Gazette,      August 29, 1933, 100 6.03   Arizona Brewing Company Ad, Phoenix Gazette,      August 3, 1933, 101 6.04   Arizona Brew Beer Label, Arizona Brewing Company, 102

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6.05   Sunbru Beer Label, Arizona Brewing Company, 102 6.06   Arizona Brewing Company Ad, Modern Brewer Magazine,      December 1935, 103 6.07   Apache Beer, “It Hits the Spot” Ad, Arizona Republic,      August 9, 1934, 104 6.08   Apache Beer Memorabilia, 105 6.09   Apache Beer Wood Thermometer, c. 1935, 105 6.10   Apache Blue Label Beer Bottle, 105 6.11   Various Arizona Brewing Company Beer Labels, 106 6.12   Apache Beer Can Ad, Arizona Republic, July 24, 1936, 107 6.13   E. W. Lindner’s Original Union Dues Booklets, 1907, 1921, 1933, 107 6.14   E. W. Lindner and Robert Elder, Arizona Beverage Journal,      June 1937, 108 6.15   Apache Beer Parking Ticket, 1930s, 108 6.16   Apache Beer Bottle, c. 1938, 108 6.17   Arizona Brewing Company Ad, Arizona Beverage Journal,      December 1939, 109 6.18   Elder Bräu Beer with Elder Grams Label, 110 6.19   Elder Bräu Embossed Tin Sign, c. 1940, 110 6.20   Apache Beer Point-of-Purchase Easel and Bottle Display, 111 7.00   A-1 Beer Bottle, c. 1943, 114 7.01   A-1 Beer “Buy War Bonds” Zuni Missile Cover, 115 7.02   A-1 Beer Bottleneck Ad, Yuma Daily Sun, September 1, 1943, 115 7.03   Navajo Rug Advertising A-1 Pilsner Beer, late 1940s/      early 1950s, 116 7.04   A-1 Beer Can Style, 118 7.05   Arizona Brewing Company Looking South, with Trucks, 1950, 118 7.06   A-1 Beer Jumbo Ad, Arizona Beverage Journal, December 1949, 119 7.07   E. W. Lindner Departs for Europe, July 13, 1949, 119 7.08   A-1 Queens’ Ad, National Softball Congress Souvenir Program,      September 10–19, 1949, 120 7.09   Lon Megargee at His Home during the 1950s, 120 7.10   A-1 Beer Prints by Lon Megargee, 121 7.11   Joe Lanser Jr. and Sam Haldiman Examining A-1 Beer      Packaging, 123 7.12   A-1 Beer Lazy Susan, 123 7.13   A-1 Beer Advertising at the Acapulco Buffet, Phoenix, 1954, 124 7.14   A-1 Beer Billboard Located in Arizona Brewery Parking Lot, 1954, 124 7.15   “Corky” Redell at Keagle Memorial Sports Award Dinner,      February 11, 1954, 125 7.16   A-1 Men’s Softball Team at University Park, Phoenix, 1956, 126 7.17   Joe Lanser, “Mr. Phoenix Baseball,” at Joe Lanser Night,      Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 1954, 126

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7.18   A-1 On Tap Newsletter, 127 7.19   A-1 Beer Display at Annual Liquor Dealers Convention,      Westward Ho, Phoenix, 1953, 128 7.20   E. W. Lindner in Brewhouse, c. 1954, 129 7.21   Interior of Aging Cellar, Arizona Brewing Company, 1953, 129 7.22   A-1 Beer Display in Safeway Store, 1953, 130 7.23   E. W. Lindner, Joe Lanser Sr., Max Lindner, and Herb Lindner      Admire A-1 Beer’s Packaging, 1954, 130 7.24   Arizona Brewing Company Looking West, 1954, 130 7.25   Installation of Glass-Lined Tanks at Arizona Brewing Company,      1954, 131 7.26   First Refrigerated A-1 Beer Truck, 1954, 131 7.27   Artist Rendition of A-1 Beer Label, c. 1956, 132 7.28   Group of Men Looking over Bottles at the Arizona Brewery      during Union Labor Week, 1957, 132 7.29   Irma Villa, Miss Union Label Queen of Phoenix, with A-1 Beer,      1957, 133 7.30  Bill Gonzales Giving Tour of A-1 Brewery’s Water Purification      System, 1958, 133 7.31   Group in Arizona Brewing Company’s Hospitality Room,      1959, 134 7.32   The Bar in Arizona Brewing Company’s Hospitality Room,      1959, 134 7.33   Arizona Brewing Company Looking West down Adams Street,      1960, 135 7.34   A-1 Beer Can with Reverse Label, 135 7.35   A-1 Bock Beer Display, Bashas’ Market, Indian School Road      and Thirty-Second Street, 1961, 136 7.36   A-1 Bock Beer Six-Pack, 1961, 136 7.37   A-1 Beer Piñata Die-Cut Advertising Sign, 1960, 136 7.38   A-1 Beer Billboard, 136 7.39   Herb Lindner and Joe Lanser Sr. Viewing Snowcrest Beer      Canning Line, 1961, 137 7.40   Max Lindner, E. W. “Pop” Lindner, and Herb Lindner at Pop’s      Retirement Party, 1961, 137 7.41   Lancers Beer Cans Six-Pack, 138 7.42   Truck Drivers in Arizona Brewing Company Hospitality Room,      1962, 138 7.43   Oberheit Beer Glass, 139 7.44   Arizona Brewing Company Prototype Bottles, 1960s, 139 7.45   Royal Guardsman and 16-oz. A-1 Ale Prototype Cans, 1960s, 139 7.46   J. F. Lanser’s Beer Eight-Pack, 139 8.00  Carling Black Label Can, 142

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8.01  Chart Showing Carling Brewing Company’s Status in      Beer Industry, 1964, 142 8.02   A-1 Beer Memorabilia, Carling Brewing Company, 143 8.03   “It’s Baseball Time in A-1 Country” Ad, Carling Brewing      Company, 144 8.04   National Brewing Company, Phoenix, c. 1970, 145 8.05   A-1 Beer Tap Handle, c. 1967, 146 8.06   “Try Our A-1 Beer Here” Tin and Glass Light-up Sign, 146 8.07   Phoenix Roadrunners Hockey Schedule and Phoenix Suns      Basketball Schedule on A-1 Beer Cans, 1969–1970, 146 8.08   Phoenix Suns A-1 Beer Schooners, 147 8.09   Aerial View of National Brewing Company, Phoenix,      early 1970s, 148 8.10   Street View of National Brewing Company, 1974, 148 8.11   Carling-National A-1 Beer Can, 150 8.12   G. Heileman Brewery Annual Report, 1979, 152 8.13   “Arizona is A-1” Sign, G. Heileman Brewery, 153 8.14   “Mash Tub,” G. Heileman Brewery, Phoenix, 1981, 154 8.15   Glass-lined tanks at G. Heileman Brewery, Phoenix, c. 1980, 155 9.00   G. Heileman Brewery on Twelfth Street, Phoenix,      Looking South, 1993, 159 9.01   G. Heileman Brewery during Demolition, 1993, 159 9.02   Then and Now Photographs of the G. Heileman Brewery site,      1962 and 2003, 160 9.03   A-1 Beer Terrazo Floor from G. Heileman Brewery at Phoenix      Fire Department, 160 9.04   A-1 Beer Twelve-Pack of Cans, 161 9.05   Putting Bottles of A-1 Beer in Case at Nimbus Brewing      Company, 2010, 161 10.00  Uwe Boer, Michael Jackson, and John Watt, Sonora Brewing      Company, 164 10.01  Derek Osborne Accepts Award at 2009 Great American Beer      Festival, 164 10.02  Arizona Beer Festival Program, 1985, 166 10.03  Bandersnatch 22-oz. Cardinal Pale Ale Beer Bottle, 167 10.04  The First Electric Dave’s Brewery, c. 1989, 168 10.05  Pendleton’s Restaurant and Brewery Beer Coaster, 169 10.06  Black Mountain Brewing Company Labels, 169 11.00  Catalina Cream Ale Table Tent, 172 11.01  Jerry Gantt Dispensing Malted Barley into Brew Kettle      at Bandersnatch, 173

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11.02  Barley’s Brewpub Beer Coaster, 173 11.03  Construction of Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company, 175 11.04  Hops! Restaurant & Brewery Beer Coaster, 175 11.05  Beaver Street Brewery, 2011, 176 11.06  Interior View of Prescott Brewing Company, 2011, 176 11.07  Flagstaff Brewing Company, 2011, 179 11.08  David Roberts, Jim Scussel, John Hostak, and Walter Geerdts,      Four Peaks Brewing Company, 180 11.09  Coyote Springs Brewing Company Pilsner Beer Glass, 182 11.10  Baboquivari Brewing Company Logo, 184 11.11  Original 7-Barrel Specific Mechanical Brewing System,      Four Peaks Brewing Company, 2002, 185 11.12  Tombstone Brewing Company Logo, 186 11.13  Installation of Tanks at Copper Canyon Brewing and Ale House,      1996, 187 11.14  McFarlane Brewing Company Ribbon Cutting, 189 11.15  Peter McFarlane Next to 40-Barrel Fermenters, 1996, 189 11.16  Uwe Boer Prepares for Sonora Brewing Company’s First      Day of Brewing, 1996, 189 11.17  Interior of River Road Brewing Company Restaurant and      Brewhouse, 1996, 192 11.18  Copper City Brewing Company Pint Glass, 194 11.19  Advertising Poster, McFarlane Brewing Company, 195 11.20  Mogollon Brewing Company, 196 11.21  Thunder Canyon Brewery, 2011, 196 11.22  Tommyknocker Brewing Company under Construction, 1999, 198 11.23  Habañeros Tropical Cantina & Brewery Coaster and Box of      Matches, 1997, 200 11.24  Habañeros Brewer John Adkisson Working the Brew Kettle, 201 11.25  London Bridge Brewery Pilsner Glass, 203 11.26  Uptown Brewery by Streets of New York, Tempe, 204 11.27  Steve & Clark’s Brew Pub & Sausage Company Business Card, 205 11.28  Arizona Roadhouse & Brewery, 2000, 206 11.29  Advertising Card, Dark Mountain Brewery and R. W. Webb      Winery, 207 11.30  Grain Silo, Alcatraz Brewing Company, Tempe, 208 11.31  Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company, late 1990s, 209 11.32  Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery Logo, 210 11.33  Night Scene at Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, 2007, 212 11.34  Uptown Resturant & Brewery, Scottsdale, 213 11.35  Jerome Brewery, 2006, 214 11.36  Mudshark Brewing Company Entrance, 215 11.37  Vintage Bar and Backbar at Nimbus Brewing Company, 2010, 217 11.38  Sierra Vistan Export Beer Label, 218 11.39  Pusch Ridge Brewing Company Sign, 1998, 220

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12.00  Nimbus Brewing Company, 2009, 224 12.01  Tommyknocker Brewhouse, 1999, 226 12.02  London Bridge Pale Ale Tap Handle, Arizona Roadhouse, 226 12.03  Tasting Room, Oak Creek Brewing Company, 2008, 228 12.04  Ron Kloth, Papago Brewing, 2011, 231 12.05  Brewer Guy Bartmess, Rock Bottom, Ahwatukee, 2003, 232 12.06  BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery, Chandler, 235 12.07  Tim Gossack, Rio Salado Brewing Company, 2003, 236 12.08  Fiesta Mexicana Family Restaurant, 238 12.09  Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub, 2007, 238 12.10  The Unlikely Cowboy, 2002, 240 12.11  Interior of Four Peaks Grill & Tap, 2010, 244 12.12  Kelley’s Broad Street Brewery, 2004, 245 12.13  Helldorado Brewing Company, 2005, 246 12.14  Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company, Scottsdale, 247 12.15  Scott Yarosh Giving Tour at Sonoran Brewing Company,      2005, 249 12.16  Construction of Brewer’s Den at Sonora Brewhouse, 2005, 250 12.17  BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Tucson, 2010, 252 12.18  Barrio Brewing Company, 2010, 254 12.19  Brewer Dieter Foerstner at Gordon Biersch in Tempe, 2008, 255 12.20  Architect Rendition of Western Village Steakhouse &      Microbrewery, 257 12.21  Removal of Brewery from Monarch’s Rest Restaurant &      Brew Pub, 2007, 258 12.22  Helldorado Brewing Company Bar, 259 12.23   SanTan Brewing Company Owner Anthony Canecchia and      Ashley Durbin Show off Bank Vault Door, 2007, 260 12.24  “Electric” Dave Harvan Pouring an OK Ale in Electric Brewing      Company Taproom, 2006, 260 12.25  Zach Schroeder and Layrd Mahler, Sonoran Brewing      Company, 2010, 264 12.26  SunUp Brewhouse Ninth Anniversary Souvenir Snifter Glass, 264 12.27  Steve Hendricks at Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits      Distillery Still, 268 12.28  Cody Sexson, Brewer, Turquoise Hills Golf & RV, 269 12.29  Interior of Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery, 2009, 270 13.00  Installation of Grain Silo at Prescott Brewing Company, 272 13.01  SanTan Brewery, 2009, 273 13.02  Old Bisbee Brewing Company Taproom and Brewhouse, 274 13.03  Advertising Card, Mudshark Brewing Company, 275 13.04  Lumberyard Brewing Company, 2011, 277 13.05  Outdoor Patio of Four Peaks Brewery, 2010, 279

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13.06  Old World Brewery, Twenty-Fifth Avenue, Phoenix,      under Construction, 2011, 280 13.07  Matt Mercer and Patrick Fields, Old World Brewery, 2011, 280 13.08  Rock Bottom Brewery, Glendale, 282 13.09  George Hancock, John Donehower, and Greg Fretz,      Phoenix Ale Brewery, 2011, 283 13.10  Nimbus Brewing Company’s Bottling Line during the      First Day of Brewing A-1 Beer, 2010, 284 13.11  Canning Sonoran Root Beer Using Cask Brewing Systems      Canning Line at Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Festival, 2011, 286 13.12  Phoenix Ale Taps inside Phoenix Ale Brewery Brewhouse, 287 13.13  Sonoran Brewing Company Centennial Tapping Party      Invitation, 2011, 287 13.14  College Street Brewhouse & Pub Big Blue Van Bottle, 288 13.15  Mother Road Brewing Company, 2011, 289 13.16  Borderlands Brewing Company, 2011, 291 13.17  Tristan White and Eric Greene, Dragoon Brewing Company, 293 13.18  Granite Mountain Brewing Company Merchandise, 294 14.00  Desert Eagle Brewing Company, 297 14.01  New Brewhouse at North Mountain Brewing Company, 2012, 299 14.02  O.H.S.O. Eatery & nanoBrewery, 300

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Preface Anyone born in Arizona prior to the 1980s may recall A-1 Beer, either through firsthand knowledge or anecdotal narratives by way of a parent or family member. Over the years following its introduction in 1943, A-1 became known as “Arizona’s hometown beer.” The warm-lit glow once seen above local bars, liquor stores, and restaurants was often the result of the oval-shaped neon sign advertising this onceubiquitous brand. Subsequently, its iconic imagery became synonymous with Arizona and the western way of life. Today, the few neon signs still found are little more than relics in older parts of towns, suggesting a brand from a brewery that has long since vanished. They are symbolic of a time when A-1 was “Judged the Finest by the World’s Beer Experts,” and its slogan was simply “The Western Way to Say Welcome!” Yet the story of A-1 is only one facet of Arizona’s vast beer brewing saga. Dating back to the mid-1800s, Arizona has possessed numerous breweries, and today it boasts more than fifty. Although few in number when compared to some states, each plays a significant role in building the state economically, socially, and culturally. From the onset, territorial brewers dealt with primitive brewing methods and a lack of provisions for beer making in an unforgiving environment. Obstacles such as high alkalinity in water, a scarcity of proper brewing ingredients, grueling manual labor, insufficient refrigeration, and a shortage of bottles had to be overcome. These obstacles are only an inkling of what our pioneers dealt with, yet they succeeded in providing beer to thirsty consumers. By the latter part of the 1800s, the completion of railroads, along with advancements in pasteurization and refrigeration, eased the transport of beer into the Arizona Territory. The result was the demise of most of Arizona’s breweries. During the early 1900s, two new breweries were established, giving hope that the state’s brewing industry would endure. The Arizona Brewing Company in Prescott and the Copper City Brewing Company in Douglas successfully brewed under the growing shadow of Prohibition until the drys finally won over Arizona voters in 1915. Ultimately, the National Prohibition Act of 1919 eliminated the entire liquor industry across the United States when passed on January 16, 1920. However, unseen consequences, ranging from bootlegging to health concerns to a rise in crime, forced people to take a second look at the Great Experiment. Prohibition was finally voted out in December 1933, in the throes of the Great Depression. The end of Prohibition gave the nation a new sense of hope. Although the brewing industry was reinvigorated across the country, only one brewery in Arizona, the illustrations

(facing page) Figure 0.00. Few outdoor A-1 Beer neon signs are found today since most have been scrapped or removed by collectors. They were first produced during the late 1940s after metal rationing during World War II came to an end.

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Arizona Brewing Company in Phoenix, was able to open and thrive. Its somewhat rocky start led to ownership and brand changes, but it eventually experienced unprecedented growth, and its A-1 brand became the state’s leading seller by 1950. A changing mindset in the brewing industry, however, resulted in the consolidation of many breweries, and the family-run regional brewery days were numbered. In 1964, the Arizona Brewing Company was sold to Carling Brewing Company and then in 1966 to National Brewing of Baltimore. In 1974, Carling and National merged, and in 1979, the G. Heileman Brewing Company kept the brewing company running until finally shutting its doors in 1985. Lighter and less compelling adjunct lager-style beers became the trend. Fewer breweries produced beer, yet volume rose with the growth of Anheuser-Busch, Miller, Coors, and other large-scale breweries. By 1980, the United States had less than one hundred breweries. When home brewing became legal in 1978, thousands of new breweries, called microbreweries, were created across the nation in a relatively short period of time. From 1990 to 1999, the number of breweries in the United States rose from 286 to 1,147, giving the consumer more variety in beer styles to choose from. For the first time in history, all fifty states had operating breweries. The microbrewery renaissance spawned a new appreciation for handcrafted beers. Beer-related magazines, craft-beer festivals, websites, beer blogs, and home brew clubs celebrated the artisan aspects of beer. The culmination was a subculture of beer enthusiasts who maintain an unyielding obsession to the superiority of craft-brewed beer. This chronicle of Arizona’s brewing history is filled with memories, stories, and images of an industry that played an important role in the state’s social and industrial development. My goal was not only to offer the reader an account of Arizona breweries in a chronological time frame but also to paint a picture of what breweries coped with from one year to the next. The information in Brewing Arizona was acquired through careful inspection of a multitude of books, newspapers, business directories, websites, library files, and museum collections, combined with firsthand knowledge from interviews and private contributors. I hope that you discover how beer has been transformed from simply a social drink to a modern-day cultural phenomenon. As this Czech proverb so eloquently affirms, “A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it is better to be thoroughly sure.” Cheers!

Ed S. Sipos

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Acknowledgments This book would have been much less rewarding without the help and support of numerous individuals who contributed to this project. It has been a long road to completion. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my wife Alice for her assistance and understanding during this long process, my daughter Hailey for her loving patience, and my parents for their love and support. I’d also like to thank Shelby Meyer and the late Charlie Harvey, who both provided inspiration for the book; all the former A-1 Brewery workers for their heartfelt stories; brewery historian and friend Rich La Susa for his vast knowledge and enthusiasm; and all the individuals listed below who offered their time, comments, or suggestions for making this book all the better. My sincere apologies to anyone I may have overlooked. John Adkisson; Dennis Arnold, Gentle Ben’s/Barrio Brewing Company; Robert Berkner, North Mountain Brewing Company; Charlie Billingsley, Four Peaks Brewing Company; Julie Blackwell; Uwe Boer, SunUp Brewing Company; Ray Brice; Kevin Busse; Dr. Cordelia C. Candelaria; Anthony Canecchia, SanTan Brewing Company; Richard Chavez; Lila Cook; Brian Cooley; Joe Cotroneo, Crescent Crown Distributing; Jim Counts, Nimbus Brewing Company; Mathew Cummins; Herman Dickson; Tim Ehrhardt; Beth Entringer; Tom Entringer; Betsy Fahlman; Patrick Fields, Old World Brewery; Gregory Fretz, Phoenix Ale Brewery; Rob Fulmer, Arizona Society of Homebrewers; Jerry Gantt, Arizona Craft Brewers Guild; Eric Greene, Dragoon Brewing Company; Joe “Bob” Grisham; George Hancock, Phoenix Ale Brewery; David Harvan, Electric Brewing Company; Charlie Harvey; David Hoffman, Dave’s Electric Brewpub; Andy Ingram, Four Peaks Brewing Company; Dana Kanzler, Mogollon Brewing Company; Ron Kloth, Papago Brewing; Jon Lane, O.H.S.O. Eatery + nanoBrewery; Rich La Susa; William Legoullon; Cole Lewellen; Jamie Magee, Southwest Brewing News; Layrd Mahler, Sonoran Brewing Company; Mary Suzanne Malinski, Western Village; Steve McFate, Fate Brewing Company; Shelby Meyer; Michael Miller; Chuck Noll, Crescent Crown Distributing/World Class Beverages; Connie Pace; Chris Pastor; Jim Petrosino, Southwest Brewing News; Don Roussin; Ken Saxe; Zach Schroeder, Sonoran Brewing Company; Jim Scussel, Four Peaks Brewing Company; Scott Schwartz; Russ Seideman, Seidemann Brewing Company; Cody Sexson, Helldorado Brewing Company; Robert Sizemore, Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery; Scott and Tina Stocking, Mudshark Brewing Company; Lon Weatherson, Barley Brothers Brewery & Grill; Rod illustrations

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Wiedeman; Cindy Winkelman; Victor Winquist, Old Bisbee Brewing Company; Audra Yamamoto, Granite Mountain Brewing Company; American Breweriana Association; Brewery Collectibles Club of America; Arizona State Capitol Library; Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Arizona State University Libraries; Markow-Kent Photography; Northern Gila County Historical Society; Prescott Public Library; Sharlot Hall Museum; Tucson Historical Society.

“The a-1 Family” Sam and Antoinette Bulgarella, Ed Cuff, John Flores, Al Fountain, Bill Grant, Dan and Carmen Hafner, Fred Holmes, Helen Watkins Howk, John Hughes, Lee and Mary Julian, Ben Kalinowski, Jim Lindner, Kay Lindner, Espiridon “Pancho” Murillo, Ray Pock, Clifford and Lois Reid, Stuart and Joan Cassell Reid, Eileen Sidwell, Forest Steiner, Fred Titel, Pam Walter, and Earl and Ruby Wright.

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Beer and Its Place in History

Gold! The precious yellow metal that has been sought by man since long before recorded history spawned an unprecedented move west following James W. Marshall’s gold discovery on January 24, 1848, at Sutter’s Mill in California. Marshall never profited from his discovery, but it unwittingly created a mass migration west once tales of instant wealth grew a life of their own. Almost overnight, California became the promised land, as a rush of gold seekers, nicknamed “forty-niners,” arrived in droves with hopes of striking the mother lode. Yet by 1855, the California gold rush essentially came to an end when the richest ore deposits were claimed. Many who arrived came up empty-handed and, as a result, drowned their sorrows in a prized golden beverage, which has been aptly coined the “Golden Nectar of the Gods.” Beer is unique among beverages. It has sustained societies for thousands of years as the world’s third most popular drink behind water and tea. Archeologists and historians alike have discovered that it was instrumental in the formation of civilizations. Physical evidence of beer dates back to the Neolithic period (ca. 9500 BC). The Mesopotamian (modern-day Iraq) and Egyptian cultures are known to have brewed a beer-like substance during the Predynastic era (5500–3100 BC). The earliest chemical evidence of beer dates to 3500–3100 BC from the site of Godin Tepe in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, and the first written evidence of beer is found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which describes a beverage made from barley. In Old Europe, it was not uncommon for the woman of the house, or “ale wife,” to handle the task of brewing beer. During this time, millet, corn, sorghum, or wheat was the basis of fermentable sugar in place of barley. Because hops had not yet been introduced, “gruit,” a mixture of herbs, spices, and berries, was used to enhance the flavor of beer and balance the sweetness of the malt. The “bready porridge” from which beer was made was found to be nutritious, and its mild alcohol content imparted preserbeer and its place in history

Give beer to those who are perishing. Wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. —Prov. 31:6–7

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vative qualities, making it safe for consumption in lieu of potentially unsafe drinking water. As a result, one of the first structures built in many towns and cities was a brewery. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson were all known to have home brewed beer on a regular basis. Beer has been indirectly credited for the discovery of Plymouth Rock. In 1622, William Bradford, a passenger on the Mayflower, recorded this passage in his diary: “For we could not now take time for further search or consideration: our victuals being much spent, especially our beer.” The passage suggests the decision to land at Plymouth Rock hundreds of miles short of their original destination was made because of a lack of beer. Most likely this reference is to “ship’s beer,” a higher than average alcohol by volume beer made for the purpose of preserving it and making it safe to drink for longer periods of time. Historically, beer was viewed more as a staple in a diet than as a social drink. Only when the abuse of alcohol was noted, was it viewed by some as a burden.

The Definition of Beer Beer is derived from the Latin word bibere, which means “to drink.” It is defined as an alcoholic, fermented beverage made from malt and hops. More precisely, it is separated into two categories: lager and ale. The distinction between the two is where the yeast settles during the fermentation cycle. “Lagers” use “bottom-fermenting” yeast strains that descend to the bottom of the tank during fermentation, which can take up to a few months to finish at temperatures between 32° and 45°F. The name is derived from the German word lagern, which means “to store.” Since lager yeasts produce fewer esters, they generally do not enhance the flavor or aroma of beer. Esters are a by-product of the yeast fermentation cycle that impart the fruity components in beer. Therefore, lagers tend to be more crisp and clean, with less fruit characteristics. “Ales” use “top-fermenting” yeast strains that rise to the top of the tank near the end of the fermentation cycle. Fermentation lasts only a few weeks at warmer temperatures, generally between 55° and 70°F. Ale yeasts do affect flavor and aroma since they create more esters. The result is a more robust beer than lager, with noticeably fruitier flavors. The complexities in beer are what make each beer unique. Each batch brewed has subtle differences, and as any brewer will tell you, the “perfect” beer is never truly attainable, but rather something to strive for. It was not until the Middle Ages that the “modern beer” we know today was developed. Around 1150, German monks began using wild hops as an ingredient in beer. 2

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Figure 1.00. This flowchart depicting the brewing process is from a Hops! Bistro & Brewery menu.

Hops not only added a pleasing bitterness but also acted as a natural preservative that extended the life of beer. The use of hops quickly spread, and it caught on as a favored ingredient. In 1516, William IV, duke of Bavaria, adopted the Reinheitsgebot, or the German Beer Purity Law, in order to regulate the production of beer in Germany. It originally stated that only water, barley, and hops could be used for the production of beer. Note that yeast was not mentioned since its role was not fully understood until beer and its place in history

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the nineteenth century when Louis Pasteur discovered the activities of microorganisms in the process of fermentation.

Indigenous Beers of the Southwest Settlers traveling west during the gold rush discovered that many of the indigenous people of the Southwest concocted their own intoxicating beer-like beverages. Depending on the region, mare’s milk, the fruit of the saguaro cactus, the sap of the agave plant, or corn was used. Each beverage was made by incorporating basic fermentation or distillation techniques. The favored drink of the southwestern Apache tribe was tizwin, also known as tiswin or tesguino. Many settlers called it Apache beer. It is usually prepared from corn that has been sprouted, dried, ground, and fermented. The Pueblo Indians were known to use juniper berries as a bittering agent in tiswin. Their function was much like hops in traditional beer. The Pima and Tohono O’odham used the fruit of the saguaro cactus. When ready to drink, tiswin was said to smell and foam like beer. Another popular drink in the Southwest was mezcal (or mescal). It has a distinctive smoky flavor and originates from the maguey plant, or agave. The heart of the maguey, called the piña, is cooked in earthen ovens lined with stone and then mixed into a distillable fermented mash. It should not be confused with pulque, a somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey. Pulque is sometimes referred to as “agave beer” and is a traditional native beverage of Mexico. Although these indigenous brews taste nothing like traditional beer, their intoxicating effects are similar. Tiswin is brewed, while mescal is distilled. To brew tiswin, ingredients are mixed, steeped in water, boiled, and allowed to ferment. The end result is a less alcoholic drink such as beer or wine. Distillation relies on extracting the liquid essence of grain or other ingredients to obtain a condensed version of the liquid. The outcome is a more alcohol drink such as mescal, vodka, or whiskey.

Brewing Beer in a Hostile Environment The influx of foreigners traveling to California during the gold rush found many Native Americans feeling threatened by what they considered trespassers on their native lands. These foreigners did not view the land as a home, hunting grounds, or sacred, but as barren land waiting to be settled and developed. Inevitably, skirmishes escalated, resulting in the establishment of numerous military camps throughout the Southwest. According to John Spring, hostilities between Anglos and Apaches 4

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intensified in or around 1855, following a “fairly peaceful co-existence.” The killing of a family traveling to California through Arizona and the abduction of their two young daughters by Apaches triggered an escalation in violence that did not subside for another thirty-plus years. Prussian-born Louis Quesse of Tubac was directly affected by the wrath of the Apaches. Quesse was a blacksmith by trade but is known to have established a small brewery in Tubac during the 1860s. He arrived in Tubac in 1860, built a rancho in its vicinity, and soon began brewing beer for the military. In January 1869, the Apaches attacked his rancho, taking two horses and eight head of cattle. During the following two years, the Apaches regularly plundered the rancho, capturing or killing his horses and cattle and injuring his helpers. Losses mounted in excess of $3,655. During this time, the citizens of Tubac feared going out after dark on account of marauding Indians. The struggles Quesse and others endured during this period extended far beyond skirmishes with the Apache. Disease was prevalent and often deadly, especially among the young and elderly. Quesse married Manuela Otero prior to 1865, and together they had five children. All except one died at a young age, due to various complications. During 1902 and 1903, Spring documented his life experiences in Apache territory for the National Tribune of Washington, DC. Titled Regulars in Arizona and Troublous Days in Arizona, his writings offer vivid and detailed accounts of what life was like in the untamed West. Ranging from the tragic to the humorous, his accounts are indispensable. Johann Arnold Spring was born on May 8, 1845, in Switzerland and was college educated. He was a Union Army volunteer wounded during the Civil War. In 1866, he came to Arizona and toiled as a soldier in the regular army. Spring journeyed through the Southwest, recounting his day-to-day life experiences. He kept detailed records while serving as a soldier, merchant, farmer, bartender, educator, writer, and most importantly for our interests, brewer. His brewing skills blossomed while he was employed at breweries in Tucson and Florence. Spring’s ability to keep meticulous records fashioned him into a key figure for documenting real-life occurrences that took place in the territory. Early territorial breweries catered to the local military, miners, and local townspeople. Towns such as Arivaca, Arizona City, Charleston, Dos Cabezas, Pinal, Quijotoa, Total Wreck, Tubac, Vulture, Wickenburg, and other settlements maintained one or more breweries during their heyday. Due to location, many of these towns encountered difficulties in getting supplies. Overall, the territory’s inhospitable surroundings proved challenging for brewers. A suitable water source was fundamental and scarce. The scarcity of water in the Tiger District of the Bradshaw Mountains during September 1879 forced its local brewery beer and its place in history

Figure 1.01. John Spring (1845–1924) taught 138 boys, mostly Spanish speaking, at the second public school built in Tucson, in the vicinity of the old Palace Hotel. His writings on the brewing process from the time he worked for Alexander Levin as a brewer offer a valuable description of what life was like as a pioneer territorial brewer. (Arizona Historical Society/Tucson, Buehman-Portraits-John Spring 1854–1924, B351.)

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Figure 1.02. Pioneer Brewery ad, Weekly Arizonian, November 20, 1869.

(facing page) Figure 1.03. Tintype image of two beer drinkers. Location and date unknown.

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to temporarily close when soap was inadvertently placed inside two of the area’s best wells, rendering them useless. Unless there was direct access to a fresh spring or well, much of the water found in streams or riverbeds contained too much alkali for making beer. Alexander Levin’s Pioneer Brewery in Tucson boasted about its use of Rillito River water, which more than likely was not an ideal source. Nevertheless, it sufficed. One writer for the Arizona Citizen commented, “The water undoubtedly possesses healthy properties, as has several times been illustrated by troops in poor health going into camp there and soon becoming unusually robust and healthy.” The scarcity of raw materials for making beer limited the means and quality of production. Hops, not a native crop to Arizona, was imported from San Francisco by freight wagon at great expense. It is possible farmers cultivated hops in the cooler climates of Arizona on a seasonal basis, but not in warmer climates. Other necessities, such as copper boilers, were shipped around Cape Horn of Argentina to San Francisco and then transported by pack mule to Arizona. Pure yeast cultures were ostensibly unknown in the territory prior to the 1870s. This led some brewers to utilize poor alternatives, such as bread yeast, for brewing. The role of yeast in beer during this time was not yet fully understood, and quite likely wild yeasts in the air occasionally infected beer during production. According to Spring, in reference to the first beer he sampled upon his arrival in Tucson in 1866, “The less said about its quality the better.” The beer happened to come from Levin’s Pioneer Brewery, where Spring later found employment. The scarcity of barley for brewing also had an impact on the quality of beer. Barley is part of the grass family and is found in two-, four- or six-row varieties. European brewers traditionally use two-row barley because of its better starch-to-husk ratio and its malty flavor. Six-row barley is traditionally preferred by American brewers since it has higher levels of diastatic enzymes and protein, which makes it better suited for mashing adjuncts, such as corn or rice. The lax structure of four-row barley makes it unsuitable for beer making. In order to make beer, barley is put through a malting process. The barley kernels are steeped in water to make them sprout. The germination creates enzymes necessary to convert the starch into fermentable sugar. While working with Levin, Spring prepared malt by soaking, sprouting, drying, and roasting barley. Once the barley was kilned to a desired color, flavor, and aroma, it was milled. Spring noted that “the grinding or rather crushing by hand of the whole malt between two metal cylinders is the hardest work by far I have ever performed or seen performed.” Many early brewers lacked electricity or steam power for brewing. As a result, manual labor was necessary. The processes of hauling, pumping, grinding, stirring, boiling, removing spent grains, and so on were backbreaking tasks. Brewers such as Levin were dependent on their sense of sight, taste, and smell when ascertaining the chapter 1

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condition of the mash and wort (pronounced “wert”). Many times, a day of brewing meant fifteen to seventeen hours of physical labor. The only concession for brewers appears to have come from gravity-fed containers, which offered some relief in transferring liquids from one stage to the next. The finished beer was either kegged or bottled and quite likely was not consistent from one batch to the next. The scarcity of bottles made them highly prized. Many territorial brewers stored beer in whatever container was found feasible. Some brewers, such as Levin, found it cheaper to travel to Mexico to purchase bottles. Spring described making the journey into Mexico for bottles while working for Levin in 1870. Bottles were abundant and could be purchased for twenty cents per dozen in Hermosillo or Guaymas; in contrast, they cost sixty to ninety cents per dozen in Tucson. The bottles were packed in wooden crates originally intended to carry crockery by steamship from Europe. They were then shipped by rail and then transported by pack mule to their destination. As a perishable food, beer could not be shipped great distances in the hot deserts of the Southwest without refrigeration. Prior to artificial refrigeration or in the absence of ice, many brewers used wet burlap sacks as an evaporative cooling method to store and ship beer. Only after improvements in refrigeration and the advent of pasteurization during the mid-1880s did brewers gain the ability to transport beer over long distances. Cooling is vital during the brewing process. Although ale can be brewed with minimal refrigeration, lager is a favored style in warm climates but requires much lower temperatures to brew. Lager yeast ferments best at 40°F, while ale ferments at 50°F. During lagering, the beer must be kept cold for a long period of time to assure that a minor fermentation settles out any disagreeable flavors. The need to keep lager cold made it a challenge to manufacture in desert climates prior to artificial refrigeration. As a result, lager was generally brewed seasonally or in a shaded and stable environment using evaporative cooling methods if ice was not present. The result was many times less than satisfactory, but it was what it was. Levin eventually overcame many of these challenges by constructing a rock cellar in his brewery where temperatures were consistently cooler for lagering. Considering the many obstacles early territorial brewers had to contend with, it is remarkable that they prevailed. Despite skirmishes with Indians in a harsh environment, a lack of water, backbreaking work, and the difficulty in acquiring and transporting proper ingredients and equipment, territorial brewers found ways to satisfy demand, and demand often dictates development and innovation. These brewers opened the doors for others to enter the territory and improve the quality of the beer being produced, many times simply through trial and error.

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Pioneer Breweries of the Old Pueblo and Southern Arizona The Old Pueblo, Alexander Levin, and the Pioneer Brewery Tucson, the “Old Pueblo,” was governed by Mexico from 1821 until 1854. It became part of the United States through the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. Nearly one hundred years earlier, Colonel Hugo O’Conor, an Irish mercenary serving in the Spanish Army, had founded the Tucson presidio, which was fortified by an adobe wall in 1775. The fort was located approximately 117 miles southeast of Phoenix along the banks of the Santa Cruz River. In 1864, just eleven years after Tucson became part of the United States, Alexander Levin established the Pioneer Brewery here—the Arizona Territory’s first commercial brewery. Although Levin is credited with establishing the first brewery in the territory, European-style beer may have entered Arizona long before his arrival. Spanish conquistadores introduced beer to Mexico during the sixteenth century. Although undocumented, it can be assumed beer made its way into the region at some earlier point in time. Levin was born in Bonn, Prussia, Germany, of Jewish descent on March 19, 1834, and he most likely gained his brewing skills while living there as a young man. At twenty-two years of age, he made the long trek from Germany to the United States. On October 15, 1856, he became a naturalized citizen while living in Lafayette, Mississippi. In 1863, he spent some time in La Paz, Mexico, prior to arriving in Tucson. There is speculation that while in La Paz he may have been brewing beer. Levin partnered with Frank Hodges and founded the Pioneer Brewery shortly after his arrival in Tucson in 1864. The brewery was built on the north side of Camp Street between Church and Stone Streets “on the site where the Russ House later stood.” Hodges remained a partner for approximately three years before selling his entire share to Levin.

the old pueblo and southern arizona

2 Sergeant, there is beer in this town; there is a brewery here! —An agitated statement by Private Lutje, peering his head through a military tent outside of Tucson; humorously recounted by John Spring, April 1866

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Figure 2.00. Historian C. L. Sonnichsen described Prussian-born Alexander Levin (1834–1891) as a “fat, jolly German” who liked to entertain his friends with good food and drink. Levin was of Jewish decent, while his wife Zenona was Catholic. He converted to Catholicism following their marriage. (Arizona Historical Society/Tucson, Portrait Levin, Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Sr. [Zenona Molina] 69497.)

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In 1869, Julius Goldtree joined Levin, and the two relocated the brewery to a larger site on Main and Pennington Streets. The old Pioneer Brewery later reopened as Tucson’s first free public school for girls in February 1873. Levin and Goldtree purchased new brewing equipment from San Francisco, greatly improving the quality of their beer. At this point, the brewery still was operating without electricity or steam power. Although it was soon running at full capacity, according to writer and brewer John Spring, opinions differed as to the quality of the beer produced. In January 1870, Spring became a United States citizen alongside Goldtree and Samuel H. Drachman, a Tucson merchant (Drachman later became a member of the territorial legislature and the Tucson City Council). In March 1870, Spring joined Levin and learned the process of preparing malt for brewing. He also performed the tasks of clerk, bookkeeper, and general salesman for the brewery. He married Levin’s sister-in-law, Manuela Molina, on June 22, 1870. Levin’s wife was Zenona Molina. She, along with Manuela, was born in Sonora, Mexico. Levin converted to Catholicism upon their marriage, and the two had a son, Henry, and a daughter, Sara. Prior to Goldtree’s association with Levin, he partnered with a Frenchman named Estienne Tapie in trading, farming, and contracting. Tapie had been a soldier in the French Army during the Crimean War in Sebastopol, on the Crimean Peninsula near the Black Sea. The two established a farm near Sonoita Creek in southern Arizona, where they grew corn and various other crops. On December 28, 1868, Goldtree and Tapie were caught in an ambush by a band of Apaches. Tapie, Goldtree, and Captain Catterson of the U.S. Cavalry were traveling in the desert from Tubac to their rancho near Sonoita Creek. Catterson, who was en route to Fort Crittenden for business, joined the two since they were traveling in a similar direction. Catterson and Tapie were killed during the attack. Goldtree was able to return fire and escaped. Upon his safe return to Tubac, he related the incident to Spring and others. Goldtree remained with Levin’s brewery for less than one year. In 1870, the Pioneer Brewery was relocated to 315 Main Street, near Pearl Street. Levin took on a new partner, John W. Hopkins, a former U.S. Cavalry first lieutenant. The brewery now featured a dining and dance hall, which was said to have been fitted with “beautiful oil paintings of various characters, the most beautiful representing landscapes on the Rhine.” Levin then took over the former Hodge’s Hotel and converted it into Levin’s Hotel, which had a bar and restaurant attached. Levin and Hopkins supplied all the beer and wholesale liquors to the bar and restaurant. By 1871, Hopkins had left the business, leaving Levin once again as sole proprietor. The Pioneer Brewery was a welcome addition to Tucson, and Levin became a

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respected and popular figure, known as Boss Levin. He was considered a fat and jolly man who enjoyed entertaining friends with good food and drink. Levin became very active in civic activities, including serving on the city council. He operated a number of saloons in Tucson, including Wheat’s Saloon, the Gem Saloon, the Mint Saloon, and the Telegraph Saloon. Each functioned as a branch for his brewery, and each was managed in partnership with a “depot agent,” who aided in the distribution of beer. Thus, Levin was able to sell his beer exclusively at a number of different locations throughout southern Arizona. Spring assisted as barkeep in one of Levin’s saloons. However, the experience forced him to scrap his new profession in short time. Lawlessness was the norm during the 1860s, and gun battles could be triggered at any time—most were a result of a drunken stupor. When the youngest of the Kelsey brothers, “a trio of toughs,” entered the saloon, he demanded two drinks and left, gun drawn, without paying. The following day, he attempted the same trick. However, as he reached for his gun, Spring pulled out a heavy stick called a “bung-starter,” used for capping kegs, and bashed him over the head with it. Spring then made a beeline to the justice of the peace with the hope of ridding himself of his troubles by paying his fine. He later learned the “Kelsey Boys” were looking for him. Spring skipped town and took advantage of a job opportunity in Crittenden. As Spring so modestly quipped, “Keeping bar in Tucson . . . did not suit my complexion and inclinations.”

Tucson Brewery, or City Brewery In February 1870, a new brewery was launched in Tucson not far from Levin’s brewery. Thirty-one-year-old Pennsylvania laborer Albert H. Sales, a Union Army veteran crippled during battle, arrived in Arizona during the early 1860s. He opened the Tucson Brewery (a.k.a. City Brewery) along with twenty-two-year-old Canadian partner Robert W. Smith “in the upper part of town.” Sales and Smith’s Tucson Brewery was also known as the “opposition” brewery, a term commonly used to denote a competing business. Although they were noted to be in competition, in actuality, Levin had a hand in helping Sales and Smith open their brewery by providing them with brewing equipment. By 1870, Sales and Smith had transferred their interest in the brewery to Tucson restaurateur Joseph Neugass, and by the end of the year, the brewery was no more. Sales later moved to Phoenix, where he established the Champion Brewery in 1878. At a later date, he operated the United States Brewery in Phoenix with partner Gustav Becher.

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Levin’s Park Brewery

Figure 2.01. A view looking south on Main Street in Tucson, c. 1878. At this time, the Park Brewery was located across the street from the Zeckendorf Brothers store, and next door to the Park Brewery was Archibald’s store. (Arizona Historical Society/Tucson, Pics-Places-Tucson-St-Main Street, B200238.)

In 1873, Levin and his wife Zenona reopened the brewery at a new and larger location with an attached beer garden on the western end of Pennington Street. It became known as the Park Brewery, with Zenona listed as proprietor. The Park Brewery featured numerous improvements, including a fifteen- by twenty-foot rock cellar for malting and lagering. The former Pioneer Brewery was converted into a public school for girls by Elizabeth Josephine Brawley Hughes, the wife of Louis C. Hughes, editor of the Arizona Star and later governor of Arizona. Josephine Hughes later became a key advocate for Prohibition in Arizona. Levin’s Park Brewery sat on three acres of land covered with a large grove of cottonwood trees and gravel walkways weaving throughout. Its lush vegetation made the Park an oasis in the desert. Weeping willow, fig, apple, plum, peach, and pepper trees provided ample shade. Tulips, imported rosebushes, and blue, pink, and red hyacinths splashed color on the grounds. Fruits and vegetables rounded out the Park’s diverse flora, providing a stark contrast to the nearby dust-laden streets and exposed–adobe brick buildings of Tucson. However, the vegetation was fragile and occasionally ravaged by storms. In July 1877, “the most destructive storm of wind, hail and rain ever known here,” ravaged the Park. It uprooted numerous cottonwood trees and a “fine arbor” of grapevines and stripped fruit from peach trees. The Park offered a diverse variety of recreation activities. Levin integrated a theater, amusement park, music pavilion, billiard alcoves, bowling alley, shooting gallery, and an opera hall onto its grounds. A stroll through the Park among the trees on a quiet evening listening to music was a favorite activity for lovebirds. Visitors could sample Levin’s beer or enjoy a soda, sarsaparilla, ice cream, or mineral water made right on the premises. From its inception, the Park hosted festivals, meetings, ceremonies, and other special events.

French Brewery (facing page) Figure 2.02. View of the Park Brewery entrance to the park at the foot of Pennington Street, c. 1880. The lush trees and various amusements available at the Park made it a center of leisure activity and a gathering place for important events. The building in the photograph is the Park’s sample room where Levin kept his office. (Collection of Jeremy Rowe Vintage Photography, vintagephoto.com.)

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In 1873, a portion of the equipment from Levin’s defunct Pioneer Brewery was purchased by French-born saloon keeper and realtor, Paul Abadie. The equipment was used to open the French Brewery in Tucson, located on the corner of Camp and Meyer Streets across from the Palace Hotel. At one time, Abadie operated a saloon with fellow Frenchman Estienne Tapie, prior to Tapie’s ill-fated death during the Apache ambush he and Goldtree encountered in 1868. The French Brewery sold its beer only on the premises, but within three years, it discontinued functioning as a brewery. By 1876, Abadie’s venture was restored to functioning strictly as a saloon. chapter 2

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The Excelsior Brewery In 1880, Conrad Mundelius established the Excelsior Brewery at Silver Lake, two miles south of Tucson. Silver Lake was an artificial lake created just prior to the Civil War, with its water source coming from the Santa Cruz River. It became an attraction for sportsmen, gamblers, and people seeking recreation, becoming home to Tucson’s first “nightclub.” However, in December 1880, soon after opening, it and all its contents were charred in a fire. The following year, Mundelius rebuilt the Excelsior at a cost of $2,000. On October 3, 1885, the Arizona Weekly Citizen reported that “a syndicate of foreign capitalists” was negotiating with Mundelius for his Excelsior Brewery. The outcome of the negotiations remains unclear. In March 1887, Mundelius agreed to sell his ranch to George Allison for an undisclosed sum of money. As for Silver Lake, its earthen dams were torn away by floods in 1886, in 1890, and again in 1900. The lake then dried up; its buildings were abandoned and eventually torn down.

Boss Levin

Figure 2.03. (above) Park Brewery ad, 1881 Tucson City Directory. Figure 2.04. (below) Levin’s Park ad, 1883–1884 TucsonTombstone City Directory.

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The success of the Park Brewery made Boss Levin a wealthy and influential man. He regularly received praise and respect for his generosity and vision for Tucson. Levin was a founding member of the Pioneer Society in Tucson and a civic leader. On March 20, 1880, the first locomotive on the recently completed Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Tucson to a cheering crowd. Levin was on the celebration committee and hosted a welcoming banquet at the Park. Ironically, the railroad would unintentionally impact Levin’s Park in a negative manner. The railroad not only brought in more visitors to Tucson but also flooded the Old Pueblo with lower-priced imported beers. In an attempt to remain competitive, Levin lowered his prices while touting the freshness and quality of his product, but the impact was noted. By the latter part of 1880, he had leased the Park on a five-year agreement to Joseph Bayer and Louis Schwartz. George Reiner then took over the brewing duties at the Park. Levin was listed as “capitalist” in city directories, investing in a variety of ventures, including the Tombstone Silver Mine. Unwittingly, some of his shoddier investments ate away at his wealth. In 1882, the Park underwent several managerial changes. With each change, it fell more into disrepair. By 1884, the Park was a shell of its former self. New public gathering places such as Elysian Grove and Carillo Gardens became the favored playgrounds of the well-to-do. The Park drew in shadier individuals, who resorted to “drunkenness and debauchery.” As stated in the June 1884 Arizona Daily Star, “‘The Park’ under chapter 2

Figure 2.05. (left) Julius Goldbaum opened his liquor distribution business in Tucson in 1887 at 182 West Congress Street. A portion of the property was also his residence. In 1903, Goldbaum became part owner of the Tucson Grocery Company, and by 1906, he had become a wealthy real estate investor in Tucson. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, History and Archives Division, Phoenix #97–9666.) Figure 2.06. (below) Roulette table in a Tucson saloon, c. 1900.

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Figure 2.07. The Park Brewery behind Pennington Street in later years. This photo appears to have been taken during the late 1880s, possibly after the Park closed. Note the deterioration of the adobe buildings and the lack of trees in comparison to the photo in fig. 2.02. Donkeys were commonly used as pack animals in the Southwest because they adapted well to marginal desert lands. They often are called “beasts of burden,” and they were popular for pulling ore carts in mining regions. (Arizona Historical Society/Tucson, Pics-Places-Tucson-St-Pennington B109289.)

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its management has outlived its usefulness . . . the nightly consorting of the vile and the vicious within its precincts, has made its name the synonym of iniquity.” Levin was alleged to have encouraged this immoral behavior. As a consequence, he had “fallen from the good opinion of men” and “deserves abhorrence of all.” He unsuccessfully made attempts to revive the Park, but the negative publicity ultimately led to his financial collapse and the Park’s closure in 1886. On October 9, 1886, the Arizona Weekly Citizen reported that Levin was preparing to establish a new brewery on Main Street on the premises of W. S. Oury. According to the Arizona Mining Index, Levin traded his interest in the brewery for the Mint Saloon. When $600 in forged notes was passed to a Tucson banker in 1887, he had had enough (it is assumed that this event damaged his reputation further, forcing him to go elsewhere). Levin quietly skipped town and relocated to Mexico City. chapter 2

While in Mexico, he is believed to have worked for a brewery for a short time. False rumors began to circulate in Tucson newspapers reporting that he had died as a result of a gunshot wound following a disagreement. However, in 1891, he returned to Tucson not as Boss Levin but as a fallen man. Sadly, Levin suffered from asthma, dysentery, and heart disease. On September 29, 1891, fellow brewer and brother-in-law John Spring found the fifty-eight-year-old Levin unconscious in an outhouse. Spring quickly carried him to his home and summoned a doctor, but it was too late. Levin had succumbed to a fatal heart attack. Alexander Levin’s funeral was held on October 2, 1891. A significant number of people came to pay their respects, including members of the Society of Arizona Pioneers.

Barnabe Palm and Brewer’s Ranch In 1880, Barnabe “Barney” Palm built an adobe brewery in the Gila Valley halfway between Safford and Solomonville on the old Willcox–Globe road. His brewery became known as Brewer’s Ranch. Palm was born sometime in 1844, and he was a true pioneer in every sense of the word. He is credited with being the first person to operate a Concord coach carrying mail and passengers between Tucson and Fort Bowie. He was also the first to bring ice to the Old Pueblo; as early as 1863, he sold ice there for $2.50 per pound.

Figure 2.08. (left) Barnabe Palm’s brewery was built with the help of Alexander Levin just above the Montezuma canal on the Willcox–Globe freight road. It operated as a combination brewery, saloon, and general store. (Courtesy of the Graham County Historical Society History Museum, Thatcher, Arizona.) Figure 2.09. (above) Alexander Levin and his son Henry Levin. (Arizona Historical Society/Tucson, Portrait Levin, Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Sr. [Zenona Molina] 377.)

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Palm settled in the Gila Valley in 1874 while working with government surveyors. In 1877, he became a saloonkeeper in the Lone Star District, and by 1880, he had struck a deal with Alexander Levin to build his brewery. Levin quite likely catered to Palm for his ice. Alexander’s son Henry worked with Palm at the brewery. Henry was born on May 24, 1868, and entered the brewing business with his father in Tucson. The beer from Brewer’s Ranch sold for one dollar per bottle, catering mainly to military troops in Fort Grant, Fort Thomas, Fort Bowie, and other nearby military camps. It was crafted using what was commonly referred to as “Montezuma ditch water.” By 1884, Brewer’s Ranch was no more. Why it closed remains unclear. Palm then became proprietor of the Solomonville Saloon, and around 1895, he opened the Pioneer Saloon in Safford. By the late 1890s, he had ventured into a more peaceful life as a beekeeper. He passed away at his home in Safford from heart complications on July 5, 1901, at approximately fifty-seven years of age. Palm was married twice and left one child and several stepchildren. For many years, his old adobe brewery stood crumbling until it was torn down to make way for agriculture, and later, residential housing. Henry Levin moved on to attend the Newton Collegiate Institute in Newton, New Jersey. He then took a one-year course at the Lawrence Business College of Lawrence, Kansas. After graduation, he pursued work in the commission, real estate, and brokerage businesses. At a much later date, he became Tucson city assessor and Pima County assessor.

Pioneer Breweries of Tombstone

Figure 2.10. Pioneer Saloon ad, Graham Guardian, March 9, 1895.

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Tombstone is regarded as one of Arizona’s most notorious mining towns. Rich in history and Wild West lore, it was put on the map in large part because of its wealthy ore deposits and legendary gunfight near the O.K. Corral. The gunfight was a culmination of a long-standing feud between the Earp and Clanton factions. Despite what has been commonly portrayed, the gunfight, which took place on October 26, 1881, between the Earps and Clantons, did not occur in the corral. It began on a vacant lot along Fremont Street about a quarter-block away from the corral’s rear entrance between Fly’s Lodging House and the home of former Tombstone mayor William A. Harwood. As the fight sprawled onto Fremont Street, approximately thirty shots were fired in thirty seconds, resulting in three deaths. The gun battle has since been regarded as one of the most famous gunfights in the history of the Old West. “The Town Too Tough to Die” was inadvertently discovered by a courageous prospector named Edward Schieffelin, the son of a forty-niner. In 1877, Schieffelin traveled with the U.S. Cavalry on a journey from San Bernardino, California, to Fort chapter 2

Figure 2.11. (left) The gunfight which has been inaccurately accredited to the O.K. Corral was relatively unknown until 1931 when author Stuart Lake published the largely fictionalized biography Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall two years after Earp’s death. The actual fight took place six doors west of the rear entrance of the corral shown here in this real photo postcard. Figure 2.12. (below) Portrait of Ed Scheiffelin. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.)

Huachuca, Arizona, with the intent of discovering gold. He stoically went forth on his journey through the San Pedro Valley searching for the “big strike,” undaunted by recommendations not to prospect in Apache territory on his own. Soldiers questioned his pursuit, warning that “the only stone you will find is your tombstone.” Surprisingly, his daring hunt for fortune paid off, but not in gold. In 1878, Schieffelin struck a rich silver ore deposit in an area east of the San Pedro River and southwest of the Dragoon Mountains. He became very wealthy, and his discovery unwittingly spawned Arizona’s largest mining rush and the swift development of Tombstone.

The Golden Eagle Brewery The principal reason people came to the Arizona during this time was to strike a mining claim with the hope of finding wealth. Tombstone’s tremendous growth came about because of its prosperous ore deposits. By 1881, the town boasted a population of between seven and ten thousand people. Subsequently, its many saloons flourished—and so did its breweries. the old pueblo and southern arizona

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In 1880, thirty-five-year-old Bernhardt “Ben” Wehrfritz and thirty-two-year-old Sigfried Tribolet opened the Golden Eagle Brewery on the corner of Allen and Fifth Streets. The brewery and saloon carried the “finest in liquors and cigars” and offered a “free lunch” inside its reading room. The front section of the building was the saloon. A stone building on the back equal in size to the front section was its brewery. The brewhouse had a production capacity of approximately twenty-five kegs per day, and its beer sold for $7.50 per 10-gallon keg, $3.75 per 5-gallon keg, or three bottles for $1.00. The Golden Eagle’s popularity soon exceeded its production capacity. As early as 1880, Alexander Levin had set up a tent saloon on Allen Street in Tombstone known as Otto Esch’s Park Brewery Depot. Esch and partner Bernhard “Ben” Hotz exclusively sold Levin’s beer along with wines, liquors, and cigars. During a return trip from his homeland of Prussia, Esch developed a severe fever that he could not shake. It eventually took his life on August 14, 1880. Hotz then sold the saloon to Charles Rodig. Suspicion that Hotz had poisoned Esch for money led to the case going to court. It received much publicity, but no sign of poisoning or malfeasance was found, and the accusations were eventually dismissed.

The Tribolet Brothers Sigfried Tribolet was one of five brothers living in Tombstone in the 1880s; the others were Abraham, Charles, Godfrey, and Robert (Bob). The earliest reference commonly found of the Tribolets in Tombstone is 1880. The brothers were prolific businessmen credited with opening Tombstone’s first butchering business. The principal partners in the Tombstone Wholesale Butcher Company were Sigfried and Abraham. Sigfried was also proprietor of the Union Meat Market. In addition to their butchering and brewing ventures, the brothers worked as general contractors, restaurateurs, landowners, and saloon keepers. Godfrey later entered the political world by becoming a city council member in Tombstone. Sigfried’s older brother Charles was contemptuously referred to as a “white rascal” for his alleged shady occupations, which included bootlegging mescal and whiskey from Mexico. His most serious charge allegedly involved divulging valuable information and selling goods to hostile Apache Indians for profit. General Crook successfully completed negotiations for the surrender of the Chiricahua Apaches in Canyon de los Embudos (Canyon of the Tricksters), Mexico, in March 1886. With the surrender agreed to, Crook departed early to Fort Bowie and left the responsibility of returning the imprisoned Apaches in the hands of U.S. Army lieutenant Marion Maus. Along the way, the group met Charles Tribolet, who was on

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government contract to sell meat to Geronimo. Some claim he sold mescal instead, which resulted in the Indians going on a drinking binge. Once the Indians were drunk, Charles purportedly “poisoned the Apaches’ minds” by conveying “certain death awaited them once they crossed the line.” That evening, Geronimo and Nachez and their band escaped, leading to more bloodshed and Crook’s reassignment following the outbreak. Charles maintained his innocence. He argued that Geronimo and his band approached his tent while he was in Sonora, Mexico, demanding “fire water.” In order to save his own skin, he provided whatever liquor was in his possession and gave up control of his camp to the Indians. On behalf of his brother, Sigfried wrote a letter to the editor of the Daily Tombstone claiming that the allegations were preposterous and that Charles was only there to sell meat to Geronimo. Still, Charles lost some credibility in the community. In September 1886, approximately six months after the incident, Geronimo surrendered.

Fire on the Streets On June 22, 1881, a devastating fire erupted near the Golden Eagle Brewery. The fire was reported to have been sparked from “an explosion caused by a cigar.” Apparently, the proprietor of the nearby Arcade Saloon was gauging a keg of whiskey that had been condemned, when the rod for measuring the liquor fell in. With a cigar in hand, his barkeep came out from behind the bar to help retrieve the rod. While doing so, he carelessly lit a match, causing the fumes from the keg to ignite. Fortunately, everyone in the saloon was able to escape safely through the rear door. However, the fire spread out of control, and once it was over, everything east of Fifth Street to Seventh Street and to the north side of Fremont Street and the south side of Allen Street had burned, finally fizzling out at Toughnut Street. Although the Golden Eagle Brewery was damaged, it did not suffer the same fate as other businesses, which were left in cinders. Thanks to a fire brigade that saved the brewery, the Golden Eagle was able to reopen in short time. News of the gun battle between the Clantons and the Earps hit the headlines in October 1881, and the story made the disposition in Tombstone very tense. Almost two months to the day the battle took place, on the evening of December 28, 1881, Virgil Earp, Tombstone’s city marshall, was calmly walking down Fifth Street between the Oriental Saloon and the Golden Eagle when a series of gunshots rang out from the second-floor window of the Huachuca Water Company building located across Allen Street. Virgil’s left arm was nearly severed by buckshot. Stray buckshot also hit

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the Golden Eagle, almost striking a group of men playing faro. Virgil was immediately taken to the Cosmopolitan Hotel, where he was tended to by retired army surgeon and friend, Dr. George Goodfellow. Following the murder attempt, Ike and Phin Clanton were arrested. When numerous witnesses came forth and testified that the brothers were in Charleston at the time of the shooting, the Clantons were released and the charges were dropped, while the wound inflicted on Virgil maimed him for life.

The Arizona Brewery and Lion Brewery in Flames In 1881, Herman Leptein and Charles Bernhardt opened the Arizona Brewery at 520 Allen Street near the Golden Eagle. Some months later, A. Ubel & Company opened the Lion Brewery at 509 Fifth Street. There is also evidence of a Milwaukee Brewery operating in 1881. Its proprietor was John Harker, but little else is known of this establishment. Then, in 1882, another brewery is believed to have opened, which is simply listed as being run by Kirker and Schrey. All of these establishments are believed to have succumbed to a fire that swept through the streets of Tombstone on May 26, 1882. The blaze erupted at the rear water closet of the Tivoli Saloon and quickly spread throughout its wooden frame. Flames spread to nearby shanties, which fed the fire like kindling. Within fifteen minutes, every building between Fourth and Fifth Streets and Allen and Toughnut Streets was in ruins. The Golden Eagle, along with the Arizona and the Lion, were destroyed. As the fire raged, the Tombstone fire department found the water pressure necessary to put out the fire was inadequate. In order to stop the fire from spreading, many buildings, including the post office, were detonated with “powder.” The use of dynamite to snuff out the flames worked, but not before causing over $550,000 in damage—approximately three times the amount of the 1881 fire. The cost of the loss of the Golden Eagle alone reached $23,000. Wehrfritz only carried $8,000 of insurance on the property. Tombstone residents wasted little time in rebuilding. Within two months, numerous businesses along the scorched ruins were back up and running, and by July, Leptein was placing finishing touches on the interior of the Arizona Brewery. Once the paint and plaster were dry, the Arizona held its grand reopening on July 13, 1881. It quickly regained its popularity. The brewery and saloon was publicized as a new and improved establishment fitted with “new appliances of the most improved kind.” Along with its own beer, it advertised a supply of San Francisco Lager Beer from the Philadelphia Brewery in California and also “the finest of St. Louis Beer” on draft. Although the Golden Eagle and Arizona were able to reopen, it appears the Lion

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Brewery and Kirker and Schrey’s establishment did not. The outcome of the Milwaukee Brewery is unknown due to lack of documentation.

The Crystal Palace Saloon Following the fire, Wehrfritz and Tribolet parted ways. Wehrfritz opened the Crystal Palace Saloon on the site where the Golden Eagle had stood, and Tribolet moved the Golden Eagle to Seventh and Allen Streets. The larger and better-equipped brewery took just a little over one month to build. The 80- by 120-foot two-story Crystal Palace stood in the middle of Tombstone’s “high-rent” district on Allen and Fifth Streets, made entirely of adobe and wood. It was built as a “showpiece” at a cost of $8,500. The front of the saloon housed a beer and gambling hall complete with an ornate water fountain filled with goldfish. A barbershop was located in the back portion of the building facing Fifth Street, and Virgil Earp maintained an office on its second floor. Both the Crystal Palace and the Golden Eagle thrived, but Tombstone’s heyday as a boomtown was coming to an end. By the early 1880s, most of its mines had closed due

the old pueblo and southern arizona

Figure 2.13. The Tombstone Volunteer Fire Department, shown here in 1883, fought two large fires in 1881 and in 1882. Both fires destroyed much of Tombstone and added to the town’s slogan “The Town Too Tough to Die.” This slogan was first used in 1931 by publicist Walter Cole in the Tombstone Epitaph. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, History and Archives Division, Phoenix #97–2671.)

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Figure 2.14. Golden Eagle Brewery ad, The Tombstone, March 23, 1885.

to flooding. As early as 1881, miners struck water 520 feet down the main shaft of the Grand Central Mine. Attempts to pump the water out met with little success. Because of frequent fires, floods, and inadequate pumps to remove the water, the vast majority of people left Tombstone. By 1892, only a small population remained when many of the town’s prominent citizens packed up, seeking better conditions elsewhere. This resulted in diminished property values, augmenting the town’s misfortune. By 1886, the Golden Eagle and the Arizona had closed. Leptien opened a saloon and sold Wieland’s “Genuine California” Lager Beer. The Crystal Palace sold Fredericksburg Lager Beer, while the Boca Brewery contracted a Boca Beer Saloon on Allen Street. California beers had clearly made headway in Tombstone saloons. In a last-ditch attempt to revive Tombstone’s mines, more powerful pumps were brought in during the 1890s. Lackluster success and a drop in the price of silver, however, ended this effort. By 1900, fewer than seven hundred residents remained, leaving the town dependent on its fair climate and Wild West lore as ways to attract tourists. The adoption of Prohibition in 1915 closed the Crystal Palace, but it reopened in 1933 when Prohibition was repealed, and it continues in business to this day. Although its original mahogany bar was destroyed in a fire following a move to a cantina in Mexico, the saloon has largely been restored to its original glory.

Beer and the Military The ongoing struggle between the Apaches and foreign prospectors resulted in a large military presence in Arizona. John Spring claimed that the Apaches “were indirectly responsible for the prosperity of the region. . . . Because of them, soldiers and military establishments were needed to guard the early settlements.” The Civil War also was responsible for an increased military presence when the U.S. Cavalry entrenched itself in an attempt to liberate Arizona from Confederate rule. Tucson was the “chief supply depot” of the region, providing a haven from Apache raids. The Old Pueblo’s population increased from 600 residents in 1866 to 3,224 by 1870. Soldiers stationed at Camp Lowell near Tucson guarded the stores of the depot quartermaster and escorted wagon trains to the various posts of southern Arizona. Anywhere from thirty-five to forty military camps were active in the territory during the Apache wars. Numerous documents left behind by soldiers describe life as hard and monotonous, and many drank alcohol simply to pass the time during periods of inactivity. Mescal was the drink of choice because it was easily accessible and provided a quick drunk. Due to increased incidents of violence because of alcohol, a presidential order was issued in 1881 prohibiting the sale of hard liquor “by the drink” to soldiers. However, beer was not included in the ban, and a number of breweries 24

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began to cater specifically to soldiers. Alexander Levin, Louis Quesse, Barnabe Palm, Arnold Sieber, and the Tribolet brothers were just a few of the brewers providing beer to the military.

Figure 2.15. Real photo postcard of the Crystal Palace Saloon during the late 1930s. At the onset of Prohibition in 1915, a businessman purchased the saloon’s roulette wheel, gambling tables, bar, and backbar and moved them across the border to Naco, Mexico. The present bar, a replica of the original, was built in 1964 during a major renovation project.

Andreas Joerger—Ramsey Canyon Brewery In 1888, German-born Andreas Joerger and his family settled near Fort Huachuca at the base of the Huachuca Mountains. Joerger built his brewery approximately fifteen miles from the fort in the vicinity of Ramsey Canyon, located within the Upper San Pedro River basin in southeastern Arizona. He focused his trade on the military in Fort Huachuca and Tombstone exclusively. Joerger was noted for brewing porter, described by those who drank it as a “thick, heavy beer.” the old pueblo and southern arizona

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Ramsey Canyon was named after the first recorded settler in the area, Gardner Ramsey. He and his family arrived in 1879 and began raising potatoes. Ramsey later built a nearly three-mile-long toll road by hand leading through the canyon to the mining town of Hamburg. It became one of the first and most lucrative businesses in the area, and as a result, the area became known as Ramsey’s Canyon. Like Ramsey, Joerger also found success and enjoyed a lucrative trade. The June 24, 1898, Prescott Miner described Joerger’s brewery as “the most unique brewery in the world, as there are no other people living near it other than the proprietor and his family.” Internal Revenue collector S. J. Cullom, who made this statement, further noted that the brewery was completely isolated, occupying a beautiful nook high among the mountains. With its location in the cooler climates of the Huachuca Mountains, there is a good possibility Joerger cultivated his own hops for brewing. In or around 1900, Frank Joerger was listed as proprietor of the brewery. It is unclear what relation he had to Andreas, but it is believed Andreas continued as its brewer. Frank was known to have furnished hay and wood to the surrounding communities. By the time he joined the business, it had become known as the Ramsey Canyon Brewery. It was reported as delivering the “purest article of beer and porter ever produced.” The Joergers refused to wholesale their beer, although constantly solicited to do so. According to the July 14, 1904, Daily Arizona Silver Belt, Andreas had been offered “all kinds of money” for his secret, which he never divulged. Yet by 1906, it appears the brewery had run its course. Frank Joerger passed away four years later on October 14, 1910, at the home of F. L. Metz. It is unknown what became of Andreas. Without question, the Ramsey Canyon Brewery remains one of the most unique and little-known breweries ever to have operated in the Arizona Territory.

Pioneer Breweries of Bisbee The small southern mining town of Bisbee, located north of the Mexican border town of Naco, was coined the “Queen of the Copper Camps” due to its lucrative ore deposits. This prolific mining camp was named in honor of a San Francisco judge, DeWitt Bisbee. Bisbee was an avid investor who ironically never actually set foot in the town. In 1875, a prospector by the name of Hugh Jones was the first to discover copper in the Mule Mountains near where Bisbee would develop. However, copper stains had little interest to Jones since he was in search of silver. A savvy U.S. Army scout named John Dunn saw promise in the copper and swiftly staked claim. While he was on duty serving his country, however, opportunists staked their own claims. George Warren posted a claim near Dunn’s and began mining the area with others with whom he shared information. The camp became known as Warren’s District. When Dunn 26

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returned, he was shocked and disgusted by the activity in the area while he was on duty. With great dismay, Dunn sold his claim for $4,000 and left, never to return. Warren, on the other hand, foolishly gave away his claim. He was known to have spent much of his time enjoying a drink or two in local saloons, and during one drunken spree, he unwisely bet his claim on a footrace, alleging he could outrun any man on horseback. To no great surprise, he lost. The claim that Warren surrendered was one of the richest copper strikes in western history—the Copper Queen Mine.

Brewery Gulch In or around 1880, Swiss-born Arnold Sieber established a small adobe brewery near the end of a gulch winding through the Mule Mountains. The brewery quickly gained favor among the miners, and numerous saloons followed. Locals referred to the gulch as “Brewery Gulch.” Arnold Sieber should not be confused with Albert Sieber, the famed Indian scout in General Crook’s army. Albert was of German descent, and he never had any association with the brewery, nor was he related to Arnold. Because of the similarity in names, however, he has been mistakenly given credit for Arnold’s brewery in some transcripts. Early records of Bisbee’s breweries remain a bit convoluted. It seems that in 1882, Henry Dubacher, another Swiss native, opened a brewery in Bisbee near the time Sieber’s brewery was in operation. Godfrey Tribolet is said to have operated a brewery through 1884 as well. That year, Dubacher merged with Sieber’s brewery upon Sieber’s departure. Frank Dubacher then joined his brother Henry, and from 1884 through 1888, the brewery is listed as operating under Frank and Henry Dubacher. In 1888, its name was changed to the Mountain Brewery, with Henry listed as sole proprietor. Henry began to suffer symptoms of illness during the summer of 1890, which he never was able to overcome. Doctors at Fort Huachuca suggested he move to a better climate; otherwise, he could risk death within six months. How much importance Henry gave to following the doctors’ advice is not known, but as fate would have it, his condition worsened, and on September 25, 1890, Henry died at forty-three years of age. Prior to his death, he willed his belongings, including the brewery, to his brother Frank and twenty-three-year-old cousin Joseph Muheim, the executors of his estate. Muheim first came to Bisbee in or around 1883. He and Frank became partners in various mining ventures prior to partnering in the brewery. Following Henry’s passing, it is unclear whether Frank and Joseph brewed beer, since Henry was the experienced brewer. However, ads hint that beer was brewed through 1893. From that point the old pueblo and southern arizona

Figure 2.16. The Mountain Brewery ad, Tombstone Daily Prospector, February 4, 1889.

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Figure 2.17. (top) This view of the Brewery Saloon was taken during the early 1900s. Although it gives the impression of it being an operating brewery, by the time this photograph was taken, it was functioning solely as a saloon. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, History and Archives Division, Phoenix #96–3280.) Figure 2.18. (bottom) Bisbee boasted nearly fifty saloons during its heyday. This color lithograph postcard of the Office Saloon dates to c. 1910.

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on, Dubacher and Muheim’s establishment appears to have reverted to being strictly a saloon. The partners advertised Pabst and Anheuser-Busch beers. During the latter part of 1901, it was renamed the Brewery Saloon, although the brewing of beer had ceased by that time. Aside from the saloon business, Muheim maintained various mining and business interests in Bisbee, which over the years made him a wealthy man. The same could be said for Frank Dubacher. By the early 1900s, Muheim had commissioned the construction of the Muheim Block, an impressive redbrick structure built near the entrance to the old pueblo and southern arizona

Figure 2.19. View of the Muheim Block in Bisbee in 2011. It never housed a brewery, as the sign on the building implies, but it did once house the popular Edelweiss Café in the basement, and a stock exchange, among other businesses. It remains a centerpiece of Bisbee’s Brewery Gulch.

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Brewery Gulch. For a short time while construction progressed, the Brewery Saloon was relocated to the newly constructed Pythian Castle, in which Muheim also had a stake. The Muheim Block was completed in 1905 and housed the Brewery Saloon, the People’s Cash Store, and various other businesses. Later, the structure served as a local stock exchange through the 1960s. Although the sign above the front entrance of the Muheim Block suggests it was a brewery, it never once produced beer. In 1898, Joseph Muheim began construction of a new house, where he lived until his death at eighty-four years of age, on March 17, 1951. His family retained the house until 1975 when it was donated to the city and opened as a museum.

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Pioneer Breweries of Central and Northern Arizona

Prior to 1870, the Salt River valley was considered little more than a vast barren desert. But unlike today, the banks of the once-great and flowing Salt River teemed with life and lush vegetation that formed a swath of green through the heart of the desert floor. Following the completion of the Roosevelt Dam in 1911, the year-round flow of water ceased, leaving a dry, rocky riverbed that surged only after heavy rains. Confederate veteran John W. “Jack” Swilling surveyed the valley in 1867. He observed signs of prehistoric Hohokam canals spreading every which way across the desert floor. He was intrigued by the canals and their potential for bringing water into the valley via the Salt River. After pulling together his finances and organizing a group of local supporters, Swilling formed the Swilling Irrigating and Canal Company. The coalition restructured the canals, and in time, the water began to flow. The Salt River valley attracted settlers and farmers, who planted corn, wheat, alfalfa, and barley. A permanent settlement site of approximately 360 acres was mapped out on October 20, 1870, little more than one mile north of the Salt River. For his vision, Swilling became known as the “Father of Phoenix,” but it was Englishman Darrel Duppa—a member of Swilling’s party—who is credited with naming the new settlement “Phoenix.”

3 One year ago, to-day, Mr. Hancock was making the adobes for the first house in town, now we have a flourishing village with three stores, one brewery, three saloons, two boarding houses, two blacksmith shops, corrals, and a great number of private dwelling houses. —A letter published in the January 13, 1872, edition of the Prescott Miner in reference to Captain W. A. Hancock, builder of the first permanent structure in Phoenix

The “Old Brewery”—The Champion Brewery In 1871, Wickenburg residents Abraham H. Peeples and Thomas Graves arrived in Phoenix with the idea of establishing a brewery and saloon. The two purchased three lots of land, but soon after, the partnership went into dissolution, leaving Peeples

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Figure 3.00. This photo of Jack Swilling (1830–1878) with an unnamed Native American man was taken c. 1875. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, History and Archives Division, Phoenix #98–0003.)

Figure 3.01. Mathew Cavaness, c. 1880s. (Courtesy of Connie Pace.)

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to build the brewery on his own. Peeples then offered his friend Mathew Cavaness, also from Wickenburg, a chance to purchase the brewery for $2,000, which Cavaness accepted. According to Cavaness’s memoirs, “his partner had trouble and kill a man so he just got up and left the country” (Cavaness was referring to Graves leaving the country). Cavaness brought in Frank Cosgrove, a blacksmith by trade, as a business partner. He set up a blacksmith shop at the rear of the brewery, and together the two successfully launched the first brewery in Phoenix, aptly coined the Phoenix Brewery. The brewery was located inside a saloon formerly occupied by Cromwell A. Carpenter on the north side of Washington Street between Montezuma and Maricopa Streets (today’s equivalent to First and Second Streets). Cavaness produced 2,000 gallons of beer every Saturday. A large amount of the brewery’s business was conducted with the nearby Fort McDowell, east of Phoenix. At some point, Michael Braungart joined as brewer alongside Cavaness. As a result, locals began referring to it as “Mike’s Brewery” and, at a later date, the “Old Brewery.” Abraham H. Peeples was born in July 1826. He moved to the territory in 1863 with his wife Rebecca Cavaness Peeples, Mathew’s sister, whom he married in 1854. Soon after his arrival, he discovered the Rich Hill gold mine near Wickenburg. He served in a variety of positions, including saloonkeeper, postmaster, justice of the peace, county supervisor, and hotelier. He was proprietor and brewer of the Magnolia Saloon & Brewery in Wickenburg from 1868 to 1871. The Magnolia continued in business solely as a saloon starting in 1872 under Peeples. In 1883, he became a permanent Phoenix resident after his Wickenburg business burned. Because of his many accomplishments, Peeples Valley, near Yarnell in central Arizona, was named in his honor. Mathew Cavaness was the son of Jeremiah Cavaness and Kisiah Huckaby Cavaness, born on April 27, 1843, in Bentonville, Arkansas. For approximately one year, he served as a Texas Minuteman before leaving for California. He fought in many battles with hostile Indians, which built his reputation as a “great Indian fighter.” Like many settlers in the territory, he also dabbled in prospecting; while doing so, he came to know the infamous Jacob Waltz—the “Lost Dutchman.” He and his brother William freighted government posts by ox team throughout the territory. In 1864, Peeples convinced Cavaness to move to Prescott, and at a later date, Cavaness entered the butchering business in Wickenburg. By 1870, he had relocated to Phoenix. There he met Alice Rowe and they were married in 1871. They gave birth to the first “white child” in Phoenix on November 5, 1872. Frank Cosgrove arrived in central Arizona in 1863 as an employee of the Butterfield Overland Stage and Express Company. He settled at Maricopa Wells in 1864 and later went to Camp McDowell where he served as the post blacksmith for one year. On many occasions, Cosgrove joined Cavaness in transporting freight to various parts of the territory. chapter 3

Figure 3.02. (left) Cavenness & Cosgroves ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, September 14, 1872. Figure 3.03. (below) Aside from his occupation as brewer, Mathew Cavaness was a freighter, a former Minuteman, and a fierce Indian fighter. His wagons hauled large amounts of ore from the Silver King Mine during its development. This image of Cavaness and his freight train was taken c. 1878 in front of the stagecoach office in Gila Bend. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, History and Archives Division, Phoenix #97–0734.)

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Figure 3.04. Phoenix was well established by the time this photo was taken looking down Washington Street in the 1880s. (Photographer unknown. From author’s collection.)

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Michael Braungart was born in Germany in 1834. He became a successful businessman, owning considerable property in Phoenix. He is believed to have remained with the brewery in Phoenix at least through 1873. In 1875, he was listed as a brewer residing in San Diego. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States on May 29, 1875. On March 15, 1879, the thirty-eight-year-old Braungart was found dead, the result of a shotgun wound to the mouth. According to the March 19, 1879, Salt River Herald, he committed suicide by using “the big toe of his right foot to pull the trigger.” What led to such a desperate act is unknown. chapter 3

In April 1873, Cavaness and Cosgrove sold the brewery back to Peeples for $2,200. Cavaness then resumed the freight business with his brother. Peeples was joined by Thomas C. Hayes as a partner in the brewery, while a man by the name of F. Hanna became brewer, presumably upon Braungart’s departure. The May 31, 1873, Weekly Arizona Miner reported three breweries operating in Phoenix. This is believed to be an error since no other brewery other than Hayes and Peeples’s is known to have been in operation at the time. Peeples remained with the brewery for only two months before selling his share to a man named Lovejoy. Little is known of Lovejoy except that Lovejoy & Company was known to have been heavily involved in mining in the lower Lynx Creek area of Yavapai County. The brewery was then advertised as Hayes & Lovejoy’s Brewery and Saloon. From the point at which Hayes and Lovejoy took charge of the brewery, little else was said about the venture. The old Phoenix Brewery was known to have catered to approximately sixteen different saloons in town. Whether true or not, some began to criticize its beers as being “inferior” to those brewed in Prescott. There could have been some validity to this sentiment, considering Phoenix’s warmer climate, brackish water, and lack of artificial refrigeration. In 1878, an ad in the Salt River Herald announced the sale of the brewery to Tucson brewer Albert H. Sales. Sales relocated to Phoenix shortly after closing his Tucson Brewery. The Phoenix Brewery was then renamed the Champion Brewery. Ads in the Salt River Herald publicized its beer, ale, and porter “at prices that defy competition.” The Champion is believed to have continued running through the mid1880s. It is unclear who its proprietor was at that time and exactly when it closed. However, in 1885, a fire swept away most of the block where the brewery stood, which could very well have marked the end of the Champion. Once Cavaness left the brewing business, he became more involved in freighting and is believed to have moved to Picket Post in the late 1870s. Peter Will set up a brewery at Picket Post in 1878, and Cavaness was known to freight supplies to Will’s brewery. Cavaness ran for Pinal County sheriff in 1880, and by 1882, he had moved to Duncan. He died in California on January 12, 1929, at eight-five years of age. As for Cosgrove, he passed away suddenly on October 13, 1875, at thirty-nine years of age at his home in Phoenix following lung complications.

Figure 3.05. Hayes & Lovejoy’s Brewery and Saloon ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, July 12, 1873.

The Great Western and United States Breweries In July 1878, thirty-five-year-old Prussian-born Gustav Becher opened the Great Western Brewery in Phoenix, along with Louis Tanmeyer and William Grel. Prior to year’s end, however, it appears Becher partnered in a new venture called the United States central and northern arizona

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Figure 3.06. This advertising booklet is dated January 1, 1883. It promotes William B. Hooper & Company and Val. Blatz Milwaukee Export Wiener Beer. William B. Hooper & Company occupied the first brick building built in Phoenix in 1872, operating it as a wholesale liquor house.

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Brewery with Albert H. Sales. From that point on, no mention of the Great Western is made, leaving the assumption that it closed. The United States Brewery operated from 1878 to 1880 under Becher and Sales. In 1880, Sales left the brewery, leaving Becher as sole proprietor. Two years later, the United States Brewery closed. On August 27, 1886, Albert H. Sales passed away in his sleep, reportedly a victim of apoplexy.

The Arcade Brewery In 1879, Charles August Luke bid goodbye to Prescott and moved to the warmer climate of Phoenix. Born in Dalhausen, Westphalia, Prussia, on August 30, 1832, Luke arrived in New Orleans in 1852, then made his way to California. He enrolled in the U.S. Cavalry and participated in the infamous Battle of Bear River, Idaho, against the Snake and Shoshone Indians in January 1863, and again confronted Indians at Spanish Fork, Utah, a little later in the year. By April 1864, he was honorably discharged, and in April 1866, he made his way into Mojave County, Arizona Territory, where he engaged in mining. During this time, he had numerous encounters with Indians and barely escaped with his life, while many in his party perished. Around 1870, he moved to Prescott and became a liquor dealer. He was active in many civic affairs and was elected mayor of Prescott on January 14, 1875. In 1879, he moved to Phoenix and established the Arcade Brewery. The Arcade opened in 1879 under the partnership of Luke and twenty-nine-yearold German-born Joseph Thalheimer, who owned half interest in the venture. It was located on the corner of Washington and Maricopa Streets. Unlike the more common adobe construction utilized in the Champion and United States breweries, the Arcade was built entirely of fired red brick. It was advertised as “the only brick brewery in the territory, and the coolest place in town.” It was not the first brick building in Phoenix, however. During the early 1870s, William B. Hooper & Company established a wholesale liquor house on the southeast corner of Jefferson and Second Streets. Hooper opted for brick instead of the more commonly used and less expensive adobe construction. In Phoenix, the use of red brick became more and more common from the 1880s onward. The Arcade’s saloon measured 24 by 60 feet. Its brewing shed was located in the rear and measured 24 by 22 feet. The brewery thrived under Luke and Thalheimer, and by the early part of the 1880s, they claimed to have the largest brewery in the territory, producing more than 100 gallons of beer per day. Malt used for brewing its beer was originally purchased in San Francisco and shipped at great cost by wagon to Phoenix. To reduce expenditures, the partners constructed a brick malt house for malting their own barley. The process involved central and northern arizona

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Figure 3.07. Arcade Brewery and Saloon ad, 1881 Tucson City Directory.

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applying the sprouted barley to a perforated wood floor and then kiln-drying it by the smoke from a roasting fireplace. The heated floor dried the sprouted barley, readying it for brewing. In 1884, Thalheimer sold his interest in the Arcade to Michael Wurch. Wurch, whose mother was of German descent and whose father was of French descent, was born in France in 1832. He was considered an expert brewer who was at one time the proprietor of the St. Louis Brewing & Malting Company in Ellensburg, Washington. Luke and Wurch proudly advertised their beer as “the finest beer ever made in the territory and equal in every way to the St. Louis imported beer.” Wurch’s two sons, Alphonse and Dellie, worked at the Arcade with him. Wurch remained with the brewery until departing in June 1887, leaving Luke as sole proprietor. Approximately four years later, on December 31, 1891, Wurch reportedly drowned after falling overboard while traveling on the steamship Doublan from Ensenada, Mexico, to San Diego. He was said to be under the influence at the time and was last seen by a night watchman at three o’clock in the morning. Luke instituted a complete renovation of the property following Wurch’s departure, including new paint and floors and the installation of water and gas lines. Ernest Hartman, a brewer from California who later managed the Park Brewery, supervised the beer production. By this time, however, the days of the Arcade were numbered. In September 1888, while on a train ride to the Tucson convention, Luke bet five stacks of hay against his brewery with Phoenix resident Clark Churchill that Benjamin Harrison would be the next president of the United States. The incident took place during a heated discussion, which produced “much merriment” to the witnesses present. In the end, Luke lost the bet. The last reference to the Arcade appeared in the November 24, 1888, Mohave County Miner, which reported “considerable speculation going on among the gossips as to what Clark Churchill was going to do with that brewery.” The comment gives the appearance that Churchill did come into possession of the Arcade. Whether because of the bet or not, the Arcade Brewery was no more as of 1888. Luke was later seen listed as a saloonkeeper operating the Luke and Czarnowaki Saloon. In this time period, the people of Phoenix were not too concerned about the importance of locally brewed beer since out-of-state beer was readily available. The completion of the transcontinental Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1881 allowed East and West Coast beers to reach within twenty-five miles of Phoenix. By 1883, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad was also completed, and on July 4, 1887, the first train arrived in Phoenix from the Southern Pacific main line at Maricopa. Advancements in the science of artificial refrigeration, bottling techniques, and pasteurization eased its transport. Many larger out-of-state brewers signed contracts with local saloons, making them branch sales depots selling their beers exclusively. The culmination of chapter 3

these factors and the high cost of manufacturing beer made it difficult for territorial brewers to succeed. Occasional talk of new breweries in the territory was frequently heard during the 1890s, but none came to fruition. The common concerns were the availability and quality of water. Investors were keenly aware of the amount of revenue leaving the territory via imported beers, and it motivated them to keep looking. An article in the March 10, 1892, Arizona Republican clarifies: “Arizona does not produce one per cent of the spirituous liquors consumed, and more than twenty-five per cent of the earncentral and northern arizona

Figure 3.08. The Palace Saloon in Phoenix was a popular drinking establishment operating from the 1870s through the early 1900s. It was located at 37 East Washington Street between Center Street (now Central Avenue) and 1st Avenue. This photo was taken around 1900. (Photographer unknown. From author’s collection.)

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ings of the people go to pay for them. In a country where hops are indigenous and would yield bountifully by cultivation, there is scarcely a brewery. We prefer to import beer.” The final comment appears to have been made in jest. A brewer from Missouri named Conrad Wagner held a strong belief that a brewery in Phoenix could succeed, principally because of its geographic location. Former Arcade brewer Joseph Thalheimer had faith that Wagner, or at least his influence, could bring a brewery to the valley. At the time, Thalheimer was proprietor of the Central Hotel. A second mention of a brewery appeared in July 1892, when J. J. Gardiner was reported to have laid out plans to erect a brewery on his ranch 2.5 miles from Phoenix. He touted that his brewery would become “the chief pleasure resort of Phoenix.” Gardiner envisioned a large thirty- by eighty-foot beer hall and a rail line for an electric street car extending to it from Phoenix. That same month, another brewing venture was proposed by Duval & Son, a French brewer from Grenelle, a suburb of Paris, France. Duval (not to be confused with the Belgium brewery Duvel) moved to Phoenix because of his health and came to the conclusion that a brewery of large scale could rival those of St. Louis and Milwaukee. He sought to acquire water from the Arizona Canal Company as a water source. During this time, no brewery was built in Phoenix, but some still held hope. The January 17, 1894, issue of the Arizona Republican reported that two capitalists from Los Angeles had traveled to Phoenix with the objective of studying its potential for a brewery. One of the unnamed capitalists is believed to have been Joseph Melczer, a well-established California liquor merchant. The Melczers arrived in the valley during this time with the intent of expanding their family liquor business, and a brewery would later fit into their plans. Phoenix was not the only site being studied. In the fall of 1897, Judge J. H. West of Needles sought to build a brewery in Kingman. That same year, two brewers from Colorado visited Prescott with similar interests. However, none succeeded. Some began to question the relevance of a brewery in the territory. The July 14, 1896, issue of the Arizona Republican claimed: “One of the main items for which cash leaves Phoenix in eastern exchange is for beer. In July this city consumed just fifteen carloads of lager made elsewhere and the July record is supposed to be running along at the same merry rate of a carload every other day.” The article continued: “Occasionally there is talk of a brewery for Phoenix, but the local residents are experts on lager and will have the best or none.” It then concluded that a brewery is “improbable” because the area’s water and its climate could not produce “a really fine article of the Teutonic beverage.”

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The Phoenix Brewery Company By the turn of the century, the possibility of a brewery in Phoenix was looking more hopeful. The November 18, 1900, Arizona Republican reported that William Melczer, Joseph Thalheimer, and Alex Rheinstein had announced plans to erect the Phoenix Brewery Company “somewhere” in the city. William was one of three brothers of Jewish descent, all well known and highly successful in the liquor industry. The other two brothers were Joseph and Louis. The brothers built an empire by selling liquor in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and they now set their eyes on Phoenix. Louis arrived in the valley in January 1893 and within five days purchased the entire stock of Goldman & Company, a general merchandise and liquor firm in Phoenix. He constructed a two-story building to house his liquor business on the former Goldman & Company site. The Melczer Brothers quickly gained a footing in Phoenix. William became president of the Phoenix Brewery. He sought the assistance of former Arcade Brewery owner Joseph Thalheimer, who became the company’s vice president. Rheinstein, who formerly was employed by Goldman & Company, acted as secretary and treasurer. The partners pledged $50,000 toward the brewery in Phoenix. They were ambitious and sought to manufacture “nothing but pure malt beer.” A suitable source of water, however, became a key issue for its success, and the difficulty in finding a suitable source plagued the partners for some time. They studied sites along the Agua Fria River, but these were far from ideal because of the high cost and difficulty in piping the water from the river to the brewery. According to Rheinstein, “The difficulty in getting water is the chief hindrance” (Arizona Republican, February 21, 1901). While the search continued in Phoenix, talk of a brewery in Prescott began to circulate. Rheinstein denounced the report as “rumor,” claiming that the brewery in Prescott was “not founded on fact,” and according to him, the Los Angeles people responsible for the venture were simply building a bottling plant. He went further, saying the “water at Prescott is even less adapted to beer-making than that of the valley, and it is not likely that a brewery there could ever be made profitable.” According to the April 22, 1901, edition of the Arizona Republican, a location for the Phoenix Brewery was found, and the following month, it was hinted that it would be built somewhere in the eastern part of the city. Just when things were looking up, the July 25 edition of the Arizona Republican reported “Maricopa Creamery Holding Brewery Enterprise Back,” and plans for the brewery once again came to a halt. Tom Gray professed full responsibility for its termination. It is assumed Gray was a principal investor in the venture, who, shortly after arriving in Phoenix, got married and

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Figure 3.09. Louis Melczer ad, 1895 Phoenix City Directory.

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reinvested his money in the Maricopa Creamery. According to the Arizona Republican, “He had blocked the whole game and that only for him Phoenix would now be making beer a plenty. He drinks nothing but buttermilk now, and he drinks all he wants.”

The Melczer Brothers Brewery The Melczer Brothers continued to thrive with their liquor business. Although the Phoenix Brewery failed to materialize, the brothers apparently were still keen on the idea of building a brewery in Phoenix. The June 13, 1902, Arizona Republican reported that a $125,000 brewing venture scheduled to break ground in September was being backed by William Melczer and his brothers. On June 12, the “Melczer Brothers Brewery” mailed a $10,000 draft to New York for machinery. In an effort to hasten its delivery, they offered a small premium. They then hired A. Martizen, a Chicago architect said to be one of the most experienced architects for breweries in the country, to design the 25,000-barrel brewery (1 U.S. barrel is equivalent to 31 gallons, or 2 full kegs). It was also reported that a “German brewmaster” invested a large sum of money in the company prior to his arrival, as guarantee “that he will make as good beer as the best that has ever been sold in Phoenix.” It was hoped the brewery would have its

Figure 3.10. (right) The Melczer Brothers Wholesale Liquor Store was located at 36 North Center Street when this photo was taken at the turn of the century. By 1905, the company was noted for being the largest wholesale liquor establishment in Arizona. (Hartwell & Hamaker Photographers, Phoenix. From author’s collection.) Figure 3.11. (above) Budweiser was one of the Melczer Brothers’ biggest sellers during the early 1900s. This opener dates from this time period.

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first beer ready by April, “just in time for bock beer season.” But once again, an appropriate source of water became an issue. By 1902, the brewing venture was scrapped. It became the final attempt by the brothers to launch a brewery. The Melczer Brothers turned their focus to their wholesale liquor business, selling St. Louis, AnheuserBusch, Lemp, and ABC beers. William, who operated Melczer Brothers in Palo Alto, California, died on March 28, 1904. The brothers’ liquor enterprise came to an end when Arizona adopted Prohibition in 1915.

Breweries in Globe and Payson During the 1860s and 1870s, rich gold discoveries near the base of the Pinal Mountains led to the formation of Globe. The first settlement in the area was known as Ramboz Mine, and by 1875, the Globe Mining District was organized in Ramboz. The settlement was moved sometime prior to 1878 to its present-day location and renamed Globe after a mine discovery by the same name. Early city directories list it as Globe City. Globe grew quickly because of mining and at one time had three operating breweries: the Pinal Brewery, Fredricksburg Brewery, and St. Louis Brewery.

Figure 3.12. Portrait of August Pieper, c. 1890s. (Courtesy of Northern Gila County Historical Society.)

The Pinal Brewery In 1878, Fred Medler & Company established the Pinal Brewery at the western end of Globe City in a building described as being “large and commodious.” The brewery’s tanks and vats were reportedly well arranged for large production. Medler also established a branch of his brewery at McMillanville, approximately twenty-eight miles northeast of Globe. Medler was born in Prussia around 1847 and served in the Tenth Missouri Militia during the Civil War. He partnered with Frank Bissig and August Pieper in the Pinal Brewery. Pieper was born in Germany around 1850, arrived in the United States in 1869, and moved to Globe in 1876. He, along with thirty-year-old Swiss-born Bissig, were brewers by trade. In 1879, Bissig and Pieper became proprietors of the brewery upon Medler’s departure. The brewery thrived under Bissig and Pieper. In 1881, it was advertised as having “constantly on hand and for sale at wholesale and retail, the best kind of lager beer.” Kegs could be had for seventy-five cents per gallon and a dozen bottles could be had for three dollars. Single bottles sold for thirty-five cents each. During 1882, Charles Hayse joined Bissig and Pieper and remained until 1884. Hayse was of German descent and gained much of his wealth through a series of successful mining ventures and various investments, which included the Fame Mine in Globe. His interest in mining continued until his death on June 11, 1887. central and northern arizona

Figure 3.13. Pinal Brewery ad, 1881 Tucson City Directory.

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Following Hayse’s departure in 1884, Prussian-born Carl Von Soyer joined the Pinal. Von Soyer was born in 1853, and by 1880 was working in Globe as an assayer. He was previously part of the mining investment firm Heinemann & Soyer. Both Pieper and Charles Banker of the competing St. Louis Brewery discovered the hard way that brewing was a hazardous venture. On June 13, 1884, Pieper was badly scalded on his back, chest, and abdomen, most likely while working near the brew kettle during the boil, although it is not clear how the accident happened. Banker escaped serious injury on June 19 when his wagon brake faltered while hauling bottles down a steep grade near Kellner’s sawmill. Banker was thrown from his wagon when his team ran “at a fearful rate,” destroying the wagon and scattering bottles throughout a wide area. Luckily, he suffered little more than scrapes, bumps, and bruises. In 1885, Bissig, Pieper, and Von Soyer hired brewer Ferdinand Rechenmacher, possibly with the intent of having him work at a new brewing venture being set up in Payson. Rechenmacher was born on August 28, 1856, in Worms, Rheinland-Pfalz, Deutschland. His family settled in Union, Missouri, while he was a young boy, and over the years, he traveled west working various jobs. For a time he lived in California, and on January 30, 1884, he became a naturalized citizen in San Francisco.

The Payson Brewing Company

Figure 3.14. Ferdinand Rechenmacher, c. 1890s. (Courtesy of Bernice Rechenmacher Barnes.)

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On July 12, 1885, the Payson Brewing Company was formed in Payson under the Pinal Brewing Company by Charles Bohren (the grantor) and Fred Rechenmacher, August Pieper, Frank Bissig, and Carl Von Soyer (the grantees). An icehouse was then purchased in the vicinity specifically to supply ice for the brewery. Rechenmacher became head brewer in Payson alongside Pieper, a managing partner, and Charles Dennhardt from the Pinal, who is believed to also have assisted as brewer. In or around August 1886, Rechenmacher severed his relationship with the Payson Brewery to pursue another brewing interest in Prescott. It is unknown what brewery drew Rechenmacher’s attention. Four years later, he was living in California. Rechenmacher became best known for his years as a brewer in California. In 1896, he purchased the Auburn Brewery from Julius Weber and learned how to brew “steam beer” from his father-in-law, Jacob Adams, a brewmaster in San Francisco. According to Beer Advocate, steam beer (known today as a California common beer) is considered a 100 percent uniquely American-style lager, usually brewed with a special strain of yeast. Some speculate the name originated because of its high carbonation level; when popped open, it “let off steam.” Most likely, however, according to the Anchor Brewing Company, the name came about during the manufacturing process. Steam beer is manufactured using lager yeasts at ale fermentation temperatures and

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Figure 3.15. (top) Local cowboys are gathered in front of Pieper’s Saloon to watch Payson’s 1890 rodeo. (Courtesy of Northern Gila County Historical Society.) Figure 3.16. (bottom) August Pieper’s home on the far right stands directly across the street from Pieper’s saloon. The smaller adobe structure, built in 1881, was the home of Henry Sidles. It is the oldest structure standing in Payson today. In 1882, the townspeople of Payson “forted up” in the adobe house during an “Indian outbreak” while the single men did scout duty. (Courtesy of Northern Gila County Historical Society.)

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was popularized in California out of necessity because of the lack of ice and artificial refrigeration. Brewers pumped hot wort up to shallow, open-top bins on rooftops so the wort could chill under the cool Pacific Ocean breeze. During the process, a cloud of steam would form above the brewery, thus the term “steam beer” was coined. Rechenmacher won two world prizes for his steam beer, one at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. He continued with the Auburn Brewery until selling it in 1908, then brewed for a short time in Truckee, California. On August 30, 1910, Rechenmacher passed away from complications of appendicitis. Frank Sellig joined Pieper, Bissing, and Von Soyer following Rechenmacher’s departure in 1886. Three years later, Bissig and Pieper sold their interest in the Pinal Brewery to Charles Banker, who then operated it alongside Von Soyer. In the meantime, Pieper moved to Payson and purchased twelve acres of land from Henry and Kate Sidles. The Sidleses had established Payson’s first saloon in 1882, which Pieper acquired, adding a livery stable and mercantile business. In 1890, Bissig and Dennhardt relocated to Payson to work with Pieper at the Payson Brewing Company. The brewery operated for approximately two more years before closing in 1892. By 1900, Bissig’s occupation was listed as cattle rancher. Pieper remained in Payson and became one of the most popular men in the area. He died at eighty-one years of age in 1931.

The Fredericksburg Brewery Gustav Bohse opened the Fredericksburg Brewery on Broad Street in Globe in 1881. Bohse was born in Prussia in 1844 or 1847, and became a naturalized citizen soon after his arrival in the United States. He worked as a carpenter, but very little other information about him while he was operating the Fredericksburg Brewery is available. In 1882, the Fredericksburg is listed as being run by Bohse and Knight. By the following year, it appears Knight had left the business, and by 1887, the brewery is believed to have closed. In 1900, Gustave Bohse became proprietor of the Globe Steam Laundry, where he remained until his death in October 1908.

Charles Banker—The St. Louis Brewery Figure 3.17. St. Louis Brewery ad, Arizona Silver Belt, February 13, 1886.

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German-born Charles Banker opened the St. Louis Brewery on North Broad Street in 1884. The brewery was advertised as providing the “Best Kind of Beer Ever Made in Globe.” At some point, he sought the assistance of Ernest Helm, a “Bavarian brewer,” to assist in producing the brewery’s two known brands, Erlanger and Bohemian beers. Banker was a prolific businessman and quite possibly the most successful brewer

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to operate in the mining town. At a time when artificial refrigeration had not yet been developed, he scaled the nearby 7,812-foot Pinal Mountain and dammed small streams in the winter to make his own ice. It was cut into large blocks, transported by pack mule to Globe, and stored in an icehouse for future use. He had a “beer vault” on the mountainside to store his beer in cooler temperatures. The ravine where Banker obtained his ice was later named Icehouse Canyon. In March 1886, a railway extending from the vault to the brewery was completed. Banker’s engine whistle was said to have been the first railroad whistle heard in Globe.

Charles Banker, Ernest Helm, and John Lanz— The Globe Brewing Company By 1888, Banker was spending a considerable amount of time tending to the Pinal Brewery, and he turned over the St. Louis Brewery to his brewer, Ernest Helm, who, along with Swiss-born John Lanz, became proprietors of the brewery. Helm and Lanz renamed it the Globe Brewing Company. Prior to Lanz’s involvement in the brewery, he invested in mining and was a saloonkeeper. The September 1, 1888, Arizona Silver Belt advertised Helm and Lanz as “Brewers and Bottlers of the Celebrated Bavarian and Vienna Lager Beer.” Other ads stated, “All orders left at Chas. Banker’s saloon will be promptly attended to,” giving a hint to Banker’s continued association with the brewery. Seventeen years earlier, the November 29, 1871, Arizona Citizen reported an incident that nearly cost Lanz his life when a band of Apache-Mohaves attacked a stagecoach Lanz was driving. The stage was carrying three members of the Wheeler Expedition, who were killed along with three other passengers. It was Lanz’s first trip as a driver since arriving from California several months earlier. Soon after the Globe Brewing Company opened, the September 29, 1888, Arizona Silver Belt reported that Ernest Helm had become “quite sick.” His illness led to a mutual dissolution of the partnership, giving John Lanz sole proprietorship of the brewery. No other mention of Helm is found thereafter. Then, on February 14, 1889, John Lanz died from what is believed to have been natural causes, marking the end of the brewery. Banker became the administrator of the Lanz estate, and the brewery was returned to Banker’s control. It was once again referred to as the St. Louis.

Figure 3.18. Globe Brewing Company ad, Arizona Silver Belt, September 22, 1888.

Charles Banker—The Pinal Brewing Company In 1889, Charles Banker became the proprietor of the Pinal Brewery alongside Carl Von Soyer, which indicates the St. Louis Brewery and Pinal may have merged. The

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only other place where the St. Louis name was recorded thereafter was on “Delinquent Tax Lists of Gila County” posted in the Arizona Silver Belt between 1891 and 1897, as part of Banker’s personal property. On July 28, 1890, a fire broke out at Banker’s home located adjacent to the brewery, awakening him from his sleep in a state of alarm. The three-room frame house was the property of the brewery, and all of Banker’s possessions were lost. The brewery itself was threatened for a time, but was thwarted with Von Soyer’s “liberal” application of water. The fire was suspected to be arson, but this was never proven. In October 1890, Carl Von Soyer passed away at approximately thirty-seven years of age due to complications from an unspecified illness. Rechenmacher was at his side when he passed, and Charles Dennhardt became the administrator of his estate. Banker experienced another close call with death on January 22, 1891. The Arizona Silver Belt reported that “John Bauer, with some beer and more of the devil in him, took a shot a Charles Banker Thursday morning.” After one shot, a bystander interfered and physically disarmed Bauer. Banker then “administered a sound thrashing to his would be assassin.” Bauer was sent to the “cooler” and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. In August 1896, Banker, along with partners Charles F. Bond and Francis Nelson, franchised and began construction of an electric light plant adjoining the Pinal Brewery. The “substantial brick structure,” named the Globe Electric Light Company, housed two large dynamos to produce electricity. The partners erected and maintained utility poles and wires in a large number of designated streets and alleyways in Globe. Incredibly, on March 5, 1897, yet another fire encroached on the Pinal Brewery while Banker slept nearby. The fire was sparked in the hop drying kiln on the west end of the brewery, which quickly became engulfed. Banker and his brewer/engineer George W. Hill scrambled to save what they could while also preserving the electric light company. None of the fixtures except for the brew kettle were salvaged. Banker was able to save a substantial amount of beer stored in the brewery’s cellar, but he did not carry any insurance on the property. Within two months, the Pinal Brewery was rebuilt and back in operation. It was fitted with an entirely new brewhouse and a cooling vat placed on the south end of the building. Enough beer was on hand to supply customers uninterrupted. On June 3, 1897, Banker married Alma L. Hancock, and in October of that year, he became an agent selling beer for the San Antonio Brewing Association. In doing so, he sold the Globe Electric Light Company, and two years later, in 1899, he closed the Pinal Brewing Company. Quite possibly, Banker found it more profitable to sell San Antonio beers than his own. He later built a large cold storage facility on the site

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where the brewery stood and began selling Lemps, Pabst, Schlitz, ABC, and San Antonio beers. Banker later also built a saloon called Banker’s Garden, surrounded by large shade trees on the north end of Globe, and promoted it as “the coolest resort in Globe.” During this time, he also invested in mining and was an incorporator in the City Ice & Cold Storage Company. In July 1909, the Gila Valley, Globe, and Northern Railway acquired a section of Banker’s Garden as a right-of-way for its new rail line, which forced Banker to sell his saloon. By 1911, his wife had died, and within a few years, on April 1, 1914, Banker died at approximately sixty-three years of age. In light of his many accomplishments, Banker Street in Globe was named in his honor.

Pinal City Brewery Three miles southwest of Superior was the bustling town of Pinal (originally known as Picket Post from 1878 to 1880). Pinal boasted a population of approximately 2,500 people and two breweries at the time the nearby Silver King Mine was at its peak production from 1875 to 1888. It was discontinued in May 1912. The town of Pinal was founded principally to house miners working at Silver King. Prussian-born Ernest F. Warnke and a man by the name of Jantzen opened the Pinal City Brewery, with a saloon attached, on Pinal Street in or around 1881. The Pinal Drill, on September 17, 1881, notified its readers that Warnke and Jantzen “take pleasure in informing their friends and the public that they have opened the above brewery where they are now selling their own beer, which will always be found cool and unsurpassed by any beer in the territory.” The Pinal City Brewery had no affiliation with the Pinal Brewing Company operating at the time under Bissig and Pieper in Globe. It provided beer for approximately seven years before closing in 1888. A second brewery is believed to have opened in Pinal by Frederick Jensen in 1884, but appears to have closed within the same year. As early as 1881, Jensen managed a bowling alley and bath in Pinal. The only other mention of him is found in the March 1, 1890, Arizona Weekly Citizen, which reported his death. Ten days earlier, the forty-eight-year-old Jensen had slipped on grease while repairing machinery on top of a mill at Reymert Camp and had fallen 8 to 10 feet on his back. He left two children and a wife at the time of his passing. A small number of ads for the United States Brewery & Saloon were also published in the Pinal Drill during 1881. Gustav Becher is known to have operated the United States Brewery in Phoenix for a short time, so more than likely the ad was for an agency that sold Becher’s beer. Regardless, because of limited available information, the exact location of the United States Brewery & Saloon remains unclear.

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Figure 3.19. Pinal City Brewery ad, Pinal Drill, September 17, 1881.

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Figure 3.20. This c. 1910 real photo postcard reveals a freight train in front of the Arizona Brewery on Gurley Street during the 1870s. The Miner office is on the far right next to the brewery.

Pioneer Breweries of Prescott During the 1860s through the 1880s, the mountaintop community of Prescott in the Bradshaw Mountains competed with Tucson for embracing the much-sought-after territorial capital. When Arizona officially became a U.S. territory in February 1863, the Union-leaning Prescott was selected as the territorial capital, and it held that distinction from 1864 to 1867. Tucson was initially ignored, mainly due to its Confederate leanings and its significant Mexican population, but in 1867, the capital was moved to the Old Pueblo, where it remained for ten years. Then in 1877, Prescott regained the territorial capital, holding it until 1889, when it was surrendered to Phoenix, strongly favored by then-governor C. Meyer Zulich, following a long, drawn-out battle.

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The Arizona Brewery and Saloon When compared to Phoenix or Tucson, Prescott’s cooler climate provided a more suitable environment for brewing beer in an era when artificial ice and cooling were nonexistent. Its strong military presence, active mining industry, and growing population helped sustain a small but thriving brewing industry. The first brewery in Prescott, called the Arizona Brewery and Saloon, was built in 1867 by John Littig and a man simply referred to as Nelson. First mention of the brewery appeared in the February 9, 1867, Arizona Miner. It was situated on the western end of the old capitol building next to the post office, north of the courthouse plaza on Gurley Street. The log structure measured 75 feet in length and was separated into three different units. Around this time, Littig also opened Prescott’s first theater, the New Theater, on Montezuma Street with J. M. McGinley. After it was destroyed by fire in May 1867, along with numerous other buildings, the theater moved to Gurley Street. McGinley’s Concert and Dramatic Troupe relocated from the East to perform in the theater. John Marion, editor of the Arizona Miner, commented on Littig’s brewery: “Lovers of good lager beer should not fail to drop into the saloon of the Arizona Brewery in the Old Capitol building. The proprietors, Littig & Co., have recently spent considerable time and money in repairing, painting and decorating their saloon, and we feel safe in saying that it is now one of the neatest and most comfortable places of public resort in the territory.” Then in 1869, Littig seemingly gave up brewing in exchange for a life of ranching. The May 14, 1870, Weekly Arizona Miner reported that he and Samuel E. Blair “stole away” from Prescott en route to Colorado. Blair, a skilled carpenter and cabinetmaker, was considered a longtime upstanding citizen of Prescott, serving as its justice of the peace since 1865. The two allegedly left town owing a great deal of money to nearly everyone in town, and Littig was castigated as a “rogue and swindler.” The whereabouts of the two following the incident are unknown since no further accounts were found. Upon Littig’s departure in 1869, Max Simonsen became the Arizona Brewery’s proprietor. The very next day, he sold half his interest to George Frommer—“an experienced brewer.” By the latter part of 1869, Simonsen and Frommer had sold out to Cal. Jackson & Company. It is unclear if Frommer remained as brewer. Jackson & Company consisted of three brothers: Jesse, Joe, and Solomon “Sol” Jackson. The brothers arrived from San Francisco in 1868 and opened a saloon on Montezuma Street, west of the courthouse plaza, quickly making a name for themselves. The June 5, 1868, Weekly Arizona Miner reported that “Joe and Sol, the handsomest and noisiest men in town, will always be on hand to dispense liquors in the most approved style.” A friendly competition grew between the Jacksons’ Arizona Brewery and Raible & Sheerer’s

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Figure 3.21. Portrait of Julius N. Rodenburg, c. 1895. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.)

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Figure 3.22. Arizona Brewery ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, January 13, 1882.

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Pacific Brewery, which also opened in 1867. The July 8, 1871, Weekly Arizona Miner commented: “Jesse Jackson of the Arizona, thinks his beer better than that of Raible & Sheerer’s, of the Pacific, but we’ll wager a small sum that he cannot take as much of his own medicine, as John Raible can of his, cause you see, his ‘boiler’ isn’t as capable as John’s.” In 1872, Julius N. Rodenburg and Gray Foster purchased the Arizona Brewery from the Jackson brothers. Rodenburg was noted as being “a first-rate brewer and his partner, Gray Foster, is one of the best natured, most agreeable gentlemen in this community.” The Rodenburg and Foster partnership continued through 1877. Rodenburg remained sole proprietor from 1877 through 1881. While operating his brewery, he shifted focus in 1880 to concentrate on building the Maricopa, Phoenix and Prescott Railroad Company. He, along with partners W. W. Hutchinson, John Raible, and N. Ellis, filed articles of incorporation for the company on August 31, 1880. They amassed a capital stock of more than $2 million; however, the venture quickly fizzled and the company dissolved. The Arizona Brewery went through a succession of managerial changes: Gotlieb Urfer and Frank Jacoby from 1881 to 1882; Sebastian Aumuller and Frank Jacoby from 1882 to 1884; and Julius Rodenburg and Sebastian Aumuller through 1885. Incidentally, Urfer was proprietor of the Lodging House in Prescott prior to joining the brewery. He was shot and killed in a Prescott saloon in 1885. In 1884, the brewery folded and was reopened as the Headquarters Saloon under the proprietorship of German-born Valentine Riehl and Fritz Jesson. Riehl was the former brewer at the Arizona. According to the February 24, 1886, Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner, Valentine Riehl, the “Boss brewer” formerly at the Arizona Brewery, got into a bit of trouble when he clubbed a fellow workman while in San Bernardino, California. It is not known if the man died, but it was reported that the incident could had proved fatal. Three years later, in May 1889, Riehl appeared to have met his own fate when he was said to have been stabbed to death after he beat a woman “unmercifully” during an altercation stemming from an insult. The person arrested for killing Riehl was a woman known as English Rose, who was reported to be Riehl’s wife. Prior to her arrest, English Rose was found with a broken wrist, as if she had been in a “severe encounter.” She was with a third party at the time. She stated that she had been beaten by Riehl and that later, upon her return, she found his body covered in blood, but when the sheriff investigated, no body or perpetrator were found. The entire incident remains convoluted, but it seems Riehl was not killed, and in June 1889, he was tried, found guilty of attempting to “beat her to death” with the heavy stock of a whip, and sentenced to two years in San Quentin. The next mention of Riehl finds him partnering in a mining venture in California in 1892.

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Although the Arizona Brewery discontinued brewing beer when it changed its name to the Headquarters Saloon in 1885, in July 1886, Romald Martin and Henry Burmeister attempted to resurrect it at a different location. Martin was reported to be a “brewer of long experience.” The two advertised the Arizona Brewery for a short time in 1886, with John Sorg’s Saloon as its bottling depot. Bottles of Arizona beer were sold by the quart for one dollar per bottle, two dollars per dozen, or by keg at three, five, and six dollars. Its ads ran for only a few months, suggesting that by September 1886, the venture had closed.

The Pacific Brewery In October 1867, the Pacific Brewery opened next door to the Arizona Miner office on Montezuma Street in Prescott under the control of John Raible and Phillip Sheerer. It is often claimed that the Pacific was the first brewery to open in Prescott, but ads for John Littig’s Arizona Brewery were placed as early as January 1867—nine months prior the Pacific’s ads being placed. The brewery was founded in the former home of Daniel Hatz, a member of the Walker Party who later entered the restaurant and hotel business. It was fitted with a bar, which sold wines, liquors, cigars, and Raible and Sheerer’s freshly brewed beer. The two advertised their beer as a “healthy, strengthening beverage.” Raible was born on August 30, 1833, in Truchtelfiner, Kingdom of Wurttemberg, Germany. He was a carpenter by trade and arrived in Prescott in 1864. He, along with Hatz and Samuel E. Blair, was awarded a contract to build the old gubernatorial mansion in Prescott. The log cabin–style structure became the first territorial capitol building in Arizona. The February 6, 1869, Weekly Arizona Miner reported six wagons loaded with barley arriving in Prescott from Walnut Grove. Raible and Sheerer and others purchased the barley from Allen Cullumber, who sold it for ten cents per pound in gold. In 1873, Raible traveled to Germany on business. During his trek, he spent time in New York, where he met Wilhelmina Wurth. The two fell in love, married on October 6, 1873, and went on to raise six children together. The Pacific underwent a succession of managerial changes over the years, but Raible remained its backbone throughout. In January 1872, he and Sheerer parted ways, leaving Raible as sole proprietor through 1879. He implemented a number of improvements to the brewery during this time, including the addition of a “motorized” malt crushing machine in 1874 and the construction of an eighteen- by eighteen-foot room fitted with a kiln for drying malt in 1877. In 1880, a bottle washing machine was added, with the capacity to clean three hundred bottles per minute, and in 1882, a cooler

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Figure 3.23. Portrait of John and Wilhelmina Raible, c. 1872. Aside from helping build the first territorial capitol building in Prescott and brewing beer, Raible was considered an exemplary citizen and one of the most honorable and richest men in Prescott. He passed away on June 21, 1899, and is buried at the Citizens Cemetery in Prescott. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.)

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was installed. Raible’s brother-in-law Charles Wurth joined the brewery in 1879 and remained with the company at least through 1884, and possibly through 1888. Tragically, fire struck the Pacific Brewery and the Prescott Miner building next door on June 16, 1884. Much of the brewery’s machinery was salvaged, and Raible quickly rebuilt a frame structure around it. It was the third time the Prescott Miner building had been ravaged by fire in recent years. In 1886, Phillip Michler became the Pacific’s proprietor as a lessee when Raible chose to retire from the brewery, but the following year, Raible returned, and he and George Waller ran the brewery from 1888 through 1890. In 1891, the Pacific Brewery was sold to P. R. Barret, a well-known saloonkeeper in Prescott. Its days as an operating brewery ostensibly came to an end. One of the Pacific’s final ads appeared in the Arizona Journal Miner in July 1891. Shortly after, its name was changed to the Pacific Saloon. John Raible was among the wealthiest men and one of the oldest citizens in Prescott. He passed away quite suddenly on June 1, 1899, a victim of dropsy (edema) at sixty-four years of age. At the time of his death, the Prescott Journal-Miner posted this eulogy: “He was an exemplary citizen and occupied various positions of trust. He was noted particularly for the honor and respect paid to families of deceased persons in the community as few funerals ever occurred at which he was not present.” Figure 3.24. Pacific Brewery ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, January 20, 1882.

The City Brewery On April 8, 1876, Rudolph Leimbacher and William Fish opened the City Brewery next door to Daniel Hatz’s restaurant down the street from the Pacific Brewery under the name Leimbacher & Company. The City Brewery advertised a “free lunch” as a way to attract customers; however, the two did not operate the brewery for long. By September 1876, Fish had sold his interest to Leimbacher; he then relocated to a ranch in Skull Valley with his family. The following year, John Blackburn and Schulze purchased the City Brewery from Leimbacher. The Blackburn family appears to have settled in the Prescott/Skull Valley area sometime during the 1870s, and Schulze was involved in mining. Their brewery was advertised as having on hand “first class lager beer, liquors, and cigars.” In 1878, Schulze gave up his interest in the brewery to George L. Yackle, and the brewery then became known as Blackburn & Yackle, or Blackburn & Company. At some point between 1878 and 1879, the City Brewery’s name was changed to the Excelsior Brewery when Dr. A. J. Thibodo, M.A., M.D., joined John Blackburn, possibly as an investor. A dissolution notice for the copartnership in the Excelsior between Thibodo and Blackburn appeared in the March 21, 1879, Weekly Arizona Miner. Then in April 1879, Blackburn & Company relinquished the Excelsior Brewery to Louis

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Figure 3.25. (left) View of the City Brewery in Prescott, c. 1878. A sign for the Pacific Brewery is barely visible below the “Weekly Miner” sign. The City Brewery’s name was changed to the Excelsior Brewery in 1879 when Louis Dugas became its proprietor. (Collection of Jeremy Rowe Vintage Photography, vintagephoto.com.) Figure 3.26. (below) The Excelsior Brewery ad, Weekly Arizona Miner, May 2, 1879.

Dugas. At that point, ads for the Excelsior appeared in the Weekly Arizona Miner with the addendum that it had operated formerly as the City Brewery. Dugas was born on June 20, 1840. He moved to the Cordes Junction area of Arizona sometime in 1877 and established the Dugas Ranch, where he tended a herd of oxen. On May 22, 1878, he married Mary A. Woo, and then moved to Prescott and entered the brewing business. His thirteen-year-old son from a previous relationship, Fred, remained in care of the ranch. Dugas was joined by Anton, an “Idaho brewer,” at the brewery. Anton reportedly made a name for himself “up North, in the manufacture of beer, porter, ale, cider, etc.” He formerly brewed in Silver City, Idaho, for W. F. Sommercamp at the Star Brewery & Billiard Saloon. After August 1879, no mention of the Excelsior is found in local newspapers, suggesting that it had closed. Dugas and his wife then moved to an area between the Verde and Agua Fria Rivers “on Sycamore” and resumed ranching. At a later date, he

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returned to Prescott, working as a saloonkeeper. He passed away at the Arizona Pioneers’ Home in Prescott on April 10, 1920. John Blackburn died of illness on February 8, 1888. He was a veteran of the Civil War, a highly respected citizen, and a member of the Barrett Post G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) in Prescott. In 1898, A. H. Hauch & Company opened a brewery in Prescott, the same year another firm by the name of Prescott Brewing Company opened. It is possible the two were the same, with Hauch & Company operating the venture. Regardless, by 1900, both ventures appear to have gone out of business. The only other mention suggesting its existence appeared in the April 17, 1901, Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner. A transaction between Henry Brinkmeyer and A. H. Hauch took place, with mention of Hauch’s brewery or brewery equipment being sold. On July 14, 1900, an uncontrollable fire was sparked at the O. K. Lodging House on South Montezuma and Goodwin Streets, which leveled a large portion of Prescott’s downtown. Whiskey Row was in cinders, but because of its diligent citizenry, it quickly re-emerged as a tent city across the street while the fire continued its destructive path, and the business of selling beer resumed. There is a slim possibility, though it is only speculation, that Hauch’s firm or the Prescott Brewing Company became victims of the blaze. On June 14, 1901, the Arizona Daily Journal Miner revealed the presence of a new brewing venture. The article titled “A Brewery for Prescott” revealed that the Los Angeles Brewing Company was behind the move to build a large brewery in Prescott. Its investors traveled to St. Louis for assistance, but principally sought to gain local interest for the venture. Jake Marks, a wholesale liquor dealer, was the only local name brought up as having some involvement. Little else is known, and in all probability the venture was eventually dropped.

The Williams Brewing Company The northern town of Williams, located approximately thirty miles west of Flagstaff and sixty miles south of the Grand Canyon, is situated at the base of the Bill Williams Mountain, which was named after “Old Bill” Williams, a mountain man and fur trader who often trapped in the area. Following the completion of Interstate 40 in 1984, Williams became the last town along Route 66 to be bypassed. During the late 1800s, Williams boasted a small brewery managed by Albert M. Conrad, a man described in the October 10, 1895, Arizona Republican as the brewery’s “rustling and popular manager.” Williams was said to have a limited supply of water, but Conrad

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(facing page) Figure 3.27. Following the great fire of 1900, Prescott’s saloons and various businesses were quickly rebuilt across the street from Whiskey Row. In this view, a delivery beer wagon is shown providing beer to local saloons. (Collection of Jeremy Rowe Vintage Photography, vintagephoto.com.)

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opened his brewery in 1895 and made it a success, later adding an ice plant and bottling facility to the brewery. After four years operating the brewery, Conrad left Williams in June 1899, en route to Nogales on account of his wife’s ill health. He then leased the brewery to George H. Barney. Once in Nogales, Conrad purchased a building, where he sought to open a new brewery and ice plant, but it never materialized and Conrad instead took up mining. Barney was associated with the Flagstaff Brewing Company during the 1890s. He managed the Williams Brewery at least through 1900 and possibly through 1905. What is not known is how long the brewery continued in production after Conrad’s departure. At some point, the brewery was sold to the Maier Brewing Company of Los Angeles. Maier operated it as a branch house depot for its own beers. Joseph Frederick Maier took control of the Maier Brewery in Los Angeles in 1905, following his father’s passing. He began establishing branch house depots in locations “not large enough to support branch houses.” His interest in the Williams Brewery most likely stemmed from its placement along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. It offered appropriate amenities and was fitted with an icehouse and bottling facility. Although its brewhouse remained intact, no beer is believed to have been produced after Maier’s acquisition. Approximately five years later, on February 25, 1911, the Prescott Weekly Courier reported a fire. The entire contents of the former “brewery,” including the ice plant, beer manufacturing, bottling equipment, and an automobile, were destroyed. The newspaper further mentioned that the building was fully insured and Maier planned on rebuilding, but it remains unclear if the facility was ever rebuilt.

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(facing page) Figure 3.28. Milwaukee beers were prominent throughout Arizona by the late 1800s. This view of Williams, Arizona, shows the Cabinet Saloon advertising Blatz Beer and Schlitz Beer next door to the Palace Café. The photograph was taken in 1913. (Photographer unknown. From author’s collection.)

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In 1884, German-born William M. Carl traveled from Las Vegas to the northern Arizona mountain town of Flagstaff near the base of the San Francisco Peaks with the intent of setting up a brewery. Carl was considered an experienced brewer and was the proprietor of the Western Brewery in Socorro, New Mexico, from the late 1860s until 1879. He lost possession of the Socorro brewery through default on various promissory notes. Upon his arrival in Flagstaff, Carl partnered with Swiss-born John Stemmer, and the two established the Flagstaff Brewing Company. Stemmer was a member of the Fourteenth Infantry stationed at Camp Verde from 1868 to 1870. Shortly after his discharge in 1870, he commenced homesteading 160 acres of land near the banks of Ash Creek between Prescott and the Verde River. He later became involved in mining before moving to Flagstaff. chapter 3

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Figure 3.29. Flagstaff Brewery ad, Weekly Champion, May 17, 1884.

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On June 25, 1884, Carl and Stemmer dissolved their partnership, leaving Stemmer as sole proprietor of the brewery and introducing Jack F. Daggs as its manager. Five months later, tragedy struck when a fire swept through the Stemmer home at eleven in the evening on November 24, 1884, emanating from the kitchen or rear room. Charles F. Kathrens, who saw the fire from Brannen’s Store, was the first to arrive. He broke in the front door and found Mrs. Mary Stemmer tossing her child through a broken window to safety. John Stemmer awoke from his sleep, but was allegedly in an intoxicated state, and the smoke and flames consumed the home before he could escape. After the fire, his charred body was found near his bed and taken to the coroner’s office. The fire was allegedly sparked by his wife, and as a result, she was taken into custody for the murder of her husband. However, following an investigation, she was acquitted. In January 1885, Daggs filed suit against Mary Stemmer for recovery of the brewery, and the case was appealed to the district court. Soon after, Carl returned as brewer working alongside Daggs. The brewery was relocated into a new building “near the spring in old town” in May 1885. Its frame structure measured 20 by 30 feet, containing a stone-wall cellar of the same measurements 8 feet in depth, and an icehouse above it. Water for the brewery and icehouse was piped in from the nearby spring. Carl principally brewed lager beer, which was sold in bottles and kegs to numerous towns along the Arizona and Pacific Railroad. Jack F. Daggs was one of five brothers, four of whom were involved in accounting, and one who was a lawyer. The Daggs brothers were well-known sheepherders. They worked lands surrounding Winslow and points throughout. They found themselves inadvertently entangled in the famed Graham-Tewksbury feud shortly after the “Daggs boys” began working alongside the Tewksburys in the mid-1880s. Confrontations between sheepherders and cattle ranchers over grazing rights became more frequent in the area during this time. In 1887, the Daggs brothers moved south into Pleasant Valley near Young to “winter” their sheep. When some of their sheep wandered into a Graham watering hole, a battle ensued and one sheepherder was killed and beheaded. Indian trackers hired by the Daggses reportedly followed the killers to a Graham cabin. This is one example of a series of events leading to numerous deaths stemming from the Pleasant Valley War, which would not subside for decades. In 1886, Augustus Dillman Freudenberger, known locally as “Gus” Dillman, purchased Daggs’s share of the brewery. At this point, it is not clear if Carl continued as brewer or moved on. Dillman emigrated to the United States from Germany prior to 1865, and like Daggs, he was a sheepherder who began homesteading near Flagstaff during the early 1880s. For the next two years, he managed the brewery alongside partners Bowers and Streit, and it was a success under the trio’s control. Its cellar was later enlarged in order to accommodate increased demand for its beer. In 1888, Bowchapter 3

ers and Streit sold their share of the brewery to Charles Gruner. Dillman and Gruner set forth to build a considerably larger two-story brewery utilizing stone from the surrounding area on a pair of adjoining lots adjacent to their location. It is uncertain if it was ever completed. At some point, George H. Barney purchased an interest in the brewery, and by March 1890, he had sold it to Alexander T. Cornish. Cornish came to Arizona in 1882 as an agent for the Arizona and Pacific Railroad. He was born on July 26, 1860, at Demopolis, Alabama, and became known as the “Iceman” soon after purchasing John Sanderson’s bottling works with Carl Reiche in July 1888, selling soda, beer, and ice around Flagstaff. It is unclear if Gruner continued with the brewery at that point or left; however, Dillman did leave and resumed a life of ranching. As of March 1891, Gruner was residing in San Francisco. central and northern arizona

Figure 3.30. Flagstaff, Arizona, c. 1880s. The San Francisco Peaks are in the background. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.)

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It is believed that Cornish used the old brewery strictly as a bottling works and icehouse while its brewhouse sat idle. At some point, a man by the name of John Clark took ownership of the structure. Cornish continued manufacturing ice and running his bottling works from the site. On the afternoon of June 13, 1892, a blaze was sparked in an office adjacent to where Cornish operated his bottling works. Heavy winds caused the flames to burn out of control, and within minutes, the old brewery, including a dwelling owned by J. H. Rumsey, was in cinders. Luckily, the fire was confined to only two structures due to diligent work by the local citizenry. Although Cornish carried $1,500 of insurance on the property, his losses mounted to over $4,000. The only items unharmed during the fire were approximately one hundred kegs of beer stored in the cellar under ice. In October 1893, the remaining kegs of beer were shipped to Prescott. Cornish reopened his soda works and operated it until 1894, when he was forced by Coconino County to sell his business because of delinquent taxes. One confusing notice appeared in the June 3, 1899, Coconino Sun, reporting the dissolution of the partnership between Cornish and Barney. Whether this was in reference to the former brewing or bottling business remains unclear, but it shows that the two conducted business for some time.

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Dawn of a New Century

The influx of imported beer into the Arizona Territory by the latter part of the 1800s proved challenging for local breweries. Smaller outfits were being replaced by larger and more efficient operations capable of shipping a significant amount of beer over great distances as a result of the railroads and artificial refrigeration. From the 1890s on, several attempts were made to establish breweries in the territory and study their potential, but up until then, nothing had materialized. Some argued the need for locally brewed beer was inconsequential since there was an abundance of beer readily available from California, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and elsewhere. Others understood that a tremendous outflow of money was leaving the territory, and they sought to build a local brewery that would create jobs and keep Arizona money at home. Henry Brinkmeyer saw promise in a brewery for Arizona that could produce to compete with any imported beer. The German-born Brinkmeyer had first come to Prescott in 1884. He was born in Osnabrock, Hanover, Germany, in 1866, one of seven children. At age fourteen, he apprenticed as a baker and confectioner, and once in Prescott, he opened a bakery-confectionary store with a restaurant attached. In 1890, he built the Brinkmeyer Hotel, which burned in July 14, 1900, but quickly rebuilt it along with his bakery. The first hint that he was interested in a brewery appeared in the April 17, 1901, Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner, reporting a certificate of sale between A. H. Hauch and Brinkmeyer concerning a brewery.

4 We shall do nothing but continue the sale of our beer. —“Manager” Reno, 1905, in response to the ongoing beer wars in Douglas

The Arizona Brewing Company On October 12, 1903, Henry Brinkmeyer, along with William J. Mulvenon and Rupert Maxgut, signed articles of incorporation for the Arizona Brewing Company. Mulvedawn of a new century

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Figure 4.00. Color lithograph postcard showing a craps table inside a Prescott saloon, c. 1905.

non served as president, Maxgut as vice president, and Brinkmeyer as secretary and treasurer. Maxgut had been in charge of the Idaho Brewing and Malting Company prior to his affiliation with Mulvenon and Brinkmeyer. William Schlener, from St. Paul, Minnesota, was hired as brewer. The group quickly went to work building the brewery, which cost approximately $35,000 to build. The all-redbrick structure contained electricity throughout, had a bottling works on the premises, and utilized a gravity-flow steam-powered brewing system with a production capacity of fifty barrels per day. Its water was provided by the City of Prescott. During its construction, Maxgut received a serious injury to his foot after a roller used to move the machinery slipped, crushing two of his toes. He recovered and continued work on the brewery, which was finished by the winter of 1903. Its first beer was sold on May 10, 1904. Mulvenon had quite a storied past, worthy of reflection. He was born as one of twelve children on October 25, 1851, in Belchertown, Massachusetts, to Hugh Mulvenon and Ann King Mulvenon. At the age of seven, he and his family moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, and in 1868, he relocated to Colorado to pursue mining. He later became a wagon master for the U.S. government in Fort Harker, Kansas, Indian Territory, and in 1871, he moved to Silver City, New Mexico, resumed mining, and became a deputy sheriff. Five years later, he settled in Prescott and mined at Peck’s

Figure 4.01. (right) The Mulvenon Saloon, c. 1890s. St. Louis beers such as Lemps were sold throughout Arizona. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.)

(facing page) Figure 4.02. (top) Construction of the Arizona Brewing Company in Prescott was well under way when this photo was taken around 1902. The building on the left housed the brewery office. The bottling works were on the back side. The unfinished frame section on the right was the malt storage and wash house. The brewhouse, beer cellar, and workshop are to the right. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.) Figure 4.03. (bottom left) Sanborn map of the Arizona Brewing Company’s Brewery and Bottling Works. Figure 4.04. (bottom right) Half-page advertisement for the Arizona Brewing Company from a November 20, 1905, Elks Minstrels souvenir program.

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Figure 4.05. Prescott Extra Pale Beer was one of the Arizona Brewing Company’s more popular beers. In Phoenix, the Arizona Mercantile Company was the sole agent for distributing Prescott Beer. This particular bottle was found in the basement of a building in Prescott and dates to around 1905.

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Camp in the Bradshaw Mountains. He was deputy sheriff of Prescott in 1881, and from 1884 to 1889, he served as Yavapai County sheriff. While serving in Yavapai County, he became embroiled in the Pleasant Valley War, also known as the GrahamTewksbury Feud. The feud was prolonged because of an implicit “code of silence” between the warring factions, making settlement of the dispute futile. In an attempt to rein in justice, Mulvenon and his posse entered the region with guns drawn, which culminated in several deaths. During this time, Mulvenon mistakenly became the subject of newspaper headlines when his own death was erroneously reported in the September 2, 1887, Prescott Journal-Miner. Headlines claimed, “Sheriff Mulvenon and all his Posse have been Killed in the Tonto Basin.” The Phoenix Herald then reported “Sheriff W. J. Mulvenon murdered, eleven men killed and seven wounded, posse gone to relief of remaining deputies.” Word of his supposed death spread like wildfire, reaching as far as Los Angeles and San Francisco. When the reports proved false, newspapers across the region feverishly retracted the stories. The Pleasant Valley War peaked between 1886 and 1887 during Sheriff Mulvenon’s tenure. It affected nearly every person in the valley. It ultimately came to an end in 1892, when Edwin Tewksbury allegedly murdered Tom Graham, the last of the Grahams, in Tempe. The case was eventually dismissed in 1895 over technicalities, and Edwin walked away a free man. For decades to come, the feud remained a sore topic between the two sides. Mulvenon retired from law enforcement on January 1, 1889. He was honored as one of Arizona’s most efficient sheriffs and soon after married Ella Johnson, a native of Oregon. He began mining in an area called Turkey Creek in central Arizona and, during the early 1890s, sold ice for Jake Marks’s wholesale liquor company. In 1894, Mulvenon organized and built the Crystal Ice Company in Prescott, which supplied all the ice for the Arizona Brewing Company. Mulvenon was also part owner of a rooming house and saloon on the corner of Gurley and Granite Streets with his brother Alexander, which served Arizona Brewing Company beers exclusively. In August 1905, Maxgut found himself in a bit of a pickle when he was arrested for issuing bad checks to the Gold Coin Saloon in Jerome. His trouble started the evening of Tuesday, August 22, when he went on a drinking binge with only $180 in his pocket. He gambled all night and into the following morning, and by Wednesday morning at nine o’clock, had allegedly amassed $1,792 in marks against him. Maxgut claimed to have no recollection due to his condition, but left two checks in the amount of $500 to pay part of his debt, then “started on a tour of the territory” en route to Phoenix. When the checks were found to be bad, he was found and arrested in Phoenix. Although the court dismissed the charges, his troubles were not over. As a manager and principal stockholder of the Arizona Brewing Company, his actions indirectly chapter 4

Figure 4.06. (far left) William Mulvenon married Ella Johnson Mulvenon in 1894. Although William passed away due to illness shortly after the closing of the Arizona Brewing Company in 1915, Ella lived to the ripe old age of 88 years. She passed away at the Arizona Pioneers’ Home in Prescott in January 1956. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.) Figure 4.07. (below) The Gurley Street Bar on the corner of Granite and Gurley Streets in Prescott was operated by the Mulvenon family. Note the Arizona Brewing Company’s Prescott Beer advertising signs hanging at the front entrance of the bar, c. 1910. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.) Figure 4.08. (left) This 1905 Arizona Brewing Company color lithograph advertising calendar was found in a building once occupied by the brewery in Prescott and was given to the Arizona Brewing Company in Phoenix during the early 1950s. For many years, it hung on display in the brewery’s hospitality room in Phoenix.

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involved the company. In order to make good on his gambling debts, he sought to sell his share of the company, which amounted to $10,000. Since the transfer could not be done legally without the consent of all the stockholders, the court prevented the transfer of stock until the matter could be heard in court. Joseph Holtum of the Gold Coin proceeded to sue Maxgut for the money. The final outcome remains unclear, but it is assumed all debts were satisfied. Maxgut then resigned from the Arizona Brewing Company, and shortly after, Joseph Bold joined. In 1905, Maxgut moved to Goldfield, Nevada, where he built and operated the Santa Fe Saloon. Tragically, on August 27, 1912, he was killed during a gunfight.

The Arizona Brewing Company vs. the Railroads

Figure 4.09. (top) Arizona Brewing Company shipping tag, c. 1905.

In September 1908, the Arizona Brewing Company filed complaints with the Interstate Commerce Commission to recover alleged overcharges by the Chicago; Northwestern; Santa Fe; and Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railroads. The brewery claimed “grossly unjust and discriminating tariffs against Prescott.” It alleged that it paid one dollar “a hundred” on malt, while Los Angeles, 430 miles farther away, paid sixty-five cents, and San Francisco, 740 miles farther away, paid the same rate as Los Angeles. The brewery sought compensation on overcharges in excess of $1,600 and asked for a more sensible rate of fifty-five cents a hundred. The brewery claimed its complaints to the railroads were repeatedly ignored. It filed papers accusing the Maricopa and Phoenix and Salt River Valley Railroad and the Southern Pacific Railroad of similar unfair practices. Claims of unfair practices persisted through 1911. By this time, the Arizona Territory was no longer the “Wild West” it once was. Violent conflicts with Apaches, cattle rustlers, and outlaws had subsided, only recounted as Wild West lore. Cowboys and Indians were now romanticized by the likes of Pawnee Bill and Buffalo Bill Cody. Geronimo reached celebrity status and was popularized through souvenirs, photographs, and books. Prints of Custer’s Last Fight, reproduced by Anheuser-Busch, were hung in saloons across the West. Native Americans were largely relegated to reservations and forced to assimilate by attending Indian schools, intended to teach them a “new way of thinking.”

Figure 4.10. (bottom) Arizona Brewing Company corporate seal.

John H. Slaughter—The Arizona Brewing Company John Horton Slaughter is unambiguously portrayed in books as a Civil War veteran, cattle baron, compulsive gambler, and unyielding lawman. He was born on October 2, 1841, in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, and came to Arizona from Texas via New Mexico 68

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Figure 4.11. (left) Arizona Brewing Company “Apache Indian” advertising tray, c. 1910. Figure 4.12. (above) This c. 1910 picnic scene was taken in the Echo Canyon area of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. As is evident, Prescott Beer was a popular choice in Phoenix. (Photographer unknown. From author’s collection.)

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with his cattle during the late 1870s. He settled in the southeasternmost portion of Arizona and established a ranch. Slaughter, with his unnerving “penetrating black eyes,” is credited more than any other individual with cleaning up the Arizona Territory from lawlessness during his term as Cochise County sheriff (1887–1890). Some have called him the last “hero lawman” of Arizona. Yet, what is not well known is that in 1903 he sought to build a brewery on his ranch approximately fifteen miles east of Douglas near the San Bernardino River. The inspiration to build a brewery occurred soon after artesian springs were unearthed on his ranch in 1903. While drilling for water, Slaughter struck a bubbling spring, which forced water to rise from the ground. Discovery of the springs created quite a stir in Douglas and the surrounding countryside. He sought to cultivate approximately one thousand acres of hops and grain for his brewery, which he christened the Arizona Brewing Company. Most likely he and his associates were unaware that another brewery in Prescott was planning to use the same name. Slaughter, along with J. R. Henderson, Edward B. Hawley, and G. W. Campoeii, were named incorporators. Slaughter became president, Henderson vice president, and E. B. Hawley secretary and treasurer. The company was to be capitalized at $250,000, divided into ten thousand shares at $25 par value per share. Its stock became available for sale sometime after January 1904. In the end, plans for the brewery were scrapped, and it faded into history. Slaughter then resumed work on his ranch, served briefly in the territorial assembly in 1906, and later purchased a meat market in Charleston and two butcher shops in Bisbee. On February 16, 1922, John Slaughter died quietly in his sleep at his ranch after complaining of a headache. Figure 4.13. John Slaughter and his wife Viola Howell did not have children of their own. In 1896, while chasing the Apache Kid into Mexico, John discovered an abandoned Apache girl, adopted her, and named her Apache May. She was well loved but tragically died when she accidentally caught her dress on fire while playing near a pot of boiling water. This photo of Slaughter was taken c. 1896. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, History and Archives Division, Phoenix #97–7876.)

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The Copper City Brewing Company In 1903, the Reno brothers, twenty-six-year-old William H. and thirty-seven-year-old Henry M., arrived in the small mining town of Douglas from Montana with the intent of building a brewery. Douglas is located on the Mexican border, and at the time, it was only three years old and not yet incorporated. However, it was growing fast, and by 1904, it consisted of six thousand permanent residents. Its principal employers were the Calumet and Arizona Smelter and the Phelps Dodge–owned Copper Queen Smelter. The Renos named their brewery the Copper City Brewing Company in reference to the town’s most significant form of income. The brothers were associates of the Centennial Brewing Company in Butte, Montana. They purchased land at the foot of Eighth Street across from the railroad tracks near the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad freight depot. An architect from Montana drew up blueprints, and John P. Schile, chapter 4

an agent for the Vilter Manufacturing Company of Milwaukee, supervised the brewery’s construction. Louis Frank was hired to represent the company. The brewery stood four stories tall and was covered in an all-redbrick veneer. It was a fairly new method of construction in the territory and cost $9,000 to install. The entire cost to construct the brewery was between $50,000 and $60,000. Articles of incorporation were filed in September 1903, and its construction was nearly finished by the end of April 1904. The plant was considered quite modern for its time, with a built-in fifteen-ton ice-making machine, copper piping, electricity, and steam power run by fuel oil. Its brewhouse was fitted with a new copper-clad brew kettle and mash tun, and its storage vats held approximately 2,285 barrels of beer, slightly more than the Arizona Brewing Company. A small room at the top floor above its brewhouse provided stunning visdawn of a new century

Figure 4.14. The Copper City Brewing Company was in the midst of the Beer Wars when this postcard was issued c. 1905. To the left of the structure was the engine room, and the tallest section was the brewhouse. To the right of the main building was the stockhouse, which housed the bottling and packaging room. The small building on the right was the office room.

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Figure 4.15. Arizona Special Brew bottle label.

tas across the Agua Fria River into Mexico. Guests of the brewery were greeted with a sampling of its beer, imported cheese, and fresh vegetables harvested from the brewery’s garden behind the brewhouse. A skilled German-born brewer by the name of Fritz Greiner was hired to devise the brewery’s beers. Greiner had been living in the United States for the past twelve years working for breweries in New York, Wisconsin, and Illinois. While at Copper City, he worked alongside an assistant brewer named Otto Sendman. The two brewed beer using Northern malt, German and California hops, and the “very best” Carolina rice, with water from a well located on-site. In November 1904, Arizona Special Brew became Copper City’s first beer offered for sale. Its second beer was Tannhauser Beer, a name and label unmistakably similar to the Anheuser-Busch design. It became one of the brewery’s leading sellers, and its similarity to Anheuser-Busch was not coincidental. The St. Louis brewery’s Budweiser name and design were commonly imitated prior to stringent copyright and trademark laws providing inventors and designers with more rights. The Douglas brewery later would face Anheuser-Busch in court over its trademark.

Southern Arizona Beer Wars The opening of the Copper City Brewing Company created quite a stir in southern Arizona. Prior to its completion, war was declared on the company by breweries from Missouri, California, Wisconsin, and other areas. A number of foreign breweries signed contracts with saloons to sell their beers exclusively, and as a consequence, the price of beer dropped when each agent tried to outsell the other. An editorial in the April 28, 1904, Dispatch claimed: “Beer is the cheapest thing in Douglas. You can get enough to take a bath for five cents.” In April 1905, the Los Angeles Brewing Company sent brewery representative T. P. Roberts to Bisbee to establish a bottling works and storage facility. It spent $10,000 on the facility, built on the grounds of a beer garden situated between Bisbee and Lowell. In 1905, Anheuser-Busch joined the fray by signing its own contracts, and Copper City did the same thing. The Los Angeles Brewery then sent A. W. Johnson to Arizona to cut deals. Johnson also represented AnheuserBusch, and he succeeded in signing 26 one-year “ironclad” contracts in Douglas and another twenty in Bisbee. He then quietly worked deals with the railroad to cut rates, which allowed him to lower prices to one dollar per barrel of beer. Many believed a deliberate attempt was being devised to run the Copper City Brewing Company out of business, but Henry Reno remained unperturbed, insisting that they would not break themselves by selling beer at “such ruinous prices.” In fact, by 1905, Copper City had

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Figure 4.16. This image of the Palace Hotel in Bisbee includes a Copper City Brewing Company sign at its front entrance, c. 1910.

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Figure 4.17. (above) This portrait of John Merklein was taken while he was in his twenties in Germany. (Reproduced by permission from Gretchen Merklein Dilbeck, Cochise Quarterly.) Figure 4.18. (right) A 1910 color lithograph poster advertising the Copper City Brewing Company.

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grown and increased its storage capacity to 4,000 barrels and doubled its bottling capacity. Greiner chose to retire from his position at the brewery in 1905. Upon his departure, John Merklein became Copper City’s new brewmaster. He was an accomplished brewer and became an important figure and spokesman for the brewery. The Renos confided in him to help shape the company’s style of advertising and entrusted him to hire employees as needed. He was born in Germany in 1876 and arrived in North America at twenty-six years of age, later attending a brewers’ school in Ripon, Wisconsin, where he graduated in 1905. In the early morning hours of Monday, April 30, 1906, a disturbing chain of events took place when the brewery’s office was broken into and its safe was blown open by explosives. Its heavy iron doors blew 16 feet across the room, leaving the office in shambles. An engineer heard the explosion around two o’clock in the morning, but paid no attention to it since slag explosions from the nearby smelter were a common occurrence. The burglars made away with $600 in cash, silver, and gold. Then, in late May, an alleged suspect was found. John O’Conner, an employee of the Calumet and Arizona Company Smelter, was arrested in a separate incident in Los Angeles for “obtaining money under false pretense.” During the investigation, he became suspected of breaking into Copper City’s office, so the Bisbee city marshal issued an

Figure 4.19. The similarity between the Tannhauser label and Budweiser’s design is evident. Consequently, in 1910, Anheuser-Busch sued Copper City for label infringement. Budweiser’s success spawned many copycat designs during the late 1800s through early 1900s prior to more stringent enforcement of copyright laws.

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Figure 4.20. Copper City Brewing Company letterhead, 1912.

arrest warrant for O’Conner, whom he described as a “slick imposter” with a long record. O’Conner used a number of aliases, including “Dean Elliott,” “Dean Prescott,” “H. D. Warren,” and “Johnny Algeo.” His conviction in California may have been his saving grace, since infuriated miners in Bisbee threatened to end his life if he ever were to return. In 1910, the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company took action in court against Copper City for label infringement. The St. Louis brewery claimed “Tannhauser” looked and sounded suspiciously similar to “Anheuser.” The Renos dismissed the allegations as far-fetched, denying any wrongdoing. During the first round, the Tombstone fed76

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eral courts sided with Copper City, and the case was tossed. Anheuser-Busch immediately refiled the case in the Arizona district court, and a settlement was then agreed to. Copper City could continue to use the Tannhauser name, but it would have to make changes to its design, to which it agreed. All in all, Copper City stood strong and persevered. The Renos’ success allowed them many luxuries few in Douglas could afford, including the purchase of a Stanley Steamer for their own use and a Chevrolet sedan for Merklein’s business use. Henry Reno later purchased a fifty-horsepower Lozier roadster, which he chauffeured to

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Figure 4.21. This c. 1905 photo of the Prescott Bottling Works depicts similar hazards to what Edward Sette and other workers at the time dealt with: exposed belts, flywheels, and other precarious machinery. (Photographer unknown. From author’s collection.)

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nearly every part of the state, including the Arizona Territorial Fair in Phoenix. Reno considered entering it in the 1910 Los Angeles–Phoenix race, said to be one of the most grueling endurance races in the world. John Merklein also enjoyed success and spent his leisure time racing horses. In November 1909, a winning horse he owned, valued at $5,000, tragically died during a race in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The horse had previously won at the Latonia Race Track in Covington, Kentucky, once regarded among the United States’s top racetracks. A number of other horses also succumbed that weekend. The cause was thought to be the region’s high altitude.

Edward Sette Death On September 29, 1912, thirty-eight-year-old stationary engineer Edward Sette was killed after he became entangled in the flywheel of an engine at the brewery. The mechanism that drove the bottling machinery forcefully threw Sette onto the floor. He died the following morning. His sister, Francis S. Sette, filed a suit against the brewery, seeking $30,000 in damages. However, the court sided with the brewery and determined Sette was negligent since he was aware of the dangers involved in his work. The tragedy exemplified the perils of working in a brewery at a time when belts, flywheels, boilers, and other exposed machinery could cause harm at a moment’s notice.

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Prohibition

The semi-pious movement in favor of prohibiting the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcoholic beverages developed over many years. The Prohibitionist ideology in its core principles believed that the consumption of alcoholic beverages was the root of all of society’s ills—from crime to insanity—and Prohibitionists fought vigorously for their convictions. Numerous books and other materials were published warning of the evils of alcohol, while scorning those who catered to or worked in the industry. The first dry laws in North America were imposed in the colonies, not entirely for “temperance” motives but because of poor grain yields as a result of drought. Initially, temperance crusaders touted moderation, sobriety, and self-control. But as time passed, those fighting the proliferation of alcohol began to look at temperance in a more compelling way. The reform movement—which was uniquely American, largely Protestant, and strongly supported by women—viewed alcohol not only as an evil but also as something that should be eradicated entirely. Originally, the dry movement was little more than a spiritual crusade spreading its beliefs to willing listeners. Eventually, the “drys” gained strength and through political pressure—some from the pulpit—began transforming their ideas into law. Maine was the first state to enact Prohibition in 1851. By 1860, thirteen states had followed. In 1863, the Prohibitionist fervor had lost some support, and only five states chose to remain dry. It became clear that the movement could not sustain itself and succeed without an organized voice. In an effort to gain more credence, the Prohibition Party was formed in 1869 with the sole objective of outlawing the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages on a nationwide level. Accounts of the time indicate that the prohibition of alcohol was strongly supported by women in general. However, without the power to vote, they were limited in what they could accomplish. Soon that would change. In 1874, the Women’s Chrisprohibition

5 Prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer and denies you the beer to cry into. —Don Marquis, 1878–1937, American journalist

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tian Temperance Union (WCTU) was formed so women would have a strong national organization to speak for them. The WCTU was an immediate success, and many chapters were organized throughout the country. During this time, the “wets,” those who favored alcohol, did not view the dry movement as a grave threat. However in 1895, with the formation of the Anti-Saloon League, the wets quickly changed their view of Prohibitionists. The Anti-Saloon League maintained the largest “Prohibition press” in the world, which allowed it to bring its antialcohol message to the masses. It became a major ally for Prohibitionists. The number of states adopting laws that limited the use of alcohol increased throughout the late 1800s. The Prohibitionist discourse was so successful that many politicians started to believe that if they did not vote for Prohibition, they were voting on the side of “sin.” The Prohibition movement gained great strides early in the twentieth century. As of 1905, only three states prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol. By the time Arizona became a state in 1912, the number of dry states had grown to nine, and by 1916, twenty-six states, including Arizona, had gone dry. During this time, the women’s suffrage movement also gained momentum. Almost 50 percent of the states in the Union adopted women’s suffrage legislation by 1918, giving women the power to vote. To a great extent, women’s suffrage equally benefited the dry cause due to the large population of women in opposition to alcohol. The newly empowered Prohibitionists began to steamroll their way across the nation. Their dream of nationwide Prohibition finally came to fruition when Congress passed the Volstead Act over President Wilson’s veto on October 28, 1919. The Volstead Act provided the enforcement apparatus for the Eighteenth Amendment, which forbade the manufacture, transport, and sale of intoxicating beverages. This amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted by Congress and then submitted to the states for ratification on December 18, 1917. It was ratified on January 29, 1919, and went into effect the same day as the Volstead Act. National Prohibition went into effect on January 16, 1920.

the Prohibition movement in Arizona Prohibitionists targeted Arizona fairly early in the territory’s history. Because of its numerous saloons scattered throughout mining towns and military camps, Arizona had been regarded by some as the epitome of the “Wet West.” At one time, no saloon man ever thought an effort to ban whiskey or beer in the territory would succeed. Many Prohibitionists viewed this as a challenge, which strengthened their resolve to stay the course. prohibition

(facing page) Figure 5.00. An 1874 political cartoon portraying temperance campaigns as “Virtuous Armored Women Warriors” wielding axes “Carrie Nation–style,” while destroying barrels of beer, whiskey, gin, rum, and brandy under the banners of “In the Name of God and Humanity” and “Temperance League.” (Wikipedia photo, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WomansHoly-War.jpg.)

Figure 5.01. (above) Gov. Anson P. K. Safford (1828–1891) was the third governor of Arizona and the longest serving territorial governor. He became known as the “Father of the Arizona Public Schools.” (Arizona Historical Society/Tucson Governor Anson P. K. Safford Portrait, 1828–1891, 21350.)

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Figure 5.02. Some accounts claim Mrs. Elizabeth Josephine Brawley Hughes was the third English-speaking woman to live in Tucson upon her arrival in 1868 with her husband Louis C. Hughes. At the time, she considered the living conditions in the Old Pueblo somewhat inhumane. Over the years, Hughes became a strong advocate for women’s rights and Prohibition. (Arizona Historical Society/Tucson, Gov. & Mrs. [E. Josephine Brawley] Hughes Portrait, Tucson Photo Files.)

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Governor Anson P. K. Safford, for whom the city of Safford is named, was one of the pioneer leaders for temperance in Arizona. In 1874, he claimed that nine-tenths of all crime was directly related to “ardent spirits.” Southern Arizona was satiated with saloons and liberal-minded drinkers. The dangerous mix of firearms and booze often led to a drunken stupor and rage, which many times culminated in deadly consequences. The first organization in the Arizona Territory to support Prohibition was the Independent Order of Good Templars. Their unabashed crusade preached total abstinence, and their willingness to allow women to join in the crusade solidified their efforts to do away with alcohol. Possibly the Prohibition movement’s most important ally in Arizona’s Prohibition cause was Elizabeth Josephine Brawley Hughes. Mrs. Hughes became known as the “Mother of Arizona” for her support of a variety of civic-minded causes. Her husband, Louis C. Hughes, was a major public figure in Arizona. He was a successful lawyer and editor who later became governor of the state. Causes the Hugheses espoused included women’s suffrage, higher education, and the abolishment of liquor and gambling. Mrs. Hughes was employed as business manager of the Tucson Arizona Star, her husband’s newspaper. The newspaper proved a worthy tool for stating their concerns and promoting their beliefs. Frances E. Willard, a WCTU organizer, recruited Mrs. Hughes and several friends to travel throughout the territory to preach about the evils of alcohol and their altruistic beliefs, making a case for the benefits of abstinence. Chapters of the WCTU sprung up in Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, and other locations in the territory. The push to rid Arizona of the “evil swill” suffered some setbacks, but none so severe as to discontinue the battle. The Prohibition movement gained the powerful support of W. M. Burke, leader of the Anti-Saloon League in Arizona. With his involvement, saloon owners across the territory began to perk up and pay attention to the growing dry movement. The wets’ primary argument against Prohibition incorporated such issues as business failure, increased unemployment, and a rise in poverty levels if alcohol was banned. Many lawmakers considered these issues valid. Consequently, any accomplishment by the Anti-Saloon League occurred primarily at the local level. Only a portion of Arizona counties voted to abolish saloons. But success, no matter how small, provided motivation for the Anti-Saloon League and the WCTU to continue their vigorous fight. Prohibition was debated during the 1910 Arizona Constitutional Convention, but never adopted. In late March 1914, the Temperance Federation of Arizona was organized as a vehicle to unite dry forces in the state to form a stronger political voice (Arizona became the forty-eighth state admitted into the Union in 1912). The move marked a major turning point in the drys’ persistent push for Prohibition. chapter 5

On March 30, 1914, four hundred people representing numerous organizations throughout the state arrived in Phoenix to help draft an official Prohibition amendment. After some bitter discussion, the language of the amendment was finally agreed to: “No ardent spirits, wine, beer, or intoxicating liquor of whatever kind shall be manufactured or introduced into the state of Arizona under any pretense.” There was no denying the intent in the strong language the Prohibitionists chose to use. The drys, led by Tucson businessman Alfred Donau, formed the Arizona Local SelfGovernment League in opposition to Prohibition. The league argued that Prohibition never really succeeded in curbing the “alcoholic evil.” They believed the decision to go dry should be decided at a local level (by municipalities) and not by the state. In response to the dry amendment, the league drew up what it called an “eight-year” amendment. It stated that after the state as a whole voted on Prohibition, there could not be another election on the question for a minimum of eight years. In addition, the vote on Prohibition in any incorporated town or precinct should be viewed as the liquor policy in that area for eight years. Therefore, if a town voted dry, it would remain dry for eight years, no matter what action was taken in the rest of the state. The fierce battle for and against Prohibition continued through the ensuing months. During 1914, both sides submitted streams of ads publicizing their views for or against Prohibition. The two sides also embarked on vigorous campaigns espousing their stance on the embittered issue. The wets were somewhat less organized and fewer in number. Nevertheless, they gained some unexpected allies. Numerous pharmaceutical companies were against prohibition

Figure 5.03. The 1916 Jackson County Constitutional Amendment Association reproduced a business card from the Temple Bar Saloon in Flagstaff to bolster their argument for Prohibition. J. J. McMurtrey’s card mocked the “evils” of alcohol, but it was not enough to convince Missouri voters. In 1918, Prohibition was again defeated in that state.

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Figure 5.04. (above) Founded in 1886 as the National Union of United Brewery Workmen, the name was changed in 1903 to the International Union of United Brewery Workmen. From 1886 to 1903, all publications were in German because its members were principally German. This Prescott branch appears ready for a parade. Note the hops vines on their hats. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.)

(facing page) Figure 5.05. This horse-drawn wagon, with a banner proclaiming “Prohibition Does Prohibit in Arizona,” was a warning to bootleggers as a reminder that Arizona was dry. The photo was taken in downtown Phoenix during the 1920s. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, History and Archives Division, Phoenix #97–0955.)

Prohibition since many vital medicines contained alcohol. The Catholic Church sided with anti-Prohibitionists because of the drys’ push to ban alcohol without exceptions—even in the Church’s use of sacramental wine. The Arizona Federation of Labor also opposed the dry amendment, believing it would be impossible to enforce, while becoming a cost burden to taxpayers. A number of Arizona border towns, such as Nogales, Naco, and Douglas, feared Prohibition would lead to uncontrollable lawlessness, increased bootlegging via Mexico, and the loss of thousands of dollars yearly through the elimination of saloon license fees and jobs. Still, very few people anticipated the unforeseen consequences Prohibition brought and how it would become a catalyst for organized crime and increase the use of mind-altering drugs and other lethal intoxicants.

Prohibition in Arizona After years of preaching their propaganda with an almost evangelical fervor, the drys were determined to make Prohibition law in Arizona. They had been unwavering in their beliefs, and on November 3, 1914, their steadfast dedication paid off. To the bitter surprise of many and the joyful merriment of others, the votes came in—25,887 to 22,743—and the drys won. The eight-year amendment, which provided for a local

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option, was unanimously defeated in all counties. Beginning on January 1, 1915, Arizona was dry. The wets’ last-minute appeal for a temporary injunction blocking the implementation of Prohibition was denied pending an appeal to the Supreme Court. Prohibition struck at the core of Arizona’s two operating breweries and its supporters. In order to continue in business, both would have to alter their form of doing business. The most logical choice was to make “near-beer,” a low-alcohol malt beverage. Near-beer is made by brewing a regular-strength beer, which is then cooked to evaporate the alcohol. The process is possible because alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, 173.5°F, as opposed to 212°F. The problem was that guidelines for near-beer production and the percentage of alcohol it contained had not yet been established in Arizona. What constituted a non-alcoholic beverage and its legality became matters for debate. The Arizona Brewing Company chose to stop manufacturing beer once Prohibition was enacted in November 1914. The brewery still had enough in its tanks to satisfy demand through January 1, 1915. Therefore, it let most of its workers go, pending a new business direction for the company. Only the office staff, two maintenance men, and a night watchman were kept on duty. An article in the December 29, 1914, Prescott Journal-Miner claimed the plant was “entirely useless for any other purpose than for what it was built,” which was brewing beer. The brewery was valued at nearly $100,000. Prohibition caused losses from $9,000 to $10,000 in the cost of its beer alone. Ads announcing the last of its beer for sale were posted in local newspapers through the end of the year. The impending sale of near-beer had gained a significant amount of attention, and the courts became the battleground. In April 1915, representatives from the Arizona Brewing Company and the University of Arizona described what they knew about alcohol’s intoxicating effects. Those siding with near-beer felt “it is not the amount of alcohol in the brew that is questioned, but does the liquor intoxicate.” Those siding against its production claimed 2 percent, or any other percent for that matter, is still booze—“it is alcohol that is barred not its intoxicating nature.” At some stage during this time, Arizona Brewing Company’s president William J. Mulvenon became quite ill. He suffered from chronic Bright’s disease—known today as chronic nephritis or inflammation of the kidneys. It is not known how long he had been ill. On May 26, 1915, he passed away at sixty-four years of age. Mulvenon was buried at the Ruffner Funeral Home in Prescott. His death did not mark the end of the Arizona Brewing Company. Presumably under secretary and treasurer Henry Brinkmeyer, the company prepared to manufacture soft drinks and other light beverages, and near-beer was part of its plan. The plant, which had been sitting idle since January, sought to employ forty to fifty employees as of August 1, 1915. 86

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While the Arizona Brewing Company devised its new strategy, the Copper City Brewing Company, and owners Henry and William Reno, became fully embroiled in the near-beer controversy. Prior to Prohibition, the sentiment in Cochise County was adamantly anti-Prohibition. Just two weeks before the measure went to vote in November 1914, local reports claimed the Prohibition sentiment was “in retreat.” Once passed, the fight for near-beer became Copper City’s main focus. The brewery had been manufacturing a near-beer called Barette since 1913. Barette was promoted as being “palatable, pure, and healthful.” It measured in at approximately 1.75 to 1.86 percent alcohol by volume and was referred to as 2 percent beer. The company later made Frio, a non-alcoholic “refreshing” beverage measuring in at less than 0.50 percent alcohol by volume. Its label contained the statement “sold everywhere without a government license.” Starting January 1, 1915, Copper City would be breaking the law if it chose to brew prohibition

Figure 5.06. Arizona Brewing Company advertising tray, c. 1910.

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Figure 5.07. (above) Although the Copper City Brewing Company considered Barette a non-intoxicating beverage containing less than 2 percent alcohol by volume, the courts disagreed. As a result, Copper City was charged with violating the state’s new dry law. Figure 5.08. (right) “Tannhauser Girl” Copper City Brewing Company tin charger, c. 1910. (Collection of Todd Barnes.)

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or sell Barette. Cochise County Attorney John F. Ross left no room for debate. He believed any low-alcohol beverage, such as Barette, that contained alcohol was still beer. Deputy sheriffs were instructed to arrest anyone selling near-beer. On December 31, Cochise County Sheriff Harry C. Wheeler issued a statement saying, “I intend to arrest any person who after midnight tonight makes or sells a beverage containing alcohol in any percent. This applies to beverages containing two-percent of alcohol as well as those containing fifty-percent. The law makes no distinction and neither shall I.” The Renos, ill-advised by their attorney, who reassured them that near-beer was legal, continued to manufacture and sell Barette. L. A. Brown, an agent of the Copper City Brewing Company and proprietor of the Hermitage Saloon, volunteered to be “the goat.” He sold one bottle of Barette after the stroke of midnight on January 1. His intention was to stand trial in order to discover the true meaning of the law. Consequently, Brown was arrested by Deputy Sheriff J. L. Gannon on January 6, tried in Tombstone, convicted, fined, and sentenced to “a term” in jail. Copper City’s brewmaster John Merklein appeared in court to give testimony on the production of near-beer during the trial of Arizona v. L. A. Brown. Jeff Dunagan, a saloon man, and others testified on the effects of drinking Barette, and the state provided a chemist who analyzed its contents. In the end, the case was put under advisement until attorneys could present their own authorities on the matter. Brown’s case eventually was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was upheld. On April 26, one day after Merklein testified in Brown’s case, Wheeler arrested Merklein for manufacturing Barette. He was eventually released on his own recognizance. Brown, on the other hand, resurrected his saloon business in Naco, Mexico, but still faced a jail sentence for his actions. In November, his friends passed a petition to be signed and presented to the state board of pardons with hopes he would be forgiven. The argument asserted that his action was not deliberate, but simply “an act to determine just what the law meant.” In December 1915, their wish was answered and Brown was granted an unconditional pardon. The Arizona Brewing Company was surely in tune with what was taking place in southern Arizona. Once the verdict on near-beer was in, its days as a functioning brewery ostensibly came to an end, since it chose not to test the law. Its last days may have been hastened when the idle brewery was broken into and looted. In early June 1916, “highgraders” (a term once used to describe miners or individuals who chose to steal ore rather than work for it) broke into the brewery and cut off the copper bottoms of two of the brewery’s tanks, rendering them useless. The thieves also took whatever was available that contained copper. Four inactive quartz mills near Prescott were also looted two weeks afterward. The only other mention of the Arizona Brewing Company appeared in the Feb­prohibition

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Figure 5.09. Arizona Fizz was prepared by the Arizona Brewing Company in response to Prohibition. It contained less than 1 percent alcohol by volume. It likely was produced for a very short time period since nearbeer was considered illegal in Arizona. (Courtesy of Bob Kay Collection.)

ruary 8, 1918, Coconino Sun, announcing the plant’s conversion into an icemanufacturing and soft drink facility. Near-beer was once again mentioned as a possibility. In July 1922, Brinkmeyer sold the assets of the Crystal Ice, Fuel and Supply Company in Prescott, which included the land where the brewery stood. Ironically, the state’s view toward near-beer became more lenient during the 1920s, and beverages containing no more than 0.50 percent alcohol by volume were eventually sold in Arizona. The Copper City Brewing Company ended production of near-beer and refocused its efforts on the production of soft drinks. Its fight over near-beer cost the company a considerable amount of time and money. A near-tragedy took place on October 29, 1916, when a fire that ignited inside the brewery’s smokestack quickly spread to its roof. Before any great damage could be done, a night watchman saw the blaze and was able to extinguish it. The damage amounted to approximately one hundred dollars. As fate would have it, the Renos’ string of misfortunes continued. On December 11, 1916, the Douglas International reported the brewery was being sued on allegations that its sodas were in violation of the pure food law (the Pure Food and Drug Act passed on June 30, 1906). This law provided for federal inspection of meat products and forbade the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated food products and poisonous patent medicines. Copper City’s trouble occurred when a shipment of its soda was sent to the Rodeo Co-op Grocery in Rodeo, New Mexico, on May 27, 1915. The grocer alleged chemical contaminants in the brewery’s ginger ale, root beer, and lemon, orange, strawberry, and vanilla sodas. The brewery was charged with eighteen counts of violating the pure food law in federal court. The suit seemingly marked the end of the Copper City Brewing Company. On December 23, 1916, the Renos filed a petition in Cochise County Superior Court to dissolve the company. The brothers then resurrected the former brewery under a new identity as a soda-manufacturing and ice-making facility. Their new venture was called the People’s Ice and Manufacturing Company. It too was not without its share of troubles.

People’s Ice and Manufacturing Company Articles of incorporation for People’s Ice were filed on November 29, 1916. The company was incorporated at $100,000 with H. N. Reno and W. H. Reno as “standing sponsor for the new enterprise.” On December 23, all property and buildings of the former Copper City Brewery were attained through a warrant deed by People’s Ice. The brothers’ intent was to begin making ice by March 1, 1917. 90

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From the start, the company faced an uphill battle. The Douglas Improvement Company, Houck and Dieter-Empire Bottling Works, Stephen and Shade Bottling Works in Clifton, and others brought stiff competition to the fledgling company. To make matters worse, it opened during an economic recession that developed as a by-product of World War I. The plummeting price of copper adversely affected the income of those dependent on the copper mines, and the Border War (1910–1919) and Pancho Villa’s rebels wreaked havoc along the U.S.-Mexico border. Consequently, the Renos’ debt continued to mount and People’s Ice suffered. More calamity arose on February 24, 1918, when a fire was sparked on the south end of the former brewery building. The blaze virtually destroyed the main structure where the ice and soda facility operated. The fire was prolonged when an 1,800-foot fire hose stretched across the railroad tracks was unintentionally run over and cut in two by a switch engine. The ill-fated, heavily timbered structure covered in brick veneer burned to cinders. The financial loss was estimated at $35,000. People’s Ice was only insured for $10,000. prohibition

Figure 5.10. At the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the U.S. Army was deployed to several border towns to protect American lives and property, and to ensure the fight remained in Mexico. This real photo postcard shows the Company G, First Infantry in Douglas, around 1910.

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Although the Renos said they would rebuild, the fire appears to have taken its toll. In late May, the brothers reportedly left for their ranch near Magdalena, New Mexico. Merklein moved to Phoenix for a short time and then to Calexico, California, where he became brewmaster of the Aztec Brewing Company across the border in Mexicali. He remained there until his death in 1930. In 1919, William H. Fisher, a partner in the Owl Drug Company, is listed as president of People’s Ice, although it never reopened. By February 19, 1921, foreclosure proceedings for People’s Ice were initiated through the Bank of Douglas. Two months later, the land and its remaining buildings were purchased by the bank at a sheriff’s sale for a mere $129.80. Eduardo Campbell then bought what remained of the ice plant and shipped it to Culican, Mexico.

The Speakeasy and the Dark Side of Prohibition Prohibition systematically brought the brewing and liquor industry to its knees. Approximately 1,400 breweries were operating in the United States prior to Prohibition being implemented in 1920. Once the country became dry, less than 200 continued with the manufacture of near-beer, and not all were successful. Those that found success through reinventing their method of business were few in comparison, especially when it came to near-beer. The difficulty was finding a formula comparable in taste to full-strength beer without the alcohol, and as a result, many abandoned the effort. Yet, some did find success. The M. K. Goetz Brewing Company of St. Joseph, Missouri, triumphed through its well-formulated recipe. Its prosperity arose perhaps by chance, through collaboration between the brewery, brewing chemist E. A. Siebl, and brewing machinery manufacturers Zahm and Nagel of New York. As a team, a recipe was devised that tasted good and also could be “spiked” with alcohol while retaining its flavor. The secret was Zahm and Nagel’s ability to remove alcohol from its beer through a vacuum process that boiled beer at lower temperatures. In the end, the process preserved most of the beer’s natural flavor, and when the proper amount of pure alcohol was added, made for a beer with 4.5 percent to 6 percent alcohol by volume. Once its beer became known, Goetz Brewing Company’s popularity surged. The desire to find new ways of acquiring liquor became a growing thorn in the side of law enforcement personnel, and as a result, a number of harmful and unforeseen side effects began to emerge. A new cat-and-mouse-type game involving reprobates and the police surfaced in virtually every part of the country. The “catch-me-if-youcan” attitude found criminals making a mockery of the system. Ironically, many of the felons included politicians and civic leaders, who held a stash for their own personal

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Figure 5.11. This photograph of a still confiscated during a raid of the Hogan-Miller Outfit in Prescott was taken December 28, 1928. (Reproduced by permission from Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.)

use. Many cities such as Phoenix began to ease penalties given to lawbreakers during the 1920s. The dark side of Prohibition came not from what could be seen, but from what could not. It initiated a turning point in what was deemed morally acceptable behavior. The confines of what was acceptable were fully tested during the 1920s. The glamour of drinking illegal hooch led more people to want to drink, and drinking attracted a younger crowd than before. Speakeasies began to surface, with the sole motive being the consumption of alcohol. Bootlegging and organized crime increased, and adequate enforcement proved nearly impossible. Anyone with an incentive to drown their sorrows did so with a fair amount of ease. Many people, including prominent citizens, kept a bar in their home chock-full of booze. Health concerns also arose. With no government standards set in place for bottling, manufacturing, and distributing alcohol, unsanitary conditions became rampant. Many bootleggers used whatever vessel they found to make and carry alcohol. Lead poisoning was a grave concern because various containers utilized lead-based glaze, paints, or solder. Other concerns came from bootleggers adding “poisons” to

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Figure 5.12. Postcards promoting Mexico’s wet border towns became a common theme during Prohibition. This real photo postcard of beer cold storage in Agua Prieta, Mexico, taken in the late 1920s, teases those north of the border by flaunting Mexico’s liquid bounty.

alcohol as a way to increase profits. Evidently, a 25 percent mixture of alcohol with 1.5 percent lye was equivalent to a solution containing 5 percent alcohol by volume. In many cases, bootleggers’ lack of proficiency in chemistry resulted in booze containing deadly amounts of lye. In order to make their concoctions more palatable, bartenders at speakeasies began to sweeten their booze with fruit juice, syrups, or soda. Up to this time, it had been more common to drink alcohol in its natural state. However, bootlegged liquor was much cruder, and adding flavors eased its consumption. The proliferation of the mixed drink or cocktail became an unintended offshoot of Prohibition. Many problem drinkers drank chemicals containing small amounts of alcohol, such as wood alcohol or patent medicines, in order to satisfy their cravings. The use of marijuana and other narcotics increased as people sought alternate forms of mindaltering substances. As a consequence, people were unwittingly exposed to a more dangerous criminal element that involved organized crime. The extent of the conflict between lawbreakers and law enforcers was staggering. Money made from bootlegging spawned numerous organized crime groups. Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and others built their empires from the profits of illegal alcohol. Violence directly related to bootlegging was prevalent throughout the United States, leading to a dramatic rise in crime. The February 14, 1929, Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago marked a high point in violence resulting from bootlegged liquor. On that day, seven members of Moran’s gang were brutally gunned down on north Clark Street by rival gang members wearing stolen police uniforms, lured there by 94

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the promise of being able to procure inexpensive whiskey. In early 1929, Capone associate Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn devised a plan with Capone for an assassination attempt on Moran and his gang. Moran was offered a shipment of Log Cabin Whiskey at a very reasonable price as a ruse to get him to show up. However, Moran was not among those killed because he was late in arriving. Following the massacre, all fingers pointed to Capone. Yet Capone was never formally charged, since he was able to prove he was in Miami, Florida, on the day of the killings. This was despite evidence showing his henchmen, most likely led by McGurn, carried out the killings. Still, no one was convicted, and violent conflicts between the gangs increased. When asked by newspaper reporters who he thought did the killings, Moran replied, “Only Capone kills like that.” By the early 1930s, a gradual shift in public opinion regarding Prohibition was gaining favor. The wets pushed their agenda by judiciously documenting reasons why Prohibition should be repealed. Groups such as the Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR) and the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA) voiced their opposition to Prohibition. They supported the rights of states to make decisions regarding Prohibition. The two groups eagerly joined forces to spearhead a push for the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. Pauline Morton Sabin, founder of WONPR, knew the evils alcohol possessed, but also witnessed what she considered an even greater sin—an increased disrespect for the law and the overall corruption of the nation’s youth. The exertion of the groups contributed significantly to Prohibition’s repeal. Opponents offered numerous reasons why Prohibition should be repealed and claimed that the “experiment” had been an abject failure. They maintained Prohibition increased crime, corrupted public officials, and spawned alcohol-related injuries and death. They noted that it also eliminated a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased government spending for law enforcement, which often proved futile. Continued enforcement of Prohibition filled prisons to near capacity. From 1920 to 1932, the total number of felons rose by 561 percent. A significant percentage of the increase was directly related to violations of the Volstead Act and other Prohibition laws. The more these issues were heard, the more people began to view Prohibition as a failure. It had done anything but improve American virtue and health. Its failures, combined with the dire effects of the Great Depression, gave great impetus to the repeal movement. Sentiments toward repeal increased significantly as the Depression tightened its grip on the nation. Unemployment had reached epic proportions, and the U.S. government desperately sought ways to create new jobs in an effort to heal an ailing prohibition

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economy. The ever-rising contention that repeal would create jobs gave great hope to those suffering. With signs emerging that change was imminent, a spectacular “beer parade” was organized in New York City on May 14, 1932. Its sole purpose was to promote repeal. Marching bands and floats encircled Central Park touting “We Want Beer,” “Beer for Prosperity,” and “Repeal the 18th Amendment,” all imparting the notion that legalizing beer would bring back prosperity. The parade was said to have drawn more than one hundred thousand onlookers. Some estimated the crowd as large as one million. Regardless of its size, it reinforced the notion that eliminating Prohibition would create jobs. The publicity it generated helped initiate a change in opinion regarding Prohibition. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was a staunch supporter of repeal. Prior to his election as the thirty-second president of the United States, he campaigned on a “New Deal” platform that included its repeal. Roosevelt’s New Deal included a myriad of job-creating programs aimed at jump-starting the economy. In 1933, nine days into his presidency, Roosevelt sent a strong message to Congress urging it to modify the Volstead Act to allow the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content permissible under the Constitution. Congress agreed, and on March 21, the Cullen-Harrison Act was adopted. The act legalized the manufacture and sale of 3.2 percent alcohol by volume in the United States where it was not prohibited by state law. Many brewers across the country fired up their brew kettles and began making beer in preparation for the Eighteenth Amendment’s repeal. The revenue-building potential of the amendment’s repeal was not overlooked. Prior to 1920, beer was taxed at one dollar per barrel. Only during World War I was the tax increased. Federal officials sought to set the federal tax on beer at five dollars per barrel plus a $1,000 license fee for all brewers once Prohibition was repealed. It was considered a small price to pay for legalizing alcohol. The Cullen-Harrison Act went into effect one minute after midnight on April 7, 1933. In honor of FDR’s program, 3.2 percent beer was blissfully referred to as “New Deal Beer.” Anheuser-Busch delivered two cases to the White House a few minutes after midnight on April 7. A sign on the delivery truck read, “President Roosevelt, the first real beer is yours.” Twenty states initially recognized the new law, and other states soon followed. On December 5, 1933, Prohibition was officially repealed with the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment. Utah’s vote in favor of the amendment fulfilled the Constitution’s three-fourths majority required for ratification. What was once deemed the “noble experiment” was finally put to rest.

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Rebirth of the Brewing Industry in Arizona

The state of Arizona experienced considerable change after Prohibition went into effect in 1915. The horse-drawn wagon was replaced by the automobile, and more paved roads made traveling by car smoother, faster, and easier. Route 66—the “Mother Road”—became the principal thoroughfare for those seeking a new start in the grip of the Great Depression, and those who could afford it took to the skies with the establishment of Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. As a result, the end of Prohibition in 1933 provided new opportunities for breweries to succeed. On the morning of April 6, 1933, Arizonans gleefully cheered headlines in the Arizona Republic announcing “Beer Due Here Tomorrow.” The following day at the stroke of midnight, 3.2 percent beer was legal. Arizona governor Benjamin Moeur was given one case of beer by a San Francisco brewer in celebration. Many in Arizona prepared for that day, including the state government and municipalities, which adopted temporary injunctions for controlling the sale of beer. A more descriptive bill with tighter regulations was introduced on June 16, 1933. Repeal of Prohibition resulted in the creation of thousands of jobs in a still-ailing economy and reinvigorated the once-dormant brewing industry. Yet, it would prove more difficult than expected to reestablish a successful brewery. Ventures such as the Arizona Brewing Company, Avery Brewing and Malting Company, Clinton Brewery, Southwestern Brewing Company, Tri-State Brewing Company, and a brewery listed under the name C. M. Caudill and another under the name Oliver Preston were being organized between 1933 and 1934 in Arizona, but all met with failure except one—the Arizona Brewing Company in Phoenix. The Tri-State Brewing Company in Glendale and the Southwestern Brewing Company in Tucson came close, but dismantled their efforts short of opening.

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6 Let people have good beer, and let them have it in the right way, in the home and in nice surroundings, and you’ll hear a lot less about depression and despair. —Col. Jacob Ruppert, president, United States Brewers’ Association, January 1933

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The Tri-State Brewing Company The Tri-State Brewing Company was established in the tranquil farming community

Figure 6.00. The Sugar Beet Factory in Glendale broke ground in 1903 and was completed by 1906. The Eastern Sugar Company struggled with a lack of water and poor crop yields; therefore, it put the factory up for sale in 1908. Attempts to continue production by others persisted in vain through 1913. This real photo postcard dates to c. 1908.

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of Glendale by John S. Cosgrave, former vice president of the American Guarantee Securities Corporation of Phoenix. The town where Cosgrave chose to set up his brewery was originally founded by W. J. Murphy as a dry settlement in 1892 in an attempt to attract “more dependable settlers” to the area. Its principal industry was agriculture. What may have drawn Cosgrave to Glendale was a large imposing redbrick structure known as the Sugar Beet Factory. The architecture and grandeur of the fifty-two-thousand-square-foot redbrick edifice closely resembled a brewery. It was five stories tall on one end and three on another. Its four buildings covered thirteen acres, with three railroad spur tracks connecting to it. Cosgrave purchased the former sugar plant from the Phoenix Packing Company for $350,000. The factory was constructed by the Eastern Sugar Company in 1903 and completed in 1906, following a number of financial setbacks. From the start, it ran into numer-

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ous problems, which limited its profitability. Principally, the lack of water resulted in poor crop yields, which quickly led to a financial quagmire for the company. Within two years of its formation, the Detroit Trust Company purchased the plant at a sheriff’s auction for $955,542.29. It operated for approximately five more years as a sugar beet factory, with minimal success. Then in 1913, the Detroit Trust Company closed the plant. In 1930, the Phoenix Packing Company, a meat packing plant, took possession of the building and began refitting it for its use. On April 17, 1933, articles of incorporation were filed by Mark B. Thompson, Sam H. Kyle, and M. M. Thompson under the name Maricopa Brewery Company of Arizona. In June, the name was changed to the Tri-State Brewing Company, and Cosgrave was named as president. The brewery was established under the National Recovery Administration (NRA) fair trade codes. The Roosevelt administration introduced the voluntary program as a way to create “codes of fair competition,” with the intention of limiting destructive practices between businesses and setting a minimum wage and maximum work hours for employees. On top of the $350,000 price tag to purchase the plant, approximately $100,000 was spent on its brewhouse, machinery, and other necessities to transform the structure into a brewery. Tri-State was to employ 75 to 100 people and produce 30,000 barrels per year, with the capability of increasing production to 150,000 barrels, when deemed necessary. The partners hired Bavarian-born Carl Spietachka, a thirtyyear veteran in the industry who had worked in South America and elsewhere as brewmaster. In July 1933, a “name the beer” contest was launched to name Tri-State’s first beer. The contest offered ten cases of beer for the name chosen, five cases each for the second- and third-place names, and one case each for the next five choices. Cosgrave sought to contract another brewery to temporarily brew its beer up until the time TriState’s brewery was complete. Its first beer was scheduled for release on September 15, 1933, selling for ten cents per bottle. During the installation of Tri-State’s brewing equipment at the start of September 1933, its labeler and filler were purportedly being shipped from Chicago and Cleveland. However, by the second week of September, Tri-State seemingly disappeared from local newspapers, with no further mention of the company or Cosgrave. The 1934 edition of Ice and Refrigeration Illustrated, volume 86, contained an entry stating that the Tri-State Brewing Company had changed its name to the United Distillers’ Company, and its capital stock had been raised to $1 million. What transpired from that point on remains unclear, but it appears the distillery never happened. In 1935, Phillip Ringer purchased the building by paying twenty-two years of back taxes on the property. Squirt Soda used the property to process grapefruit into concentrate for its soda from 1938 until 1981. rebirth of the brewing industry

Figure 6.01. Name the Beer Contest ad, Tri-State Brewing Company, Phoenix Gazette, July 10, 1933

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The Southwestern Brewing Company

Figure 6.02. Southwestern Brewing Company ad, Phoenix Gazette, August 29, 1933.

Concurrent with Tri-State’s origination in Glendale, plans for the Southwestern Brewing Company began to evolve in Tucson. One of the first signs of its emergence appeared in the August 20, 1933, Arizona Republic in an ad asking, “Will You Invest at Home or Abroad?” The bottom of the ad included a mailing slip addressed to the “Southwestern Brewing Company Ltd., 817 Security Building, Phoenix, Arizona.” Other ads appeared during the month of August and September stating, “Who will supply Arizona with beer?” and “Arizona: Here are more jobs for you!” Each ad touted the sale of stock to Arizona residents as a “speculative investment” going toward building the brewery in Tucson. The president of the company was William E. Gleason, and Joe P. Kelser was named vice president. The 30,000-barrel brewery with electric and steam power was designed by Tucson architect Roy Place with a Spanish Colonial Revival façade. Place was also the University of Arizona’s chief architect from 1924 to 1940. The $250,000 brewery was to be located “on 17th Street” with an estimated cost of production topping $441,000 annually. Its beer was set to sell at $1.50 per bottle or $8 per keg, a big difference from the ten-cent beer Tri-State was promoting. In the end, Southwestern fell well short of opening. Its final ad appeared in the Arizona Republic on September 3, 1933. Three days later, an ad for the Arizona Brewing Company appeared in the Arizona Republic proclaiming, “No Stock for Sale but Arizona Brewed Beer for you, October 14!” It further clarified that they were in “no way associated with any organization selling stock and there never has been a single share offered for sale.” No mention of the Southwestern Brewing Company is found beginning shortly after. In the race to become the first, the Arizona Brewing Company prevailed.

The Fenster Brothers, “A Toast to Arizona from a New Industry” The Arizona Brewing Company was founded as a closed corporation on May 6, 1933, by two brothers, Martin E. and Herman J. Fenster. Their brewery was built in an industrial section of Phoenix at 1143–1153 East Madison Street. It not only became the first brewery to open in the state following the repeal of Prohibition, but it also would become the only brewery to successfully operate in Arizona for decades to come. Very little information is known about the Fensters, other than some brief indications in local newspapers. Martin was president and general manager of the brewery. His background included working in the malt and manufacturing businesses and for a time in an unnamed “leading” East Coast brewery. Herman became vice president 100

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Figure 6.03. “A Toast to Arizona from a New Industry” ad, Arizona Brewing Company, Phoenix Gazette, August 3, 1933.

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and sales manager. He previously had worked for the Cleveland and Sandusky Brewing Company in Ohio for eight years and later was employed at the Los Angeles Brewing Company as an assistant sales manager. The 34,000-square-foot brewery, with a production capacity estimated to reach 30,000 barrels annually, cost $125,000 to build. Initially, fifteen full-time workers were employed at the plant. Austrian-born Oskar Scholz, a former brewer at the world-famous Pilsen Brewery in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, with thirty years of brewing experience under his belt, was hired as brewmaster. Scholz studied brewing techniques at a progressive brewing school in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and also at a brewing academy in Vienna, Austria. He became inspector of the Vienna school’s chemical department and graduated with the coveted diplomas of brewmaster and brewing engineer. Scholz later supervised and assisted in establishing three breweries in Austria and worked at a large brewery in Budapest, Hungary. The first beer produced by the Arizona Brewing Company was simply called Arizona Brew Beer. It was a lager measuring in at a perfect 3.2 percent alcohol by volume, originally scheduled for release on October 14, 1933. Because its barrels were late in arriving, however, the date was rescheduled for October 16. Arizona Brew was sold in Phoenix and later in other parts of the state on draft only while its bottling line was being installed. A “name the beer” contest was then put together to name the brewery’s bottled beer with a grand prize of fifty dollars cash for the best name picked, and one case of beer each for the next fifty entries receiving honorable mention. More than ten thousand names were submitted, and in mid-December 1933, Sunbru, a name submitted by Betty Vernon of Phoenix, took top honors. It was first put on the market in January 1934. Shortly after, for unknown reasons, negotiations for the brewery’s sale began.

Baker, Russell, Bowman, and Apache Beer Figure 6.04. (above) Arizona Brew Beer was the first locally made beer sold in Arizona following the end of Prohibition. It was a lager-style beer available only on draft. This bottle label was used for a very short time in late 1933 following the installment of the brewery’s bottling line. (Courtesy of Bob Kay Collection.) Figure 6.05. (below) Sunbru Beer was unveiled in December 1934. Its name was chosen through a “name the beer” contest.

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The reason for the sale of the Arizona Brewing Company is left open to speculation, since none was given at the time of the sale. The principals behind the purchase of the brewery included E. P. Baker, Bailey J. Russell, and Wirt G. Bowman. Each was a successful entrepreneur in his own right. Baker was a former vice president and general manager of the Aztec Brewing Company in San Diego. Russell was former president and general manager of the Arizona Liquor Distributors and owner of the Bailey J. Russell Importing Company. Bowman was Russell’s father-in-law and a Democratic National Committeeman for Arizona. He had an accomplished resume and had been referred to as an “American self-described capitalist,” entrepreneur, speculator, casino owner, and one of the founders of the Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel in Tijuana. chapter 6

The partners considered some key factors prior to accepting the deal. The most significant was the need to fully renovate the brewery, which would require in excess of $100,000. A second key factor was the complete cooperation of its creditors. Once their concerns were complied with, the transaction moved forward, and on April 11, 1934, Baker, Russell, and Bowman took control of the Arizona Brewing Company. Baker stressed the acquisition was strictly a personal venture between him and his associates and was not done in association with the Aztec Brewing Company. Bowman was named president, Baker vice president, and Russell secretary and treasurer. George Bines replaced Oskar Scholz as brewmaster. Scholz moved to El Paso, Texas, becoming brewer for the Harry Mitchell Brewing Company. The brewery was fully renovated under Baker, Russell, and Bowman. A twelvethousand-square-foot, one-story addition was finished west of the original structure, and the brewery’s capacity was increased four times with the installation of ten 50-barrel fermenters. A new $10,000 labeling machine, bottle line, and pasteurizer were added by June 1934. Russell was a staunch proponent of keeping Arizona money at home; therefore, he purchased supplies locally when possible. The number of employees increased to fifty. rebirth of the brewing industry

Figure 6.06. Arizona Brewing Company ad, Modern Brewer Magazine, December 1935.

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Bomb Plot All of the hullabaloo concerning the changes at the brewery must have attracted a bit of attention, and as it came to pass, it was not all good. The August 16, 1934, Prescott Evening Courier reported the foiling of an extortion plot to blow up the brewery. A “gang” sent a letter addressed to B. J. Russell demanding $2,000 in unmarked bills or else the plant would be bombed. Russell was told not to contact authorities, but authorities were quickly notified. Glen I. McCloud, the “Cactus Kid,” was quickly arrested by federal agents and sheriff’s deputies for his role in the plot. McCloud allegedly wrote the letter to Russell that affirmed, “We will bomb your plant sooner or later, cops or no cops, unless you have your foreman carry two grand in small bills in a package up the street each night beginning the first.” The letter went on to say, “If he is caught, your plant will be a wreck.” The brewery was never destroyed. McCloud pleaded not guilty, and in October 1934, he was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He was simply described as a “youth” from Malvern, Arkansas.

Apache Beer

Figure 6.07. Apache Beer, “It Hits the Spot” ad, Arizona Republic, August 9, 1934.

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On June 3, 1934, Apache Beer was introduced as the brewery’s newest product, available on draft only. By late August, it was unveiled in bottles donning a green label with a decidedly southwestern image featuring a striking profile of an American Indian in full headdress. It was a lager-style beer, and soon three more styles were added: Apache Blue Label, Bock Beer, and English-Type Ale. The brewery also produced a variety of alternate brands, including Canyon Lake, Dutch Treat (a private label for A. J. Bayless Markets), Blue & Gold (a private label for Simon Levi Company Ltd.), Wunderland, Agila, Sin Rival, and Hopi. By the start of 1936, distribution had spread into New Mexico, Southern California, western Texas, and all of Arizona. The brewery began sponsoring a five-minute radio show aired on KOY and KTAR radio in Phoenix, called The Apache Travel Chief, as a way to promote Arizona as a tourist destination. A woman broadcaster touted the benefits of Arizona, while a theme song suggested travelers “take along some Apache Beer.” A lavishly dressed Native American dressed in a chief’s war bonnet and a blanket emblazoned with “Apache Beer” was also sent to various public events, fairs, and parades during the promotion. Russell believed it would make an impact and stick in the minds of the buying public. Canned beer was still a novelty during this time, but was gaining favor among many consumers. In July 1936, the Arizona Brewing Company released Apache Beer in cans. The G. Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey, was the first to test-market the new container in November 1933. It was a flat-top design released by chapter 6

Figure 6.08. (above) Apache Beer was a product of the Arizona Brewing Company from 1934 to 1942. This group of items dates from 1934 to 1936. Apache Beer items represent some of the more sought-after collectibles from the Arizona Brewing Company because of their rarity. Figure 6.09. (center) Apache Beer wood thermometer, c. 1935. Figure 6.10. (right) Apache Beer Blue Label 12-oz. bottle.

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Figure 6.11. A variety of brands were produced by the Arizona Brewing Company during the 1930s.

the American Can Company that required a punch-top-style can piercer, sometimes referred to as a “church key,” to open. Following positive reviews, Krueger began to mass market its canned beer in January 1935. By the end of the year, approximately thirty-six breweries had followed suit. One of the drawbacks with its design, however, was the prerequisite for a costly individual canning line, which most small breweries found prohibitive to install. In response, the Continental Can Company introduced its “cap sealed” can. It featured a cone-top design sealed with a crown that could be capped on an existing bottling line merely by adjusting the height of the filling and capping apparatus, effectively nullifying the need for a new canning line. Schlitz was the first to utilize Continental’s design in August 1935. The Arizona Brewing Company also chose the design because of its more appealing attributes. 106

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Baker, Russell, and Bowman successfully transformed the Arizona Brewing Company into one of the most advanced breweries of its time, and it became one of the state’s fastest-growing and leading industries, with a payroll in excess of $1 million. In 1937, Russell traveled to St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Chicago, intent on bringing any innovations back to Arizona. Shortly after, and with little notice, the brewery was once again up for sale. The decision to sell the brewery appears to have been influenced by Russell’s health. Although his symptoms were not disclosed, it was suggested his well-being was a factor in the sale.

Figure 6.12. (above) Apache Beer Can ad, Arizona Republic, July 24, 1936. Figure 6.13. (left) E. W. Lindner’s original union dues booklets from 1907, 1921, and 1933.

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Figure 6.14. (above) E. W. Lindner and Robert Elder, Arizona Beverage Journal, June 1937. (Reproduced by permission from Golden Bell Press, Denver, Colorado.) Figure 6.15. (right) The Apache Beer parking ticket was one of the more unique promotions issued by the Arizona Brewing Company during the 1930s. (Reproduced by permission from Golden Bell Press, Denver, Colorado.) Figure 6.16. (far right) Apache Beer bottle, c. 1938.

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Robert Elder and the Liquor Industry

Figure 6.17. Arizona Brewing Company ad, Arizona Beverage Journal, December 1939. (Reproduced by permission from Golden Bell Press, Denver, Colorado.)

In July 1937, Robert Elder, a successful Los Angeles businessman and past president of one of the largest beer, wine, and liquor distributing companies in California, became the brewery’s new owner. Russell’s position was filled by California brewing executive Arthur L. Herzog, formerly with the Aztec Brewing Company. Russell ended up staying with the company once he overcame what was ailing him. Elder also brought in Erhardt William (E. W.) “Pop” Lindner in February 1937 as the new brewmaster at the brewery. Lindner became a significant force at the brewery. He was born in 1877 in Bavaria, Germany, descendent of a family rich in brewing tradition dating back to 1878. He apprenticed for a number of Bavarian breweries, graduated with honors from a brewing school in Munich, and worked as head brewer in Germany, Russia, and Turkestan. Upon his arrival in the United States in 1904, he enrolled in the Wahl-Henius Institute of Fermentology. He was employed by breweries in Belleville, Illinois, and in St. Louis. After Prohibition, Lindner found employment at a number of different breweries, including the Peerless Brewing Company, Anheuser-Busch, Griesedieck-Western Brewing Company, and the Standard Brewing Company in New Orleans. Lindner had three sons and one daughter, all born in Belleville. Two of his sons, Herb and Max, joined him in Phoenix. Herb arrived in the spring of 1937. He attended Wahl-Henius and acquired four years’ brewing experience at various breweries, including the Peerless Brewery, where he worked alongside his father. Max arrived in 1938. He was employed at Anheuser-Busch and the Hyde Park Brewery in St. Louis, and graduated from the Siebel Brewmaster School in 1940. rebirth of the brewing industry

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Elder implemented a number of changes to the brewery, including the installation of a test laboratory, the formation of a wholesale wine and liquor distribution branch, and the elimination of the brewery’s canning operation. As of September 1937, fewer than 265,000 cans of Apache Beer had been produced. Elder also introduced some unique methods of advertising, one of the most memorable being a parking ticket. In September 1938, the brewery placed “free parking tickets” on the windshields of over-parked cars in Phoenix, along with putting a nickel in the meter. The ticket said, “Take your time . . . we deposited a nickel,” and included an ad for Apache Beer. Those who received it were grateful for the brewery’s thoughtfulness, and some were said to have returned the nickel. At the end of Elder’s first year as president, production increased by more than 30 percent, and he was given credit for the company’s success. As a result, on the evening of May 25, 1938, a celebration was held at the brewery in honor of his accomplishments. Over 1,400 people attended, including Arizona governor R. C. Stanford, Phoenix mayor Walter J. Thalheimer, and other local dignitaries.

Elder Bräu

Figure 6.18. (above) When Elder Bräu was unveiled in January 1939, it featured a perforated label called “Elder Grams,” which contained odd facts or guessing games underneath. Figure 6.19. (below) Elder Bräu embossed tin sign, c. 1940.

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In January 1939, the brewery unveiled an all-new beer concocted by Pop Lindner and his son Herb called Elder Bräu All Malt Beer. It was packaged with a unique label called “Elder Grams.” The label contained a perforated strip to tear away and expose a poker hand–style guessing game, amusing anecdote, or odd facts underneath. It was advertised as “Double Enjoyment! Under the Cap a Great Beer! Under the Label a Great Game!” By March 1940, that ad campaign changed to “Your Friend for Life,” and was promoted on Elder Bräu’s World News Roundup and Dance Arizona, a weekly half-hour set on KTAR, and six other stations across Arizona featuring some of the country’s leading dance bands, including Jimmy Dorsey, Ozzie Nelson, and Will Osborne. At the start of 1940, approximately $100,000 in upgrades and additions were instituted at the brewery, which included a new bottling line, a state-of-the-art temperature-controlled beer cellar, a new cereal cooker, a mash tun, and an 85-barrel copper kettle from a defunct brewery in Los Angeles. The brewery also acquired the entire assets of the Arizona Wholesale Liquors Corporation, and a second distribution branch in Tucson was established to cover liquor sales in the southern part of the state. This all occurred while the war in Europe was developing into a disconcerting conflict. For many Americans living in the illusory comfort of home, however, its true gravity had not yet been discerned. This all changed on December 7, 1941, when Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The devastating attack changed the chapter 6

Figure 6.20. Apache Beer pointof-purchase display, with easelback cardboard sign, c. 1942. (From author’s collection.)

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course of history. Like hundreds of young men and women at the time, Herb joined the navy to serve his country, and in his absence, Max took over as assistant brewer and remained so until his brother’s return. Some of the changes implemented by Elder were beginning to show their faults when profits began to slip. The principal point of contention for Elder was the brewery’s distribution branch. As the outflow of money increased, Elder sought to rectify the situation by trimming expenses elsewhere, but the brewery continued to dive deeper into debt. The situation became so dire that in August 1941, a decision was made to terminate the distribution branch altogether, and in November, Elder filed for bankruptcy. Shortly after, he resigned his position and left the company.

Ralph B. Feffer In Elder’s absence, prominent Phoenix businessman Ralph B. Feffer became tempo-

rary trustee of the company. His sole task was to get the brewery back on track in order to position it for sale. Feffer accepted bids through August 1942, and under his term, production steadily increased despite low working capital and the difficulties augmented by war. Its advertising budget was increased, and the best possible distributors in the state were secured. More important, the brewery’s production reached 100 percent capacity.

The Impact of War on the Brewing Industry From a social standpoint, World War II provoked a change in how some people perceived their co-workers and neighbors. It not only brought the nation closer together but also created a rift between Americans and those of Japanese and German descent, who were now looked upon with suspicion. The tentacles of skepticism had an impact on all facets of traditional life, and in terms of German tradition, it had an impact on the brewing industry. There was no denying the German influence on the brewing industry. Names such as Alt Heidelberg, Brau Haus, Edelweiss, Rheinlander, Elder Bräu, and others were indicators of Germany’s influence on beer making. In order to lessen negative perceptions, many brewers either altered or dropped Germansounding brands altogether. Elder Bräu was discontinued in February 1942 and replaced in March by Arizona Apache Beer, The Stately Brew. The new Apache retained Elder Bräu’s original recipe without its “Axis-sounding” appellation.

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A-1: The Famous Regional Beer

On July 24, 1942, Ralph B. Feffer submitted his resignation papers to creditors for review when his work at the Arizona Brewing Company was finished. He was asked to continue as trustee, pending the qualification of a new trustee or a buyer for the brewery, to which he agreed. Less than one month later, on August 15, 1942, a buyer was found when former Tacoma, Washington, brewery executive Joseph F. Lanser bid approximately $140,000, or 51 percent of the brewery’s stock, for controlling interest in the company. The U.S. Office of Price Administration cleared the sale on September 12. Lanser would prove to be one of the most capable leaders the brewery ever had.

7 Something Good Is Brewing for You in 1943 —Advertisement in the Arizona Beverage Journal, January 1943

Joseph Francis Lanser Joseph Francis Lanser was born on January 31, 1896, in Appleton, Wisconsin, to John Edwin Lanser and Catherine Martin Lanser. He graduated from North Dakota State College and became a schoolteacher prior to joining his father’s business as a grain elevator operator. In 1917, he enrolled in the United States Army and fought against Germany in World War I, becoming a lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps and serving until May 1919. Following the war, he worked as a grain broker until 1926, and in 1928, he moved to Seattle and started a grain exporting company under the name J. F. Lanser & Company. Following the repeal of Prohibition, Lanser became one of the original investors in the Columbia Brewery in Tacoma. In 1935, he purchased a controlling interest in the brewery and became its president, serving until the time he moved to Arizona. Lanser’s vast knowledge of the brewing and grain industries proved necessary to his success—especially when difficulties stemming from World War II transpired. a-1: the famous regional beer

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Figure 7.00. A-1 Beer bottle, c. 1943.

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The brewery underwent a complete reorganization under Lanser, and he filed articles of incorporation for the company, changing its name to the Arizona Brewing Company Inc. He then promoted B. J. Russell to vice president and director and named J. A. Rice as second vice president and director; Charles L. Strouss as secretary and director; Fred A. Mathews as treasurer; and R. C. Burton, Del E. Webb, and James C. Lynch as directors. E. W. Linder continued as brewmaster and his son Max as assistant brewmaster while his son Herb served in the navy. The most significant change came with the unveiling of A-1 Pilsner Beer in January 1943. From that point on, all other brands, including Apache Beer, were phased out. Only Dutch Treat, a private label for A. J. Bayless Markets, continued in production. A-1 Beer was unveiled at a difficult time for various reasons stemming from World War II. It was hard to find experienced workers in the shrinking labor pool, with so many men called to duty. As a result, the brewery had to hire whomever was willing to work, creating challenges because many employees were inexperienced or part-time workers who lacked dedication to their jobs. During this time, the role of women changed when they became employed in positions traditionally reserved for men. Although women were excluded from combat, many worked near combat zones or in factories. These women were also the heads of households, tending to children and other family duties, and many children took on new responsibilities for day-to-day tasks. The brewery supported the war effort in any way it could, regularly calling on individuals to buy war bonds. Because metal was the principal commodity rationed, the brewery donated old machinery and metal not in use to the scrap metal drive. The scrap metal drive reached a point where all breweries had to purchase reclaimed metal in order to manufacture their own crowns for capping bottles. The Arizona Brewing Company did just that and, for a time, inserted its own cork fillers inside the crowns. Likewise, metal rationing affected beer can production. Canning ended entirely in 1942, but resumed in 1944, strictly under government contract for military use. Breweries granted contracts released their beer in cans designed with non-reflective camouflaged “olive-drab” colors. The war-era cans were shipped to military bases across the United States and overseas. Civilian cans would not be available for general production until 1947. One of the more troubling situations brewers dealt with during the war was grain rationing. Unless a brewery was allotted a government contract that increased its production, grain allocations were relatively the same for all despite their level of production. Consequently, breweries were forced to produce at far less than full capacity. As the price of grain rose, lager beer with as much as 50 percent adjuncts, such as corn and rice, became popular, especially among women, who favored the chapter 7

Figure 7.01. (above) A rare uncut sheet of A-1 Beer “Buy War Bonds” bottle crowns converted into a protective cap for a Zuni rocket from World War II. The caps were set in place when the rockets were placed in storage. Figure 7.02. (left) A-1 Beer bottleneck ad, Yuma Daily Sun, September 1, 1943.

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Figure 7.03. This is an authentic Navajo rug advertising A-1 Pilsner Beer dating from the late 1940s or early 1950s. It very well could have been a gift, or contracted from a Navajo rug weaver.

lighter-style beers. This trend, which began during the war, marked the rise of the American-style lager. Breweries such as Anheuser-Busch, Schlitz, Miller, Pabst, and Coors perfected the lager, and it became their principal seller for decades to come. In September 1943, Arizona Brewing Company’s malt quota was virtually cut off through strict grain regulations. It chose not to employ adjuncts because it considered them “substandard ingredients” and instead temporarily ceased production until the situation was remedied. Military training facilities built in and around the Phoenix valley during the war inadvertently supported the brewery through increased sales. Thunderbird Field (Glendale Municipal Airport), Thunderbird Field #2 (Scottsdale Airport), Falcon Field, Luke Field, and Higley Field (later renamed Williams Gateway and today PhoenixMesa Gateway Airport) brought thousands of military men and women into the valley, and they spent a considerable amount of money on necessities, entertainment, and 116

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beer. Many found the valley’s pleasant climate an ideal setting to raise families and returned after the war. In August 1944, the brewery introduced an innovative method of ensuring the purity of A-1 Beer through the installation of ultraviolet lamps to destroy airborne bacteria, mold, and wild yeasts. Since prior to Prohibition, this method had been studied and its effects on yeast and bacteria weighed. It is widely recognized among brewers that ultraviolet light produces skunky off-flavors in beer after it is finished. Proponents of canning beer cite this effect as a valid argument for using cans, with their sunlight-blocking properties. However, ultraviolet light can be beneficial. During the brewing process, ultraviolet lamps are generally used in fermenting/lager cellars and in sterilizing water. The Arizona Brewing Company was producing approximately 55,490 barrels per year at the time, near its capacity. In order to keep up with demand, new grain silos were installed along with a new cellar containing fourteen glass-lined storage tanks, and the brewery repositioned its railroad spur track just south of the silos’ boiler room. The changes coincided with the time Herb Lindner returned safely from war in 1945, and he transitioned smoothly back to his position as assistant brewmaster. His brother Max was promoted to bottle shop superintendent. The brewery also launched a new advertising campaign in the August 1945 Gourmet magazine in conjunction with the Society of Regional Brewers, promoting A-1 Beer and Arizona as a “World Famous Vacation Land.” Following the end of World War II, plans for an entirely new brewing facility with a much larger capacity began to transpire. Before the project could begin in earnest, however, grain restrictions were reinstated in April 1946, further delaying the brewery’s planned expansion. The grain was redirected to Europe and Japan, where it was greatly needed. The result was a 30 percent reduction in Arizona’s beer production. However, according to Lanser, the reduction actually reached 60 percent when considering the state’s already lessened out-of-state beer shipments. The belief that there was an abundance of available beer proved false as demand outpaced supply. Lanser explained at the Wholesale Beer and Liquor Association’s annual meeting that the state suffered more acutely from the 1946 restrictions than at any time during the war. Between June and September 1946, the Arizona Brewing Company ran an ad in Arizona Beverage Journal expressing its opinion of the crisis. It strongly believed the government-imposed grain curtailments penalized the wrong industry by restricting all grains despite the fact that the grain varieties used in beer making (principally barley, corn, grits, and rice) were generally not varieties processed for table consumption. Wheat was the principal food grain, but when the government formulated its calculations to determine restrictions, brewing grains were lumped in with wheat. Consequently, the curtailments not only affected brewers but also farmers depena-1: the famous regional beer

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dent on spent grain from brewers as a relatively inexpensive source of livestock feed. According to Lanser, the blame should fall “squarely where it belongs”—on the U.S. government. Once the brewery’s grain supply was nearly depleted, Lanser sought ways to acquire more grain. As luck would have it, he found Schutz and Hilger’s Jordan Brewery in Jordan, Minnesota, up for sale. The Minnesota brewery was then acquired strictly for its grain, bolstering Arizona’s grain allotment. The remainder of Jordan’s beer did not go to waste, but was shipped by rail to Arizona, and for a short time, bottles of Jordan Beer were available in Phoenix. The brewery was then sold to the Mankato Brewing Company of Mankato, Minnesota, in November 1946, and soon after, President Harry S Truman ended the grain curtailments.

A New Start The Arizona Brewing Company was eager to finish construction of its new $2 million facility on a newly purchased tract of land just north of its main plant. The site would house a new bottle shop, bottle cellar, employee lunchroom, and the brewery’s main offices. A new canning line was installed, and the first A-1 cans rolled off the line on

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February 10, 1948. By late March 1948, its executive sales and advertising offices were finished. Shortly after, a new bottle shop, warehouse, shipping/receiving facility, and government storage cellars were constructed, and by June 1949, a brand-new brewhouse and new aging cellars were ready to begin production. The newly built complex covered more than 1.5 million square feet of space, excluding loading platforms, trucking areas, and railroad spurs. It was now capable of producing 250,000 barrels of beer per year—equivalent to 9,300 gallons every five hours. There were 102 individual aging and storage tanks, which together held more than 765,000 gallons of beer. The Arizona Brewing Company was approximately five times larger than when Lanser took possession in 1942, and sales increased 32 percent from 1948 to 1949—the highest percentage increase of any brewery in the United States at the time. The increase took place while average beer sales fell 2.6 percent nationally from 1947 to 1949. The new facility was featured on the front cover of the December 1949 Brewer’s Digest and touted as one of the most modern brewing facilities in the country.

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(facing page) Figure 7.04. (top) This an example of the first A-1 Beer can issued in 1948 and used until 1950. Figure 7.05. (bottom) View of the Arizona Brewing Company looking south. The brewery maintained its own fleet of trucks through 1965 when it was discontinued under the Carling Brewing Company. (Courtesy of Joey Starr, Phoenix.)

Figure 7.06. (above right) A-1 Beer Jumbo ad, Arizona Beverage Journal, December 1949. (Reproduced by permission from Golden Bell Press, Denver, Colorado.) Figure 7.07. (above left) On July 13, 1949, E. W. Lindner departed on a business trip to Europe to study the latest brewing technology available. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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The a-1 Queens Softball Team

Figure 7.08. (above) The A-1 Queens as they appeared in a September 10, 1949, National Softball Congress souvenir program.

While the Arizona Brewing Company underwent its expansion, an opportunity arose for the brewery to sponsor the Queens professional women’s softball team. Lanser was an avid sports fan, and professional women’s softball was at its zenith in popularity during the late 1940s. The game was exciting and action packed, and it drew a fan base that surpassed that of men’s softball. The highly touted Queens, the “World’s Most Beautiful Softball Team,” was part of the National Softball Congress’s Women’s Tournament. They were victorious in a number of world championships, winning eight national titles since being organized in 1936. Their staunchest rival was the PBSW (Peterson, Brooke, Steiner and Wist) Ramblers. Former Queen Flossie Ballard once commented, “You either were a Rambler fan or a Queen fan and there was no in between.” Professional women’s softball saw its fan base shrink shortly after the introduction of television in Phoenix in 1949 and after the arrival of greyhound dog racing during the mid-1950s. Art Funk, who ironically was a staunch supporter of women’s softball, built Phoenix Greyhound Park near Phoenix Softball Park where the Queens and Ramblers played. Once the track was finished, many fans turned to the dogs, and the attendance at women’s softball declined.

a-1 Beer Prints Series One of the brewery’s more prolific endorsements happened during the late 1940s, when the Arizona Brewing Company signed a contract with famed cowboy artist Alonzo “Lon” Megargee for a series of prints promoting A-1 Beer. The contract produced four prints, Cowboy’s Dream, Black Bart, The Dude, and The Quartet. Megargee was born in Philadelphia in 1883, to parents of Scottish and English descent. As a child, he preferred drawing horses and caricatures over doing schoolwork. He later worked as a rancher and a poker card dealer at the Anheuser Saloon in Phoenix, and toured with Arizona Charlie’s Wild West Show doing exhibition roping and broncbusting. While in California, he enrolled at the Los Angeles School of Art, where his passion for art blossomed. Once back in Phoenix, his paintings were displayed to much acclaim at the 1911 Arizona Territorial Fair in Phoenix. From that point on, his stature as a professional artist increased. The Sleeping Cowboy, or Cowboy’s Dream, was released in January 1948 on a heavy poster board with a simulated brushstroke finish and authentic rope border, framed by Fred Elquest and Sons in Phoenix. “A-1” was inconspicuously placed in reverse on a branding iron and on a cloud formation of a horse with a woman rider. The second 120

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(facing page, bottom) Figure 7.09. Lon Megargee at his home in Sedona during the 1950s. Megargee moved to Sedona following his divorce in 1941, and lived there for the remaining years of his life with Hermine Summer, his last wife. Lon died in January 24, 1960, at seventy-seven years of age, in Cottonwood. (Courtesy of Herman Dickson Collection.)

Figure 7.10. (above) Four of Lon Megargee’s paintings were commissioned and reproduced by the Arizona Brewing Company as prints: Cowboy’s Dream, 1948; Black Bart, 1949; The Dude, 1950; and The Quartet, 1951.

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print, Barber and the Bandit, or Black Bart, was issued in January 1949. It depicted a rough-looking bandit with a gun in hand inside a barber’s shop with a nervouslooking barber standing by his side. A poster stating “Drink A-1” hung in the center of the background. It too had a wood frame with a real rope border. In January 1950, The Dude, or The Dude Lady, was released, also with a wood and rope frame, featuring a lariat-skipping cowgirl doing her act as three cowpokes with A-1 Beer in hand watched closely. Its odd look resulted in some considering it “too ugly” or offensive to hang in bars. Consequently, it was the shortest-run print in the series. The final print was issued in January 1951, called the Poker Flat, or The Quartet. It depicted four cowboys singing outside the Poker Flat Saloon with “A-1” painted on the saloon doors. Black Bart sat in the background on horseback under a streetlight. This print featured a “simulated rope” carved from the wood. It was the only print issued without real rope, which was eliminated as a cost-cutting measure. Three of the prints were reproduced in different formats over the years, except for the lowly The Dude. Cowboy’s Dream, by far the most popular, was reproduced on point-of-purchase advertising and other promotional material, such as napkins and postcards. Megargee produced three more paintings for the brewery—Margarita, Bartender, and Desert Song—but none were reissued as prints by the brewery. Margarita was originally named Fiesta. It was completed in December 1951, depicting a provocatively posed Mexican señorita with a cigarette dangling from her lips, sitting in a rather unladylike position in a red dress and low-cut blouse. Megargee renamed it Margarita after altering it in 1952 by adding an A-1 Beer coaster and a glass of beer, and raising the neckline of her blouse. It was purchased by the brewery but was considered “too risqué” to be reproduced in print, and it hung in Joe Lanser Sr.’s home until his passing in 1963. The Bartender, featuring a stout-looking mustached bartender holding a glass of beer in one hand and a bottle of A-1 in the other, was painted in 1951. It was never sold to the brewery and for many years remained in the Megargee family. Desert Song featured a tipsy-looking cowpoke playing a piano with a bottle of beer by his side. It was the oldest painting of the group, originally painted during the 1920s and altered sometime in the 1950s for the brewery’s consideration, but was never chosen for reproduction as a print.

Promoting a-1 Beer through Television Television during the early 1950s was still somewhat of a novelty for the well-to-do, and the advertising directors of the Arizona Brewing Company recognized its potential as a vehicle for advertising. Its effect on people is unquestionable. As an instrument for disseminating information, television can illuminate, entertain, or inspire, 122

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but it also has been charged with exposing viewers to sex and violence and propagating a sedentary lifestyle commonly referred to as “being a couch potato.” Only when people began to see real-life events unfold before their eyes—such as sports, the effects of war, the civil rights movement, and man’s landing on the moon—was its true impact really understood. The creation of the cathode ray tube in 1897 led to the invention of television, with its ability to display electronic moving images. A crude version of a working television was developed during the 1920s, and by the late 1940s, it had advanced to the point that it was publicly accessible. In November 1949, KPHO-TV became the first local network to offer television transmission in Phoenix by way of a simple test pattern. Within a month, it was broadcasting news and variety shows up to three hours a day, and in time, television became an alternative to radio as a method of disseminating up-to-the-minute news. In 1950, the Arizona Brewing Company released A-1 Pantomime Time, a half-hour game show airing on KPHO-TV every Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., featuring local groups in a charades-type guessing game. The show became an instant hit. The brewery then expanded its television programs to include the Bird Cage Theater, A-1 Sports Highlights, Duffy’s Tavern, and a series of commercials sung by the Westernaires Quartet. a-1: the famous regional beer

Figure 7.11. (left) Joe Lanser Jr. and Sam Haldiman examine the Arizona Brewing Company’s new packaging for A-1. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.12. (above) This lazy Susan features an A-1 Beer cigarette lighter and salt and pepper shakers. The lighters were given away as gifts in celebration of the completion of the brewery’s new plant in 1949.

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Figure 7.13. (left) A 1954 A-1 Beer advertisement at the Acapulco Buffet, 133 East Jefferson Street in downtown Phoenix. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.14. (right) A 1954 billboard located just east of the brewery on the brewery parking lot. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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Judged the Finest The brewery continued to increase its advertising budget for print, radio, television, outdoor billboards, point-of-purchase displays, and signs. One of the more creative advertising campaigns launched by the brewery centered on an “international” beer competition sponsored by the Institut International d’Alimentation of Brussels, Belgium. The yearly blind taste test was put together in 1950, open to all American and Canadian breweries. For five consecutive years, A-1 Beer received awards: first the Cross of Honor in Brussels in 1950, the coveted first-prize Star of Excellence in Luxembourg in 1951, the Star of Excellence in Antwerp in 1952, the Star of Excellence in Paris in 1953, and finally the Premium Quality Medal of Leadership in Munich in 1954, marking the final year of the competition. The awards became the nucleus of a new marketing campaign launched by the brewery during the latter part of 1952, which labeled A-1 as “Judged the Finest.” Each year, advertising for A-1 noted the awards, but some later questioned whether the contest was simply a clever advertising ploy more than a legitimate contest. Regardless, the “Judged the Finest” slogan made A-1 Beer the top-selling beer in Arizona, with more than 50 percent of the state’s beer drinkers naming A-1 their favored brand during A-1’s peak years from 1950 to 1955.

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The Keagle Memorial Sports Award The brewery was unquestionably on a roll, and each move it made seemed to place it deeper in the good graces of the buying public. In 1951, it began sponsorship of the Keagle Memorial Sports Award as a tribute to former A-1 Queen Merle Keagle, a remarkable athlete and an important participant in many Queens’ victories, who succumbed to cancer in 1951. Each month fans voted for Arizona athletes who they believed displayed outstanding ability and good sportsmanship. The top pick was recognized as Outstanding Athlete of the Month. Winning athletes then became eligible for the Athlete of the Year award, the highest honor given during the promotion. The awards were presented at the televised Athlete of the Year Award banquet, which attracted many local dignitaries and prominent sports personalities. Winners included Bill Miller, an Arizona State University track star and Arizona’s first ever Olympian, who won the award both in 1951 and 1952; Corky Redell, a pitcher for the Tucson Cowboys baseball team, in 1953; Jimmy Bryan, a National AAA auto racing champion and winner of the Indianapolis Speedway Classic, in 1954; and, in its final year, Art Luppino, former University of Arizona star halfback, in 1955.

Figure 7.15. “Corky” Redell at 1953 Keagle Memorial Sports Award dinner held on February 11, 1954. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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The a-1 Softball Team

Figure 7.16. (right) A-1 softball team, taken at University Park in Phoenix. Ray Pock is pictured on the upper left. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.17. (above) Joe Lanser Night at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, May 13, 1954. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

During this time, a sundry group of Arizona Brewing Company employees were lacing up their cleats and swinging their bats at a nearby softball field. In 1951, the team decided to seek sponsorship from the brewery. Bottle shop employee Ray Pock presented the idea to brewery executive Sam Haldiman. Once Lanser heard the request, he happily acquiesced. The newly named A-1 softball team competed against O. S. Stapley, Funk Jewels, and other local teams. Many later claimed in jest that Lanser would not hire any new employee unless he could play ball.

The Phoenix Stars Baseball Team The Arizona Brewing Company became more deeply involved in sports when the city of Phoenix faced the possibility of losing its only professional baseball team, the Phoenix Stars, if a sponsor could not be found for its 1954 season. The troubled franchise, formerly known as the Senators, was part of the Arizona-Texas League when Lanser learned of their plight, and he was eager to help. A deal was struck, and the brewery 126

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became the Stars’ new sponsor. Lanser was transformed into an instant local celebrity when Phoenix mayor Frank Murphy issued an official proclamation naming May 14, 1954, Joe Lanser Day. The Stars, along with civic leaders, celebrities, and the local sporting community, gathered at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium to honor Lanser, who became known as “Mr. Phoenix Baseball.” Nationally recognized cartoonist Walt Ditzen drew a caricature depicting Lanser as an imposing oversized pitcher with the Stars proudly looking on. The caption read: “Now playing—Joe Lanser who came in, in relief and saved the game for Phoenix, A-1’derful guy!”

a-1 On Tap Monthly Newsletter In June 1952, the Arizona Brewing Company released its first monthly newsletter, called A-1 On Tap, dedicated to family members and employees, as a way to convey information in a fun, informative, and entertaining manner. Its writers were indi-

Figure 7.18. A-1 On Tap was issued from 1952 through 1964. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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viduals from each department: Jimmy Dougan represented engineering; Al King, the bottle shop; Mary Jane Morrisey and Toby Parks, the office; and George Thomas, shipping. From time to time, guest writers contributed stories covering a variety of topics. Monthly columns such as What’s on your Mind? provided a forum for suggestions for improving brewery operations, and Meet the Man and Meet the Woman were mini-biographies highlighting one employee per month. The publication continued through the early 1960s.

The Fabulous ’50s Quite possibly no other period in time is looked back at with such yearning and nostalgia as the 1950s. Television exposed multitudes to the excitement of “live” entertainment. Teen idols, rock-n-roll, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, James Dean, Disneyland, the poodle skirt, and the hula hoop are all symbols of an era of diversion and prosperity. Although the Cold War offered a daily reminder of the fragility of freedom, Americans raised families and industry boomed. The Arizona Brewing Company was on the top of its game, and A-1 became the state’s top-selling beer. This stretch of time

Figure 7.19. Mezzanine of Westward Ho with A-1 Beer Display during Annual Liquor Dealers Convention in Phoenix, October 21, 1953. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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Figure 7.20. (top) E. W. Lindner in the brewhouse, c. 1954. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.21. (bottom) Interior of the brewery’s aging cellar, 1953. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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(facing page) Figure 7.22. (top left) A-1 Beer display in a Safeway grocery store with Safeway manager, December 17, 1953. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

can be regarded as the company’s “salad years,” but behind the scenes, the brewery was working a little harder every year to keep its profits up in the face of increased competition and rising costs of production. In truth, the brewing industry was on the cusp of change, and this had an impact on all regional breweries. The idea of the “chain-brewery” (the merging of two or more smaller breweries to form one large entity) was a new and rapidly growing concept since the onset of World War II. As operating and advertising expenses increased quicker than earnings, the profitability of the regional brewery took a hit. As a result, giants such as Anheuser-Busch, Pabst, and Schlitz acquired smaller breweries through acquisitions and mergers. Between 1949 and 1958 alone, more than 185 regional breweries closed or sold out to national corporations. The Arizona Brewing Company was not immune. For the first time in its history, returns to its stockholders began to decline in 1952. The culprits were rising federal excise taxes, increased costs associated with day-to-day operations, and escalating wages for union and salaried employees. The rising cost of advertising, such as pointof-purchase displays, television, radio, and billboards, also took away from the bottom dollar. Ironically, the record population growth in the western half of the United a-1: the famous regional beer

Figure 7.23. (top right) E. W. Lindner, Joe Lanser Sr., Max Lindner, and Herb Lindner admire A-1 Beer’s new packaging featuring the A-1 medals, 1954. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.24. (bottom) The Arizona Brewing Company looking toward the west, 1954. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

Figure 7.25. (above left) Brand-new glass-lined tanks during installation at the Arizona Brewing Company, 1954. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.26. (above right) The first refrigerated A-1 Beer truck in Phoenix, 1954. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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States was partially to blame (California alone experienced a 48.5 percent increase from 1950 to 1960). To meet increased demand, many larger breweries moved west, primarily to California. In 1954, Anheuser-Busch opened a $20 million plant in Los Angeles, joining Theo. Hamm, Schlitz, Falstaff, and Pabst, which had expanded either through new construction or acquisition of smaller breweries in California. As a result, the costs of shipping national brands to Arizona lessened. The Adolph Coors Brewing Company became one of the Arizona Brewing Company’s strongest competitors during the 1950s. Although Coors had been sold in Arizona since the 1930s through the Johnson Commercial Company (starting in 1954, it became known as Pearce and Sons Distributors), it greatly increased its advertising budget in the Southwest and then began offering dealers in the state three kegs for the price of two. It was something A-1 simply could not match, and as a result, A-1 lost numerous draft accounts to Coors. Despite its difficulties, the Arizona Brewing Company continued to grow. A-1 was sold throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, west Texas, southern Colorado, and a large portion of California. The company employed 150 people, with an annual payroll in excess of $800,000, and approximately $3.56 million was spent annually on materials, supplies, and services locally and elsewhere. The state received more than $200,000 in luxury taxes during the 1954 fiscal year, and more than $2 million was paid in federal taxes.

Figure 7.27. (above) An original artist rendition from the Arizona Brewing Company files depicting a new A-1 label design. The wax paper lifts up to reveal the new label underneath, c. 1956. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.28. (right) A group of men look over the bottles at the Arizona Brewing Company during Union Labor Week, October 1957. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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a-1 and the Anheuser-Busch Lawsuit The Arizona Brewing Company found itself butting heads with Anheuser-Busch soon after it hired a new advertising agency on January 1, 1955. That year, A-1 was unveiled with a more contemporary design incorporating a new eagle and an innovative catchphrase, “Which One? . . . A-1.” The phrase centered around two amusing cartoon characters, with one asking “Which one?” and the other answering “A-1!” The redesigned eagle provoked Anheuser-Busch to file a $640,000 damage suit against the Arizona Brewing Company on July 20, 1955, in federal court. It was perplexing because the eagle had been a part of A-1’s design since it was first introduced in 1943, and the new eagle did not resemble Anheuser-Busch’s any more than the old one. Nevertheless, the Arizona Brewing Company acquiesced and dropped its eagle, leading some to jokingly refer to A-1 as “Arizona Bud.” The brewery utilized the eagle design until January 1958, when it was replaced with a knight on horseback holding a banner with the name “Lancers” on it. The new design coincided with the unveiling of the brewery’s new water purification system, giving complete uniformity to the water pumped from its 1940s-era well. Wintery images of Mt. Lemmon near Tucson, the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, and other

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Figure 7.29. (left) Irma Villa, Miss Union Label Queen of Phoenix, with A-1 Beer, October 1957. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.30. (right) Bill Gonzales leads a tour through the Arizona Brewing Company brewery, showing its new water purification system, August 1958. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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Figure 7.31. (above) Inside the hospitality room at the Arizona Brewing Company brewery, 1959. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.32. (right) The bar in the hospitality room at the Arizona Brewing Company, 1959. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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snow-covered scenes in Arizona coincided with its new slogan “Brewed with Crystal Pure Water.”

An Era of Unrest and the End of an Era The Phoenix metropolitan area became the fastest-growing region among the nation’s fifty largest metropolitan areas. In 1959 alone, more homes were built in the valley than in all the years from 1914 to 1946 combined. The city’s population climbed to more than 439,000 inhabitants by 1960, and its small-town appeal was quickly becoming a thing of the past. While the city’s population grew, profits for the Arizona Brewing Company continued to steadily decline. Because of rising labor and material costs, earnings dropped from $130,513 in 1958, to $96,176 in 1959. As a result, management believed it was time to refocus on the efficiency of its operation. Another revamp of the A-1 label was made in November 1959, resulting in a shiny new bronze color decorated with western-style symbols, including a sun, saddle, deer, and cactus. “The Western Way to Say Welcome,” a slogan used by the brewery since the early 1950s, was resurrected, and new, innovative nonrecyclable glass bottles nicknamed “Glass Cans” were introduced. The bottles were produced by the Owens Illinois Glass Company, and the brewery coined them “Little Brown Jugs.” a-1: the famous regional beer

Figure 7.33. (above left) The Arizona Brewing Company, looking west down Adams Street, 1960. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.34. (above right) Collectors refer to this can as the “reverse” A-1 can because when it was put into production in 1960, the can body was copper and the lettering was white. This quite possibly was a test can that never went into production. Only six or so examples are known in collections.

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(facing page) Figure 7.35. (top right) This Bashas’ Market at ThirtySecond Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix was stocked full of A-1 Bock Beer in February 1961. Bock Beer is generally a malty, low-hopped type of lager, but when originally introduced during the medieval era, it was an ale. Historically, it was brewed by German monks during the first week of March in celebration of Lent. Cans of A-1 Bock are highly regarded among collectors because of their rarity. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.36. (top left) A-1 Bock Beer six-pack, 1961. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.37. (bottom right) Die-cut card-stock advertising sign for A-1 Beer, 1960. Figure 7.38. (bottom left) A-1 billboards depicting a variety of scenes were commonly seen throughout Arizona and other parts of the Southwest.

Figure 7.39. (top) Herb Lindner and Joe Lanser Sr. watch as a new batch of Snowcrest Beer rolls off the brewery’s canning line, January 1961. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 7.40. (bottom) Max Lindner, E. W. “Pop” Lindner, and Herb Lindner at Pop’s retirement party, April 1961. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

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Figure 7.41. (above) Lancers Beer cans six-pack, 1962. Figure 7.42. (right) Arizona Brewing Company truck drivers gather in Arizona Brewing Company hospitality room as Herb Linder hands out a “Safe Driver” award to one of the drivers, 1962. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.)

(facing page) Figure 7.43. (top left) Oberheit Beer was a very shortrun European-style beer available only on draft in 1963 and 1964. Figure 7.44. (top right) Three early 1960s artist rendition prototype bottles from the Arizona Brewing Company. Corona Fiesta and Thunderbird never went into production. Herb Linder was an active member of the Phoenix Thunderbirds, a charitable organization, which explains the design for Thunderbird Beer. Figure 7.45. (bottom left) Two prototype artist rendition paper label cans from the American Can Company dating from the early 1960s. Neither the Royal Guardsman nor the 16-oz. A-1 Ale can went into production. Figure 7.46. (bottom right) J. F. Lanser’s Beer was introduced in honor of Joe Lanser Sr., who passed away in 1963.

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On the surface, the new packaging appeared to have had a positive impact, with a 3 percent increase in sales, but beneath the surface, profits and sales continued to decline. Many new residents in Arizona were not familiar with A-1, but were familiar with national brands and increasingly catered to those brands. The name “A-1” itself was used by a variety of companies because it put them near the top of telephone listings. As a result, Herb Lindner came to believe the name had become passé: “A-1 had reached a superior stage and we believe a new identification is in order.” On October 15, 1962, the Curran-Morton Advertising Company unveiled Lancers, an entirely new beer, to replace A-1. The new recipe, which was test-marketed for nearly nine months prior to its release, was intended to invoke “lightness, elegance, and quality.” It was brewed using Backa hops, a low-yield Yugoslavian variety rarely used by brewers, and it was triple filtered. The trend of the time was crystal-clear, light, lager-style beers, which is exactly what Lancers was. As a result, the entire flavor profile of what was once A-1 changed, and the difference was noticed. Incidentally, the Arizona Brewing Company claimed to be the first brewery in the country to incorporate triple-filtering as a way to remove sediment, including yeast, hops, and other grain particles from the beer. During this time, the brewery introduced two new divisions: the Lancers-Oberheit Products Division, and the Specialty Brands Division. Each contained separate selling and delivery policies. Lancers-Oberheit controlled Lancers and its boldest product, Oberheit, while Specialty Brands focused on marketing a variety of brands under one chapter 7

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umbrella (Van Lauter, Ruser, Argonaut, Snowcrest, Harlequin, Einbock, Dutch Treat, and Elder Bräu). Oberheit was touted as a fine-quality draft beer with Old World European–style flavor and body designed to compete in the premium beer market. It experienced only limited success. Dutch Treat remained a private label for A. J. Bayless Markets. On February 6, 1963, Erhardt W. Lindner passed away at John C. Lincoln Hospital in Sunnyslope, at eighty-three years of age. According to his colleagues, the brewery was his home away from home. Following his retirement in 1961, he regularly visited the plant to make sure everything was in order. Some months later, on December 8, 1963, Joseph Lanser Sr. suffered a heart attack at his home and later passed away at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix. Lanser’s leadership skills and vast knowledge of the industry factored greatly into the brewery’s growth and prosperity. In his honor, Joe Lanser Jr. renamed Lancers Beer J. F. Lanser’s in July 1964. By that time, the Arizona Brewing Company had entered its final days as a regional brewery. It had become a common belief within the industry that the size of a plant was a primary indicator of its success, and the quickest way to increase size, short of building new facilities, was to buy out or merge with smaller ones. It all related to brewing capacity: the larger a brewery was, the cheaper its per-unit costs became, leading to more flexibility in pricing. As a result, numerous independent breweries succumbed to larger breweries. According to Modern Brewery Age, only 167 breweries were in operation in the United States as of 1961, down from approximately 350 a decade earlier. A number of changes took place at the brewery from 1963 to 1964 in an effort to cut costs. The water content in J. F. Lanser’s Beer was allegedly increased to stretch company dollars, which did little to improve its predicament. It appears the shift from A-1 to Lancers to J. F. Lanser’s in a short period of time created confusion among consumers, which further hampered progress. Without options on the table, a decision was made to put the brewery up for sale.

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Dawn of the Multinational Brewery

On April 25, 1964, Joe Lanser Jr.’s brother, Ross E. Lanser, was appointed sole representative of the Arizona Brewing Company’s assets. He was responsible for the exchange of stock and other merger activities involved in its sale. He was approached by representatives of the Falstaff Brewing Company of St. Louis, Missouri, one of the first companies to show interest in the brewery. Harvey Beffa, chairman of the board at Falstaff, requested a review of the company’s financial records, corporate history, assets, and personnel data for evaluation. The information was sent on May 2, and the review was completed by May 26. Falstaff outlined several advantages and disadvantages of the acquisition. The advantages of acquiring the Phoenix plant included 1) a lower investment requirement in comparison to expanding its San Jose plant, 2) expanded services in Southern California and the mountain division, 3) the ability to eliminate its El Paso brewery, and 4) lower per-unit costs in expanding the Phoenix facility to a 500,000-barrel capacity, in comparison to expanding its El Paso brewery. The major disadvantage was the substantial increase in overhead costs if its El Paso plant closed. Moreover, shipping beer from Phoenix to Southern California was far more expensive than shipping beer from its San Jose brewery. The latter two factors became the impetus for Falstaff’s decision not to acquire the brewery.

8 Our plan to rule the beer world —Carling Brewing Company advertisement, Arizona Beverage Journal, March 1966

The Carling Brewing Company Like Falstaff, the Carling Brewing Company—a subsidiary of Canadian Breweries Limited of Toronto, Ontario, Canada—sought to expand its territory west. Since 1954, more than $80 million in plant acquisitions and renovations were achieved by Cardawn of the multinational brewery

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Figure 8.00. (above) The Carling Brewing Company had faith that Carling Black Label would do well in the Southwest since it sold well elsewhere. The Canadian-based company purchased the Arizona Brewing Company as part of their strategy to expand in the Southwest. Figure 8.01. (above right) A 1964 chart showing the Carling Brewing Company’s growth within the industry.

(facing page) Figure 8.02. Although Carling continued to sell the A-1 brand, it was not a large part of their production since Black Label became the Phoenix plant’s principal beer in terms of production.

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ling, and by 1963, it had become the nation’s fourth-largest brewery. On a national scale, its production peaked in 1964, at 5,775,000 barrels, and its brands sold in all fifty states and in fifty countries. On October 8, 1964, sale of the Arizona Brewing Company to the Carling Brewing Company was made public by president Herb Lindner and Carling president Henry E. Russell. In December 1964, its stockholders approved the sale, and the former Arizona Brewing Company became the ninth in Carling’s growing chain of breweries. The acquisition produced a tremendous amount of work, especially for the secretarial staff, who faced long overtime hours dealing with mounds of paperwork. The bottling and packaging departments also worked long hours replacing J. F. Lanser’s packaging with Carling’s. While most employees continued in their original positions, some internal changes were made. The Lansers ended their involvement with the brewery once Carling acquired the plant. Herb Lindner continued with Carling, becoming the plant’s general manager, while his brother Max remained as brewmaster. The one department negatively affected was the trucking division. For years, the Arizona Brewing Company maintained its own fleet of trucks, and its drivers were an integral part of the company. Carling terminated the department, choosing instead to use outside distributors. The move fostered ill feelings in the former drivers, many of whom had dedicated their lives to the brewery but were now unemployed. Carling invested more than $1 million in renovations to the plant, including a new storage facility with forty-foot-long glass-lined tanks, a state-of-the-art fermentation control system, and a second well drilled to a depth of 1,500 feet. The brewery’s chapter 8

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Figure 8.03. Because of spring training, baseball was big business in Arizona, and this 1966 Carling A-1 Beer advertisement reflects that.

capacity was then increased to 350,000 barrels of beer per year, a considerable increase in comparison to where the company stood prior to the acquisition. Carling Black Label, a brand relatively unfamiliar in the Southwest, became the flagship brand in Phoenix. J. F. Lanser’s was replaced by Carling’s A-1 in July 1965. It was the first time since 1943 that A-1 Beer was not the principal brand produced at the brewery. A-1 slipped further from the minds of consumers as a brand of choice. By the time Carling’s Black Label hit the store shelves in Phoenix, the Vietnam War had become a growing concern on everybody’s mind. This was a different type of conflict than those fought in the past, principally because of the political and social upheaval it created. The Vietnam War was the first war that played out live on television. Many discontented baby boomers preaching love and peace began to speak out loudly against the war while also endorsing social change and racial desegregation. By the time the war was in full swing, the era had became a time when conventional wisdom was set aside in place of self-styled “flower power,” the sexual revolution, open drug experimentation, and open rebellion to authority. Many West Coast breweries, including Carling, transported large amounts of beer to the Far East in support of the troops. A large quantity of Black Label was sent from Phoenix through Seattle and San Francisco en route to various military bases abroad. The war inadvertently kept Carling’s production numbers high. Yet it soon became apparent that Carling was not winning over customers in the Southwest as anticipated. Evidently, there had been a false sense that its Black Label brand would do well since it was popular in other parts of the country, but its sales were lackluster at best. Part of its problem was its image. It tended to be heavier in taste, without having a “premium beer” image at a time when light beers were the trend. To make matters worse, it was hoped that its expansion west would curb the decline in market share it had been experiencing since 1964. As its sales numbers worsened, Carling began to reexamine its investments. In 1966, it closed its two-yearold Fort Worth brewery and began to contemplate selling its Phoenix plant. Carling determined that its Tacoma brewery, along with its Fremont, California, brewery under construction, would eliminate the need for its Phoenix facility altogether. As a result, a decision was made to sell the Phoenix brewery.

The National Brewing Company The National Brewing Company of Baltimore, Maryland, showed great interest in the Phoenix facility and quickly drew up plans for its acquisition. Its Colt 45 Malt Liquor brand was on the verge of unparalleled growth in sales, and Phoenix was viewed as a prime area for its development in the Southwest. National offered more than $4 mil144

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lion to acquire the plant, and on November 29, 1966, Carling’s president H. E. Russell and National’s president Jerold Hoffberger announced the sale. National took full possession of the brewery on December 1, and as a result, it became part of National’s Mid-Western Division led by vice president Allan Lembitz. National now had breweries in Baltimore, Miami, Detroit, and Phoenix. It was said that the old brewery in Phoenix operated like a well-oiled machine because of its veteran employees, many of whom had been working at the plant since Arizona Brewing Company’s heyday. They had years of knowledge and experience at the facility, and they knew how to manage its operations. As a result, National executives were advised not to tinker too much with its day-to-day operations. On March 16, 1968, Tom L. Frankovic, former product manager for Colt 45 in Baltimore, became resident manager in Phoenix. He was the youngest vice president in the company’s history and confided in four key people he called his “coaching staff”: Herb Lindner, operations manager; Forrest Steiner, administrative manager; Paul Cramton, market planning manager; and Harry Hofford, general sales manager. dawn of the multinational brewery

Figure 8.04. The National Brewing Company in Phoenix, c. 1970.

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Figure 8.05. (above) A-1 Beer tap handle, c. 1967. This handle was repurposed by National at much less cost than producing a new one by placing a foil decal over a Carling’s A-1 Beer tap handle. Figure 8.06. (right above) A-1 Beer light-up sign, c. 1967. This sign is unusual because it is made of tin and glass. Most signs from this time period were plastic, which cost less to produce. Figure 8.07. (right below) The National Brewing Company was an avid supporter of sports. These A-1 sports schedule souvenir coin bank cans were given away during home games.

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Colt 45 was the principal beer brewed in Phoenix, and it quickly became the number one–selling malt liquor in the country. It was first introduced in 1963 as a premium beer designed to compete with Budweiser, Pabst, and Schlitz. The name was chosen to symbolize the beer’s “extra bang,” but in an attempt not to raise the ire of Colt Firearms (the makers of the Colt .45 revolver), the brewery cleverly claimed it was named after a player in the National Brewing Company–sponsored Baltimore Colts who wore the number 45 jersey. National took great care not to associate itself with any firearm in its advertising. The brewery excelled in many areas where Carling did not by cultivating itself as an “Arizona-based company,” while remaining part of National’s network of breweries. A-1 was reintroduced with an entirely new look in 1967 and promoted with the advertising slogans “Brewing Belongs in Arizona” and “Buy Arizona’s Beer” through television, billboard, magazine, and newspaper ads. It was sold in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Southern California. National made generous donations to the Junior Chamber of Commerce and sponsored the newly formed Arizona Super Corporation, of which Frankovic was president. The nonprofit group devoted its time to the development, expansion, and growth of industry in Arizona. Most notably, it sponsored two newly formed sports franchises: the Phoenix Roadrunners hockey team in 1967 and the Phoenix Suns basketball team in 1968. Both teams called the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix home. Sports became a way for the brewery to diversify its operations. It first acquired the Baltimore Orioles under the corporate structure of Baltimore Baseball Inc. in 1965, and in November 1966, it obtained the franchise for the Baltimore Bays of the National Professional Soccer League. The Roadrunners and Suns joined the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Colts, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, and Miami Dolphins as National Brewing Company–sponsored teams. The Roadrunners were part of the recently formed Western Hockey League (WHL) and Arizona’s first professional sports franchise. Because hockey was somewhat of a novelty in Arizona, the franchise produced a fifteen-minute film called Roadrunner Hockey—It’s a Growing Thing to familiarize fans with the sport. The film covered basic rules and practice routines and featured action highlights of the team’s 1968 inaugural season. The Roadrunners developed a loyal fan base, becoming WHL champions in 1973 and again in 1974. The Phoenix Suns came to the valley in January 1968, after Phoenix was awarded an NBA franchise following numerous failed attempts since 1965. The Suns, under Jerry Colangelo’s management, became a windfall for the city, its sports fans, and the National Brewing Company. A-1 Beer was advertised along with the Suns as “Arizona’s Great Team.” The team won their first game on October 18, 1968, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics by a score of 116 to 107. Their first season proved rocky, however, ending dawn of the multinational brewery

Figure 8.08. A-1 Phoenix Suns schooners in their original packaging.

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Figure 8.09. (above) An aerial view of the brewery in Phoenix looking north during the early 1970s. The intersection on the lower right is Twelfth Street and Madison Street. (Courtesy of Joe Rettinger.) Figure 8.10. (right) View of the National Brewing Company, c. 1974.

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with a record of sixteen wins and sixty-six losses. Regardless, its cheerleading squad, nicknamed the “A-1 Beer Girls,” energized the team and its fans with fringed miniskirts and monogrammed vests. In 1972, Al McCoy was officially named the “Voice of the Phoenix Suns,” and he remained so for years to come. McCoy was noted for exclaiming, “That was good . . . like A-1 Beer,” following key plays on court. He was not the first person to do the play-by-play, however. Bob Vache preceded McCoy as the Suns’ first announcer on KTAR 620 during the 1968–1969 season. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident during the team’s second season. The play-by-play duties were then passed on to former Suns’ game analyst Hot Rod Hundley prior to McCoy’s hire. National’s aggressive marketing campaign brought the brewery much acclaim, and by 1970, both A-1 and Colt 45 had increased sales 20 percent over the previous year. Shipments of Colt 45 to Formosa and Okinawa persisted during the war, which added greatly to its sales numbers. When U.S. involvement in the war ended in 1973, the brewery lost a large share of its market. The earnings produced by Colt 45 prompted other breweries to jump onto the malt liquor bandwagon. One of its strongest competitors was Mickey’s Malt Liquor. Others included Olde English 800, Schlitz Malt Liquor, and Country Club. Country Club was the nation’s first widely successful malt liquor, brewed since the early 1950s. However, the real game-changer impacting Colt 45’s sales was Miller Lite. The Miller Brewing Company introduced Miller Lite in 1973 after acquiring the brand from Chicago-based Meister-Brau. Miller then reformulated its recipe and poured a tremendous amount of money into advertising through television and other marketing means. Its impact on Colt 45 was noticeable. By the early 1970s, the country was moving in a new direction politically and socially. The Vietnam War was over, President Nixon resigned under threat of impeachment, the nation was embroiled in political turmoil, and a gas crisis created long lines at gas stations. The fashion was large collars, bell-bottom jeans, and clunky heels. It was a time when the media found success by making celebrities out of those who acted outrageously, which some argue created more outrageous behavior. Former news reporter and author Tom Wolfe christened the era the “me decade,” or the “me generation.” In this age of self-enlightenment, the National Brewing Company chose to revamp its A-1 brand in September 1974. Its new design featured a more subdued look dressed in cream, red, and brown colors. “Light Pilsner” was added to the package, further reflecting its overall change, which some considered a rather bland look. But its new image fit well in an era in which the gas crunch transformed the muscle car into a tame gas sipper and the fairly polished sound of disco took over the airwaves. A-1 Beer, which long ago had been at the forefront of the brewery’s sales, had become simply an insipid seller in the “cheap beer” aisle. Its new likeness was a reflection of a rather boring yet troubling time period in the brewing industry. The populardawn of the multinational brewery

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ity of light beer was on the rise, thanks in large part to Miller, as more people became conscious of their caloric intake. Both National and Carling faced obstacles in their quest to increase market share. By 1974, National was ranked sixteenth among the nation’s largest breweries while Carling ranked twelfth. Their biggest rivals—Anheuser-Busch, Pabst, Miller, Schlitz, and Coors—controlled more than 50 percent of the beer market. Their high advertising budgets kept most breweries in the lurch for advertising dollars. Unlike in the past, production was counted in the “millions” of barrels once the biggest breweries began to expand internationally. Carling and National were not unlike many other breweries that lost market share to the “big five.” But there were factors that did exacerbate their troubles. Carling was cited for its inability to match its brands with consumer wants by producing heavier beers instead of more popular light beers. The company was also too aggressive in its expansion program, which resulted in the ownership of a string of smaller, aging breweries. National followed a similar path and suffered a similar fate.

Carling-National

Figure 8.11. A-1’s much more subdued look during the Carling-National era, when it was sold as a budgetbrand beer.

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By the mid-1970s, the consolidation of breweries had become the trend in the brewing industry. The trend increased rapidly during the 1970s, resulting in the demise of numerous breweries throughout the country. The motivation behind consolidation was the ultra-high cost of building new breweries. It reached a point where it was simply not feasible to build when you could buy an already existing operation. In 1975, Carling sold its American Division to National for $19 million, resulting in a merger and the formation of Carling-National Breweries Inc. The merger instantly brought the company to tenth in sales among the nation’s largest breweries. The newly created enterprise now controlled fifteen different brands, with Colt 45 its top seller and Tuborg second. Although its prospects looked promising, by 1976 sales had dropped 20 percent, while the leading breweries in the industry out-advertised and out-sold their competitors. One of Carling-National’s major troubles was its existing facilities that were in need of costly renovations, including its Phoenix facility—considered its smallest and least efficient operation. In June 1976, Max Lindner retired from the brewery, and his brother Herb retired three years later, in 1979. The brothers were key players in the brewery’s transformation from a small regional brewery to a multimillion-dollar operation. However, its corporate offices now called the shots, and Carling-National was financially troubled. By 1978, the Phoenix brewery was manufacturing only three to four days per week—an all-time low. That year, Pabst proposed a merger with Carling-National, but chapter 8

the move was blocked by the U.S. Justice Department, which cited federal antitrust issues. The G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was next in line. It offered to buy Carling-National’s entire operation for $35,250,000. On March 27, 1979, the deal was struck, and Carling-National was under the control of G. Heileman.

G. Heileman Brewing Company Heileman was undergoing tremendous growth at the time it acquired Carling-National. The La Crosse giant controlled thirty-four different brands, and its sales topped $655 million. It spent approximately $26 million in 1979 alone on advertising—a trifle when compared to Anheuser-Busch, but still a significant number. A large portion of its budget was used to promote its newly acquired Colt 45 and Tuborg brands— both of which were brewed in Phoenix. The rest was split among its remaining brands. By 1980, the state of the brewing industry dismally reached an all-time low with only 101 breweries in operation. Yet, production was on the rise, and the per-capita consumption rate of 23.8 gallons hit its highest recorded level in 1981. The greatest beneficiaries were the top five breweries in the industry, which produced 75.9 percent of the beer being consumed. The top ten controlled 93.9 percent. By 1981, AnheuserBusch had seized 30.4 percent of the market; Miller, 22.5 percent; Schlitz, 7.9 percent; G. Heileman, 7.8 percent; Pabst, 7.5 percent; and Coors, 7.3 percent. All other breweries together retained 16.6 percent of the market. It is not surprising that the common thought was that there was little difference in taste from one brand to another. Heileman strongly believed its Phoenix plant was a solid component in its group of breweries. It also believed it had a competitive edge against its peers because it retained the only operating brewery in Arizona. At the time, California and Texas were the leading beer-consuming states in the nation. Arizona had the seventh-largest percapita consumption rate, considered a promising position for growth since no competing breweries were planned to be built in Arizona. The Phoenix plant was rejuvenated under Heileman. Repairs were made to its roof, and the brewery was given a new paint job. During renovations, its on-site water well was abandoned when excess sand was discovered, and the brewery began utilizing city water. Colt 45 accounted for approximately 60 percent of its total output, Tuborg 20 percent, and Black Label 10 percent. The remainder of its 400,000-barrel production was split between A-1, Red Grape, Malt Duck, and Dutch Treat. Heileman resurrected A-1 from its seemingly forgettable image to an appearance that harkened back to its heyday as an iconic local brand. It was spruced-up to reflect its 1950s look, complete with the eagle and a new slogan, “Arizona’s Original.” dawn of the multinational brewery

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Heileman recognized the importance of a local brand. It released the A-1 Heritage Edition four-can set, which it named the Legend Series. The cans commemorated four legendary figures from Arizona’s past, including Jacob Walz, Ed Schieffelin, Bill Williams, and Buckey O’Neill. The set became popular among collectors, who helped boost the beer’s sales. Although Heileman succeeded in bringing the Phoenix facility back from the brink, the truth was the average beer drinker took little notice of who made the beer or where it came from, as long as it was fairly priced. However, when the brewery decided to eliminate its old steam-powered whistle, many did take notice. Its distinctive sound was heard five days a week, four times a day, at 8 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. It started the work shift, marked the beginning and end of the lunch break, and ended the day. The old railroad steam whistle, which could be heard at a great distance in Phoenix, had been a functioning part of the brewery for decades. Many people had become accustomed to setting their timepieces by it. Yet, Heileman believed it was no longer necessary, and its termination saved the company $600 per year in operating costs. Its removal drew enough attention to make the pages of Phoenix newspapers. As the Reagan era rolled along, Heileman awoke to the reality that its investment in older breweries was costly. Older plants required constant care at great expense. Adding to its financial setbacks were the ever-rising costs of advertising and operating expenses. Heileman had taken the same tenuous strategy as Carling and National in pursuing older breweries as a method for expansion. Its only truly up-to-date brewery was its home plant in La Crosse. Many of its older facilities, including Phoenix’s, struggled to produce numbers that could compare to its up-to-date breweries. In 1984, the La Crosse–based brewery launched an economic impact study to gain a better understanding of where its facilities stood financially. The result helped bring its predicament into perspective. The Phoenix brewery employed more than 150 people, including those working outside the brewery. It doled out an annual payroll in excess of $4 million. More than $7 million was spent in Arizona on supplies, utilities, and services. It offered significant tax revenue to the community, including substantial annual property tax payments. It provided more than thirty thousand tons of highprotein, low-cost brewers’ spent grain to farmers in Arizona yearly as animal feed. It also serviced 124 wholesalers in ten states. Of those wholesales, 12 from Arizona generated payroll and services in excess of $2 million annually. As it stood, all signs pointed to a highly efficient operation. By 1984, the brewery was operating at its full capacity of 500,000 barrels, and most of its employees were working full time. The Phoenix brewery produced a staggering quantity of beer considering its small size in comparison to Heileman’s more modern facilities. At no other time in its history did the brewery produce the quantity it was producing under the control of its corporate offices in La Crosse. Yet, it simply was impossible to dawn of the multinational brewery

(facing page) Figure 8.12. An illustration of the Carling-National plants acquired by the G. Heileman Brewing Company from a 1979 G. Heileman annual report.

Figure 8.13. (above) Early 1980s easel-back heavy card stock sign advertising the A-1 Legend Series cans.

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Figure 8.14. View of the “mash tub” inside the brewhouse at the G. Heileman Brewery in Phoenix, c. 1980.

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Figure 8.15. Glass-lined tanks at the G. Heileman Brewery in Phoenix, c. 1980.

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produce the amount necessary to make it competitive with other breweries. Heileman’s next smallest facility was producing 1 million barrels, twice the amount of Phoenix. Moreover, its La Crosse and Perry, Georgia, breweries had nearly ten times the brewing capacity of its Phoenix plant, which produced only 2 percent of Heileman’s total output. Most of Heileman’s production came from its ten other facilities, located primarily in the Midwest. Heileman also had other issues to contend with. The brewery was fighting an uphill battle against frequent price wars and a stagnant growth in national beer consumption. The combination of lower prices and slow growth resulted in an excess of 30 to 40 million barrels of beer throughout the industry. The excess production had a negative impact on profits for all breweries as expenses continued to rise. As part of its economic impact study, Heileman drew up a fact-finding checklist to assess its Phoenix facility. The twenty-four-acre site was found to be large enough to house a new 1-million-barrel production brewery, but given the sluggish state of the economy, its construction was deemed not financially feasible. During the latter part of 1984, Heileman reported its first sales decline in almost ten years. Between its study and its declining sales, a less than tepid picture was being painted for Phoenix. The brewery’s inefficiency because of its size was its ultimate downfall. As Jack Isherwood, senior vice president of operations for the La Crosse brewery, explained: “The basic problem is its size as it relates to economies of scale.” In the end, Heileman executives chose to close its Phoenix facility in late March 1985.

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End of an Era and the Start of a New

The decision by the G. Heileman Brewing Company to close its Phoenix facility came as a surprise to many of its employees and to citizens of Arizona who had awakened to the fact that the state’s only brewery was no more. The employees, many of whom had been working at the brewery for decades, were provided with severance pay and provisions for recall by seniority if the plant were to reopen within ten years. With that in mind, the machinery was kept in check just in case the corporate offices reconsidered the decision. However, conditions would have to improve considerably for it to be economically feasible to revive the brewery. Unfortunately, by the second year of inactivity, the brewery was described by some as “being in mothballs.” The only ray of hope was a budding microbrewery industry that began to take hold on the West Coast. Microbreweries would eventually transform and revitalize the entire industry, unlike at any other time in the history of beer. Two bills introduced to the Arizona State Legislature in 1987 specifically aimed at legalizing microbreweries caused some to speculate that G. Heileman was behind the legislation in an attempt to revive its Phoenix brewery. The Anchor Brewing Company of San Francisco was cited as a model of what the old brewery could become. The truth was that Heileman had no interest in legalizing microbreweries in the state. In fact, it made no attempt to reopen the idle brewery in Phoenix even after the two bills were passed. The only real effort put forth by the company was negotiations for its final sale. The St. Louis–based Commercial Development Company Inc. (CDC) purchased the twenty-four-acre site with the sole intention of clearing the property if requested to or preparing it for new tenants. The buildings had quickly deteriorated since the closing, but many still hoped that a new tenant could refurbish the brewery and save it from destruction. One proposal was to turn the plant into a water purification facility for bottling water. The popularend of an era and the start of a new

9 At one time, the brewery was considered one of the state’s biggest businesses, one of the largest breweries in the Southwest and one of the “finest” in the world. —“A-1 Brewery on Its Way to Being 86ed,” Arizona Republic, May 6, 1993

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ity of purified drinking water such as Perrier was on the rise, and some believed this would be a perfect fit for the brewery. Others suggested remaking it into a museum, but its location in an industrial part of town was not considered viable for such a venture. Over time, the boarded-up buildings, unoccupied and with little maintenance or protection against vandals, became an eyesore. By the time more secure fences were installed, anything of value that had not been damaged had been either sold or illicitly taken from the property. The one-and-a-half-story-high copper brew kettles—one of the few remaining items considered historically significant—were cut up piece by piece and removed. Any hope for the brewery’s revival was dashed. Conversely, some never saw any value in the old brewery, arguing that it was not “old enough” to be considered historically significant. In its condition, the land was seen as more valuable for development. Adding weight to the argument for demolition was the high cost of renovation. Restoration might have been feasible if a 1988 bond referendum had materialized, but a slowdown in the economy greatly reduced the growth of property tax revenues. As a result, the $12 million allotted for the project would not fully materialize until 2002. When the Phoenix Fire Department purchased the property from CDC during the early 1990s, demolition was inevitable. In May 1993, the go-ahead was given to tear down the old brewery. The demolition crew was given six months to do the job, but accomplished it in half the time. The fire department built administrative offices on the site, designed to look like an old firehouse from “back East.” Currently, the only remaining building that was once used by the brewery is a small warehouse originally occupied by the Arizona Distributing Company on the northeast corner of Twelfth and Jackson Streets. One interesting memento from the old brewery was salvaged—an oval terrazzo A-1 Beer sign originally located inside the brewery. Today, it sits on a pathway just outside a courtyard inside the fire department’s new complex. The sign offers a subtle hint to the site’s former glory days as a bustling brewery. The closing of the Heileman brewery in Phoenix in 1985 generated a bevy of nostalgic memories for those who held it in high regard. For years, it was Arizona’s most prolific brand, and its iconic image came to reflect a persona bigger than its contents. Eli Drakulich, who owned half interest in the Beverage House liquor store chain in Arizona, wistfully remembered drinking A-1 and longed to bring it back. Under his guidance, the Beverage House decided to contact Heileman to see if it would be interested in releasing the brand as a private label for the chain. To Drakulich’s delight, a deal was struck in 1994. During the following year, A-1 Premium Beer was sold through the Beverage House chain as an in-store budget brand with a completely new recipe in twelve-pack cartons. At the time Drakulich contacted Heileman, the company was in serious financial trouble. Its sales had been steadily declining since 1987. By 1991, the heavily 158

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Figure 9.00. (top) This photo of the G. Heileman Brewery on Twelfth Street, Phoenix, was taken in 1993 as the brewery was being prepared for demolition. Figure 9.01. (bottom) It took approximately three months for demolition crews to clear the site where the G. Heileman Brewery stood.

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Figure 9.02. (right) A “then and now” look at the G. Heileman Brewery site in Phoenix. The photo on the top was taken c. 1962. The photo on the bottom was taken in 2003. (Courtesy of Bob Markow.) Figure 9.03. (above) View of the A-1 terrazzo floor from the G. Heileman Brewery, which was relocated to the Phoenix Fire Department’s new facility, built on the site where the brewery stood. The sign dates from 1949 when the Arizona Brewing Company completed its new construction.

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leveraged company had filed for bankruptcy and was taken over by bank lenders. In 1994, it was sold to a Dallas-based investment company and by 1996 once again faced bankruptcy protection. In July 1996, the entire holdings of the G. Heileman Brewing Company were acquired by the Stroh Brewery Company for $290 million. The acquisition included its plants in La Crosse, Baltimore, Portland, Seattle, and San Antonio, and a beverage facility in Perry, Georgia. Stroh also claimed all of Heileman’s brands, including A-1. At this point, Stroh chose to discontinue production of A-1. This left Drakulich and the Beverage House in a quandary concerning their in-house brand. Only two batches were made through Heileman for the Beverage House prior to its discontinuation by Stroh. Drakulich, perturbed by the discontinuation, devised a plan to purchase the A-1 trademark from Stroh as a personal venture apart from the Beverage House. In preparation, he formed a corporation called the A-1 Beer Company, which was finalized on October 18, 1996. He then approached Stroh with his plan, and on November 29, 1996, the A-1 trademark was acquired by the A-1 Beer Company. Drakulich believed he was now in a position to remake A-1 to fit an image he felt it deserved. He decided he no longer wanted to market A-1 simply as a budget brand, but instead make it into a premium beer. Then, in a surprise move, RJR Nabisco sued

end of an era and the start of a new

Figure 9.04. (above) A-1 Beer was reintroduced for a short time by Eli Drackulich under contract with the G. Heileman Brewing Company in 1995. Figure 9.05. (above left) Pictured here are the first bottles of A-1 Beer being packaged at the Nimbus Brewing Company on August 21, 2010. (Courtesy of William Legoullon.)

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the A-1 Beer Company over the red color used in its trademark. Drakulich was not interested in a court battle and agreed to remove any red from the design in order to appease Nabisco. Still more trouble was on the horizon. Unbeknownst to Drakulich, a law on the books systematically blocked his ability to sell A-1 through the A-1 Beer Company while he remained a part-owner of the Beverage House. As a result, Drakulich had to completely sever his ties with the Beverage House before he could sell A-1— something he was not ready to do. In the years following, Drakulich placed A-1 and his A-1 Beer Company on the back burner. Fourteen years passed since the Beverage House had last sold the beer. Then in May 2009, the Beverage House liquor store chain was sold. Drakulich was finally ready to pursue his dream of reintroducing A-1 Beer. By this time, Drakulich was facing his own battle—cancer. His health concerns forced him to rethink his plans concerning A-1. As a result, he decided to see if he could find a buyer or a brewer willing to produce the brand. He contacted Jim Counts of the Nimbus Brewing Company in Tucson and struck a royalty agreement in which Nimbus would brew and market A-1, and Drakulich would be compensated from its sales. The first bottles rolled off the Nimbus bottling line on August 10, 2010. After much elation, disappointment, and roadblocks, Drakulich was finally able to see his dream of A-1 Beer released as a “premium” beer. Eli Drakulich succumbed to cancer on February 15, 2011. Nimbus produced A-1 for approximately one year before the license to brew the beer was revoked due to Nimbus filing for bankruptcy.

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The 1980s: The Birth of Arizona’s Microbrewery Revolution

The number of independently run breweries in the United States, not including those that merged, dwindled from 369 in 1950 to a mere 34 by 1978. Approximately 170 mergers had taken place in that same time period. The state of the industry reached such a dismal point that some went as far as predicting as few as 5 breweries in operation if the trend were to continue. It could be said that limitations in variety culminated in a large majority of people settling for lighter, mass-produced lager-style beers, which some rightfully claim offered less variation in taste. Anheuser-Busch, Miller, Coors, and Heileman successfully brewed and marketed beers with a lighter flavor profile. The rise in popularity of low-calorie beers accentuated the notion of similarity between brands. Darker, full-bodied beers were available, principally through import or specialty beer stores in limited quantities. A change was on the horizon, however. In 1974, a spark was lit when a group of independent-thinking beer drinkers in Los Angeles who preferred more robust beer than what was available on the market formed America’s first home-brew club, the Maltose Falcons. Home-brewed beer had become somewhat of a lost art. It had been illegal since the start of Prohibition because of a clerical error that left out two very important words, “and beer,” from the statute that legalized home winemaking at the repeal of Prohibition. Beer was frequently brewed at home prior to Prohibition, commonly by housewives. Members of the Maltose Falcons and other like-minded beer enthusiasts helped set the stage to make home brewing beer legal once again. The movement gained support from Senator Alan Cranston of California, Senator Harrison Schmitt of New Mexico, Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, and Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska. Ultimately, on October 14, 1978, House Resolution 1377 (Senate Amendment 3534) was signed by President Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) and put into

1980s: Arizona’s microbrewery revolution

10 If you’re not familiar with the brew-pub concept, you’re not keeping up with trends. These saloon-cum breweries, which got their start on the west-coast (naturally), are sweeping the country. The attraction is the freshness and natural properties of a product made on the premises. —Excerpt from an article in the Arizona Republic, July 3, 1988, on Bandersnatch

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Figure 10.00. (top) In 1996, Michael Jackson visited the Sonora Brewing Company in Phoenix. Brewer Uwe Boer stands to the left of Jackson and owner John Watt is on the right. (Courtesy of Uwe Boer.) Figure 10.01. (bottom) BJ’s brewer Derek Osborne accepts an award from Charlie Papazian at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. According to Osborne, the brewery is quite possibly the top GABF medal winner in Arizona history. (Reproduced by permission from Greg Wiggins, Southwest Brewing News.)

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effect. The law legalized home brew of up to 100 gallons per year or 200 gallons per household. However, it was left up to each individual state to choose if home brewing in their state was legal or not. At the time, home brewers were viewed as an odd lot. The average beer drinker was accustomed to drinking crystal-clear light beers and generally shied away from sampling heavier home-brewed beers—especially if they were unfiltered. What the legalization of home brewing did was pave the way for home brewers to develop their craft, and for some to pursue brewing beer as a profession. Perhaps no other individual was able to enlighten the populace about the many aspects of beer better than the late British journalist Michael Jackson, “The Bard of Beer.” Jackson was considered a premier authority on beer in an era when “newspaper men talked beer, drank beer, and wrote about wine.” In fact, the modern theory of “beer style” was said to be largely based on Jackson’s 1977 book, The World Guide to Beer. Without a doubt, his devotion as a writer and journalist to improving notions about beer helped shape beer culture in North America. Although he passed away in 2007, his role in educating the average beer drinker on the nuances of beer remains paramount. Charlie Papazian, a former nuclear engineer, was another individual who played a significant role in developing beer culture. The release of his 1976 book, The Joy of Brewing, opened the door for people to discover what home brewing beer was all about. Shortly after home brewing was legalized, Papazian founded the American Homebrewers Association with Charlie Matzen on December 7, 1978, and Zymurgy magazine was born. In 1984, Papazian’s book The Complete Joy of Home Brewing was first published. It became known as the “homebrewer’s bible” and has since sold well over one million copies. The New Albion Brewery in Sonoma, California, is credited with being the first modern microbrewery to open in the United States. It operated from 1977 to 1982. The same year New Albion closed, the Yakima Brewing and Malting Company of Yakima, Washington, became the first brewpub to open in the country. The Brewers Association describes a microbrewery as being a small-scale brewery with a production of less than 15,000 barrels of beer annually, with 75 percent of its beer sold offpremises. A brewpub is defined as a restaurant/brewery which sells 25 percent or more of its beer on-site. The restaurant is the defining factor that sets it apart from simply being a microbrewery. However, a brewpub may be redefined as a microbrewery if its off-premises sales reach 75 percent or more of its total sales. A third category has since emerged in microbrewery terminology: the “nanobrewery.” Nanobreweries generally produce less than 4 barrels of beer annually and are acknowledged by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as fully licensed and regulated breweries. As of December 2012, there were more than ninety operating nanobreweries in 1980s: Arizona’s microbrewery revolution

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the United States and more than fifty in the planning stage. That number will likely continue to grow. Microbreweries, brewpubs, and nanobreweries are often referred to as “craft breweries” since they all focus on the artisan aspect of handcrafted beer as opposed to mass-produced beers. However, according to the Brewers Association, the term craft brewery can also apply to regional breweries that produce 15,000 to 6 million barrels of beer annually as long as they have either an all-malt flagship or at least 50 percent of their volume in all-malt beers or in beers that use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.

Microbreweries in Arizona

Figure 10.02. Arizona Beer Festival program, 1985.

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By the mid-1980s, the perception of beer as being simply a fizzy yellow malt beverage was slowly changing. The one key demographic that played a factor in the rise of craft beer sales—due to their youth, prosperity, and ability to spend a good sum of money on worldly goods—was “yuppies” (young urban professionals). Yuppies sought better quality products in their quest for things “more upscale,” and more important, they drank a significant amount of beer. The Old Pueblo Homebrewers Club, formed in Tucson in 1982, strongly supported the budding craft beer scene in Arizona. They promoted the Arizona Beer Festival at a time when craft-beer festivals in the state were little known. In Phoenix, Brewmeisters Anonymous was formed in 1985 with an intent similar to that of the Old Pueblo Homebrewers: to share an appreciation for home-brewed beer. Some forward-thinking Arizonans were ready to change the state’s liquor law to allow microbreweries in the state. Supporters such as Jerry Gantt, at the time a bartender at Turf Paradise horse racetrack in Phoenix, and local lawyer Sam Ciatu confidently voiced their desire for microbreweries. Both were home brewers with dreams of one day opening their own breweries and creating jobs for Arizonans. Gantt pushed for the opening of brewpubs; Ciatu campaigned for microbreweries. Coincidently, the two worked independently and did not collaborate. Two bills were introduced to the Arizona State Legislature in 1987: H.B. 2185, authored by Representative Bev Hermon (R-Tempe), called for the opening of licensed brewpubs in the state; H.B. 2323, drafted by Ciatu and introduced by Representative Jim Skelly (R-Scottsdale), sought to permit microbreweries to sell their products statewide. Although some thought the bills would never pass due to potential opposition from wholesalers, they sailed through the legislature with a fair amount of ease and little opposition. Bisbee resident “Electric” Dave Harvan was granted Arizona’s first microbrewery license, having applied for it within weeks of the laws’ passage. Electric Dave’s Brewchapter 10

ery opened in the small mining town of Bisbee in 1988. Christopher Joseph (Joe) Risi and Joe and Addie Mocca opened the state’s first brewpub in Tempe, the Bander­ snatch Brewpub, on June 22, 1988. In Tucson, Dave Keller created some excitement by announcing his plans to open the Old Pueblo Brewing Company in 1987. It was one of the first hints of a brewery opening in the state following the laws’ passage. However, it never materialized and simply faded into history. Bandersnatch was established just west of the Arizona State University football stadium. It originally opened in 1975 as a British-style pub and restaurant. Risi and the Moccas operated the brewery under the name Christopher Joseph Brewing Company. They saw promise in brewing beer not only for ASU students but also for those seeking craft beer. However, their venture came at a time when Mothers Against Drunk Driving hit the headlines of nearly every local news outlet, exposing the tragedies of drinking and driving. Consequently, they were advised not to emphasize the word “beer,” but to focus more on the words “food” and “brew” in an attempt to lessen any negative publicity. Bandersnatch was much like what one would envision a traditional beer drinking establishment to be, with its interior awash with free-flowing exposed red brick, rustic décor, heavy wood picnic-style tables, and vintage beer memorabilia on display. Some described it as having the feel of a miners’ warehouse or seaport shanty, thanks to its many crates, barrels, tackle ropes, and nets hanging from end to end. Originally recognized as a “Budweiser” bar, the brewpub offered many college-age students an opportunity to sample craft beer for the first time. The first brewer at Bandersnatch was Rick Desmarais. He was a founding shareholder and brewmaster at Grant’s Brewery Pub in Yakima, Washington. Soon after being asked to join Bandersnatch, Desmarais helped set up its 7-barrel JV Northwest extract brewing system. The brewery had an approximately 1,000-barrel annual capacity, and some of its more memorable beers were Cardinal Pale Ale, Big Horn ESB, Bandersnatch Milk Stout, and Sun Devil IPA. Dave Harvan had a more laid-back approach toward starting a microbrewery, but he was keenly aware of Bandersnatch’s opening. He was a charismatic figure with a Bohemian bent who learned how to home brew beer from his neighbor in the late 1970s. He became president of the Suds of the Pioneers home brew club, and his beer proved widely popular among his friends. Believing he could turn his hobby into a business, the former electrician set up his brewery in a shed-like building in south Bisbee (a rather secluded section of Bisbee surrounded by mountains and mine tailings) and called it Electric Dave’s Brewing Company. The ten to fifteen accounts he signed in 1988 sold approximately sixty to ninety kegs per month—not a bad feat for a one-man operation with a minimal budget and one part-time assistant. In 1989, Jerry Gantt decided to join the party by launching his professional brew1980s: Arizona’s microbrewery revolution

Figure 10.03. Bandersnatch 22-oz. “bomber” bottles could be purchased directly from the breweries or various stores across the valley.

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Figure 10.04. This is a view of the first Electric Dave’s Brewery built during the late 1980s. Dave Harvan produced sixty to ninety kegs per month for approximately fifteen accounts. The brewery was confiscated and destroyed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms during the early 1990s following Harvan’s arrest. (Courtesy of Dave Harvan.)

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ing career at Bandersnatch as an apprentice under Desmarais. Back in the early 1980s, Gantt gained an interest in home brewing through Rick Brown, a photography instructor who was “brewing his own before it was cool” (Brown died in a bicycle accident in 2001). Gantt continued to bartend at Turf Paradise, but managed to help the brewpub win the New Times “Best of Phoenix” award for its draft beer. Others also saw promise in craft beer. John B. Burrell, Charles M. O’Leary, Kent Wick, and Lawrence Zak feverishly worked to open Pendleton’s Restaurant and Brewery in the posh town of Paradise Valley near the base of Camelback Mountain. The brewpub was founded in December 1989 on the site formerly occupied by Guadalaharry’s restaurant near Forty-Ninth Street and Lincoln Drive in the La Posada Resort. chapter 10

Figure 10.05. (left) This Pendleton’s Restaurant & Brewery beer coaster reflects the “hunting theme” vividly displayed throughout the restaurant via partial mounts of game animals, deer, and other wildlife. (George Akin Collection.) Figure 10.06. (below) The Black Mountain Brewing Company not only produced its own brands but also contracted private labels for restaurants throughout Arizona.

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Two of the partners, Burrell and O’Leary, had been principal investors in the Goose Island Brewing Company in Chicago. The four contracted Goose Island brewmaster Victor Ecimovich III to design, set up, and help formulate Pendleton’s beers. Guadalaharry’s was completely gutted during its transformation into Pendleton’s, and few expenses were spared. Its interior, with seating for approximately three hundred, was fashioned into an elegant Arizona hunting lodge with hints of the Southwest, Santa Fe, and the Adirondacks. Southwestern art, either purchased or on loan, hung on its walls. Its 20-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system sat stoically behind the bar. Initially, three beers were offered—an amber, a pale, and a lager. Ecimovich personally trained Zak, the brewpub’s assistant manager, to become Pendleton’s head brewer. Ed Chilleen, a seasoned restaurateur who opened his first restaurant, Crazy Ed’s, in 1962 on unincorporated land near Deer Valley Road and Interstate 17, came up with his own plan for a brewery in Arizona. Back in the 1960s, many thought he was nuts for opening his restaurant so far away from anything. His second restaurant, The Horny Toad, operated from 1974 to 1976 in Cave Creek, and in 1982, he opened Crazy Ed’s Satisfied Frog. Chilleen’s venture into brewing began in January 1989, when he opened the Black Mountain Brewing Company next door to the Satisfied Frog. The brewery cost $500,000 to build and offered three beers—Arizona Pilsner, Black Mountain Gold, and Frog Light.

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The 1990s: Beginning of the Boom

The year 1990 included the hottest day on record for the City of Phoenix, with temperatures on June 26 reaching 122°F. It was so hot that some claimed the soles of their shoes stuck to the asphalt when walking down the street. The rise in temperatures over the ensuing years helped spark the global warming debate that would dominate most news headlines around the globe. This epoch also became one of the hottest time periods for Arizona breweries, as many up-and-coming brewers became privy to the notion that banks were willing to invest in microbreweries. As the decade rolled on, more and more craft breweries appeared on the radar, with a peak number of fifteen opening in 1997 and approximately seven more in various stages of planning. The first to bring in the New Year was Hops! Bistro & Brewery, which opened its doors on January 1, 1990. Lessing Stern, the owner of Hops!, introduced the first concept-style brewpub in Arizona near the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall at 7000 East Camelback Road in Scotts­dale. The brewpub occupied an 8,500-square-foot former bank building renovated to seat four hundred, including its beer garden. Stern aimed to attract Scottsdale’s affluent by designing Hops! as a fine-dining establishment. Chef Russell Hodges, along with Anne Greet, formulated its food menu along with general manager Roy Hoover. Hops! produced 1,200 barrels in its first year under the guidance of brewer Julius Hummer. Hummer gained experience brewing in England, Germany, and the United States prior to joining Hops! His father, David Hummer, founded Colorado’s first microbrewery, the Boulder Brewing Company, in 1979. Around this same time, Ray Brice, a 1982 University of Arizona graduate and employee, perfected his home brewing skills with the anticipation of opening a brewery in Tucson. When Brice realized he might be able to make money from his hobby, 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Greetings fellow beer geeks! With each issue, more breweries are opening, more are making progress, and yet more are being planned . . . This is a new Arizona Brewing Scene. Leaner, more focused, and less fluff. —“The Arizona Brewing Scene,” Southwest Brewing News, December/January 1996–1997

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Figure 11.00. Catalina Cream Ale table tent.

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he relentlessly studied the notion of opening a brewery by reading every book on the subject he could get his hands on. He formulated a recipe for an amber-colored cream ale he likened to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Killian’s Red. Once ready, he put his business plan into play, and on February 17, 1990, he and his fiancée/business partner Denise Dillon opened the Southwest Brewing Company. They built their 750-squarefoot brewery inside an industrial park suite at 1016 East Pennsylvania Avenue in Tucson on a shoestring budget. Due to their monetary constraints, advertising was kept to a bare minimum. Business associates Mike and Don Thompson jumped into the brewing business in 1990 when they opened the San Francisco Bar & Grill Brewpub at 3922 North Oracle Road in Tucson. Its brewery utilized an extract brewing system with which John Gruber produced such beers as Wild Cat Ale and Cisco Lager, incorporating “local Santa Catalina mountain water, klages and crystal malts from the grain belt of the Midwest and a precise blend of hops from the best growing regions of Oregon, Washington, and Germany.” Its restaurant featured an extensive menu of typical sports-bar fare and a broad beer selection. Some recall that its twenty-five-cent oysters during happy hour on weekends were alone well worth the visit. Back in Tempe, Bandersnatch became a favorite among college students and Arizona State University football fans. Its “Beer in the Face Club” provided a memorable experience for those who paid the twenty-dollar fee so that they could sit in an oldfashioned barber chair and have patrons egg them on while a waitress lobbed a full pitcher of beer at their kissers. Members received a Bandersnatch mug, $1.50 refills, a Bandersnatch T-shirt, and their name inscribed on the brewpub’s wall. The Tempe brewpub did go through some internal changes during this time. Jerry Gantt left to bartend full time at Turf Paradise when his request to cut back his hours was denied. As a result, former Hops! brewer Clark Nelson became Bandersnatch’s new brewer (Gantt returned to Bandersnatch in 1992 following Nelson’s departure and remained there until 1995). That same year, Joe Risi left to open Barley’s Brew Pub at the once-trendy Town and Country Shopping Center near the intersection of Twentieth Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix. Barley’s held its grand opening on March 30, 1990. The cozy pub, with its tin ceilings and flagstone floors, housed a historic 110-year-old mahogany backbar, complete with a bullet hole said to have been created over one hundred years before. Its 14-barrel Pub Brewing Company brewing system, fully visible behind the bar, incorporated four 434-gallon fermenters capable of producing approximately 2,000 barrels of beer per year. Brewers Jack Owen, Ivan Loveless, and later John Vogt-Nilsen concocted Barley’s beers. Four hundred barrels of its Trick Ale, Fair Dinkum Amber Ale, and Toby Stout were produced by the end of 1990, and that year, it won “Best Brewpub” in the New Times’s “Best of Phoenix.” chapter 11

Soon after Pendleton’s Restaurant and Brewery opened in Paradise Valley, the fanfare behind its opening began to subside, and in 1990, it became the first brewpub to close in Arizona. Its moderate- to upscale-priced cuisine seemed fitting for its exclusive surroundings. However, its high overhead in an exclusive area of town at a time when beer was still shunned in lieu of wine may very well have caused its demise. The second brewery to throw in the towel was the Southwest Brewing Company in Tucson. Ray Brice had every intention of installing a bottling line to increase production, but the $10,000 to $15,000 investment was not realistic at the time. Brice produced twenty-five kegs of Catalina Cream Ale per month and sold it for $67 per keg to local Tucson bars. Devoid of a bottling line, production as it stood simply could not produce enough money to make the brewery profitable. As a result, Brice closed the company’s doors at the start of 1991, just shy of its one-year anniversary.

Figure 11.01. (left) Jerry Gantt dispensing malted barley into the brew kettle at Bandersnatch. (Courtesy of Jerry Gantt.) Figure 11.02. (above) Barley’s Brew Pub beer coaster.

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Tucson native Dennis Arnold could very well be considered one of the most adept businessmen to establish a brewery in the Old Pueblo since Alex Levin operated the Park Brewery back in the 1880s. Arnold was a self-taught brewer who developed a fascination for beer brewing while living in California. His interest in beer was heightened during a visit to the Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley. In 1988, he returned to Tucson with the mind-set of opening his own brewery. Arnold displayed interest in Dirtbag’s West, a bar and restaurant originally established in 1971 as Gentle Ben’s. The landmark bar/restaurant was situated in a 1908-era home near the University of Arizona that at one time was the residence of the university president. It was located just one neighborhood away from where Arnold grew up. He soon acquired the property and began to convert it into a brewpub. In May 1991, after Arnold spent a considerable amount of time and money, Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company held its grand opening. It became an instant hit, offering a variety of beers, including Redcat Amber, Copperhead Pale, Tucson Blonde, and Taylor Jayne’s Raspberry Ale (named after Arnold’s first child). Gentle Ben’s basement, christened the Bear Down Cellar, hosted live acts, such as the Sand Rubies, Rain Convention, and other bands, on a weekly basis. In 1991, Crazy Ed Chilleen was putting the finishing touches on an innovative marketing concept for a spicy beer recipe he was ready to market called Cave Creek Chili Beer. The beer with a chili pepper in the bottle would become one of the most memorable and talked-about beers ever produced in Arizona. The inspiration to place a chili pepper inside a bottle originated following a conversation with a restaurateur who asked Chilleen if he had ever considered making a spicy beer. Odd as it seemed, Chilleen began to experiment and discovered that a serrano chili pepper, with its slim figure and fiery essence, slipped neatly inside a bottle, similar to a worm inside a bottle of mescal. The beer was a hit, and his brewing business surged with the birth of the uniquely flavored Cave Creek Chili Beer. Joe Risi began to reconsider his investment in Barley’s during its second year in operation. The brewpub never quite accumulated the profits he envisioned, so when an opportunity arose, he sold it on August 11, 1992, to former banker Bill Garrard. Garrard had studied the idea of opening a brewery since the 1980s, but never pursued his dream until his retirement from banking in 1990. Barley’s was renamed Coyote Springs Brewing Company & Café. Garrard hired Candy Schermerhorn, a highly respected chef and Zymurgy magazine columnist, to design a new menu for the brewpub. Schermerhorn was well known among food connoisseurs for her delicious beer-infused recipes. Former Barley’s brewmaster John Vogt-Nilsen remained as brewer until Clark Nelson was hired following his departure from Bandersnatch. In 1992, the San Francisco Bar & Grill Brewpub in Tucson chose to discontinue 174

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brewing beer on the premises. Its management may very well have come to the realization that the commitment to brewing beer was costlier and more demanding than what they found worthwhile. At that point, the brewery was dismantled and sold, and the restaurant renamed the San Francisco Bar & Grill. In October 1992, Stern opened a second Hops! in La Jolla, California. Peter McFarlane resumed brewing duties in Scottsdale, while Julius Hummer moved to La Jolla. McFarlane was an accomplished home brewer who studied at the Siebel Institute of Technology, where he gained a master’s degree in brewing science. Peter’s brother Stephen, an attorney, convinced Peter to take the job because it was an ideal opportunity for Peter to gain professional brewing experience since the two looked to one day open their own brewery. Recognition came quickly when Peter won the gold medal in the German Wheat category for his Hefe-weizen at the 1992 Great American Beer Festival. 1990s: beginning of the boom

Figure 11.03. (above left) Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company under construction, c. 1990. (Courtesy of Dennis & Tauna Arnold.) Figure 11.04. (above) Hops! Restaurant & Brewery beer coaster.

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Ed Chilleen’s Cave Creek Chili Beer was the hot topic of conversation following its introduction in 1991. Chilleen, along with brewer Juan Olguin, brewed a considerable amount of Chili Beer, but soon found the task too much to bear. In order to keep up with projected sales, Chilleen contracted breweries in St. Paul, Minnesota; Evansville, Indiana; and the Caribbean to brew Chili Beer following his recipe. For a short time, large quantities were sent to Japan, where it gained a cult-like following. Dave Harvan was steadily growing Electric Dave’s Brewing Company with increased production from 60 barrels in 1989 to 330 barrels in 1990. His Electric beers could be found in numerous locations in southern Arizona. Harvan secretly funded much of his business by “importing” a certain herb-like substance from Mexico. His penchant for the selling of the herb resulted in trouble when a multiagency drug task force led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) witnessed him mailing a parcel of the substance to a friend on the East Coast. Harvan was taken into custody on November 26, 1991, and charged with possession and sale of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Harvan continued operating his brewery up until his sentence was read. Once he was sentenced to five years in prison on September 2, 1993, the doors to Electric Dave’s Brewing Company closed. Its brewing equipment was confiscated by the ATF and the brewery demolished. Harvan’s arrest and the demise of his brewery became the talk of the town and the instigation of many rumors. Following his arrest, Harvan became somewhat of a folk hero in Bisbee and a wayward legend among Arizona brewers. The first brewery to open in Flagstaff was the Beaver Street Brewery in March 1994. Owners Evan and Winnie Hanseth opened Beaver Street following Winnie’s mom’s suggestion that a brewpub might be a profitable business venture. Evan was a former mechanical engineer who dabbled in home brewing, and Winnie was a computer programmer prior to stepping into the restaurant and brewing business. Once the idea for a brewery came closer to reality, Evan completed a brewing course at the University of California, Davis, in preparation for his new career as a brewer. The Hanseths located their brewpub inside a late-1930s-era grocery store south of the railroad tracks in the historic section of Flagstaff. The family spent nearly one full year renovating the building, built with Malapais rock from surrounding volcanic rock beds. When the structure was erected in 1938, it accommodated the Complete Food Market. In 1947, it became the Food Town Supermarket—once Flagstaff’s largest grocery store. While the Hanseths prepared to open Beaver Street, John and Roxane Nielsen made preparations to open the Prescott Brewing Company in Prescott. They established their brewpub inside the historic Bashford-Burmeister Mercantile building on the north side of Gurley Street across from the Yavapai County courthouse, very near 1990s: beginning of the boom

(facing page) Figure 11.05. (top) The Beaver Street Brewery. Beaver Street Brews & Cues is located next door to the brewpub, 2011. Figure 11.06. (bottom) Interior view of the Prescott Brewing Company bar, 2011. (Courtesy of Roxane Nielsen.)

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(facing page) Figure 11.07. The Flagstaff Brewing Company in 2011. The 1930s-era ABC Beer sign was uncovered during the building’s renovation in 1992.

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where John Littig’s Arizona Brewery and Saloon operated in the 1860s. The Prescott Brewing Company was not only the first modern brewpub to open in the mountain town but also the first licensed brewery to operate in Yavapai County since Prohibition took effect in the state in 1915. John Nielsen was a former military serviceman and employee at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company. In 1983, he gained an interest in microbreweries following a visit to Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in Hayward, California. His fondness for craft beer found him dabbling in home brewing, and at a later date, he studied fermentation science at the University of California, Davis, and Chicago’s Siebel Institute of Technology. The brewpub officially opened on March 15, 1994, with four in-house beers on tap exclusively, without the option of guest beers. Some thought this was a risky move, but the Nielsens stood behind their decision, and in time increased their beer lineup with the hiring of brewer Jan Brown in 1999. The Prescott Brewing Company spans three floors and is fitted with a 10-hectoliter Newlands Services brewing system. Consultants from the Coopersmith Pub and Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado, were hired to assist in designing the brewpub, and as a result, its menu was modeled similar to Coopersmith’s. A few months after the Prescott Brewing Company opened, business partners and friends Al Henes and Jeff Thorsett opened the Flagstaff Brewing Company north of Route 66 near downtown Flagstaff—a hop, skip, and a jump away from Beaver Street. Incidentally, the two never intended to open a brewery in the college town. Two years earlier, while traveling to Oregon to establish a communal brewing operation there, Henes and Thorsett encountered car trouble in Cortez, Colorado, and, as fate would have it, wound up in Flagstaff—the nearest major city. The city must have struck a chord with the two, because before you knew it, the Flagstaff Brewing Company was born, and its first beer was poured on opening day, July 18, 1994. The brewery is situated inside the historic 1893 Aubineau/Andreatos building. During its renovation in 1992, stucco was removed from its front façade, exposing its original redbrick walls. Removal of the stucco revealed a vintage 1930s-era handpainted ABC Beer sign (Aztec Brewing Company of San Diego, 1933–1948). The fading sign is still visible today above the brewery along Route 66. The Flagstaff Brewing Company originally operated solely as a microbrewery without a restaurant, but it did not typify your average microbrewery. It successfully melded a college setting with a “hippie” or “granola” vibe in a noticeably laid-back coffeehouse-style atmosphere. It also offered what was considered at the time the largest selection of single malt whiskies west of the Mississippi. In July 1994, the Hops! Bistro & Brewery chain opened a third location in the elegant Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix. The following year, a fourth Hops! opened near Shea Boulevard and Pima Road in Scottsdale, and a fifth was planned for San chapter 11

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Figure 11.08. David Roberts, Jim Scussel, John Hostak, and Walter Geerdts, the original partners who established Four Peaks Brewing Company, with the partners’ Brew Magic brewing system in 1995 in Roberts’s backyard. The four men invited their parents over to present their plans, with hopes of getting a monetary loan. (Courtesy of Jim Scussel.)

Diego. Brewery manager James Salter trained for the head brewing position at the Biltmore location on its 7-barrel JV Northwest brewing system. The brewpub was unique because its brewhouse sat on the third floor above the restaurant. The restaurant itself served American regional cuisine. At the time that Hops! was on the move, an ambitious group of friends—David Roberts, Jim Scussel, John Hostak, and Walter Geerdts—laid out plans for a new brewery in Tempe they called the Cactus Creek Brewing Company. Roberts became president and journeyman of the fledgling venture, while Scussel was in charge of administration and distribution. Hostak, a dyed-in-the-wool Minnesota Vikings fan who went by the nickname “Vegas,” oversaw on-site sales while Geerdts worked the brew kettle. Geerdts perfected his beer recipes on a half-barrel Brew Magic brewing system in Roberts’s backyard with the assistance of Paul Buckner. The neophyte entrepreneurs unknowingly spawned what would one day become one of the state’s most prolific brewing ventures, the Four Peaks Brewing Company. Cactus Creek was established in a largely unused fifty-thousand-square-foot structure (of which only 20,000 square feet were utilized by the brewery) on a detached street south of University Drive not far from Arizona State University. The historic edifice, with a cavernous warehouse appeal, was originally built in 1892 as an ice plant operated by F. A. Hough. It later became known as the Tempe Creamery and Tempe-Mesa Produce Company. In 1907, it operated as the Pacific Creamery until being sold to the Borden Milk Company in 1927. Borden renovated the building with 180

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a Mission Revival façade and operated the facility until its closing in 1953. Since that time, the structure had remained relatively unused. During renovation, its redbrick walls and high wood ceiling and glass clerestory supported by steel suspension beams 35 feet above were exposed to reveal its former glory. Some thought the partners were fools for choosing a fairly remote site in a largely dilapidated building requiring major renovation, especially since the building had been placed in the fire department’s “let it burn” index. The partners funded their venture with help from their parents, credit cards, equipment leasing, and sales of Grundy tanks. Grundies are mass-produced United Kingdom–built pub cellar tanks with a twelve-keg capacity. They were commonly modified by brewers and are largely obsolete today due to difficulties in finding parts, safety hazards, and other factors. Grundies have been described by some as the “Model T” of the craft beer industry since first being introduced in the 1980s. The partners in a roundabout way became the “go-to” guys for anyone in need of the tanks. By importing Grundies directly from the United Kingdom and retrofitting and reselling them, they raised approximately $500,000 for Cactus Creek. The entire deal developed through Roberts’s contacts in England. His uncle, Miles Roberts, was the founder of Blackthorn’s Taunton Cider. Since the Bass Brewery owed Miles a favor, Dave was able to work an exclusive contract to import Grundies to the United States. Starbucks purchased a number of the tanks and so did Oregon-based McMenamins, which purchased a container load for its breweries. At Coyote Springs, Brian Miller apprenticed under Nelson prior to Nelson’s departure to Four Peaks. Miller made an impression on Garrard by winning first place in the American Homebrewers Association National competition for his ESB (extra special bitter). He later honed his craft by completing Siebel Institute of Technology’s short course and became Coyote Springs’s new head brewer. The picturesque city of Sedona, with its red rocks surrounding the gurgling waters of Oak Creek Canyon, was preparing to gain its own brewery with the establishment of the Oak Creek Brewing Company in November 1994. Fred and Rita Kraus opened the brewery slightly off the beaten path north of Highway 89A and just west of a Bashas’ shopping center. Fred’s love of beer developed while a civilian engineer with the U.S. Army in Germany. There, he took up home brewing and spent two years in Bavaria as an apprentice brewer to Josef Weigaertner at the Gasthausbrauerei Hufeisen in Pottenstein, located near Nuremberg. Kraus toiled through a six-month crash course brewing Munich Helles unfiltered on a 10-hectoliter system. He became proficient enough to be titled a certifiable brewmaster. Once back in the United States, his interest in opening a brewery heightened soon after visiting the Weeping Radish Brewery in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The wheat beer he sampled reminded him of the beer he drank in Germany. 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Figure 11.09. Coyote Springs Pilsner Beer glass.

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Oak Creek is a production brewery with a tasting bar and beer garden. The brewery was set up with a 15-barrel Liquid Assets brewing system. Fred’s first two batches, a Nut Brown Ale and Schwarzbier (black lager), were ready by February 1995 for the brewery’s official opening. Kraus kegged and self-distributed his beer for the first few years prior to hiring an outside distributor. According to Fred, part of his success can be attributed to his use of “spunding.” Spunding utilizes natural carbonation in the beer, which he says results in finer bubbles and a smoother finish as opposed to forced carbonation with CO2. Less than 15 percent of brewers use spunding, which is more commonly reserved for manufacturing lager beers because of its slower fermentation period. Coyote Springs underwent a number of changes in 1995 and was on the verge of considerable growth under the direction of Garrard. He encountered some stumbling blocks, however. Soon after Garrard filed an application to register the trademark Coyote Springs Brewing Company, on February 9, 1995, Anheuser-Busch voiced its opposition. The St. Louis behemoth felt Coyote Springs was too similar to its trademarks Nordic Wolf and Red Wolf since Coyote Springs contained “wolf” elements in its design. Garrard felt this claim was far-fetched. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board sided with Garrard when it found the differences between the designs outnumbered and outweighed any similarities. It explained that the “opposer’s marks not only differ greatly in appearance and sound from applicant’s composite mark, but also convey a much different commercial impression.” Dennis Arnold faced the reality that Gentle Ben’s might have to be torn down. Back in 1994, the Marshall Foundation, owners of the property where Gentle Ben’s stood, informed Arnold of plans to raze the property for a proposed Marriott Hotel. The news was troubling, but an offer to relocate Gentle Ben’s on the south side of the same block made the move much easier. In 1995, the old Gentle Ben’s poured its last beer before closing to make way for the hotel. Its new location was a former 1970sera bank building on University Boulevard that previously housed the U of A Center for Architectural Landscaping. Many hours of sweat equity were put into building the brewpub by Arnold, his family, and friends. Lumber, bricks, and whatever could be salvaged from the old site were utilized in the new construction. The original bank vault, with its two-foot-thick walls and ceiling, was kept intact. In July 1995, a tragic turn of events took place when Cactus Creek brewer Walter Geerdts developed an inexorable virus that attacked his lungs, and died suddenly in his sleep. One day prior, the partners were sampling his first batch of pale ale. After his death, police took samples of the beer to determine if it might have been the cause, but it was found safe. Homicide was also ruled out, and the source of the virus was never clearly established. Geerdts’s passing was heartbreaking, but the remaining partners chose to stay the chapter 11

course. The partners met regularly at Coyote Springs while formulating their business plan. At the time, Clark Nelson was head brewer at Coyote Springs and Andy Ingram worked under Nelson. Nelson and Ingram were in the process of devising their own plan for a brewery when Nelson was approached by Roberts, Vegas, and Scussel, asking him to join them in Tempe. He agreed as long as Ingram was included. The partners acquiesced and the stage was set. Ingram referred to Nelson as “a great teacher in the art of seat-of-the-pantsbrewing.” He was reported to have once made beer out of Cheerios in a galley sink while cruising aboard a navy submarine. On October 6, 1995, soon after Ingram and Nelson joined, the name Cactus Creek was amended to the Four Peaks Brewing Company. Ingram believed Cactus Creek sounded more like a nursing home than a brewery. The changes taking place in Tempe happened while Harvan was serving his prison sentence. Electric Dave kept close tabs on his friends in the outside brewing world through local home-brew club newsletters. He worked maintenance as an electrician to pass the time. At one point, Dennis Arnold offered him a job at Gentle Ben’s if his parole was granted, but it was not. Harvan served a total of twenty-seven months before being granted parole in December 1995. Once out, he enrolled at Cochise College to learn welding techniques and sold Electric Dave’s Brewing Company growlers and T-shirts on the side to raise money for a new brewery. Jerry Gantt made his final departure from Bandersnatch in 1995 to concentrate on opening his own brewery. At that point, Joe Bob Grisham, an accomplished home brewer and active member of Brewmeisters Anonymous, took over as head brewer at Bandersnatch. Grisham initially gained an interest in brewing after meeting one of the home brew club’s founders in a bar. After settling in at Bandersnatch, he refitted the brewery to an all-grain brewing system by installing a mash/lauter tun. Peter McFarlane left his brewing position at Hops! in 1995, to concentrate on opening the McFarlane Brewing Company with his brother Stephen. Sean McLin, a Seibel Institute graduate from the La Jolla Hops!, took Peter’s position at the Camelback location and stayed there until its closing to make way for a multimillion dollar expansion of the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall in 1996. In January 1995, local home brewer Leonard Baldauf unveiled a proposal to open a two-hundred-seat brewpub in Tucson called the Baboquivari Brewing Company. The thirty-five-year-old Baldauf sought to build his brewery near the area of Swan, Wilmot, and Grant Roads and Broadway Boulevard, south of the old Fort Lowell. He consciously chose a location just far enough from Gentle Ben’s to be a complement and not a competitor. However, the story of Leonard Baldauf and the planned Baboquivari Brewing Company became a story of misfortune and murder. For a brief stint, Baldauf apprenticed at O’Ryan’s Brewery in Las Cruces, New Mexico, under John Ritter. Baldauf had the money, the plan, and the drive to make his 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Figure 11.10. Logo for the ill-fated Baboquivari Brewing Company, which was to be located in Tucson.

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proposed brewery work, but finding a suitable location became his stumbling block. As the months passed, the difficulty in locating a site proved discouraging. By the summer of 1995, his plan was put on hold. In February 1996, Baldauf traveled to New Mexico to help establish Kegs Brewery in Alamogordo. He then returned to Tucson and partnered with Scott Schwartz, who became a managing partner in Baboquivari. Schwartz had extensive restaurant experience and was a promising addition to the venture. Since Baboquivari was essentially at a standstill, Bauldauf moved to Pueblo, Colorado, to help establish a brewery there. In January 1997, he relocated to Florence, Colorado, approximately thirty miles outside of Pueblo. While surveying bars in Pueblo, he met a thirty-year-old realtor named Paige TenBrook. Paige supposedly was in the process of separating from her husband Scott TenBrook, and although still married, Baldauf attempted to establish an intimate relationship with her. Some claim he acted like a stalker. Less than one month later, Paige was found dead from an apparent strangulation. It was the first homicide in Pueblo history. Baldauf’s arrest on January 25, 1997, in Tucson brought his dream for Baboquivari to a close. All evidence appeared to point to him as the culprit in the murder. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to twenty-four years in prison. Baldauf later declared his innocence and made several unsuccessful attempts to withdraw his guilty plea. In 2005, he authored a story in the third person titled “Fall Guy for Murder of Woman that Husband Admits Committing—The Leonard Baldauf Story.” The article appeared in Justice Denied: The Magazine for the Wrongly Convicted. He set up a scenario in which he claimed his innocence and suggested Scott TenBrook hired a killer to cash in on Paige’s $600,000 insurance policy. The hope was to gain public sentiment and have the case reopened. Four years after the story went to press on July 25, 2009, Baldauf was found dead in his prison cell at forty-nine years of age. Back in the bustling student environs of Tempe, the Four Peaks Brewing Company was slowly being assembled. The brewery faced several delays in the process, and as a result, its scheduled opening always seemed to be shifting. Consequently, some jokesters referred to it as Four Weeks Brewing Company, since it seemed it would always be open “in another four weeks.” The brewery’s grand opening finally happened on January 1, 1996, and its first kegged beer was delivered to the nearby Timber Wolf Pub & Grill—a bar and restaurant that catered heavily to craft beers. Casey Moore’s Oyster House, a Tempe institution since the mid-1980s, was its second account, and it remains to this day Four Peaks’s number one keg account. The brewery produced four beers (a Scottish amber, a pale ale, Arizona Peach, and an oatmeal stout) from its 7-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system, which incorporated horizontal dairy tanks, open fermenters, and a series of Grundy tanks. Its expansive bar allowed plenty of seating for patrons. One of its more popular seasonal beers was chapter 11

its Pumpkin Porter. Andy Ingram and Clark Nelson first began brewing the beer back at Coyote Springs using real pumpkins. The tradition was moved to Four Peaks when Ingram joined, and for a time, customers brought in their old pumpkins after Halloween upon request from Four Peaks for making the porter. It has since become one of the most anticipated beers the brewery produces annually. One month after the Four Peaks’s grand opening, Clark Nelson ended his partnership with the company in exchange for a partnership with Steven Delaportas in the proposed Steve & Clark’s Brew Pub & Sausage Company in Durham, North Carolina. 1990s: beginning of the boom

Figure 11.11. This photo, taken in 2002, shows the original 7-barrel Specific Mechanical brewhouse Four Peaks started with. (Courtesy of Jim Scussel.)

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Figure 11.12. Tombstone Brewing Company logo.

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The two hoped the venture would grow into a string of new brewpubs. Delaportas was formerly associated with Café Terrace Italian Bistro in Scottsdale. The two ambitiously projected having Steve & Clark’s locations across the valley, including in Phoenix, Tempe, Paradise Valley, and Chandler. The first brewpub was scheduled to open in February 1996, at 4151 North Marshall Way, the site of the former Café Terrace. However, the option to acquire Weeping Radish Brewery in Durham altered their course, and it became the first Steve & Clark’s to open. Nearly two years would pass before a Steve & Clark’s would be established in Arizona. Upon Nelson’s departure from Four Peaks, Ingram took over as head brewer, and for a short time, he was assisted by Eric Miles. Around that time, Ingram invited retired brewer Barry John for a tour of the brewery. John was employed for thirtyfive years at Young’s Brewery in London and had recently relocated to Scottsdale. He wound up staying at Four Peaks for approximately ten months before leaving because of health concerns. According to Ingram, John made an impact on the brewery that will always be remembered—“every day of which was worth a lifetime of experience.” The Flagstaff Brewing Company underwent some change with the installation of a restaurant in 1996. Its brewery also expanded with a 13-barrel fermenter and two 13-barrel serving tanks. Thorsett, along with assistant brewer Jeff Duncan, took charge of brewing its beers, which included Agassiz Amber, Bubbaganouj IPA, Blackbird Porter, Sasquatch Stout, and a rotating selection of seasonals. On January 15, 1996, the Tombstone Brewing Company & the 202 Grill became the first Brew on Premises (BOP) to open in the state. Portland, Oregon, transplants Nate Hoffman and brothers John and Ken Rho built the brewery approximately onequarter mile north of the Salt River near the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Loop 202 in Tempe. Its location across the dry riverbed near the Arizona State University (ASU) stadium made it a welcome respite for ASU students and budding brewers. Tombstone offered more than one hundred different recipes to choose from. The brewing process took approximately one and one-half hours, and in two weeks, customers returned to bottle approximately eighty 22-oz. bottles to take home. Bottles were provided for sale, or customers could bring their own. The entire cost started at $150 plus tax. Tombstone’s in-house beers included Saguaro Pale Ale, Sedona Scotch Ale, Sunstroke Raspberry Ale, Honey Lemon Ale, Heatmeiser Hefeweizen, Prickly Pear Porter, Snowbird Stout, and Horney Toad Dunkel Weizen. The BOP was first created in Canada because BOPs were not subject to the high taxes imposed on commercial breweries. The first BOP in the United States opened in 1993 in Colorado, and the concept soon spread west into California and elsewhere. Most were extract breweries, but some did offer all-grain brewing. Some believed the concept would sweep across the United States, but in the end, they found only limited success. chapter 11

During April 1996, Jerry Gantt and his business partner Doug Snyder put in lastminute adjustments in preparation for the opening of the Copper Canyon Brewing and Ale House in Laguna Village, a strip mall on the southeast corner of Ray and Kyrene Roads in Chandler. The brewpub was a welcome respite from the somewhat mundane parking sitting just outside its doors. Gantt willingly accepted suggestions from “the Four Peaks guys” and Oak Creek’s Fred Kraus, picking their brains to make sure everything was on track. He spent a good deal of time in the brewhouse inside a glass-enclosed room behind the bar, working a 1,200-barrel annual capacity Specific Mechanical brewing system. Copper Canyon’s cache of beers included Gila Gold Pale, Naughty Amber, Foothills Honey Blonde, Jackrabbit IPA, Jerry’s Grateful Red, Leapin Lizard Light Ale, rAZbeery Ale, and others. Incidentally, for a brief time, A-1 Amber Ale was on tap at Copper Canyon, but its name quickly changed once trademark implications were voiced. Bill Mondragon, a minor partner in the venture, commanded the restaurant and provided an appealing lunch and dinner selection.

Figure 11.13. A forklift prepares to install a tank at the Copper Canyon Brewing and Ale House, 1996. (Courtesy of Jerry Gantt.)

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Bill Garrard had big plans for Coyote Springs. He proposed building four new locations within the next two or three years. Garrard studied potential sites in the east valley, northwest Phoenix, and Tucson. The August/June 1995 Southwest Brewing News jokingly referred to them (Coyote Springs) as “maniacs.” The first new Coyote Springs developed inside the former Buddy Ryan’s Bar & Grill in downtown Phoenix. It opened as Coyote Springs Brewing Company within the first quarter of 1996, following Garrard’s acquisition, but it did not contain a brewery. Garrard chose the location, banking on the success of the newly opened Phoenix Suns basketball arena and the future Bank One Ballpark a mere two blocks from Coyote Springs. Few changes needed to be made since it was a functioning restaurant, except in the kitchen where the food was upgraded. The three-story, 21,000-square-foot structure at 122 East Washington Street featured a large bar at the center of its main floor surrounded by tables, booths, and approximately twenty televisions. Its second and third floors offered sizeable banquet space and a VIP bar. At some point, a brewery was planned for the front patio behind glass visible along Washington Street. Peter and Stephen McFarlane also enjoyed the sweet taste of success following their ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 20, 1996, in celebration of their newly opened McFarlane Brewing Company. The $1 million brewery was financed largely by themselves, family, and investors. It occupied a 1960s-era warehouse at 202 South Twenty-Ninth Street in Phoenix, where the brothers produced classic German- and British-style beers. The brewery became the first true microbrewery to operate in Phoenix, and at the time, it was expected to become the largest in the state. Peter relinquished a successful job at Hops! in order to focus on his own brewery. He began his career as a home brewer and later studied at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago. Stephen achieved a master’s degree in business from Thunderbird Graduate School, a Juris Doctor, and a master’s degree in tax law. He designed McFarlane’s business model after extensive research of Northwest breweries, including Red Hook, Hale’s Ale, Pyramid, Widmer, and McMenamin Brothers. Originally, the brothers considered opening in Flagstaff, but in the end, they determined that Phoenix was a better location for a regional brewery. The McFarlane Brewing Company was considered cutting edge with its eight-inchthick poured-concrete floor. Some quipped that a couple of breweries could have been built with the dollars invested. Peter designed and built the brewhouse using JV Northwest equipment consisting of a 20-barrel brewing system, four 40-barrel fermenters, and two 100-barrel lagering tanks. McFarlane’s was designed to hold up to twenty-five 40-barrel fermenters as growth warranted. Within four months of opening, two more were added. A planned bottling line would bolster its gaining market share of local beer sales and expansion into the Tucson and Flagstaff markets. The decision to self-distribute, according to Stephen, “was a critical element of success 188

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Figure 11.14. (above left) Stephen and Peter McFarlane invited Phoenix City Councilman Cody Williams to join them for McFarlane’s ribbon-cutting ceremony held in May 1996. (Courtesy of Stephen McFarlane.) Figure 11.15. (above right) Peter McFarlane standing next to the brewery’s 40-barrel fermenters, c. 1996. (Courtesy of Stephen McFarlane.) Figure 11.16. (left) Uwe Boer prepares for the Sonora Brewing Company’s first day of brewing, 1996. (Courtesy of Uwe Boer.)

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learned from the Northwest microbreweries.” The brothers anticipated an approximately 25,000-barrel annual capacity. Perhaps the best place to sample its beers was in its tasting room, the Green Door. It became a popular gathering place for local businessmen and beer enthusiasts, especially during Friday night happy hour. Its large sunlit windows, terra-cotta tiled floors, and copper-topped bar with corrugated metal front imparted a friendly ambiance. Popcorn, games, and a selection of cigars added to a relaxed atmosphere. Much of the Green Door’s success, however, is credited to its charismatic bartender Bobbie Krekk, who regularly served guests with a smile while enjoying a laugh or two with them. Back in October 1995, John and Margie Watt established the Sonora Brewing Company in an unadorned warehouse near the intersection of Thirty-Sixth Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix. The brewery was intended to be a no-frills production brewery with a small tasting room set up for visitors. Leuder’s Consulting was hired to assist in assembling its brewhouse, which consisted of a 20-barrel brewing system. A mere seven years earlier, John Watt had purchased his first home brew kit while living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He quickly excelled at his hobby, cultivating his own yeast and perfecting his own recipes. The Watts brought in a “Big German” named Uwe Boer (pronounced “Uva”) as its brewmaster. Boer’s charisma is equally matched by his talent to brew good beer. Like Watt, he began as a home brewer, but was noted for having an innate talent for brewing. The Sonora Brewing Company followed the strict guidelines extolled in the 1516 German Beer Purity Law known as Reinheitsgebot. The law dictates that only water, malt, hops, and yeast could be used in brewing beer. Shortly after the brewery opened in May 1996, beer guru Michael Jackson, “The Beer Hunter,” visited and greatly enjoyed its Pale Ale. For a short time, Sonora’s Amber Ale was available from a kiosk in the Bank One Ballpark and America West Arena. In Tucson, the River Road Brewing Company opened with high expectations on July 19, 1996. Unfortunately, it encountered troubles from the start, but for a brief time, it made a mark on Tucson’s brewing landscape. Dr. Robert “Buzz” Selby owned the St. Philip’s Plaza near the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains where Tom Jones, a graduate of the American Craft Brewers Academy in Torrance, California, proposed opening a brewpub. Originally a coffeehouse was intended for the space on the northeast corner of the plaza, but in the end, the idea of a brewpub won out. Jones and Selby became friends and business associates, and along with a silent third partner, the new brewing venture moved forward. Dr. Paul Farnsworth, a distinguished international brewery consultant and academician, was brought in to design the brewpub and assist in formulating River Road’s beer recipes. Farnsworth was a columnist for Southwest Brewing News and an advisor to many up-and-coming breweries. He was born in Burton-on-Trent, England, and 190

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at sixteen years of age, he trained in a two-hundred-year-old traditional ale brewery. He received his bachelor’s degree and PhD from the University of London and taught brewing fermentation science and microbiology at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Selby provided much of the capital to build, furnish, and launch the restaurant, while Jones directed its construction and start-up efforts. The brewpub was sleek and modern with a modest display of elegance. Its two floors embraced 10,000 square feet of space, and its brewhouse featured a 15-barrel Bohemian Brewery Importers brewing system. A lab for propagating yeast was off to one side, and its stainless steel vats were displayed on the main floor along with floor-to-ceiling fermenters encased behind glass against the east end of its second-floor dining loft. Executive Chef Marianne Banes was brought in to formulate its southwestern-infused cuisine, which included everything from traditional pub fare to more elaborate meat and fish dishes. Like many restaurants on opening day, River Road’s grand opening did not happen without its share of trouble. Issues arose with its choice in drinkware, which quickly proved too thin for commercial use, resulting in chipped and broken glasses. Then, an excessive amount of foam flowed from its taps when the glycol chiller was inadvertently attached to the brewer chiller. The result was a backbar full of pitchers sitting idle waiting for the foam to settle, resulting in half-empty pitchers and lukewarm beer being served to its customers. When the problem was discovered, it was quickly rectified, but it left some patrons befuddled. Once the brewpub gained its footing, River Road’s English-style beers shone under the guidance of interim brewmaster Farnsworth. Tucson Weekly’s September 26– October 2, 1996, edition, Chow: Sud’s ’N’ Sophistication, named it “one of the best new restaurants to open in Tucson in quite some time.” Mathew Kovalaske brewed alongside Farnsworth and eventually took over as head brewer. Kovalaske apprenticed at the Freedom Brewing Company in London under brewmaster Alistair Hook and at the White Horse on Parson’s Green, under Mark Dorber. Outside the public eye, however, River Road’s high operating costs quickly proved too overbearing, and in time, the relationship between Jones and Selby soured. Jones believed he was an equal partner with Selby in the venture under River Road Brewery LLC. Selby thought otherwise since he had invested $2 million into the venture. Over the ensuing months, lease payments went into default, and on November 24, 1996, their discord reached its zenith when Selby locked Jones out and terminated the lease. The move marked the end of River Road, and one month later, in December 1996, litigation proceedings were filed in court. Selby and other creditors petitioned to force Jones and River Road Brewery LLC into involuntary chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy. During this time period, Dennis Arnold was eagerly preparing to open a new and bigger Gentle Ben’s in Tucson. Arnold’s big day came on November 4, 1996, when 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Figure 11.17. View overlooking the restaurant and brewhouse of the River Road Brewing Company Restaurant and Brewhouse, 1996. (Reproduced by permission from Arizona Daily Star.)

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Gentle Ben’s opened its doors. The brewpub spanned two floors with approximately 15,000 square feet of space, enough room to hold nearly one thousand people. Its restaurant was tripled in size and the brewhouse enlarged to fit a new steam-fired 15barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system, two 30-barrel fermenters, a 500-gallon brew kettle, combi-style mash tun, and four 1,000-gallon conditioning tanks. Upstairs was a large L-shaped bar, pool tables, a band stage, and a dance floor. Its downstairs held a cozy U-shaped bar next to the main entrance. Gentle Ben’s has been busy ever since. “Get this: Somebody named Nimbus is considering opening a brewpub!” The announcement made in the June/July 1995 issue of the Southwest Brewing News was in reference to the soon-to-be-opened Nimbus Brewing Company in Tucson. Co-owners and original financiers Terrell “Beau” Woodring, Vaughn Skully, and Laurence Miller chapter 11

proposed the brewing venture, with the name of fellow college roommate and home brewer Nimbus Couzin. Couzin became head brewer, brewhouse designer, and an integral part of the Nimbus puzzle. The ragtag and underfinanced colleagues from Oregon loved to brew beer and were lured by the charm and mystique of running a professional brewery. Couzin opted to postpone his studies toward a doctorate degree in experimental physics at Purdue in order to join the venture. Although he lacked the capital to invest in the endeavor, he was given a 5 percent share in the company (which in five years would grow to 15 percent). His principal form of payment was his knowledge and sweat equity in building the brewhouse. The brewery was built inside a warehouse in an industrial section of Tucson, northwest of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Its 10-barrel all-manual brewing system was originally used by the Widmer Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon, from the late 1980s through the early 1990s. The partners “scabbed” together spare parts from a non-commissioned nuclear plant in Washington State to complete the brewery. It was described as being effective and ingenious—“part thrift store kitsch, part industrial warehouse and part Dr. Evil’s laboratory.” The brewery began with a brewhouse that had a theoretical 4,000-barrel annual capacity, yet it produced just under 200 barrels after completing its first batch in November 1996, which marked its official grand opening. One of the first beers developed was the hoppy “Northwest-Style” Palo Verde Pale Ale. It was released at a beer festival in Flagstaff to rave reviews. The defunct River Road Brewing Company experienced a rebirth on January 13, 1997, when it reopened as the Breckenridge Brewery & Pub soon after Selby sold it to the Colorado-based company for $1.5 million. Richard Squire, a ski buff and avid home brewer, originally founded Breckenridge in the popular ski town of the same name in February 1990. Its popularity quickly grew, and in 1992, a second location opened in Denver. To capitalize on the growing excitement over craft breweries, Breckenridge chose to expand its concept across the United States. From 1995 to 1997 alone, it opened six brewpubs and stretched its wholesale beer distribution to over thirty states. In May 1996, a larger brewing and bottling facility opened in Denver to accommodate its growing market. Its Tucson location became its seventh and largest brewpub in the country. The majority of the fixtures from the defunct River Road, including its brewhouse, were kept intact, and Kovalaske continued as brewmaster. Kovalaske fabricated four to five different Breckenridge beers, including a small number of fruit-infused varieties such as Raspberry Porter and his own Black Cherry Voodoo Double Stout. Breckenridge prevailed in Tucson, and in 1998, it was voted “Best Brewpub” in a tie vote alongside Gentle Ben’s in Tucson Weekly’s “Reader’s Pick.” 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Figure 11.18. Copper City Brewing Company pint glass.

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While Breckenridge settled into its new Tucson environs, a growing disparity between Peter and Stephen McFarlane climaxed into an unamicable split in January 1997, six short months from the time the McFarlane Brewing Company held its grand opening. According to Stephen, the issue arose over a decision to break from the business plan and hire a local distributor to handle their beer. Once it became apparent McFarlane’s beer was not that distributor’s top seller, it was not properly promoted, and in a matter of six months, McFarlane’s taps plunged from 125 to 50. Stephen departed, and Peter and his wife Jane took control of the brewery. Former Minnesotans Dave Fotey and Linda West opened the Copper City Café in an old brick building in South Bisbee on the road to Agua Prieta, Mexico. The unique aspect of the café was the inclusion of an attached home brew supply store operated by Fotey. The café failed, however, during the mid-1990s, principally because it was a fair distance away from the tourist section of Bisbee. Fotey and West then decided to reopen the café in the tourist section, complete with a kitchen and a working brewery. Paul Lachmanek joined the venture as a third partner. He was owner of the Home Brewery, a home brew supply store located in Sierra Vista and Las Vegas. The partners named it the Copper City Brewing Company. It opened on March 8, 1997, inside the late-1930s-era Del Webb building at the intersection of Tombstone Canyon Road and Brewery Gulch, but initially, it did not contain a brewery. Fotey intentionally took time erecting its 1.5-barrel (50-gallon) brewing system to ensure “zero debt” for the restaurant. In June 1997, it, along with its fermentation and kegging room, was complete. The makeshift brewery consisted of a heat-riveted copper encased mash tun and an open 65-gallon steam-fired stainless steel kettle. Fotey brewed 50-gallon batches of Copper City Beer at a time. His other offerings included a pale ale, a stout, and a draft root beer. In 1997, Hops! Bistro & Brewery’s parent company, Super Hops!, introduced a new concept called Cougan’s Brewery and Grill. The catalyst for the name arose because another chain of breweries in the eastern part of the country (and in Colorado), called Hops Restaurant Bar-Brewery, used a similar name to Hops! It was always a concern for Super Hops! (the first to register the trademark), but the issue was left alone. When Hops Grill and Brewery was acquired by Applebee’s, Applebee’s parent company made an offer to acquire the Hops! trademark. The substantial offer was accepted, and all future Super Hops! brewpubs were named Cougan’s. The first Cougan’s Brewery and Grill opened just outside Glendale’s Arrowhead Mall along Bell Road. It embodied a warmer, more subtle atmosphere than the sleek contemporary look Hops! typified. Daniel Rothman was the first brewer at Cougan’s. While there, he was noted for making an ancient beer recipe for an Egyptian artifact exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum, utilizing barley bread and dates in the mash.

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The McFarlane Brewing Company under Peter and Jane’s guidance made valiant efforts to regain its footing without Stephen. Peter’s Hefeweizen became the brewery’s top seller, accounting for approximately half the brewery’s total sales. It was made with 50 percent wheat and 50 percent two-row barley malt fermented with Bavarian yeast. The brewery drew large crowds when it hosted the Great Arizona Beer Festival Homebrew Competition on April 5 and 6, 1997, and again at its 1997 Oktoberfest celebration. The brewery also sponsored the Eleventh and Twelfth Annual Multiple Sclerosis Society 150 Best Dam Bike Tour by donating beer to the approximately five hundred participants. Michael Jackson offered much praise for the brewery during a visit in 1997, and it was chosen as the “Best Local Brewery” in Phoenix in the 1997 New Times readers’ poll. In 1997, Scott Bartman joined Jerry Gantt at Copper Canyon as an assistant brewer. He was an active member of the Arizona Society of Homebrewers, Brewmeisters Anonymous, and a former brewer at Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery. Bartman, who went by the alias “Barzona” for a time, was noted for helping formulate Copper Canyon’s original milk stout. Around this time, Mondragon departed Copper Canyon, leaving sous-chef Steven MacAulay in charge of the kitchen. A promising new venture held its grand opening in downtown Flagstaff on September 4, 1997, called the Mogollon Brewing Company. Home brewers Dana Kanzler and Noah Davison opened the brewpub inside a 103-year-old former mercantile

Figure 11.19. Advertising poster for McFarlane beers.

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building, which housed everything from a church to a punk rock nightclub before being transformed into a brewery. The two friends came up with the idea while taking courses at Colorado State University. Both apprenticed at the Avery Brewing Company, sharpening their skills in brewery operations. Mogollon was built on a shoestring budget and quickly produced some impressive beers on its 20-barrel brewing system. Apache Trout Stout, Wapiti Amber Ale, Superstition Pale Ale, Hefevenom, and Horny Toad IPA became favorites among Northern Arizona University students and beer enthusiasts. The Nielsens’ success in Prescott led them to open a second location in Tucson with new business partner Steve Tracy. The Thunder Canyon Brewery opened its doors on November 18, 1997, at the Foothills Mall near the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The ten-thousand-square-foot brewpub with vaulted ceilings, skylights, and spacious bar entailed an approximately $900,000 investment. Its brewhouse was fitted with a 15-barrel Liquid Assets brewing system with eight serving tanks visible from the street under an extended overhang. The restaurant featured an in-house smoker for barbecue beef, chicken, pork, and other appetizing entrees. Tracy was a seasoned home brewer and a graduate of the Seibel Institute in Chicago. He, along with Nielsen, adapted the Prescott brewery’s beer recipes to fit Tucson’s water conditions. Although Thunder Canyon shared nearly identical recipes with its sister brewery, there were noticeable differences between the two. Tracy faithfully and painstakingly brewed all of Thunder Canyon’s beer, which included the awardwinning Sandstone Cream Ale, Bees ’N’ Berry Ale, Obsidian Porter, Deep Canyon Amber, Catalina Pale Ale, and a slew of seasonals. Some critics knocked its location, wedged between factory outlet stores in a shopping mall setting. However, once its beer and food were greeted with positive reviews, perceptions changed. The brewpub made the somewhat uninteresting surroundings of the mall look a bit more interesting—especially its twenty-four-thousand-pound grain silo shadowing its patio near the main entrance. The highly anticipated opening of Bank One Ballpark (BOB) in downtown Phoe­nix near the America West Arena created a stir among sports fans and news out­lets from the minute the ground was broken. The ballpark was the first stadium built in the United States with a retractable roof, and it would forever change the look and feel of downtown Phoenix. The Idaho Springs, Colorado–based Tommyknocker Brew­ing Company looked to expand into Arizona precisely because of the ballpark and the potential revenue it could bring. At the time, the McFarlane Brewing Company had the capacity to produce 4,000 barrels annually. In comparison, Tommy­knocker’s Idaho Springs location was capable of producing 8,000 barrels. Tommy­knocker’s $3 million brewpub being prepared for Phoenix was considerably larger, designed to fit a 4-vessel, 50-barrel brewing system capable of producing 1990s: beginning of the boom

(facing page) Figure 11.20. (top) The Mogollon Brewing Company was located inside a late-1800s former mercantile building, which over the years housed everything from a church to a punk rock music venue. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.) Figure 11.21. (bottom) Thunder Canyon Brewery, 2011.

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Figure 11.22. View of the Tommyknocker Brewing Company while under construction, October 24, 1999.

30,000 barrels annually. The project was significant not only for its backers but also for the city, since it was the first sizeable project slated for Phoenix’s longneglected downtown warehouse district. It was optimistically viewed as a cat­alyst for redevelopment. Farther east, the McFarlane Brewing Company was struggling. Peter and Jane made every attempt to turn its fortunes around, but time and money were simply not on their side. In January 1998, the company was forced to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to give it more time to reorganize, while sheltering it from its creditors. Over the following months, Peter searched in vain for a joint-venture partner willing to invest in McFarlane’s. Without any other options to keep it going, the McFarlanes sold the brewery out of bankruptcy during the winter of 1998 to the Uptown Brewing Company. The Four Peaks Brewing Company was ready to turn the corner from simply being a brewery into becoming a full-fledged brewpub through the installation of a kitchen. Restaurant general manager Randy Schultz and head chef Arthur Craft prepared homemade appetizers, pizzas, and burgers. At first, only dinner was served, but once lunch was introduced, business grew by leaps and bounds. Soon after the opening of its kitchen, its 7-barrel brewing system was replaced by a 20-barrel brewing system, and by March 1999, a 40-barrel fermenter was added. The Hops! at Fashion Square mall in Scottsdale held its grand reopening celebration in September 1998. Much like its former self, it featured numerous modern 198

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design elements, stainless steel fixtures, neon accents, curved walls, and an upscale atmosphere that appealed to the affluent. For a short time, it became the hotspot for trendsetters and clubgoers. Peter McFarlane took the head brewing position in Scotts­ dale following the closing of his brewery. The same year the Fashion Square mall location opened, the Biltmore Hops! in Phoenix was sold and renamed Christopher’s Fermier Brasserie and Paola’s Wine Bar. Fermier Brasserie roughly translates to “Farmer’s Tavern.” Super Hops! retained a 50 percent stake in the venture, while highly celebrated chef Christopher Gross held the other 50 percent. Gross combined his keen sense of pairing food with wine while cooking in the French tradition. The Brasserie’s brewmaster was David Malattki. It quickly became apparent, however, that beer was not the principal focus of the restaurant. Christopher’s featured more than one hundred different wines from around the world by the glass, and in comparison, the brewery was a less significant part of its concept. Possibly due to lagging beer sales or a lack of interest in keeping its brewery open, a decision was made to pull its brewhouse altogether in August 1999. Hops! at Fashion Square mall soon found its shiny new setting was not all it was hoped to be. Although it appeared to have the right mix of food, beer, and atmosphere to make it a success, it was largely hidden from view in a rather odd corner of the shopping mall directly under a bridge connecting the mall’s north and south wing and crossing Camelback Road. Many cars driving by could easily miss the fact that it was there. Worse yet, the parking situation was less than ideal for a restaurant. Although it was located inside a foyer next to a valet drop-off point, a lack of signage pointing to Hops! left it largely unnoticed by passersby in an area where a number of competing restaurants fought for the same dollar. In less than one year, the Fashion Square mall location closed over Easter weekend 1999. Peter McFarlane went to brew full time at the Shea Boulevard and Pima Road Hops! brewpub. The former Fashion Square mall Hops! became Brazeiro Brazilian Steakhouse. Although considered by many as a first-rate steakhouse, it too failed within two years. In 1998, Kyle Craig was appointed CEO of Breckenridge Holding Company (the parent company of Breckenridge Brewery). While studying the state of the industry, Craig noted that craft beer sales declined from 51 percent to 26 percent in 1996, and by the end of 1997, they stagnated, with a mere 3.3 percent increase across the board. In light of his findings, he questioned whether the company had expanded too quickly and spread itself too thin by opening so many restaurants across the country. Its beer was shipped to nearly thirty states, a costly undertaking since Colorado alone generated over 50 percent of its total sales. The expense of shipping fresh beer from Colorado to each location was high. Breckenridge’s beer was freshly made with a limited life span and had to be rotated regularly in order to remain fresh. As a result, the 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Figure 11.23. Habañeros Tropical Cantina & Brewery coaster and box of matches, 1997.

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responsibility of monitoring its freshness fell on each restaurant. This led to a lack of consistency, poor communication, and inefficiency. In order for the company to refocus on its core market (primarily Colorado), Breckenridge sold its brewpubs outside of Colorado. In November 1998, the Tucson Breckenridge was sold to Rillito Steak Brew, LLC. Breckenridge gave Rillito Steak Brew the rights to use the Breckenridge trade name and sell its beer under a licensed agreement. As a result, Rillito Steak Brew was advertised as the “new Breckenridge.” Selby returned as a managing partner, and for a short time, Kovalaske remained in charge of the brewery. The most notable modification was in its menu. Chef Ron Brown prepared smoked BBQ-style cuisine on a huge Texas smoker. The smoker was said to be the only one of its kind in Tucson. Brown’s wife Chelsi ran the restaurant, which now served mesquite St. Louis ribs, western chili, smoked prime rib, and buffalo burgers. In January 1999, Scott Manning, who apprenticed under Kovalaske, took over as head brewer. Manning arrived in Tucson via Germany and England and introduced some of his own recipes to the Breckenridge lineup. In March, he was joined by assistant brewer Wade Owen. By then, its high overhead was slowly doing the brewpub in. Breckenridge remained open for approximately one year before closing on November 9, 1999. Soon after, its brewing equipment was removed. Russell Seideman, a very capable brewer and active member of the Arizona Society of Homebrewers, was ready to become a formidable player as a professional brewer since first taking up home brewing in 1979. He named his brewery the Seidemann Brewing Company, and its grand opening was held on February 12, 1997. The added “n” to its name was intentional. It represented the original spelling of the family name before the second “n” was dropped. Seideman graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and earned his master of business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois. He later received formal training at the Siebel Institute of Technology. The brewery was placed inside a no-frills office/ warehouse plaza near West Mineral Road and Priest Drive in Tempe. It contained a 22-barrel computer-controlled brewing system fabricated by Price Schonstrom of Walkerton, Ontario, Canada. At the time, it was the largest-capacity brewery in the state. It did not have a taproom or bottling line, but visitors could sample Seideman’s German-style beers, such as his Amber Altbier and Munich Export, via two taps protruding from a wall inside the brewhouse. It did not contain a formal taproom because the landlord at the time would not allow its construction. While Seideman established his presence in Tempe, Habañeros Tropical Cantina & Brewery relished its opening on April 1, 1997, in Tucson. The Bridge Group, led by real

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estate developer Don Burnett (founder and president of the Rusty Scupper restaurant chain), invested upward of $1.5 million into the brewpub located at the Westin La Paloma Resort in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Habañeros’s upscale restaurant offered indoor and outdoor seating with a gorgeous view of the desert landscape and city lights below. Its interior incorporated a Baja-inspired feel with warm desert tones and meticulously positioned tropical plants. Chef Jason Hartenbach provided a Yucatan-inspired menu. Its brewhouse, which featured a 10-barrel Newlands Services brewing system, became a showpiece encased in glass on the former dance floor of the restaurant. Tom Munoz, formerly from the Flying Pig Brewery outside of Seattle, was hired to get the brewing system up and running. Unfortunately, Habañeros’s first batch was found to be infected, imparting offflavors and creating some concern. Assistant brewer John Adkisson replaced Munoz shortly afterward. Adkisson was a local accountant and proficient home brewer. He and Buzz Schudy, a brewer-in-training, worked diligently to establish a full lineup of consistently clean beer selections. The two put a precisely controlled brew operation together, allowing them to manage up to four yeast strains at a time. Habañeros Bavarian Wheat, Zapata’s Golden Lager, North of the Border Stout, Picacho Peak Pale Ale, and selected seasonals became the backbone of what the brewpub offered. Later, Altbier, Octoberfest, Chipotle Scotch Ale, and Roasted Pumpkin Ale were introduced. When Timothy De Santi filed articles of incorporation for Brew Haus Brewing Company in Mesa back in 1996, he envisioned opening a Brew on Premises (BOP)– style brewery catering to individuals curious about the brewing process. Brew Haus opened its doors in May 1997, located at the Fiesta Palms Shopping Center on the southeast corner of Alma School and Baseline Roads in a nondescript 3,150-squarefoot suite. It provided one hundred different “guaranteed” beer recipes for customers to choose from. With the assistance of a professional, the amateur brewer was given the opportunity to brew, bottle, or keg, as well as design his or her own labels. It cost anywhere from $70 to $120, depending on which recipe was chosen. Brewing wine or soda was also offered as options. De Santi produced a selection of Brew Haus bottled beers of his own that could be purchased to take home. Jack “O” Pumpkin Ale, Maple Cinnamon Ale, and Duckwheats Oatmeal Stout were some of the styles offered. He sought to expand into private labeling for restaurants and other establishments once his business became established. A new little hotbed of activity was taking place in the small riverside community of Lake Havasu City along the Colorado River during the late 1990s. Brothers Tim and Mark Shurgrue opened the Barley Brothers Brewery & Grill on June 12, 1997, at the Island Fashion Mall next to the London Bridge. The Shurgrues were seasoned veterans in the restaurant industry who had successfully opened a number of eateries in

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Figure 11.24. Habañeros brewer John Adkisson working the brew kettle, 1997. (Courtesy of John Adkisson.)

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both Lake Havasu City and Sedona. Barley Brothers became the first of two breweries to open in Lake Havasu in 1997; the other was the London Bridge Brewery, which opened late in the year. Lake Havasu City has the honor of being the second-most popular tourist destination in Arizona next to the Grand Canyon, with the London Bridge as its crowning attraction. The resurrection of the bridge, which had spanned the Thames River in London since 1831, was the brainchild of Robert McCulloch, an oil mogul and founder of Lake Havasu City. McCulloch purchased the bridge in 1962 and brought it piece by piece to Arizona from London. It was reassembled between 1968 and 1971, fulfilling McCulloch’s dream of transforming the desert community along the Colorado River into a major tourist destination. Barley Brothers spanned 16,000 square feet and housed a 15-barrel JV Northwest brewing system capable of producing 3,500 barrels per year. The Shurgrues brought in Lon Weatherson to oversee its installation and become brewmaster. Prior to joining Barley Brothers, Weatherson worked for nearly ten years bartending and brewing at the Free State Brewing Company in Kansas. During those years, he completed training at the Siebel Institute of Technology and met Fred Kraus of Oak Creek Brewing Company while living in Oregon. Kraus, along with Tim Shurgrue, convinced Weatherson to join Barley Brothers. On July 4, 1997, the Pusch Ridge Brewing Company held its grand opening in the northwest section of Tucson along Oracle Road near the western edge of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The brewpub was named after the ridge—a towering precipice overlooking Tucson and one of the most prominent features of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Four couples—Nat and Kathy Rowell, Robin and Tami Wiggins, Lane and Suzanne Gilpin, and Thom and Lori Bruzina—formed a partnership and opened their brewpub at the site of the former Bar M Cattle Company, a country swing bar. It was a true family affair: Nat, Robin, and Lane brewed the beer while Thom and Robin prepared its pub-style fare, pizzas, pastas, and steak. Nat had been a skilled home brewer for many years and an active member of the Old Pueblo Homebrewers Club in Tucson. The 7-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system they installed was originally intended for the defunct Steve & Clark’s Brew Pub. Since it was never picked up, Nat was able to acquire it for a bargain-basement price. Much of the brewery was built through sweat equity—pouring concrete, plumbing, stringing electrical wiring, and assembling the brewhouse. The hard work paid off when its first batch of beer was complete in October 1997. Pusch Ridge had an alluring outdoor patio with a striking view of the desert landscaping. Inside were copper-topped tables and numerous photos of old breweries on the walls. Its in-house beers included Crop Circle Wheat, Double Jack Amber, Desert Broom ESB, Steam Pump Porter, and Lizard Killer IPA. Ten guest taps, thirty bottled 202

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beers, and a large selection of liquors offered just enough to satisfy any taste, including a few two-dollar offerings from the “big-three” under the adage “Life Is Too Short to Drink Cheap Beers.” On August 12, 1997, the London Bridge Brewing Company (a.k.a. London Arms Pub & Brewery) was granted permission to open in Lake Havasu City by the Mojave County Board of Supervisors. The brewpub was constructed as an expansion to the 5,800-square-foot London Arms Pub in the English Village across from the Barley Brothers Brewery near the historic London Bridge. Co-owners Paul Rogers and Richard Stephens counted on the tourist trade to make their venture a success. The restaurant provided everything from English fare to wood-fired pizzas, fish and chips, and other pub-style selections. A large second-story banquet room and outdoor dining area accessible through an elevator resembling the Tower of London overlooked flowers, shrubs, and shady trees in “Hyde Park” below. Mark Cohen, formerly from Holy Cow Brewery in Las Vegas, was hired to develop London Arms’s beer on its newly installed 15-barrel Newlands Services brewing system. Its five brite tanks lined a wall behind its large oak bar. Once its grain room was completed and its barrel and hose racks were installed, Cohen began brewing. Some of London Arms’s selections included Churchill Cream Ale, Hefe Weizen Wheat, Merrie Berry, King’s Pale Ale, and Black Night Stout, in addition to a monthly rotation of seasonals called the “brewmaster’s special.” Former home brewer and Siebel Institute of Technology graduate Graydon Brown later joined Cohen behind the brew kettle. One month after London Bridge opened, the Uptown Brewery by Streets of New York held its long-awaited grand opening in Tempe in September 1997. Bernd Glaeser, owner of the Streets of New York chain, chose to tap into the brewing business following the popularity boom of craft beer. The pizzeria franchise was originally launched in the Phoenix area back in 1976. Uptown Brewery greatly upgraded its menu with the addition of hamburgers, steaks, salmon dishes, pastas, and specialty pizzas. Its décor was imbued with an ambiance slightly reminiscent of a 1930s-era New York City back alley awash with cobblestone floors and exposed redbrick walls, dark woods, black leather furnishings, and an ample amount of brass and copper. Large windows facing Southern Avenue allowed plenty of natural light into its dining room. The restaurant’s standout feature was its brewhouse, an impressive copper-clad 15-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system. It was a centerpiece display beautifully showcased inside the restaurant. In fact, Specific Mechanical chose to use it in promoting its brewing systems on a national scale. Veteran brewer Sean McLin was hired to produce a variety of beers, including Bavarian Hefe-Weizen, Praying Monk Abbey Ale, Big Apple Red, and Wall Street Wheat. McLin was later joined by Michael Gibson. Back in 1983, Robert W. Webb planted twenty acres of wine grapes in the Kansas Settlement, ten or so miles southeast of Willcox, for his newest venture, the 1990s: beginning of the boom

Figure 11.25. London Bridge Brewery pilsner glass.

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Figure 11.26. Uptown Brewery by Streets of New York Tempe location. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

R. W. Webb Winery. The winery was located in Vail—a small unincorporated community at the base of the Rincon Mountains approximately twenty miles southeast of Tucson. When the winery was bonded in 1980, Webb became in essence a presentday pioneer vintner in Arizona. His was the first commercial winery to operate in the state since Henry Schuerman sowed zinfandel grapes and brewed Red Rock Grape Wine in Sedona prior to Prohibition. For nearly fifteen years, Webb manufactured cabernet, merlot, riesling, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and other varietals. At the time he decided to retire from the business in 1996, his wines could be found in nearly every supermarket chain in the state. H. Clarke Romans, an oil industry chemical engineer who had been home brewing since the mid-1960s, discovered the winery was for sale in 1996 by happenstance. Romans had a PhD in chemical engineering, and he was scouting the Tucson area with the intention of opening a microbrewery. He named his venture Romans Brewing Company LLC; however, he kept on running into dead ends in finding a suitable location. While investigating vacant land near Webb’s winery in Vail, he was approached by Webb and asked if he would be interested in purchasing the winery. It was structurally sound for a brewery, and a deal was struck. The Dark Mountain Brewery & Winery opened in the fall of 1997. It was the first and only commercial brewery/winery operating in the country. Dark Mountain was 204

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named after 2,897-foot Sentinel Peak located just west of the Santa Cruz River and Tucson’s historic barrio district. The indigenous name of Tucson is “Stjukshon,” which roughly translates to “spring at the foot of Dark [or Black] Mountain.” Today, Dark Mountain is better recognized as “A” Mountain. While Romans was developing his brewery, Nelson and Delaportas returned from North Carolina to focus on opening Steve & Clark’s Brew Pub & Sausage Company in Scottsdale. Delaportas purchased a small pizzeria called Bits ’N’ Pizzas at 3030 North Sixty-Eighth Street in Scottsdale. Once everything fell in place, it reopened as Steve & Clark’s in December 1997. The restaurant continued to offer wood-fired pizzas and added forty-eight varieties of sausage, hoagies, and craft soda. Its interior was decorated with an operating volcano and hand-painted murals conveying an eclectic subtropical feel. Originally, a 7-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system was on order and scheduled to be installed. Nelson, along with Paul Buckner and Southwest Brewing News columnist Bad Bob Kuhns, were to share brewing duties. When its brewing system, ready to go and awaiting pick-up for shipment to Arizona, was left in the hands of the dealer, it was acquired by Pusch Ridge in Tucson at a bargain price. When Mike Walker joined the Seidemann Brewing Company as an assistant brewer in December 1997, the brewery was financially heading in the wrong direction as a result of its high overhead and insufficient kegged-beer sales. The result precluded the brewery from installing a bottling line. Without money for improvements, Seideman chose to put the brewery up for sale instead of borrowing more to keep it going. On the other end of the scale, Ed Chilleen experienced considerable growth with his Cave Creek Chili Beer. By 1995, it was being sold in all fifty states and eight countries, but it was not without its share of detractors, and it generated some interesting reviews. Michael Jackson, who visited the brewery in 1997, found the beer less than intriguing. Chilleen was resolute and simply shrugged off any disparaging comments. A bigger concern than Chili Beer’s critics was a lull in tourism, which began to whittle away at the Satisfied Frog’s earnings. In time, Chilleen was forced to issue partial rent payments in order to keep the restaurant functioning. The Arizona Roadhouse & Brewery held its grand opening shortly after Christmas Day 1997, at the former Willy & Guillermo’s restaurant on the northwest corner of Terrace Road and Apache Boulevard in Tempe. Former Albany, New York, residents Robert and Sheila Kelly and their son Sean invested more than $1 million into the brewpub. Robert was a retired hair-care products executive and Sean was a computer salesman prior to going into the brewing business. The brewpub’s opening day celebration was a big event, with the Pharaohs 2000, a band fronted by Gin Blossoms’s lead singer Robin Wilson, playing to an energetic crowd. The Arizona Roadhouse became known as “home of the big pint.” Scott Bartman spent approximately six months at Copper Canyon before joining the Kellys in Tempe. 1990s: beginning of the boom

Figure 11.27. Business card for Steve & Clark’s Brew Pub & Sausage Company.

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Figure 11.28. Arizona Roadhouse & Brewery, c. 2000. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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He brewed six to eight beers, including Sun Light Ale, Hayden Mill Hefeweizen, Roadhouse Red, Arizona IPA, Baseline Brown Porter, and Superstition Stout on a 15-barrel DME brewing system visible behind a vintage bar on its north wall. The brewpub’s kitchen featured southwestern-style fare made by chef Jason Villines. During the slower months when school was not in session, the Kellys promoted its live music, turning the Arizona Roadhouse into a popular music venue. Back in October 1997, Habañeros Tropical Cantina & Brewery underwent a managerial change when Southwest Trends (operators of Café Terra Cotta) took over its restaurant and changed its menu to “modern Mexican” under the guidance of awardwinning chef Donna Nordin. The move was a sign of trouble for Habañeros. According to John Adkisson, the original investment was not enough to carry the operation beyond its opening phase, and its lack of capital kept the brewpub from being properly marketed. Its difficulties led to a change in management, and as its fortunes declined, partnership disputes eventually brought Habañeros down to its knees. Soon after it chapter 11

filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Habañeros closed on January 24, 1998. Its brewery was dismantled and given a new chance at life in Albuquerque’s Turtle Mountain Brewery. According to Adkisson, “Habañeros had a short, but glorious run.” The Dark Mountain Brewery completed its first batch of beer in January 1998. H. Clarke Romans finished the installation of its 15-barrel steam-fired pico-Brewing Systems brewing system, complete with two 15-barrel fermenters and two 30-barrel fermenters, and quickly went to work brewing a variety of beers. Some of his selections included a nut brown ale, Kölsch, prickly pear ale, lambic-style ale, American ale, barley wine, and porter. A tasting room offered beer samples alongside its more popular wines. Dark Mountain drew approximately ten thousand visitors yearly, with half of its revenue coming in from visitors to its tasting room and the other half from private labeling of its wine and beer. Three-quarters of its total sales came from bars, restaurants, and grocery stores. Approximately 500 barrels of beer were produced by the end of its first year of production. On February 10, 1998, the Indianapolis-based Alcatraz Brewing Company opened its newest location in the newly built Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe. Alcatraz was a concept-style chain restaurant, which occupied 10,500 square feet of space on the western side of the mall directly across from another theme-based restaurant, the Rainforest Café. Its large grain silo, painted with a logo announcing “Best Beer behind Bars,” was clearly visible along Arizona Mill’s western entrance along Interstate 10. Inside, guests were ushered into a creatively designed restaurant evoking the famous Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco. Waitresses clad in prison guard uniforms adorned with handcuffs greeted customers. Displays reminiscent of San Francisco and its famous prison gave the brewpub a theme-park appearance. A mock-up of the Alcatraz lighthouse, a watchtower, an impressive sixty-five-foot-long replica of the Golden Gate Bridge spanning the length of the restaurant, and other adornments, including pelicans dangling from the ceiling as if frozen in flight, made for an entertaining visit. Adding to the experience were the sounds of foghorns, crashing waves, barking seals, spotlights, sirens, and gunfire. However, its handcrafted beer is what drew most people to Alcatraz. Brewmaster Warren Pawsey worked from a 15-barrel DME brewhouse capable of producing 2,500 barrels of beer per year. Pawsey had received a degree in chemistry and microbiology from La Trobe University in Australia and was formerly employed at breweries in Australia, England, and the South Pacific. He worked for Alcatraz at a time when the number of microbreweries in Arizona was at its highest. In 1998, he landed a silver medal for his Weiss Guy Wheat Beer, an American-style wheat, at the World Beer Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Arizona Mills location became the third Alcatraz brewpub to be opened by the California Café Restaurant Corp. Its other two locations were in Indianapolis and in Orange, California. One month after Alcatraz opened, Steve & Clark’s Brew Pub & Sausage Company 1990s: beginning of the boom

Figure 11.29. Advertising card for Dark Mountain Brewery and R. W. Webb Winery.

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Figure 11.30. View of the grain silo outside the Alcatraz Brewing Company at Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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in Scottsdale made its last call in March 1998, along with its Durham location. Following Steve & Clark’s closing, allegations of Delaportas owing money and other troubling concerns led to lawsuits and name calling. As for Nelson, its end marked his final pursuit as a professional brewer. During the same month Steve & Clark’s locked its doors, restaurateur Harvey McElhannon opened the Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company in Scottsdale, and for a short time, his Diamondback Pale Ale was sold on draft and in bottle. It was originally marketed as Rattlesnake Beer and, at the time, was contract brewed through breweries in Wisconsin and California with distribution through McElhannon’s Valley Brewing Company in Phoenix. The brand soon became a point of contention not only to McElhannon but also to the newly formed Arizona Diamondbacks baseball franchise. McElhannon was owner of the Pinnacle Peak Patio Restaurant for more than thirty years. The onset of his trouble began on March 10, 1995, when he filed an application for the Diamondback trademark—one day after the name of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team was announced. Backers of the team quickly charged McElhannon with being a “quick-buck artist.” He declared his innocence by claiming to have paperwork proving he named Diamondback Beer months prior to the baseball team’s public announcement. Nevertheless, Diamondbacks’ owner Jerry Colangelo, Major League Baseball, and its lawyers were ready for a fight. The buzz surrounding the construction of the Bank One Ballpark (BOB) created a promising environment for businesses to succeed. Although the $354 million stadium stirred a bit of controversy among those opposed to its construction, in truth, downtown Phoenix had been languishing, and the addition of the ballpark along with the Phoenix Suns Stadium gave hope that people would return downtown to shop, live, and seek entertainment. Business owners closely watched its progress and began to view downtown with optimism. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Robin Yount and his brother Larry (president of LKY Development in Scottsdale) owned a parcel of land where the stadium was to be constructed. The two negotiated with Colangelo and the Arizona Diamondbacks in an effort to establish a brewery on the northwest corner of the complex. Diamondbacks president Richard Dozer announced the venture as a 51 percent to 49 percent joint venture between a subsidiary of the Diamondbacks and LKY Development. The proposed brewpub was analogous to the Sandlot inside Denver’s Coors Field. Since the plan was to name the brewpub the Diamondback Brewery, McElhannon found himself in a bind. In October 1995, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed a fifteen-year, $45 million sponsorship agreement with the Miller Brewing Company, bestowing exclusive rights on Miller to advertise on Diamondbacks radio and television broadcasts. At the time, the deal was considered “the most comprehensive and lucrative marketing agreement chapter 11

in major league baseball.” Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo equated it to “a marriage.” The proposed brewpub was now to be managed under Miller. Ultimately, Mc­Elhannon realized he was in a losing battle and relinquished the Diamondback name. He renamed it Pinnacle Peak Beer once the brewery in Scottsdale was completed. McElhannon brought in John Ritter, formerly of O’Ryan’s Brewery in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as manager and brewer of his venture. Ritter worked on a newly installed 10-barrel Century Manufacturing brewing system—said to be the first of its kind in Arizona. He purchased the brewhouse in October 1997, and it remained in storage until the deal with Pinnacle Peak was finalized. In the interim, Ritter guest brewed at the McFarlane Brewing Company while his O’Ryan’s beers were contract brewed through the Sonora Brewing Company in Phoenix. Jim Roper, who formerly had worked for the Alaskan Brewing Company for three years, joined Ritter as an assistant brewer. After the Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company officially opened in March 1998, Roper took over as head brewer upon Ritter’s departure. Pinnacle Peak’s lineup of beers included Double Barrel Bock, Barbed Wire Brown, Pinnacle Peak Pale, Gunslinger Stout, and Prospector’s Gold, all typifying a western-themed image befitting the restaurant.

Figure 11.31. The Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company as it looked in the late 1990s. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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Figure 11.32. Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery logo. (Courtesy of Jake Leinenkugel.)

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The brewery at the Bank One Ballpark also opened in March 1998, not as the Diamondback Brewery, but as Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery. The name change occurred shortly after Miller signed the sponsorship agreement with the Diamondbacks. Miller originally acquired the 121-year-old family-owned Chippewa Falls–based Leinenkugel Brewing Company in 1988. As a result, Leinenkugel’s became a family-operated division of Miller with the agreement that the Leinenkugel family would retain control of the division. Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery became the first time the family had built a brewery outside Wisconsin since the company’s founding in 1867. The Ballyard Brewery was located inside a freestanding, two-story, twentythousand-square-foot complex just west of the stadium’s main gate. Its restaurant had a maximum capacity of five hundred people, and its brewhouse had a 5,700barrel capacity. Former Mickey Finn’s brewmaster Chris Swersey became its brewer, producing Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss, Red Lager, and a few specialty beers intended for local consumption. It produced 1,500 barrels in its first year open. On March 31, 1998, over fifty thousand people watched the Diamondbacks play their first-ever regular season home game against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies outshone the Diamondbacks 9–2 inside a sold-out stadium. Coyote Springs’s owner Bill Garrard had been anticipating the opening of the stadium since opening his downtown location in 1996. Likewise, the Colorado-based Tommyknocker Brewing Company later chose to build its largest brewery less than one mile from the stadium with the anticipation of a bustling city center, and for a short time, John Watt and the Sonora Brewing Company operated a kiosk inside the stadium. Approximately seventy-five new business licenses were filed for downtown sites in anticipation of the stadium and its projected draw of nearly 3.7 million tourists visiting downtown yearly. Proponents of the stadium referred to its development as “a home run.” However, Garrard found its development to be less than a home run—at least in regard to his establishment. It was true that during game days business at the pub rose 100 percent, which helped project a false image of success to passersby, but it was a different story during non-home games when business dwindled to a trickle. The “rosy” economic projections touted to Garrard by Diamondbacks proponents proved to him to be hyperbole. The few businesses which seemingly found success were either located directly on Bank One Ballpark property or established on adjacent Jackson Street. Outside the immediate area, many businesses counting on the stadium’s draw suffered. In May 1998, the Gordon Biersch Brewery made its foray into Arizona with the opening of a location on Mill Avenue and Fifth Street in downtown Tempe. Southwest Brewing News first made mention of the proposed brewery in its February/March 1997 issue. The brewpub quickly gained a following, and the Phoenix New Times named it the “Valley’s Best Brewpub” of 1998. chapter 11

Gordon Biersch was created following a partnership agreement between two enterprising California natives, Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch. Gordon, who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1982, cultivated an interest in the engineering of food processing. He developed an interest in beer brewing as an exchange student at Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany. He was later hired by the Anheuser-Busch plant in Fairfield, California. The experience he acquired there led him to apply to the prestigious five-year brewing program at the Technical University of Munich, and he became the first American to graduate from the program in half a century. Upon his return, he was offered jobs with Anheuser-Busch and Adolph Coors, but instead chose to join Biersch as a partner in a new venture. Biersch earned a degree in international relations from San Francisco State University. He later pursued a career in restaurant management and completed the management program at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. In 1983, he visited California’s first brewpub, the Mendocino Brewing Company, and became intrigued by the brewing business. Like Gordon, he developed his own brewpub concept with the thought of one day opening a brewpub. In 1987, the two, along with Biersch’s godfather Robert W. Carrau, secured a line of credit to make their idea become reality. When all their ducks were in a row the following year, the partners opened the first Gordon Biersch in an old theater in Palo Alto, California. The brewpub was a success, generating more than $2 million in revenue in its first year. In April 1990, a second location opened in downtown San Jose at the site of the failed Biers Brasserie brewpub. It thrived as well, leading to a third location in San Francisco in the spring of 1991. Gordon Biersch set up a brewpub in Pasadena in December 1992 and one in Honolulu in 1993, and a brewery and kegging facility in Emeryville, California, in 1994. The Emeryville brewery substantially increased production for its wholesale channels. With annual sales topping $20 million at the start of 1995, restaurant executive Robert S. Burke was hired to institute managerial structure in the company’s ambitious expansion program. He worked toward establishing Gordon Biersch in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Burke was eased out in April 1996, when the Fertitta family (owners of Station Casinos in Las Vegas) purchased 51 percent of Gordon Biersch stock through one of their subsidiaries, Export Limited Partnership. Burke was replaced by Thomas B. Allin, a twenty-three-year-old McDonald’s executive who invested $3 million in the company. Allin was let go one and a half years later, and in 1999, the Tennessee-based Big River Brewing Inc. acquired the company and changed its name to Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group Inc. The Tempe Gordon Biersch sat at the site of the former Miller Block, a 1900s-era edifice on the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Fifth Street, which once housed the Arizona Mercantile Company. The entire block was torn down to make way for the 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Figure 11.33. Night scene at the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company in Tempe, 2007. (Reproduced by permission from Brian Ausderau, Southwest Brewing News.)

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brewpub. It accommodated the entire second floor, while the ground floor contained a Starbucks, Lotions and Potions, and other businesses. Its vintage-looking redbrick façade with an outdoor patio high above the street imbued it with a pseudo-Victorian veneer. The dining area was separated from the bar, and its stainless steel brewing tanks were visible behind glass. Gordon Biersch beers were brewed following the Reinheitsgebot, the German Beer Purity Law. Head brewer Doug Hasker brewed on its Wachsmann Brautechnik brewing system, which operated at full speed, brewing twenty-four batches of Pils and Marzen regularly in less than two-month time periods. Timothy De Santi tried to make a go of Brew Haus Brewing Company in Mesa for as long as he could, but despite his good intentions, it proved to be a tough sell and even tougher to make profitable. Therefore, in June 1998, he shut the place down. One of the principal difficulties BOPs such as Brew Haus had was the task of selling its clients on the idea of brewing their own beer at a time when home brewing was still largely unfamiliar to the average person. The proceeds from the sale of the brewing equipment in late August were just enough to allow De Santi to break even. chapter 11

Things were looking up for the Streets of New York chain when they opened a second Uptown Brewery in Scottsdale in July 1998. Scottsdale’s Uptown was located just west of the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard on the north side of Shea. It was as impressive as its sister brewpub in Tempe, with its attractive Specific Mechanical brewing system on display. One notable difference was its clientele. While Tempe attracted a slightly younger crowd because of Arizona State University, Scottsdale drew a more established group who better appreciated its craft beer. In 1998, Uptown attempted a third location with the purchase of the defunct McFarlane Brewing Company. Michael Gibson was to be its head brewer, working alongside John Ritter and George Zupko. However, it never panned out due to legal ramifications, and consequently, the building was sold, its equipment liquidated, and the entire project scrapped. In July 1998, Tim Gossack, a former head brewer at the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, purchased the Seidemann Brewing Company from Russ Seideman. Gossack was joined by his father, who became a shareholder and partner in the venture. The brewery proved to be ideal for Gossack because it was fully functional and designed for making German-style ales, his particular preference. Seideman coached Gossack on operating the brewhouse through August before making his final exit. Gossack’s interest in brewing emerged the day he first drank Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as a college student in the late 1980s. In 1990, he applied for a position at the Full Sail Brewing Company with virtually no brewing experience. Although he was not hired, he later landed a position as an apprentice brewer at Deschutes. He studied at the Siebel Institute of Technology and, in time, helped install and run Deschutes’s

Figure 11.34. Uptown Restaurant & Brewery in Scottsdale. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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Figure 11.35. The Jerome Brewery, 2006. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

production facility. Gossack gained considerable knowledge during Deschutes’s vast growth between 1992 and 1996. Once in control of Seidemann, he renamed it the Rio Salado Brewing Company, expanded its beer selection, and installed a bottling line. The historic mountainside community of Jerome gained its first brewery with the opening of the Jerome Brewery on December 31, 1998. Restaurateurs Eric and Michelle Jurisin operated a string of successful restaurants in the vicinity of Cottonwood and Jerome and, for a time, considered opening a bakery in the mining community. However, the notion of operating a brewery seemed a better complement to Jerome’s nearby saloons. Jerome has quite a storied past, and at its peak when mining flourished, it contained approximately 15,000 residents. However, by the 1950s, when the ore deposits dried up, so did its population. During the 1960s, hippies, craftsmen, artists, and musicians were lured by its near–ghost town status and inexpensive, dilapidated housing. As a result, its population slowly rose, and today Jerome has approximately 350 full-time inhabitants. The Jerome Brewery was located inside an early-1900s two-story structure down the hill from the Jurisins’ other popular restaurant, the Haunted Hamburger. Until 1996, it housed Jerome’s Volunteer Fire Department. The brewery consisted of an extract brewing system closely resembling a home brew setup. The restaurant served

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gourmet sandwiches, pasta, hand-tossed pizzas, and salads. It quickly gained a following among tourists and the local community. Mudshark Pizza & Pasta began serving its Italian-style menu to Lake Havasu City residents back in 1984. Scott Stocking, a mountain biking aficionado and home brewer who later trained at Brewski’s in Hermosa Beach, was inspired to open a brewery after he and his wife Tina came to believe their handcrafted pizza would go well with handcrafted beer. This inspiration led to the formation of the Mudshark Brewing Company in January 1999. The Stockings moved to Lake Havasu City after relocating from upstate New York in the 1970s. They established their brewpub at the former Guchi’s Coffeehouse at 210 Swanson Avenue on September 1, 1998. The name Mudshark was not actually coined from the fish with saw-like teeth, but rather borrowed from a local beach by the same name, which originally was inspired by a Frank Zappa song. Wayne Waananen, an accomplished brewer well known in brewing circles as having brewed for the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field in Denver, was hired as Mudshark’s

Figure 11.36. The entrance to the Mudshark Brewing Company is reminiscent of an old-time movie theater, 2007. (Courtesy of Marcia Butterbaugh.)

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(facing page) Figure 11.37. The vintage bar and backbar at Nimbus Brewing Company, 2010.

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head brewer. The Stockings’ home brewing and mountain-biking pal Ron Chieffo joined Waananen as his assistant brewer. Chieffo apprenticed for six months under Waananen and trained under Roberto Santos from Brewskis/Bohemian Breweries to learn brewing techniques on Mudshark’s 15-barrel Bohemian brewing system. In 1999, when Waananen parted ways with Mudshark to open the Bolder Cable Company in Littleton, Colorado, Chieffo was appointed brewmaster. Mudshark’s front façade is reminiscent of a bygone-era movie theater, complete with an oversized marquee dressed in neon lights. Its exposed brick walls on the outside continue through to the inside. The bar and restaurant is located on the lower level, while its brewhouse spanned both floors. Its beers were named after its desert surroundings contiguous to the Colorado River; Upriver Lager, Pilot Rock Pilsner, Dry Heat Hefe, Underground Pale Ale, Scorpion Red Ale, and Full Moon Belgian Wit all reflect some aspect of life along the lake. While Mudshark held its grand opening in January 1999, the Arizona Roadhouse in Tempe added a new brewer. Upon Scott Bartman’s exit, Charlie Billingsley, formerly with the Riverside Brewing Company in California, became head brewer. Billingsley began as a home brewer and later attended an eight-week course at the Siebel Institute of Technology alongside Thunder Canyon’s Steve Tracy. He traveled to England, took a British ale course, and briefly worked at the Borders Brewery in England. While there, he studied “cask conditioning” (a method of maturing unfiltered and unpasteurized beer in a barrel or keg through secondary fermentation, then serving from the cask without the addition of artificial carbonation). Billingsley helped the Arizona Roadhouse win two medals at the 1999 Great American Beer Festival in Denver: a gold in the German-Style Wheat Ale category for its Hoffbrau Hefeweizen and a bronze in the Classic English-Style Ale category for its London Bridge Pale Ale. Steve Tracy was also recognized for his efforts. The 1999 National Brewpub Conference and Trade Show in Chicago (organized and developed by the publishers of BrewPub magazine) awarded Thunder Canyon top honors with its 1998 “Fabulous Firsts” award as one of the top three new brewpubs in the nation. The August/September 1999 issue of Southwest Brewing News proclaimed, “Thunder Canyon Brewery, the biggest storm to hit Tucson since the 1988 monsoons.” Likewise, the Nimbus Brewing Company quickly became a favorite with local beer geeks. Operating at nearly 100 percent capacity, it had become one of the state’s largest beer producers in less than two years since its opening. With the aid of Alliance Beverage, it supplied beer to more than four hundred accounts throughout Arizona. Several brewers, including Scott Schwartz, Tim Gomez, Matt Kovalevsky, and Ed King, feverishly brewed a minimum of forty hours per week from the brewery’s small 10-barrel brewing system just to keep up with demand.

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Figure 11.38. Sierra Vistan Export Beer label. (Courtesy of George Akin Collection.)

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In 1999, Jim Counts joined as a managing partner and CEO of Nimbus. Counts professed to have discussed the company’s progress and setbacks with Couzin to assess why, in his opinion, the business was not producing the capital it should have been. Counts projected a growth target of a 30,000 barrel annual capacity by the end of 2001. In doing so, a new state-of-the-art 35-barrel brewing system with four new 80-barrel fermenters was installed, which multiplied the brewery’s fermentation capacity by a factor of at least ten. By the start of the new decade, Nimbus would find that its fast growth quickly resulted in trouble. In March 1999, a new brewery with a much smaller capacity than Nimbus was readying to open in Sierra Vista. Paul and Amy Lachmanek, owners of the Home Brewery, a home brew supply store in Sierra Vista, added a 3-barrel brewing system to their store. Paul was a former partner in the Copper City Brewing Company in Bisbee and a seasoned home brewer. In 1997, he received third place at the Great Arizona Beer Festival (GAZBF) Home Brew Competition for his Barley Wine and his GermanStyle Ale, and in 1998, he achieved certification as a National Beer Judge by passing an extensive examination offered through the Beer Judge Certification Program. The Lachmaneks intended to open the brewery much earlier. However, during its setup in the summer of 1998, Amy was involved in a serious head-on collision, and as a result, the entire project was put on hold. After opening, Sierra Vista beers could be purchased at numerous locations in southern Arizona, along with Amy’s spentgrain beer bread. Five beer styles were available: Sierra Vistan Original, Sierra Vistan Export Lager, Huachuca Sunset Beer, Mesquite Wheat, and Sierra Vistan Black. Each was naturally carbonated through bottle conditioning. One of the more unexpected locations providing Sierra Vista beers was Blimpie Subs & Salads on Fry Boulevard in Sierra Vista. While the Lachmaneks launched their brewery, their former partners, Fotey and West, sold the Copper City Brewing Company in or around March 1999 to Leonard and Kathy Perschka. The Perschkas closed the brewpub for approximately three months while it underwent renovations. In July 1999, Copper City reopened with an updated look and menu featuring steak and ribs. Some of its new beer additions included Leonard’s Own Cream Ale, No Parking Red Ale, Sweet Bordello Brown, and Black Widow Stout. Rock Bottom Restaurants opened its first Arizona location in Ahwatukee on March 29, 1999, near Interstate 10 and Ray Road. Kelli Mixer, who at the time was the restaurant’s local spokesperson, described the restaurant in her press packet as being “a high-energy, contemporary brewery restaurant with an ambiance of warm woods and comfortable and stylish design elements conducive to ‘neighborhood’ dining.” The description proved fitting, and the Ahwatukee Rock Bottom quickly became a favorite in the local community. Head brewer Scott O’Hearn and assistant chapter 11

brewer Paul Buckner worked hard brewing up to ten different beers and cask-conditioned ales on its 8-barrel JV Northwest brewing system. The Rock Bottom chain was founded in November 1991 on the first floor of Denver’s Prudential Building (which was also known as “The Rock,” hence the name Rock Bottom). Its phenomenal growth did not come without hard times, however. In 1994, the Louisville, Colorado–based Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc. made its initial public offering, transforming it into the first publicly traded brewpub in the United States. The company franchised its eleven-thousand-square-foot concept restaurant/brewery at a quick pace, even while some believed the “concept brewery” model had been tapped out. Regardless, Rock Bottom unabashedly moved forward. Eventually, its quick growth caught up with it, leading to shortages in revenue and “major growing pains.” As the cost of construction rose, its dilemma was heightened. The company experienced a disturbing 6 percent loss in revenue in the first fiscal quarter of 1997. By 1998, its troubles came to a head, forcing the company to search for a buyer. Only after Rock Bottom went private through a management buyout in 1999 did its fortunes begin to change for the better. At the start of 1999, the Pusch Ridge Brewing Company was moving in a positive direction when it was granted a license to sell its beer off-premises. To the satisfaction of its patrons, growlers could now be filled for $8 and $12 for its stout. Charlie Papazian visited the brewpub on April 26, 1999, for a meeting with the Tucson Homebrew Club. More than one hundred people enjoyed a blind taste test put on by Papazian, pairing locally brewed craft beer with industrial-brewed imports. In one pairing between Pusch Ridge Old Pueblo Stout and Guinness Draft, Old Pueblo knocked it out of the park by collecting forty-seven votes to Guinness’s one. The result came as a surprise to many die-hard Guinness drinkers when craft beer won by overwhelming margins in all categories. In July 1999, Brian Jones opened Ice Breaker’s Restaurant & Brew Place, a new BOP similar to Brew Haus’s and Tombstone Brewing Company’s concept, in Scottsdale in a newly built shopping plaza south of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, east of Hayden Road. Jones was assisted by Chad Zaneis, bar manager and brewer, and Chef Shelly in the kitchen. The restaurant had a slight sports-bar atmosphere, serving typical brewpub fare and seafood platters. A second-floor loft set aside for private parties overlooked the restaurant seating area. Jones and Zaneis assisted prospective brewers through the brewing process on its 15-gallon brewing system, visible behind glass as customers walked into the brewpub. Concurrent with Ice Breaker’s opening, Candy and Mark Schermerhorn put the finishing touches on their long-overdue project, the Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company in the small mining town of Globe. The Schermerhorns had attempted to open the venture prior to December 1996, when a public stock offering was introduced 1990s: beginning of the boom

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Figure 11.39. Pusch Ridge Brewing Company sign, 1998.

to Globe residents (later statewide) as a way to raise money for the venture. The Schermerhorns were well known in brewing circles. Candy, an established chef with a talent for pairing beer with food, regularly appeared on KPNX-TV Channel 12’s Friday noon news program and maintained a column called Brewgal Gourmet in the American Homebrewers Association bi-monthly magazine, Zymurgy. Bill Garrard hired her to design the food menu for the Coyote Springs Brewing Company in 1992, and in 1993, she published her award-winning Great American Beer Cookbook featuring 217 beer-infused recipes. Her husband was an accomplished home brewer and a former White House staff member. 220

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The Schermerhorns chose Globe because of its relatively inexpensive real estate in comparison to more established communities such as Prescott. The brewpub was constructed inside the historic 1904 Old Dominion Commercial Company building on North Broad Street. The seventeen-thousand-square-foot structure was built by the same Italian stonemasons who erected the Gila County Courthouse and Roosevelt Dam. The Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company public stock offering was instituted under the Uniform Limited Offering Registration (ULOR), limited to Arizona residents only. Under the ULOR, up to $1 million could be raised for start-up or expansion costs. The one stipulation was the entrepreneur had to sell his or her offerings in order to raise the money. This was a risk for both the seller and investor because little or no information about a start-up company might be available for interested parties to study. The brewery’s stock offering was the first offering of its kind in Arizona. Globe residents were offered the stock in December 1996, and in April 1997, all Arizona residents could participate. The stock was presented to potential investors at the Fourth Annual Great Arizona Beer Festival held in Phoenix. All in all, sales were lackluster, so the Schermerhorns turned to more traditional means of acquiring financing. In doing so, the Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company’s grand opening was delayed a number of times. Finally, in August 1999, Candy became the first woman to own a brewery in Arizona upon the opening of the Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company. Its brewhouse contained a brand-new 10-barrel direct-fired Diversified Metal Engineering brewing system with four fermenters and eight brite tanks. Visitors could view its large copper kettles through the front entrance windows along Broad Street. Scott Miller, who gained experience through various breweries, including the Commonwealth Brewery in New York, Catamount in New England, and A. J. Gordon’s in New York, was hired as brewmaster. Miller’s specialty encompassed English, Belgian, and caskconditioned ales. The interior of the restaurant retained much of its historic integrity. Its original 350-square-foot skylight permitted plenty of natural light inside. A fully functional 1915 elevator, one of the first four-rope-and-drum elevators intalled in Arizona, carried patrons from a pub in the basement to the dining area on the first floor, a cigar room on the second, banquet and conference rooms on the third, and the temporary home of the Schermerhorns on the fourth. To top it off, an 1880s Brunswick backbar, a large chandelier from a bank in Europe, and an intricately carved fireplace from Germany added to its sense of history and grandeur. By the latter part of the 1990s, the optimism Nat Rowell and his partners felt about the Pusch Ridge Brewing Company began to wane in light of rising production and 1990s: beginning of the boom

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operating costs. Ironically, both its food and its beer consistently were given high ratings, yet the money to keep it afloat was hard in coming. As a result, a decision was made to close the brewpub in the summer of 1999. Another brewpub that closed was the Tombstone Brewing Company in Tempe. The BOP was fairly popular as a college student hangout; however, to the seasoned beer drinker, its beers were considered fair at best. In the end, John and Ken Rho decided to focus on the brewpub’s strong point, which was its food, and dismantled the brewery in 1999. Soon after, the brothers reopened it as Crazy Fish & 202 Sushi. Unbeknownst to many who visited it on a regular basis, Coyote Springs was also in trouble. Although Coyote Springs on Twentieth Street was bustling with activity, it was in effect being drained financially by its downtown restaurant. The initial excitement Bank One Ballpark generated downtown eventually leveled off, leaving area restaurants fighting for the same dollar, with some winners and some losers. For Garrard, it became a losing battle, which eventually forced him to file for bankruptcy. As of October 1999, both Coyote Springs locations closed. The decision must have come quickly since more than 2,000 gallons of beer were left in the brewery’s fermenters and brite tanks. On November 18, 1999, the entire contents of Coyote Springs were sold at auction, including its 14-barrel gas-fired brewing system and its antique Brunswick backbar.

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The 2000s: The New Millennium

The approach of the year 2000 spawned predictions of every sort, ranging from doomsday sayers prophesying the end of the world to what became an overstating of the Y2K Millennium Bug, projected to wreak havoc on computers worldwide. What came to define the era, however, were unquestionably the events surrounding the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The attack caused the stock markets to nosedive, damaging nearly every sector of the economy during a time when the United States was enduring a moderate recession. Although the economy did correct itself in a relatively short period of time, the attack changed the political landscape across the globe and marked the beginning of a war on terrorism. Nearly every sector of business was affected, including some in the local brewing community. It was truly an event that should never be forgotten. When Electric Dave Harvan was granted his liquor license to brew beer in 1998, a new opportunity arose for him to resurrect his brewery in Bisbee. Harvan located a spot in a hidden corner of an aging strip mall in South Bisbee, and in true Harvan style, he began construction largely on his own. He literally had to raise the roof on one section of his suite in order to accommodate his hot liquor tank, mash tun, and 30-barrel brewing system. Once the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms issued its final approval on November 8, 1999, Harvan fired up his brew kettle. His first beer, Dave’s Electric Beer, a lager based on one of his original recipes from 1988, was released in November 1999. The official grand opening of his brewery was held on New Year’s Eve 2000, with family and friends celebrating inside its tasting room. Candy and Mark Schermerhorn soon found that establishing their Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company in the city of Globe was more difficult than anticipated. Although its handcrafted beer, wood-fired barbecue, and mesquite-grilled steaks and

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12 I flew into New York City on the morning of September 11, 2001. Yes, that  September 11. Mine was one of the last planes to land at LaGuardia. I watched from the Long Island Expressway as the second tower fell. I eventually made my way to my hotel near Times Square, deposited my things and went out to drink. Heavily. —Stephen Beaumont, “The Difficulty of Definitions,” Blogging at World of Beer, April 12, 2012

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seafood were welcome alternatives to Globe’s other restaurants, it was more of “big city” style brewpub, which the historic little community of Globe was not quite ready for at the time. In fact, some older residents and ex-miners felt their town was being taken over by outsiders. Many traditional family businesses were being replaced with art galleries, coffeeshops, and restaurants, which increased their fear that their town was becoming unrecognizable. Any tourist money coming into Globe generally came during the weekends, leaving the rest of the week relatively sedate. As a result, the brewpub quickly became a money pit for the Schermerhorns. Ultimately, in February 2000, the Schermerhorns were forced to call it quits and put the brewpub up for sale, six months after opening. As luck would have it, a new landlord who was partial to the idea of adding a taproom took over management of the Rio Salado Brewing Company location. It was what Russ Seideman had hoped for but never was able to achieve. When given the green light, Tim Gossack installed a small U-shaped bar in one room, complete with yellow and blue textured faux-finished walls, and couches and tables in another room that instilled a pseudo-coffeehouse-style atmosphere. It wasn’t a drink-till-you-drop

Figure 12.00. Exterior view of the Nimbus Brewing Company, 2009.

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kind of place, but a place where you could have a beer and relax. It quickly became a popular destination spot, especially on Sunday nights when the room was transformed into an intimate jazz venue, attracting an eclectic group of musicians. One of the first changes implemented after Jim Counts joined Nimbus in 1999 was the enhancement of the identity of the Nimbus trademark. At the time, its logo was a simply a large “N” with a barley spike at its center. There was nothing memorable about it. Since Nimbus Couzin was known to like monkeys and regularly doodled them on paper, they became an inspiration for something new. Counts noted that Couzin’s first name had meaning too, since the word is defined as “an aura of splendor, a halo, or a rain cloud.” In order to incorporate their ideas into their logo, they contracted the graphic design firm of Boelts Brothers Associates to come up with a new packaging design. The result was the quizzical-looking chimpanzee that became the principal element in the brewery’s marketing material. Tommyknocker was the talk of downtown Phoenix at its grand opening party on May 1, 2000. An impressive spread was laid out for guests, including appetizers, entrees, desserts, and of course, its award-winning beer. The brewpub was a pricey venture to complete since every effort was made to preserve the historic significance of the original redbrick edifice built in 1921. Co-owner and general manager Gary Cabirac contracted Greg Lenahan to assist with its business plan and to raise capital through each critical stage in design, engineering, and construction. The twenty-onethousand-square-foot building had to be structurally reinforced to accommodate the beer stored on its upper floor in a way that would not sacrifice the building’s integrity. It was important to Tommyknocker not to modernize the building simply to fit the brewery’s needs, and they willingly spent the extra money necessary to keep its historic value intact. The brewpub became Tommyknocker Brewing Company’s newest and largest under­taking, with a capacity of 30,000 barrels annually. Brewer Mike Cothran, who worked at Rockies Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado, prior to joining Tommyknocker in Idaho Springs, manned its 4-vessel, 50-barrel brewing system. Tommyknocker consisted of a 175-seat restaurant and a full bar within a block of the Bank One Ballpark’s west-side entrance. A large-scale bottling apparatus capable of generating nine hundred cases of beer in a regular workday was scheduled to be installed by November 2000. In May 2000, Charlie Billingsley parted ways with the Arizona Roadhouse and staked claim on the bustling Rio Salado Brewing Company. Billingsley was eager to work for a more production-oriented facility, which was not something the Arizona Roadhouse was able to offer at the time. Former Coyote Springs brewer Brian Miller landed the job as head brewer at Arizona Roadhouse following Billingsley’s departure. Billingsley’s decision proved timely. Four months earlier, Ted Golden, a former key 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.01. (above right) The brewhouse at Tommyknocker in Phoenix while under construction, October 24, 1999. Figure 12.02. (above left) Arizona Roadhouse London Bridge Pale Ale won bronze at the 1999 Great American Beer Festival in Denver in the Classic English-Style Pale Ale category.

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account sales manager at Coast Distributing Company, had joined Rio Salado as sales manager. Golden greatly increased Rio Salado’s presence across Arizona. The Arizona Roadhouse advanced its identity as a popular music venue for local and national bands. Sean Kelly booked a number of live acts in an attempt to increase business at the brewpub. Once the nearby Balboa Café closed, many of its former bands began playing at the Roadhouse. As a result, its brewpub/dining ambiance slowly transformed into a more raucous bar atmosphere during band nights. In July 2000, Chris Swersey departed as head brewer of Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery when an opportunity arose for him and his family to move to Idaho to take over a river rafting company. Swersey later became a brewery consultant and a competition manager for the Great American Beer Festival and the Brewers Association’s World Beer Cup, positions he holds to this day. Swersey’s departure from Leinenkugel’s opened the door for Peter McFarlane to become head brewer there. Some changes also came to pass at Four Peaks. In August 2000, David Roberts left Four Peaks in exchange for a more tranquil life, setting up condominiums in sunny Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco), Mexico. He departed a few months prior to the release of the brewery’s first bottled beer, Kilt Lifter. The award-winning 6.2 percent Scottish export–style ale became the brewery’s flagship brand and its biggest seller since its induction in 1997. chapter 12

On October 2, 2000, Bill and Flossie Mohler took control of Copper Canyon Brewing and Ale House and renamed it the Copper Canyon Grill & Brewery. Jerry Gantt continued as head brewer while the Mohlers reintroduced more traditional pub fare to its restaurant. The number of televisions also increased, and the brewpub experienced a bit of a resurgence in sales. Paul and Amy Lachmanek discontinued the Sierra Vista Brewing Company around September 2000. The October/November 2000 Southwest Brewing News reported that their attempts to contact the Lachmaneks by phone were unsuccessful. In the end, locals informed the newspaper of its closing. The same issue of the Southwest Brewing News also reported the closing of the Copper City Brewing Company in Bisbee. The Perschkas simply could not continue in Bisbee’s high-rent district. As a result, the brewery was dismantled and put up for sale. Its closing in October 2000 left the Electric Brewing Company as the only functioning brewery in the southernmost reaches of Arizona. The Oak Creek Brewing Company remained steadfast in its growth following the installation of its bottling line in 1999, which led Oak Creek to increase distribution statewide. In October 2000, the Krauses opened the Oak Creek Brewery & Grill at the entrance of Sedona’s picturesque Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. The village contained forty shops, art galleries, and boutique-style stores. The two-story brewpub comprised an open-style kitchen, a 7-barrel brewing system behind its bar, and an outdoor patio overlooking Tlaquepaque. Seating in the patio’s outer edge was designed to face out, providing an impressive view of the area’s natural settings. By combining its award-winning beer with first-rate food, it quickly became a destination location for both tourists and the local community. Farther north in Flagstaff, Noah Davison and Dana Kanzler succeeded in building the Mogollon Brewing Company into one of the state’s leading breweries, and it did not go unnoticed. The brewery won the Coconino County “Small Business of the Year” award in 2000, and the AC Nielsen/Adams Ratings ranked it the best-selling bottled Arizona microbrewed beer in the state, as well as the seventh best-selling beer overall. Much of the brewery’s success came from sales of its highly popular Wapiti Amber. The brewery also gained a restaurant when Mogollon Mountain Pies opened adjacent to its taproom. In the fall of 2000, Steve Hendricks joined Mogollon as an assistant brewer. In December 2000, Alliance Beverage began distributing Dark Mountain’s products statewide. H. Clarke Romans had been self-distributing his beer and wine since acquiring the company. Hiring an outside distributor eased his workload and gave the brewery/winery more exposure. Its nut brown, porter, and Kölsch could now be acquired in kegs, 12-oz. bottles, or 22-oz. bombers. Some hard luck hit Romans when his Prickly Pear Wine was recalled. Evidently, 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.03. The tasting room bar of the Oak Creek Brewing Company in Sedona, 2008. (Reproduced by permission from Alexander Mitchel IV, Southwest Brewing News.)

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some individuals developed an unpleasant digestive reaction after drinking the wine. Three different laboratories tested the wine, without detecting any side effects. Still, the negative publicity was bad enough for Carl Rice (a partner in the wine) to sell his interest to distance himself from the matter. It was unfortunate, but Romans was not deterred. Instead, he unabashedly went forth and brewed a small batch of Prickly Pear Lambic to sell through Dark Mountain’s sample room. Romans found some redemption when his Arizona Gold Sherry won first place in the Governor’s Choice Wine Competition in 2001. The Nimbus Brewing Company made headway after Jim Counts joined. Three 150-barrel fermenters were added while Counts scoured the Denver area for a larger brewhouse. Behind the scenes, however, the tone at the brewery was not so pleasant, chapter 12

and a seething disagreement that had been slowly developing between Counts and Couzin boiled over into an ugly confrontation. The incident ultimately led to Couzin quitting the brewery in January 2001. The entire affair led to uneasiness about the future direction of the brewery. In the course of the following year, Nimbus would lose three of its brewers, a sign of discontent at the brewery. The Arizona Roadhouse in Tempe was also faltering. Its transformation into a prominent music venue came principally under the direction of Sean Kelly as a way to bring in more money. The brewpub booked bands ranging from roots-rock to hip-hop. Nevertheless, it found itself in flux, with declining revenues. As a result, the Kellys cut back hours and drastically scaled back entertainment in an attempt to save money. By New Year’s 2001, the Kellys had had enough. The merriment surrounding the New Year quickly turned from joy to disillusion when the Arizona Roadhouse and Brewery quietly made its last call on January 1, 2001. Just prior to its closing, revelers filled the brewpub waiting for the ball to drop. Bands played through the evening, and on New Year’s Day, the Roadhouse hosted four hundred boisterous Oregon State Beaver fans ready for a pre-game party. It capped the brewpub’s most profitable month in quite some time. On January 2, many patrons, ready to knock down a beer, found the doors locked. Following the closing, Brian Miller moved on to work at Brewers Connection before heading over to brew at Tommyknocker in Phoenix. According to the Kellys, a number of factors led to Arizona Roadhouse’s closing. Much of the cause was said to be “a shrinking and increasingly apathetic audience for live, original music.” Moreover, the brewpub sat in an area of Tempe that had been neglected in favor of other areas. In the end, the Kelleys simply tired of investing money in a brewpub they felt had a questionable future. Although Sean had hope that someone might step up and resurrect the brewpub, it did not happen, and the building and its contents were sold shortly afterward. One unique aspect of the Arizona Roadhouse was its use of locally grown, handcrafted two-row Harrington brewers malt cultivated in Stanfield, Arizona. The malt was supplied through Arizona Micromalting (at the time, one of the nation’s only craft maltsters). In March 2001, the company closed when investors backed out of funding a full-scale facility in place of its prototype brewing system. The decision left Arizona Micromalting unable to compete against mass-produced malts. After two and a half years at Alcatraz Brewing Company, Warren Pawsey bid goodbye in March 2001 so he and his family could return to Australia. Once back in his home country, he began brewing for the XXXX Brewery. In his absence, longtime Alcatraz employee Todd Arnold took over as head brewer. In February 2001, the same year the Arizona Diamondbacks would go on to win the World Series against the New York Yankees, Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery sold the restaurant portion of the business to the Chicago-based Hi-Tops. Hi-Tops was a 2000s: the new millennium

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popular sports bar restaurant situated near Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Some called it “the ultimate sports bar,” while others hated it for its boisterous clientele. Regardless, Hi-Tops sought to replicate its success in Phoenix. The Leinenkugel family retained ownership of the brewhouse inside the restaurant as a separate entity from the restaurant. As a result of the change, Peter McFarlane began to sell Leinenkugel’s beer back to the restaurant at a wholesale price. In April 2001, Evan and Winnie Hanseth opened Beaver Street Brews and Cues next door to the Beaver Street Brewery. The billiard hall contained a bar, video games, and a lounge area, which served Beaver Street’s beers. Its antique Brunswick mahogany bar came from the Coyote Springs Brewing Company & Café auction following its closing in 1999. Near the time Brews and Cues opened, Gene Almquist became head brewer at Beaver Street. Almquist had developed an interest in brewing beer during spring break from college. His interest eventually grew into holding a weekly event with friends, and in 1995, he opened the Homebrewers Outpost in Flagstaff. While Jim Counts endeavored to gain control of Nimbus, more trouble cropped up for the brewery. According to Counts, Pima County officials closed its taproom in May 2001 and attempted to close the entire brewery without a formal inspection. Consequently, no one was allowed to enter the facility prior to its reinspection on May 15. Counts believed Nimbus was sanctioned for ill-conceived reasons and questioned who might have been behind the complaint since only minor code violations were found. In May 2001, home brewing companions Ron Kloth, Paul Gunn, and Bruce Mc­Connell opened Papago Brewing in Scottsdale on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and McDowell Roads. They sought a central location close to Arizona State University, but with the clientele from Scottsdale who appreciated better beers. The pub consisted of a home brew supply shop and bar that provided thirty different beers on tap, thirty-two-dozen bottled beers, home brew supplies, and a small selection of wines (the home brew shop and wines were dropped at a later date). The idea for Papago developed in response to the limited beer selection in the valley since most distributors at the time catered specifically to high-volume, fast-moving brands. Since Gunn formerly operated Gunnbrew Supply in Phoenix, he oversaw the home brew shop in Papago. Kloth, a former stockbroker with Charles Schwab, managed the retail section, and McConnell handled the day-to-day business operations. Bandersnatch was contracted to brew its first in-house beer, El Robusto Porter, under the careful direction of Joe Bob Grisham. Other beers, all Kloth’s creations, were brewed under contract through the Sonora Brewing Company and Oak Creek Brewing Company. Across the street from the city park in the northern Arizona community of Page, Kirk Alan Jones’s efforts to open a brewpub called Lake Powell Brewing Company paid off when its grand opening arrived on June 15, 2001. It did not come without its share 230

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of trouble, however. The day was met with power outages and other unfortunate incidents, dashing his hopes for a smooth opening. Yet, for a brief period in time, Page residents were presented with locally handmade craft-brewed beer from the first and only brewpub ever to have graced the small lakeside community. Lake Powell Brewing Company was adorned in southwestern décor, adobe stucco walls, and terra-cotta tile floors befitting its majestic canyon surroundings. Along with its handcrafted beer, it offered a friendly atmosphere, reasonably priced food, and nightly entertainment, making it a welcome alternative to nearby establishments. Its 15-barrel Bohemian Monobloc brewing system was visible behind the backbar through a large window. Jones produced a variety of beer styles, including HefeWeizen, English Mild, Red Alt, Cream Stout, American Pale Ale, and an occasional seasonal, along with a full line of fruit ciders. Four Peaks became a dominant force following the installation of its bottling line, with production consistently on the rise. In June 2001, Ted Golden left Rio Salado and joined Four Peaks as its official “beer traffic controller.” Golden handled all affairs surrounding the brewery’s wholesale distribution, earning the nickname of “sales guru.” Since the opening of Rock Bottom in Ahwatukee in 1999, the Colorado-based Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc. had sought further expansion in Arizona. When the right opportunity arose, the company made an offer to purchase the Hops! Bistro &

Figure 12.04. Ron Kloth, longtime home brewer and co-founder of Papago Brewing in Scottsdale, July 2011.

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Figure 12.05. Guy Bartmess brewed at Rock Bottom from 2005 to 2009 in Cincinnati and Phoenix before becoming brewer at Mudshark in 2010. He is currently the brewer at Main Street Casino & Brewery in Las Vegas. (Reproduced by permission from Erik Adams, Southwest Brewing News.)

Brewery in Scottsdale and Cougan’s Brewery and Grill at Arrowhead Mall in Glendale. Once a deal was finalized, both locations became Rock Bottom Restaurants on July 1, 2001. In August 2001, the locally owned Arriba Mexican Grill restaurant chain introduced a new concept to its restaurants: the Casa Arriba Brewing Company. Ray Perry launched the first family-run Arriba Mexican Grill in Phoenix at Eigtheenth Street and Camelback Road in 1995. It quickly became a favorite dining destination for local residents seeking New Mexican–style cuisine. Arriba’s has since opened six locations across the valley, and its Annual Hatch Chili Roast, featuring Hatch green chilis from Hatch, New Mexico, has become one of its biggest events. The first Arriba’s to install a brewery was in Scottsdale, southwest of Loop 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. Breweries were later established in Glendale, Ahwatukee, and Gilbert, each selling Tio Ramon, its house beer, which includes a pilsner, amber, and bock. The only location not to carry the beer was its Camelback location. The same month Casa Arriba began brewing beer, Ian and Judy Watkinson opened Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub on Main Street, not far from the old territorial prison near the Colorado River in the historic section of Yuma. The Atkinsons opened the impressive $3 million brewpub with help from a $140,000 loan arranged through the city. The inspirations for the name Monarch’s Rest were the Queen of 232

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England and the area’s favored butterfly, the monarch. Ian was an English-born agricultural chemist and a reputed amateur entomologist. When planning his brewpub, he sought to have a live-insect museum with monarch butterflies, arthropods, and various desert critters indigenous to the area on display alongside bottles and other artifacts discovered during renovation of the building. Geoffrey Dewhurst, Ian’s English/ Irish son-in-law, was convinced to join Monarch’s Rest as head brewer. Dewhurst had learned how to brew beer at home while in college. He was later employed at Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego, and then as a therapist for the Arizona Baptist Children’s Services while teaching marriage, family, and psychology courses at Arizona Western College. His career goal was to become a therapist to assist people in need, not to become a brewer. Monarch’s Rest produced a considerable amount of beer from its 15-barrel brewing system. Approximately sixteen different styles with up to twelve on tap at any one time were offered, including English-style ales, ciders, low-alcohol brews, and “ginger shandy,” a light, refreshing beer made with real ginger. Its more popular selections included the Mexican-style B-52 Lager, the dry-hopped Painted Lady Pale, its Canterbury Cream Ale, and the Scottish-heavy Kilt Tilter. In December 2001, Quinton Rushton joined Dewhurst at the brewery. Rushton formerly worked at Butte Creek Brewing in Chico, California, specializing in brewing organic ales. Back in Phoenix, John and Margie Watt struck a deal with Norman Horn to open a pub at 322 East Camelback Road called the Sonora Brewhouse. Horn was granted exclusive rights to use the Sonora name and sell its beer at the pub. The refurbished redbrick cottage underwent a great deal of renovation before its grand opening during the first week of August 2001. Its exposed brick walls flowing to the inside complement its wood furnishings and nostalgic paintings of Hollywood stars. The Mogollon Brewing Company moved into new territories when it was chosen to supply beer to Grand Canyon National Park, replacing the Black Mountain Brewing Company in Cave Creek as the exclusive supplier. Kegs of Wapiti Amber and Superstition Pale Ale were transported by pack mule to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. It is the only available method of transportation in lieu of flying a helicopter. In September 2001, Noah and Belinda Davison resolved to sell their interest in Mogollon. The couple moved back to Colorado, where Noah later became a manufacturing specialist at Amgen, a biotechnology firm in Longmont, Colorado. David Williamson, a former Alliance Beverage sales manager for twenty-one years, purchased the Davisons’ share in Mogollon and quickly began to implement changes at the brewery. The time period in which Williamson joined Mogollon was marked by the horrific attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The attack, viewed on live television, sent shock waves throughout the world, and in many ways, it changed the 2000s: the new millennium

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course of history. Images of the attack on the Twin Towers became the headliner of every news source across the globe. Although the unforgettable event did alter the way we look at the world and our neighbors, life carried on and breweries in Arizona continued to develop. In November 2001, Rock Bottom opened its fourth Arizona location at the newly built Desert Ridge Marketplace off Tatum Boulevard and Loop 101 in Phoenix. Brian Helton, who got his start as an assistant brewer at Rock Bottom in Cincinnati, became its head brewer. The chain consisted of twenty-nine locations across the United States, and according to the Institute for Brewing Studies, Rock Bottom sold more beer than any other chain in 2001, with each of its restaurants averaging 1,269 barrels. Shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, the Mogollon Brewing Company began to experience financial difficulties. The combination of a dwindling number of visitors and equipment failure forced its wholesale beer production to cease for nearly three months. That year alone, eighteen downtown businesses in Flagstaff closed. Troubling as it was, Kanzler and Williamson trudged on, pouring approximately $300,000 into the business, remodeling its restaurant, simplifying its menu, and applying for a Class 1 liquor license. On October 19, 2001, the first Arizona BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery opened at the newly built Chandler Fashion Center on the southwest corner of Loop 101 and Chandler Boulevard in Chandler. The 8,773-square-feet brewpub quickly became a favorite not only for its pizza but also for its rotating selection of specialty beers. Bill Cunningham and Michael Phillips opened their first restaurant, called BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria in 1978, in Santa Ana, California. The two businessmen admittedly knew little about the pizza business when first taking on the venture, but over the next thirteen years, they succeeded in opening four more restaurants, which regularly won “Best Pizza” awards in the Los Angeles area. In 1991, the partners chose to take a step back from the business by handing over many of its responsibilities to their accountants, Paul Motenko and Jerry Hennessey. Motenko and Hennessey aggressively expanded BJ’s through franchising, adding five locations in a short period of time: Long Beach, California, in 1992; La Jolla, California, in 1993; and Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, California, and Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, in 1994. In 1995, Motenko and Hennessey took control of the BJ’s chain from Cunningham and Phillips, who by then were ready to sell. BJ’s was rejuvenated with a new look and a more consistent concept. In April 1996, a ten-thousand-square-foot restaurant, nearly five times larger than other BJ’s locations and the first to include a brewery, opened in Brea, California. It was named BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery. Two other versions were introduced: BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, which did not contain a brewery, and BJ’s Grill & Pizza, a smaller-format version of its full-service restaurant. In October 1996, Chicago Pizza & Brewery Inc., 234

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a newly formed holding company which oversaw all BJ’s restaurants, took control of the chain. Former chiropractor Derek Osborne began his brewing career in 1996 at BJ’s Brea, California, location. He worked his way up through a few BJ’s before landing the head brewing position in Chandler in 2001. He was later joined by assistant brewer Scott Manning, who got his start at BJ’s in Woodland Hills, California. In Arizona, the two made their way around BJ’s 15-barrel brewhouse, which had a capacity of 1,700 barrels per year. In November 2001, John “Vegas” Hostak left Four Peaks and relocated to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. He and David Roberts later opened Al Capone’s Pizza & Beer there. The two tossed around the idea of opening a microbrewery, but it never materialized. 2000s: the new millennium

Figure 12.06. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery in Chandler. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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Back at the Lake Powell Brewing Company, Kirk Jones was finding the lakeside community a tough market for his brewpub. He sought the assistance of Cory O’Neel for consultation and assistance in brewery operations with hopes of turning things around. O’Neel was an award-winning brewer who worked for the South China Brewing Company in Hong Kong and was former brewer/owner of the Wolf Tongue Brewery in Nederland, Colorado. He brewed a handful of times at Lake Powell, but had no intent to stay full time. Papago Brewing hosted the Arizona Strong Ale Fest on January 19, 2002, with more than 1,100 people in attendance. It eclipsed the 300 to 500 expected, and once wristbands ran out, people were turned away. Paul Gunn said it was the first Arizona Craft Brewers Guild event that had really made money. Tim Gossack brewed his Defibrillator Dopplebock conditioned in Makers Mark oak barrels for the event. At the time, Rio Salado was enjoying recognition as one of the top microbreweries in the state. In March, the brewery hosted its first annual Bock Fest, coinciding with its third anniversary. Gossack poured his Tornado Helles Bock Pale Lager, Blizzard Bock Winter Wheat Ale, and the Defibrillator Dopplebock. That year, Bruce McConnell parted ways with Papago to form Little Guy Distributing with his son C. B. The two sought to distribute craft beer in the state with a focus on Belgian beers. McConnell’s departure from Papago was necessary because at the time a law on the books did not allow him to own a retail establishment and

Figure 12.07. Tim Gossack at Rio Salado’s tasting room, 2003.

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distributorship simultaneously. Shortly after Little Guy got off the ground, Andy Keyser joined as a third partner. The company began to grow by leaps and bounds, and in 2004, Chuck Noll, a Certified Cicerone, became its sales representative, helping transform Little Guy into a leader of craft beer distribution in Arizona. According to the Cicerone Certification Program, a Certified Cicerone is the second level of certification. Those who achieve this certification have a deep and well-rounded knowledge of beer and beer service as well as competence in assessing beer quality and identity by taste. In order to become a Certified Cicerone, candidates must have passed the Certified Beer Server exam. In May 2002, Arizona lost two breweries when the Tommyknocker Brewing Company closed its doors and the Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company ceased operation following the departure of its brewer. Tommyknocker’s Phoenix location proved to be a failed experiment, with considerable investment put into the brewpub and little to show for it. It closed shortly after filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company did not technically close, but went idle when Jim Roper left to join Four Peaks as assistant brewer. Harvey McElhannon did not find a replacement brewer, either by choice or because he came up empty-handed. He later signed a contract with the Sonora Brewing Company in Phoenix to brew Pinnacle Peak’s beer. Some say Tommyknocker was built ahead of its time. It was located in a mostly uninhabited warehouse district just far enough away from the Bank One Ballpark to make it a difficult sell. On days other than when the Diamondbacks played home games, it attracted little more than a lackluster crowd. When Papago Brewing chose to sell its home brew supply shop in June, Ken Saxe, a Southwest Brewing News columnist, acquired its contents and reopened the shop at 2655 West Guadalupe Road as the Homebrew Depot. He wound up with 30 gallons of Tommyknocker’s maple syrup used in making Tommyknocker’s Maple Nut Brown Ale. The rest of Tommyknocker’s equipment either was liquidated, shipped back to Colorado, or left behind to deteriorate in the empty structure. While Joe Bob Grisham was making waves with the Irish dry stout called Pog Mo Thoin (“kiss my ass” in Gaelic), the City of Tempe was preparing to pass the state’s first municipal smoking ban, which would transform Tempe bars into smoke-free establishments. Opponents of the measure argued in vain that the ban would create a tremendous loss in business, principally because Tempe was landlocked by towns with weaker smoking laws. Regardless, the controversial measure narrowly passed in May 2002. In response, Bandersnatch constructed an outside patio just east of its main entrance with a volleyball court and designated smoking area. But the law’s impact was felt as many smokers chose to patronize businesses that allowed smoking. Arizona lost more brewpubs in 2002 when the Lake Powell Brewing Company and the Dark Mountain Brewery & Winery closed. After Kirk Jones closed his brewpub in 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.08. (above) The Fiesta Mexicana Family Restaurant has been in business since the Lake Powell Brewing Company closed in 2002. This photo was taken in 2011. Figure 12.09. (right) Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub prior to its brewing equipment being removed, 2007. (Reproduced by permission from William Isbell, Quechan News.)

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Lake Powell, it reopened as the Fiesta Mexicana Family Restaurant. Jones relocated to Colorado, and in September 2004, he applied for a brewpub liquor license to open the Fruita Brewing Company in Fruita, Colorado. H. Clarke Romans closed the Dark Mountain Brewery & Winery in July 2002, after an attempt to reopen it in Tucson came up empty-handed. He had been searching for a new location since December 2001. Dark Mountain occupied a building larger than was actually needed, and development in the area was slow to catch up. When the opportunity arose, Romans sold the property to a Minnesota-based investment group, and its 15-barrel brewhouse went to the Switchback Brewing Company in Burlington, Vermont. Trouble was also brewing at the Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub in Yuma. As debts mounted, Ian and Judy Watkinson found no other alternative but to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 9, 2002. Although busy during the winter tourist season, the summer heat caused business to slow considerably, making it difficult to continue operation. City administrator Joyce Wilson sympathized with the brewpub’s plight and sought to do what she could to help the restaurant survive, even attempting to renegotiate the federal Community Development Block Grant loan provided for Monarch’s Rest. The loan, typically set aside to help low- to moderateincome families, could also be used to aid private businesses who met certain criteria. The Watkinsons continued operating the brewpub with the hope that its reorganization might turn its fortunes around. Back in 2001, Ryan Ashley, former head brewer for Mickey Finn’s in Libertyville, Illinois (1997–2001), relocated to Arizona with the mind-set of opening a brewery. Ashley gained his reputation for brewing award-winning beers while working as an assistant alongside Chris Swersey at Mickey Finn’s. He was born in the brewing city of Milwaukee and followed in the footsteps of his two grandfathers: one was employed at the Miller Brewing Company and the other at Red Star Yeast. From his start as a home brewer in 1989, he went professional five years later. Ashley worked and studied at the Siebel Institute of Technology, studied at Doemens Brewing Academy, and learned fermentation and brewing science at the University of California, Davis. After hearing Arizona enjoyed the highest per-capita beer consumption rate in the country, he determined it was the right location for a brewpub and pursued opening the Unlikely Cowboy Restaurant & Brewery with his two brothers, Ian and Collin. The Unlikely Cowboy opened in August 2002 at the newly built Market Street in Scottsdale’s DC Ranch. The rustic-looking shops, with Tuscan-inspired elements, retained an upscale ambiance in a neighborhood seemingly ripe for a brewery. Its two-story, vaulted, state-of-the-art brewhouse, visible behind glass from its nearby horseshoe-shaped bar, contained a reverse-osmosis water purification system and a yeast lab for propagating yeast. The rather upscale brewpub sought to attract customers from all corners of the valley with its discreet western décor and unpretentious 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.10. The Unlikely Cowboy, c. 2002. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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gourmet fare. Its alehouse mussels, onion soup roast, ten-gallon burger, chile-cherry pork tenderloin, pizzas, and salads made the restaurant an alluring place to visit. Ashley’s reputation for brewing “big beers” was something he hoped to continue at the Unlikely Cowboy. In 2001, he won gold for both his Dopple-Style Bock and Wheat Ale at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The London Bridge Brewing Company in Lake Havasu City remained open for five or so years before it closed around the same time the Ashleys set up in Scottsdale. The business was sold to Cindy and Jerry Aldridge, who had little interest in continuing it as a brewery. Soon after, it was renovated into a 108-seat theater and reopened in September 2002 as the London Arms Pub & Playhouse. The Rio Salado Brewing Company, on the other hand, was going strong. In December 2002, it opened a second location in Tempe at the former Mill Avenue Beer Company called the Salt River Saloon. Salt River retained many similar elements to its predecessor, serving standard pub fare and providing live bands and DJ music seven nights per week. The one difference was a strong focus on Rio Salado beers. It was chapter 12

located in the heart of Tempe’s entertainment district on Mill Avenue, an area known for its vibrant local music scene where a number of bands had their start. Some later referred to it as “the last of the local Tempe music venues with the courage and integrity to promote live music 7 days a week.” Brian Jones attempted to make a go of Ice Breaker’s Restaurant & Brew Place, with minimal success. The reviews it received varied from one end of the spectrum to the other, which may have indicated inconsistencies within the establishment. Its closing within the first six months of 2003 proved timely for Four Peaks, which looked to expand into a second location. Soon after Four Peaks purchased the defunct Brew on Premises, work began to transform it into Four Peaks Grill & Tap. In late March 2003, the Hi-Tops restaurant on the plaza of the Bank One Ballpark was sold to the Baltimore-based McFadden’s restaurant chain. The sale was a result of a disagreement between the Diamondbacks franchise and management of the financially troubled restaurant, which had recently filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to Tom Harris, vice president of finance for the Arizona Diamondbacks, McFadden’s was an “Irish pub concept,” primarily a restaurant, but also a bar and nightclub. Its new tenant would later have an impact on the still-operating Leinenkugel brewery within the establishment. In April 2003, Jim Strelau joined the Oak Creek Brewing Company as head brewer. Like most modern-day brewers, Strelau embarked on his passion for brewing as a home brewer while attending college at the University of Athens. In 1995, he landed his first professional brewing gig at the Main Street Brewing Company in Cincinnati. He then worked for the Watson Brothers in Ohio and later for the Backcountry Brewery in Frisco, Colorado. In 2003, Oak Creek won a gold medal at the National Brewers Association competition in Idaho Falls, Idaho, for its Bavarian Wheat. Fred Kraus stressed that the win was the result of the collaborative effort of himself, Strelau, and Carl Adam, a former brewmaster and director of brewing operations at Anheuser-Busch. In the meantime, Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub continued to hemorrhage money while its reorganization plan was under review. The final nail in its coffin was placed when the court denied its proposal for reorganization. The court believed the brewpub could not become profitable within a reasonable time period given the condition of Yuma’s somewhat listless downtown. Many locals considered the brewpub a little pricey in comparison to other local eateries. Therefore, without any other option, Ian and Judy Watkinson shuttered its doors on June 18, 2003. When the City of Tempe unveiled its Downtown Redevelopment Concept Plan in 2003, Bandersnatch acquired an uneasy feeling that it was in the city’s crosshairs. The area targeted for redevelopment happened to include the land where Bandersnatch stood, and it was not included in the design. A battle for survival ensued, but at the 2000s: the new millennium

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time, Joe Mocca was strapped for cash, making the endeavor to save Bandersnatch that much more difficult. Tempe’s smoking ban had taken its toll on numerous bars and restaurants, with a 31 percent decrease in tax revenue from bars following the ban’s first full year in effect. Mocca ultimately decided to sell after it was revealed the city might exercise its powers of eminent domain. Although technically he was never forced to, he claimed they made it pretty clear that “I should take whatever offer was on the table.” In September 2003, Mocca sold the pub to Matt Engstrom and Barrett Rinzler, owners of the Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. Mocca dismantled the brewery and gave it, along with the rights to use the Bandersnatch name, to Joe Bob Grisham, in an attempt to revive it at another location. Engstrom and Rinzler continued to operate Bandersnatch as a bar/restaurant only and later as an “event only” establishment before closing it down altogether. In November 2007, the former brewpub was torn down to make way for a proposed eleven-story Marriott Hotel. At the 2003 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Ryan Ashley won a gold for his Dunkel Weizen in the German-Style Wheat Ale category. The only other Arizona brewery to bring home gold that year was the Oak Creek Brewing Company for its Oak Creek Hefeweizen. In November 2003, Ashley altered the name of the Unlikely Cowboy by dropping the word “Unlikely” from its name since some customers found it odd or confusing. He also modified the food menu to reflect the change. Executive Chef Adam Walker came up with an innovative selection, including rattlesnakestuffed jalapenos, barbecued catfish, hot smoked prime rib, and Snake River Farms Kobe meatloaf. Ashley also brewed a seasonal barley wine with 10 percent alcohol by volume aged in Jack Daniels wooden barrels, available bottled in limited quantities. The theme-based Alcatraz Brewing Company at Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe was considered a thoughtfully built and a well-designed brewpub. Business was brisk at the brewpub, and many times, its servers contended with overcrowding issues. However, once the excitement over the mall’s opening waned, so did much of the brewpub’s business. In the end, Alcatraz threw in the towel, and it closed suddenly in November 2003. Two months later, the Graffe Auction Company (a food-serviceequipment auction house) was contracted to liquidate its entire contents and ready the site for a new tenant. In December 2003, Uptown Brewery by Streets of New York changed its name to Streets of New York Brewery. The move was made in an effort to better associate its breweries with its restaurant. Everything else remained the same. Once McFadden’s took control of the former Hi-Tops, the relationship between the brewery operating within its walls and the restaurant began to change. Although Leinenkugel’s draft beer was fresher because it was made in small batches on premises, it did come at a slightly higher price. As a result, McFadden’s was less and less willing 242

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to spend the extra money for Leinenkugel’s beer and began to limit what it purchased from the brewery. It reached a point where Peter McFarlane was not able to keep Leinenkugel’s viable, and the brewery closed in December 2003. Jake Leinenkugel, the fifth-generation president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, cited the difficulty of working with McFadden’s as a reason for its closing. It became more of a “distraction for what we want to accomplish,” according to Leinenkugel. Peter McFarlane later went on to work for the Rogue Brewery in Portland, Oregon. On January 6, 2004, Four Peaks Grill & Tap opened at the former Ice Breaker’s Restaurant & Brew Place in north Scottsdale. Since Four Peaks had no intention of operating it as a brewery, it sold the entire brewhouse to Jeffrey Haines, owner of Brewer’s Connection home brew supply store in Tempe. The Grill & Tap was an instant hit, offering fans of Four Peaks a more intimate setting to enjoy its popular beer and food in Scottsdale. The Jerome Brewery became a popular destination for brewpub-seeking travelers visiting the historic mining town. However, Eric and Michelle Jurisin never intended for the brewery to become the principal focus. Its Dark Wheat, Amber Ale, Raspberry Wheat, Raspberry Pilsner, and Bock were reasonably priced at a $1.50 per pint, and as business increased, it became a burden to keep up with demand and properly maintain its equipment while tending to the restaurant’s needs. As a result, the beer suffered, leading to some unsatisfactory reviews. In February 2004, the Jurisins decided to pull the brewery and expand seating for the restaurant. It continued to operate under the Jerome Brewery name until 2007, when it was renamed Grapes Restaurant & Bar. Back in 2002, Mogollon was ranked by Ranking Arizona Magazine: The Best of Arizona Business as “Arizona’s Best Microbrewery.” Dana Kanzler and David Williamson then began to study the idea of adding a distillery to their brewery. Williamson became convinced that inexpensive-flavored vodkas and distilled liquors bedecked in a Southwest theme would sell well in Arizona. There was no law in the books stating a distillery could not be added to a brewery, but it was a gray area that made the transformation of the idea into reality a long process. Back when Kanzler and Williamson proposed the idea, many agencies were not sure how to deal with its authorization. They dealt with roadblocks and lengthy license applications and needed to assure all involved they would be in compliance. The most significant setback was a federal law forbidding the business to be in production simultaneously as a brewery and distillery. Kanzler and Williamson fought to change that law. They were granted a variance— the first of its kind in the state—in which Mogollon agreed it would function solely as a brewery while brewing beer, and solely as a distillery while distilling vodka. The law was an annoyance, but the variance satisfied both sides, giving Mogollon the green light to move forward. 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.11. Interior view of Four Peaks Grill & Tap in Scottsdale, 2010. (Courtesy of Jim Scussel.)

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In June 2004, Candy and Mark Schermerhorn sold the former Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company to Kelly Haydon. Haydon renovated the restaurant and reopened it in 2005 as Kelly’s Broad Street Brewery. It is not clear if Haydon ever intended to revive its brewery, but in the end, it sat idle and never was revived. Haydon struggled for two years before filing bankruptcy in July 2007. Its brewhouse was then sold for $55,000 to the River Company Restaurant and Brewery in Radford, Virginia. Concurrent with Kelly’s opening in Globe, the Wild Weede Brewery & Lil’ Rangler’s Café was preparing to open in the little community of Springerville, Arizona, chapter 12

once Steve and Deborah Martin were granted a liquor license in July 2004. Martin had retired from the health-care industry, and he was a home brewer with more than twenty-five years of brewing experience. His brewery was tucked in a corner of the Pioneer Plaza at 173 West Main Street, adjacent to an antique store called the General Store. Its restaurant served a mix of Mexican and American food alongside Martin’s beers, which generally consisted of three styles: a light pilsner, a dark, and an amber. More selections were offered by blending the three in any manner requested and by using flavoring extracts, which resulted in his Apricot Pilsner and Raspberry Amber. Later, Martin introduced his Big Bold Brown, Red Hills IPA, and White Hills IPA. In July 2004, residents in the historic mining town of Tombstone celebrated the grand opening of the Helldorado Brewing Company, located inside a freestanding warehouse at 107 Toughnut Street, not far from the tourist section of Tombstone. Former Wyoming resident Brent Sexson and his son Cody had been preparing for its opening since 2002. While employed in construction, Cody’s interest in brewing was sparked over a beer. He was tired of his job and realized he wanted to learn the brewing process. Therefore, he enrolled at the American Brewers Guild in California, where he studied microbiology and chemistry. Upon his return, he and his family formulated a business plan for the brewery. Every element of the Helldorado Brewing Company was built from the ground up. Its brewhouse was melded together with parts from the Nimbus Brewing Company and a brewery in Hamilton, Montana. A large wood bar with a massive mirrored back-

Figure 12.12. Kelly’s Broad Street Brewery soon after it opened in 2004. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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bar reminiscent of an Old West saloon sat along one wall of its cavernous space. The only thing it lacked was a proper bottling line because of its $15,000 price tag. Cody circumvented the expense and built his own bottling apparatus by scraping together a manual bottler incorporating plywood and rubber tubing for a mere $400. He brewed approximately 175 gallons per week and offered his beer in pint glasses, 22-oz. bottles, and 15-gallon kegs. Arizona’s first franchised Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company opened on October 24, 2004, at Loop 101 and Bell Road in Scottsdale. Scott Bickert, who had honed his skills at Rio Salado, Tommyknocker, and Four Peaks, was hired as brewmaster. Bickert worked on Oggi’s 7-barrel DME brewing system, and his first two batches, a golden ale and an amber ale, were ready in February 2005. The California-based Oggi’s originated in August 1991, when brothers George and John Hadjis bought an existing pizzeria franchise in Del Mar, California, and made it their own. It was a true family venture, with George’s wife Dora keeping the books while daughter Estella, son Tommy, and John’s son Shawn worked the kitchen and tended to various storefront obligations. The Hadjises worked hard to stand out from the pack, delivering their pizza in “loudly decorated” trucks. In light of the exploding craft beer scene in the 1990s, they perfected a brewpub concept by adding a brewery, and the company took off. In 1995, its first franchised brewpub concept opened in Carmel Mountain Ranch in San Diego, and by the end of 2001, six new Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company locations were operating in Southern California. In order to control its franchises better, the Hadjises felt a stronger corporate infrastructure was necessary. Therefore, in 2003, a centralized

Figure 12.13. The Helldorado Brewing Company in 2005.

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Figure 12.14. Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company in Scottsdale. (Reproduced by permission from BahHumBrew, The Beer Mapping Project.)

brewery was erected in San Clemente as a corporate facility providing training for its employees. The facility featured a 30-barrel steam-fired Century brewing system with one 30-barrel fermenter, four 60-barrel fermenters, and three 120-barrel fermenters. In October 2004, David Williamson, Dana Kanzler, and Steve Hendricks completed the installation of a distillery at the Mogollon Brewing Company. The company’s name was changed to the Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits Distillery. The distillery consisted of an impressive state-of-the-art hand-hammered copper still custom built by Arnold Holstein, a distillery equipment manufacturer in Markdorf, Germany. It arrived in several crates with no instructions on how to assemble or operate it. Regardless, the still was made functional, and its first vodka was the Prickly Pear Vodka, made from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. During this time, Williamson began studying the possibility of expanding the company into biodiesel fuels. He scouted Northern Arizona University (NAU) for scientists who might be able to utilize CO2 coming from the breweries’ fermentation process to create alternative transportation fuels via chemical processes. The idea did not pan out, but along the way, he, along with NAU students and faculty, came upon another idea: a self-contained mini-keg incorporating a built-in CO2 or nitrogen tank, pressure regulator, and dispensing faucet, coined the Eco Tap. Williamson was confident the Eco Tap would save breweries money in packaging costs and possibly eliminate the need for bottles altogether. After pouring an estimated $900,000 into developing the mini-keg, Williamson found himself without financing, and the project was dropped. 2000s: the new millennium

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During the same month that Williamson and Kanzler completed installation of their distillery in Flagstaff, BJ’s brewer Melissa Phillips enjoyed recognition for winning gold for her Nit Wit Belgian-Style Witbier at the 2004 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Melissa was the only female brewer in the state at the time, and the only Arizona brewer to bring home top honors. Phillips had been employed at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery in Chandler since 2003 as an assistant brewer under brewmaster Derek Osborne (Phillips married Osborne in 2006). She came up with the recipe during the previous summer and beat out thirty-three other entries. Ryan Ashley, owner and brewer of the Cowboy Restaurant & Brewery, had been known for brewing “big beers” since his days at Mickey Finn’s. In Scottsdale, however, he generally produced lighter session-style beers, leaving some Illinois transplants familiar with his abilities curious as to the reason for the change. According to Ashley, “We have a lot of bills to pay and we have to brew beers that people in this city want to drink, not necessarily what I want to brew.” Overall, his beers were well received and were not the source of his troubles. However, the Cowboy location in the highly competitive Market Street, “Scottsdale’s Premier Dining District,” came at a high cost. Because of its high overhead, some indicated that Ashley was financially in over his head, competing against restaurants with glistening reputations. Market Street contained approximately eleven restaurants, including the well-established Eddie V’s Edgewater Grille and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse. In an attempt to cut down on costs, Ashley downsized the restaurant. Then in December 2004, he changed the name of the Cowboy to Zona Brewing Company. It was confounding because the name did not seem fitting to its plush surroundings. Other than the name change, the brewpub remained relatively intact and continued to receive good reviews. Still, in less than one year, Zona closed on November 17, 2005. Ashley left Arizona and became employed as a brewery work group manager at SABMiller Brewing Company. Another brewery that underwent a name change was the Sonora Brewing Company. John Watt quietly changed it to the Sonoran Brewing Company back in 2003 in an attempt to differentiate it from the Sonora Brewhouse. Although the distinction in names was barely noticeable, the name was different enough to be considered a separate name. The creation of two separate trademarks inadvertently created confusion when in October 2004 the Watts closed the Sonoran Brewing Company on ThirtySixth Street and Indian School Road and sold the two names to two separate owners. Norman Horn purchased the Sonora trademark, while Scott and Dawn Yarosh purchased the Sonoran trademark. Scott, who had been apprentice brewer under Uwe Boer at Sonora, planned to revive the name at the Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company. From a financial standpoint, the sale benefitted the Watts, but it became irksome to Horn and the Yaroshes, who were left to explain to their customers the difference between the two names whose beers retained many of the same traits. 248

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Figure 12.15. Scott Yarosh gives a tour of the Sonoran Brewery to the A-1 Chapter of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America on February 5, 2005.

The Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company was a convenience to Scott Yarosh because it was a fully functional brewery not in need of a major overhaul to get it running again. Scott quickly got the brewery off the ground and, for a time, supplied beer to the Sonora Brewhouse. He made it a point to identify his brewery as “the original” as a way to show it was the same brewery, but at a new location. More confusion arose when the Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse notified Scott of their intent to continue using the Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company name. As a result, Pinnacle Peak utilized the Pinnacle Peak name in the restaurant, while Scott used the Sonoran name for his retail packaging. When the Watts closed their Sonora/Sonoran brewery, its 20-barrel brewhouse was sold to the Green Flash Brewing Company in Vista, California, leaving Uwe Boer without a location or brewery to work from. Since the brewery was a key element in the success of the Sonora Brewhouse, Horn decided to install a brewery and bring in Boer as its brewer. The result was the creation of Brewer’s Den. A small structure adjacent to the restaurant along Camelback Road was gutted to fit a 7-barrel brewery with room for a second bar and dining area. The project would take nearly two years to complete. During this time, the Nimbus Brewing Company underwent significant upgrades and modifications in order to rectify its prior troubles and retain compliance with 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.16. Construction of Brewer’s Den at Sonora Brewhouse in 2005. The entire roof had to be raised in order to accommodate the brewhouse. (Courtesy of Uwe Boer.)

city codes. By 2004, it had expanded its bottle selection to include six different beers. The following year, Nimbus became the first brewery to have all of its packaging designs chosen as the winner of the “six-pack design category” in Communication Arts Magazine. John and Roxane Nielsen became tired of traveling between Tucson and Prescott to manage both the Prescott Brewing Company and the Thunder Canyon Brewery. Therefore, the couple decided to relinquish control of Thunder Canyon to co-owner Steve Tracy. This gave the Nielsens more time to concentrate on the Prescott Brewing Company. The Rio Salado Brewing Company had been considered one of Arizona’s top breweries since Tim Gossack took control of the company in 1998. It won the New Times “Best Brewpub” category in 2004, and its Saison de Carbs won silver that same year at the Great American Beer Festival in the French- and Belgian-Style Saison category. However, after seven years of producing, packaging, marketing, and dis­ tributing the brewery’s beer, Gossack became tired of working what he considered “too hard for too little in return.” He believed his passion was not equaled by his business partner, employees, or many of his customers. As a result his enthusiasm waned, culminating in the closing of the Salt River Saloon and the putting up of the brewery for sale in 2005. The first company to show interest was the Four Peaks Brewing Company. Four Peaks was seeking to expand production, and the availability of Rio Salado was conve250

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nient. While the two sides mediated toward an agreeable selling price, a city inspector discovered that the proper permits for Rio Salado’s taproom were never retrieved, and it was shut down. Its closing was a deal breaker for Four Peaks. The expense to rectify the taproom’s code issues would prove costly. Therefore, in late January 2006, Gossack simply closed Rio Salado, sold its contents, and moved on. Two months later, he was hired by the Miller Brewing Company in Los Angeles, where he is presently employed as brewing unit manager. In 2005, two chain breweries were looking to expand in Arizona: Oggi’s and BJ’s. On August 31, 2005, Oggi’s opened in Glendale, but unlike its sister location in Scotts­ dale, it did not contain a brewery and operated solely as a bar and restaurant. This led to Scott Bickert’s work doubling since its beer was shipped from Scottsdale, with a portion coming from the corporate brewery in San Clemente. On June 7, 2005, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse opened near the Tucson Mall. Nineteen days later, a third location opened in Mesa, and the following year on March 14, 2006, a fourth BJ’s opened at Desert Ridge in Phoenix. In April 2006, Matt Cummins replaced Scott Bickert as head brewer at Oggi’s when Bickert left to become a partner in the Durango Brewing Company in Durango, Colorado. Cummins, a Kansas City transplant and home brewer, apprenticed under Bickert for a short time prior to taking over the head position. It was Cummins’s first job as a professional brewer. In 2006, the New Orleans–based Crescent Crown Distributing struck a deal to purchase Little Guy Distributing. The company had been experiencing tremendous growth during the previous few years, largely because of the growing popularity of craft beer. Back in 2004, it purchased Pearce and Sons Distributors, one of the oldest and most successful distribution companies in Arizona, ending its ninety-three years as a family-run business. At the time, Pearce carried Miller, Coors, Crown Imports, Heineken, and other brands. Little Guy’s original partners felt confident Crescent Crown would maintain the direction Little Guy sought with craft beer and, more importantly, would remain loyal to its suppliers and accounts. Scott Yarosh joined an elite group of brewers who chose to push the envelope of high-gravity beers with the release of Sonoran 100 in July 2006. The beer was a 19.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) bourbon-like malt liquor released to commemorate the Sonoran’s tenth anniversary. According to BeerInfo.com, it was considered the third most alcoholic beer from its Top Ten list. Sam Adams Utopias came in at number one with a whopping 25 percent ABV and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA second at 21 percent ABV. Yarosh naturally fermented Sonoran 100 for nine months, then aged it for several more before filtering it through toasted maple and oak wood chips. It was the first in a series of “extreme brews” Yarosh planned in commemoration of every one hundred batches produced. 2000s: the new millennium

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Although only open for two and a half years, the defunct McFarlane Brewing Company undoubtedly made a big impact on the valley’s beer community. In 2006, eight years after it closed, fans of McFarlane’s beer were once again given an opportunity to sample Peter’s popular barley wine when an eight-year-old keg surfaced and was poured at Papago Brewing in Scottsdale. The keg was quickly emptied, and the occasion was a memorable one.

Figure 12.17. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Tucson, 2010. (Reproduced by permission from Bev Blackwood, Southwest Brewing News.)

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During the previous few years, the Streets of New York Brewery had experienced an unusually high turnover rate of brewers in a relatively short period of time in comparison to other brewpubs. According to Zach Schroeder, the high turnover rate resulted from the owners’ desire to occasionally produce beer in a quicker time period than recommended, leading to hygiene issues and inconsistent or off-tasting beers. The pressure placed on production led to its brewers feeling compelled to serve substandard products against their better judgment, and discontent grew to the point where some very good people were let go. A number of brewers, including Terry Watson, Quinton Rushton, Carl Propp, and Zach Schroeder, worked at one time or another at Streets of New York. In the end, the restaurant chose to discontinue brewing beer altogether and closed its Scottsdale location in July 2006 and its Tempe brewpub in March 2007. In September 2006, the Mudshark Brewing Company became the first Arizona brewery to offer beer in cans through the installation of a Cask Brewing Systems manually operated canning line. The Canadian-based Cask Brewing Systems was at the forefront of small canning-machine technology, but it was only after Oskar Blues broke the ice by releasing its pale ale in cans in 2002 that Cask became an innovation for microbreweries canning beer. Mudshark’s first two beers in cans were its Dry Heat Hefeweizen and Full Moon Belgian White Ale. Production increased significantly as a result, so Scott and Tina Stocking hired Justin West as an assistant brewer to support head brewer Andrew Carricato (Carricato had replaced Ron Chieffo as head brewer back in 2002). By the latter half of 2006, Steve and Deborah Martin had exhausted their desire to run the restaurant portion of the Wild Weede Brewery & Lil’ Rangler’s Café in Springerville. As Steve put it, they became “tired of babysitting.” Therefore, in November 2006, the two sold the restaurant to local restaurateurs Brando and Tammy Gomez. The restaurant was renamed Brando’s Southwest Grill, and for a brief time, it served Martin’s Wild Weede beers. By the late spring 2007, however, Martin discontinued brewing altogether when an opportunity arose to resurrect the brewery at a new location. Dennis Arnold had anticipated growth at Gentle Ben’s in Tucson early on. Since 1999, he had been waiting for the right opportunity to begin construction of an 18,000-square-foot building he had purchased on Toole Avenue and Twentieth Street near downtown Tucson, known for years as the Tucson Warehouse & Transfer Company. The historic structure, which one day would become the Barrio Brewing Company, had an appealing rustic façade that made it stand out from nearby buildings. He anticipated having it up and running by 2002. However, the building sat relatively idle while Arnold hit a number of snags to overcoming rigid rezoning issues that effectively barred any beer made on-site from being distributed to outside establishments. 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.18. The Barrio Brewing Company is located in the historic Tucson Warehouse & Transfer Company building. The Arnolds utilized a number of “green” elements when building the brewpub. This photograph dates from 2010. (Reproduced by permission from Bev Blackwood, Southwest Brewing News.)

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Parking issues came into play when the city assessed parking requirements on the entire 18,000-square-foot space, although its taproom occupied only one-tenth of the area. Throughout the delays, Arnold remained steadfast, often appearing before the city council, “educating council members and neighbors as to the nature of his vision.” Then, in 2006, he prevailed, but before Barrio could open, it underwent further delays due to numerous visits from building, fire, and health code inspectors. Arnold oversaw every detail in its construction, including the use of recycled materials from Gentle Ben’s. The intention was for Barrio to become the main production facility while Gentle Ben’s operated as a restaurant. Gentle Ben’s entire brewhouse was relocated to Barrio and expanded to a 2,500-barrel capacity, more than doubling Gentle Ben’s. It would still take another year before Barrio would serve its first beer. The Flagstaff Brewing Company liked to keep things simple, brewing small batches at about ten kegs per batch. This allowed Al Henes, Jeff Thorsett, and Gordon Kerr, who joined as brewer in 2005, more freedom to produce a larger variety of smallchapter 12

batch beers. The biggest change came in 2006 when Henes and Thorsett opened the Flagstaff Coffee Company just north of and adjacent to the brewery. The coffeehouse, which shared a patio with the brewery, complemented the brewery, offering freshbrewed coffee, smoothies, pastries, and bagels. In September 2006, Anthony Canecchia, a brewer at Four Peaks for seven years, unveiled plans for a new brewery in downtown Chandler he called the SanTan Brewing Company. He proposed his brewery at a time when the city of Chandler was undergoing an unprecedented revitalization of its downtown. Its revival attracted an eclectic mix of independent restaurants and specialty stores. It was considered a risky move for Canecchia at the time because drought conditions had increased the cost of barley and created a worldwide shortage of hops. The price of popular hops varieties, such as Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial, skyrocketed. Many brewers apprehensively tweaked their recipes, discontinued brewing hop-heavy beers altogether, or in extreme cases, closed their doors. The timing of Chandler’s revitalization, however, benefited SanTan. Canecchia, admittedly “terrified and excited” about the prospects of opening, recognized the risk, but persevered with his plans. On November 17, 2006, Gordon Biersch opened its second Arizona location near the newly built Westgate City Center, a 6.5-million-square-foot area of retail shops, restaurants, offices, and residential units located in west Glendale near Loop 101 and

Figure 12.19. Brewer Dieter Foerstner at Gordon Biersch, Tempe, 2008. (Reproduced by permission from Erik Adams, Southwest Brewing News.)

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Glendale Avenue. The catalyst for City Center’s development was the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals football team, and the Jobing.com Arena, home of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team. Gordon Biersch held its grand opening the weekend of the Cardinals’ Sunday match against the Detroit Lions. Matt Cummins’s stint at Oggi’s in Scottsdale ended in January 2007, when its corporate office purchased the Scottsdale location from its franchisee. In doing so, a decision was made to have its beer supplied through its San Clemente facility. Every few months, John Wilson and Rick Smets traveled from San Clemente to brew small seasonal batches in Scottsdale to keep the equipment in check. In early February 2007, brothers Jeremy, Josh, and John Peasley broke ground for their newest endeavor, the Grand Canyon Brewing Company. The brothers quite possibly were the youngest brewery owners in the country, ranging in age from twentyone to twenty-five years. They were astute businessmen who began their business careers with the acquisition of the White Horse Trading Company on Route 66 in Flagstaff in 2001. Five years later, they purchased the nearby Cruiser’s Cafe, a former 1930s filling station turned diner, and soon began tossing around the idea of installing a brewery following a visit to one of their favorite breweries, the Four Peaks Brewing Company. The brothers toiled through eighteen-hour workdays, eating, sleeping, and fighting together, with little time left for fun. Much of the brewery’s furnishings, such as its high-top pub tables, chairs, backbar, and pool table, they handcrafted from local ponderosa pine logs and an old barn they tore down along Route 66. Business at the Copper Canyon Grill & Brewery began to slip shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. The brewpub experienced a succession of management changes in its restaurant, and after the attack, business never fully recovered. The most noticeable change came when the Manuel’s chain of Mexican food restaurants took over management. By then, more than twenty-five new restaurants had been established within a five-mile radius of Copper Canyon. During the summer of 2007, irreparable differences between Gantt and his partners Bill and Flossie Mohler ultimately led to the Copper Canyon Grill & Brewery being put up for sale. The new owners cared little for beer and less for its brewery, and its brewhouse was sold shortly after. Steve and Deborah Martin closed the Wild Weede Brewery in Springerville when a proposition was made for them to relocate their brewery to Payson. Mary Suzanne Malinski, the owner and operator of the Art & Antique Corral and Western Village in Payson, visited the brewery and was intrigued by what she saw. Malinski sought to open a steak house on her property, and she believed a brewery would fit nicely into her concept. Martin may also have been intrigued, and after a talk with Malinski, a deal was struck in September 2007. Malinski’s proposal was transformed into the Payson Steak House & Wild Weede Brewery. Little did she know, her proposed steak 256

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house and brewery would create much dissent among city leaders. From the start, it appeared everything but the kitchen sink was thrown at her. She fought licensing issues, permits, and allegations the brewery would attract a criminal element. Malinski spent thousands of dollars on architects, materials, and fixtures in preparation for her establishment. One of the more significant concerns was a private well drilled on the property that was designated as contaminated. After inspection, it was found to be safe, but the Planning and Zoning Commission still denied a permit until the well was capped off. As it stood, the project was at a standstill. Soon after the closing of Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub in Yuma, the Quechen tribe made an offer to buy the building since it was conveniently located across the street from the Quechen-owned Main Street Cinema. In April 2007, nearly four years after the brewpub closed, its brewing equipment was sold through eBay to Ager Tank and Equipment of Portland, Oregon, for $100,100. Ager Tank made a quick turnaround and sold it to the Grand Canyon Brewing Company in Williams. Since its initial release in 1991, Cave Creek Chili Beer had found a niche market and sustained steady growth. Ed and Maria Chilleen contracted the Mexicali Brewery 2000s: the new millennium

Figure 12.20. Architect’s rendition of the Western Village Steakhouse & Microbrewery.

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in Tecate, Mexico, in June 2007 to brew Chili Beer according its original recipe. However, by that time, the Chilleens and the Crazy Ed’s Satisfied Frog Restaurant were in financial crisis as back rent continued to mount. In Tombstone, Cody Sexson continued to make a go of the Helldorado Brewing Company with his Amber Ale, a favorite among tourists visiting the Crystal Palace Saloon, where it sold as Crystal Pale Ale. Cody also offered Toughnut Brown, Doc Stout, Western Kölsch, and an occasional seasonal. He looked forward to one day distributing his beers statewide, but his aspirations came up short, principally because the Helldorado was a two-person operation. Cody brewed, bottled, kegged, and maintained the brewery, with little assistance. Outside of hiring a bartender, he pretty much did everything else. It was tiresome work and money was slow in coming. Consequently, he chose to cut his losses and closed the Hellorado Brewing Company on June 30, 2007. While Sexson dealt with the closing of his brewery, Counts unveiled plans for a second Nimbus location within Tucson’s much-touted Rio Nuevo project. Rio Nuevo was a forty-thousand-square-foot development that was to contain a hotel, condominiums, restaurants, retail stores, office space, and a concert venue. It became one of the most exciting and controversial propositions for downtown Tucson in some time. However, with the city’s conflict-ridden politics, the entire project was ultimately scrapped. The Grand Canyon Brewery observed its grand opening on August 24, 2007, soon after its 15-barrel Bohemian brewing system from Monarch’s Rest Brewery in Yuma was installed. The Peasley brothers were assisted by Tom Netolicky, a certified stainless steel welder and an internationally experienced brewer with familiarity in assembling brewing systems. He became head brewer at Grand Canyon. Netolicky had

Figure 12.21. Removal of the brewery from Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub, 2007. (Reproduced by permission from William Isbell, Quechan News.)

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Figure 12.22. The bar at Helldorado Brewing Company, 2005.

launched his brewing career in 1987, at the Millstream Brewery in Amana, Iowa, and later was employed at Hops Grill and Brewery and Rock Bottom, and at Adam’s Rib BBQ & Brewery in Overland Park, Kansas. Grand Canyon began with a full line of beers, including Sunset Amber, American Pilsner, Horseshoe Bend Pale Ale, White Water Wheat, and Starry Night Stout. The brothers were ambitious and immediately scouted for a bottling line with an eye on expanding throughout the state. One of their first contracts was with the Grand Canyon Railroad, which transported tourists daily from Williams to the Grand Canyon. During the summer of 2007, Scott and Tina Stocking studied building a new 6,000-barrel-capacity brewery that would contain three new 30-barrel fermenters and a fully automated canning system. The one-acre property at 1095 Aviation Drive in Lake Havasu City where the brewery was to be located was approximately eight blocks from the Mudshark Brewing Company. The project would take nearly three years to complete and briefly was called the Aviation Brewery. Dennis and Tauna Arnold were finally able to celebrate the grand opening of the long-in-the-making Barrio Brewing Company on September 10, 2007, with patrons consisting principally of downtown residents, workers, and die-hard fans of the brewery’s beer. Brewmaster Nick Smith and the “brew crew” produced nine batches of beer in nine days and transferred approximately 4,000 gallons of beer into its fermenters in preparation for opening day. As for Gentle Ben’s, little else changed 2000s: the new millennium

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Figure 12.23. (top) SanTan Brewing Company owner and brewer Anthony Canecchia and Ashley Durbin show the bank vault door, which harkens back to the building’s days as a bank. (Reproduced by permission from Erik Adams, Southwest Brewing News.) Figure 12.24. (bottom) “Electric” Dave Harvan pouring an OK Ale in the Electric Brewing Company’s taproom, 2006.

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except for the removal of its brewery. In its place, a pizza oven was installed, and the restaurant expanded its hand-tossed pizza menu. The restaurant has since undergone a complete renovation and expanded its outdoor patio, completed in 2012. At the time Barrio held its grand opening, SanTan was preparing its own opening, set for September 22, 2007. The brewpub occupied a 1950s-era former Valley National Bank building adjacent to the historic San Marcos Hotel. Its vault was kept intact and converted into an office, while some of its safety deposit boxes became seating for its waiting area. A 15-barrel JV Northwest brewing system, visible inside a glass-enclosed room, was placed near the kitchen, and its north wall contained garage-style doors and windows, which separated a thirty-eight-foot rusted-steel bar from its outdoor patio. SanTan’s intended “soft opening,” however, was anything but. When the word spread, the brewpub filled, giving SanTan’s bar manager James Swann and his waitstaff a crash course in running a restaurant at capacity. Orders were delayed, supplies ran thin, and some of its taps ran dry. Six beers were offered, including Sunspot Gold, SanTan Pale, Hop Shock IPA, Hefeweizen, Oscuro, and Gordo Stout (Oscuro was later replaced by Sun Devil Ale). Chef Brant Gasparek, who had worked for the Rainforest Café and Elephant Grill, arranged an elegant menu with a twist on the usual brewpub favorites by infusing beer in his recipes. In the end, the brewpub was a success, and SanTan quite possibly became downtown Chandler’s most influential tenant. The oft-entertaining Dave Harvan continued to be a stalwart brewer in southern Arizona with his Industrial IPA becoming a favorite among his fans. However, by the end of 2007, nearly twenty years had passed since he had begun brewing professionally, and he felt he needed a break. Consequently, Harvan closed the Electric Brewing Company on October 13, 2007, to search for a buyer. Word of the brewery’s demise quickly spread, but within six weeks proved premature when Harvan resumed brewing in order to satisfy his existing accounts. Although he resumed brewing, his search for a buyer continued. Gordon Biersch continued to make headway in the Phoenix area with two new locations opening within weeks of each other. On October 22, 2007, Gordon Biersch opened a location in the Shops at Chauncey Ranch in Phoenix. Four days later, on October 26, another opened at the SanTan Village in Gilbert. Both were eateries only, with beer arriving from the Glendale brewery. Patrick Fields began creating a buzz around Phoenix shortly after the fall of 2007 when the Phoenix native publicly launched a website for his Old World Brewery. Fields, a former operator of a local cooling supply company in Phoenix, believed the craft beer market in Arizona was still greatly untapped. He quickly struck a deal with Scott Yarosh of the Sonoran Brewing Company in Scottsdale to contract brew Old World’s beers for a test run in December 2007, prior to finding a site for his brewery. 2000s: the new millennium

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The two discussed the possibility of a joint venture; however, as time progressed, talks dissolved, leaving Fields to move forward on his own. Business at the Sonoran Brewing Company was noticeably down during this time. Once negotiations with Fields dissolved, Yarosh approached Zach Schroeder, former brewmaster at Uptown Brewing Company, and offered him a partnership in the company, which he accepted. Shortly after, some disconcerting news was heard when the Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse was threatened with demolition to make way for a proposed high-end resort. In preparation, Yarosh and Schroeder searched for a new location in the event the deal moved forward. On February 15, 2008, Ed and Maria Chilleen were escorted without warning off the Frontier Town property with the assistance of law enforcement. The episode created much resentment between the Chilleens and their former landlords, Beverly and Julian Peagler, who instigated the eviction. The Peaglers owned and operated Frontier Town, a collection of shops established in the early 1970s, where Chilleen’s Black Mountain Brewing Company and Crazy Ed’s Satisfied Frog were located. The relationship between the couples was amicable up until the time $494,000 in back rent could not be honored. The situation for the Chilleens worsened once it was discovered that nearly $300,000 in IRS payroll taxes and interest penalties were still owed, further hampering efforts to repay the debts. Without recourse, the Peaglers forcefully took control of the businesses from the Chilleens by exercising a lease clause that authorized seizure of the property. The move created fuming sentiments between the two sides and marked the final date the Black Mountain Brewery and Crazy Ed’s Satisfied Frog were open. Sale of the Electric Brewing Company seemed imminent when Dave Harvan learned that two environmental consulting firm owners, Dave Hoffman and Scott Burge, had become intrigued by the brewery’s prospects while visiting Bisbee. The two contacted Harvan’s real estate agency seeking more information, and soon a deal was in the works. Harvan hoped for a quick sale, but Hoffman and Burge were cautious since a persistent hops shortage made the partners wary. Ultimately, an operating agreement was agreed to in which Harvan allowed Hoffman and Burge to sell the brewery’s beer and use its name for a fee. In exchange, Harvan continued operating the brewery with the understanding it would one day be acquired by the partners. In the meantime, Joe Bob Grisham continued his search to resurrect the former Bandersnatch Brewpub at a new location. The first opportunity arose in Fountain Hills, but it quickly fizzled, and later, others ended the same way. Then in 2008, developer Ian Horvath contacted Grisham, interested in establishing a brewpub in Buckeye called the Benson House Brewery. The lead seemed promising, but as Grisham came to find out, it was not all what it appeared. The historic Nels Benson/Raney House

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was one of the oldest structures standing in Buckeye and under threat of demolition when the city voted to purchase it with the intent of having it relocated. The house was eventually donated to Horvath as long as he could move it by April 12, 2008, and with the city’s assistance, it was moved to a two-acre site near Buckeye’s proposed Town Lake project. Horvath sought outside investment to complete the brewpub by selling stock at $50 per share. Horvath’s interest in partnering with Grisham was not only for his knowledge but also for his complete brewing system. Lack of funding, however, made its progress move at a snail’s pace. The Prescott Brewing Company became the second Arizona brewery to release beer in cans with the introduction of its canned Liquid Amber Ale in July 2008. John and Roxane Nielsen first learned of the Cask Brewing Systems manual canning line in 2003, but did not follow through with a purchase until 2008. Once it was acquired, a production facility centered on canning was considered, but the economy at the time made the move prohibitive. As a result, it was set up inside a business park until a more suitable location was found. Kanzler and Williamson spent a great deal of time setting up and operating the High Spirits Distillery at the Mogollon Brewing Company. Splitting time between brewing and distilling while keeping up with demand was difficult, especially since requests for its beer continued to grow. When an opportunity arose to sell the bar portion of the business during the summer of 2008, Kanzler and Williamson accepted. The brewery/distillery then closed, and its equipment was removed for relocation to a new site. Soon after, the former Mogollon reopened as the Green Room. Beverly and Julian Peagler continued to operate the Satisfied Frog restaurant uninterrupted after Ed Chilleen and his wife were escorted off the property. The continuation of the restaurant left an infuriated Chilleen seeking legal action for trademark infringement against the Peaglers, claiming his twenty-five-year-old “labor of love” was stolen! Three days prior to going to court, a settlement was agreed to and the name was removed on September 27, 2008. One month after the Chilleens reached a settlement in court, Dennis and Tauna struck a distribution deal with Golden Eagle Distributors to begin carrying its beer. Arnold had enjoyed a relationship with Golden Eagle since he worked for the father of Christopher and Kimberly Clements (the operators of Golden Eagle) back in 1980 while in college. The relationship eased the arrangement between the two businesses. According to Arnold, “If Golden Eagle hadn’t been interested in carrying my handcrafted beers, I wouldn’t even consider offering my beers outside the brewery.” In January 2009, Layrd Mahler joined Zach Schroeder and Scott Yarosh at the Sonoran Brewing Company as its sales, marketing, and public relations representative. Mahler brought to the company considerable business, hospitality, and event-

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Figure 12.25. (above right) Sonoran brewmaster Zach Schroeder and brewery ambassador Layrd Mahler, 2010. (Reproduced by permission from Erik Adams, Southwest Brewing News.) Figure 12.26. (above) Ninth Anniversary SunUp Brewing Company souvenir snifter glass.

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planning experience. He had a lifelong passion for craft beer, so when the opportunity arose, he and his wife Dana bought into the company and became partners with Schroeder and Yarosh. Schroeder was in control of all brewing operations. Patrick Fields was busily lining up restaurants and distributors interested in his vision for the Old World Brewery. He was joined in November 2008 by Perry Parmely, a friend who was laid off as a regional sales director in a software marketing company. Parmely became an equity partner in Old World and the company’s president. Matt Mercer joined the following month and became Old World’s brewer and secretary. Mercer studied brewing at the American Brewers Guild and interned at the Four Peaks Brewing Company prior to joining Old World. The partners built the brewery inside a 7,500-square-foot warehouse located in an industrial section of Deer Valley adjacent to the airport. It was fitted with a 12-barrel Cross Distributing Company brewing system purchased from a defunct brewery in Mississippi. A small tasting lounge and bar was located next to the brewhouse. Old World’s grand opening was held on January 24, 2009. Its signature beers included Old World Wit, Dark Knight Porter, Nitro Blonde Ale, and 4-Leaf Irish Red Ale. The Sonora Brewhouse & Brewer’s Den had become a favorite drinking establishment among beer connoisseurs since it was established in 2001. When Norman Horn and Uwe Boer struck a distribution deal with Little Guy Distributing in early 2009, a name change was necessary in order to give the brewery a larger presence in the brewing field (Little Guy Distributing changed its name to World Class Beverages chapter 12

soon after in 2009). Therefore, in April 2009, a new name was unveiled: the SunUp Brewing Company. Concurrent with the name change, Boer completed the installation of two new 15-barrel fermenters, which more than doubled the brewery’s capacity. Then in August 2009, the company purchased a small strip mall just east of the brewery in order to settle parking disputes and allow for future growth. Kanzler and Williamson were busily building the new location for the Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits Distillery inside a nondescript warehouse at 4366 Huntington Drive in Flagstaff. Its 20-barrel brewhouse was rebuilt along with its Arnold Holstein copper-clad still. The company now focused on production without the headaches associated with a bar and restaurant. The most noticeable change for consumers, however, was the introduction of canned beer. The first cans of Mogollon’s Wapiti Amber Ale appeared on the market in early May 2009. On May 5, 2009, the Four Peaks Brewing Company fired up its new state-of-the-art Cask Brewing Systems canning line for the first time. It was a big deal, with a large group of family, friends, fellow brewery representatives, distributors, and others present. The first can that came off the line was Kilt Lifter, and the following week, on May 12, Tribute Sunbru Kölsch Style Ale rolled off the line. The canning system was placed inside a five-thousand-square-foot space just west of the brewhouse. There was little progress at the Benson House Brewery in Buckeye, and it was about to get much worse. The relationship between Joe Bob Grisham and Ian Horvath came to a troubling standstill when they disagreed about various aspects of the business. Once it became clear their issues could not be resolved, Grisham backed out of the deal, putting Horvath back at square one. The downturn in the economy had a negative impact on many proposed developments, and for Horvath, it was no different. Eventually, talk of the Benson House Brewery faded. At last check, the historic structure sat vacant on its moving platform, exposed to vandals and deterioration, near Hazen and Miller Roads on unincorporated land outside the city’s boundary. Concurrent with Horvath’s failed venture, Steve Martin and Mary Suzanne Malinski amicably parted ways when it became evident they still faced a long uphill battle in order to get the proposed Payson Steak House & Wild Weede Brewery off the ground. Ironically, after all seemed lost, the City of Payson suddenly appeared to have had a change of heart by showing more willingness to see Malinski’s proposed brewpub become a part of the community. She was somewhat dumbfounded, especially given what she was put through, but it was too late. In June 2009, Martin placed his 10barrel brewing system, a chiller, several batches of brewing supplies, and forty “corny” kegs up for sale on Craigslist with a price tag of $31,000. Dave Hoffman and Scott Burge had been studying potential markets for Dave Harvan’s beer since a deal with him has been struck. Hoffman soon realized there was a finite number of taps in Bisbee, with a large number already taken. Therefore, in 2000s: the new millennium

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order to grow its taps, they had to turn to Tucson or farther north into Phoenix. Their plan continued to evolve until a full-fledged brewpub materialized, called Dave’s Electric Brewpub. The site of the proposed brewpub was in Tempe a few blocks east of Mill Avenue at the intersection of College Avenue and Fifth Street facing the Arizona State University football stadium. Its location near the stadium alongside the newly constructed light rail system was just a stone’s throw away from where the old Bandersnatch stood. Incidentally, Harvan had no involvement in the new venture and was not privy to the direction in which the partners were taking it. Hoffman and Burge initially set the brewpub’s grand opening for the first week of September 2009. However, a tragic turn of events unfolded when Harvan and friend Kevin Mitten became involved in a single-car accident on Highway 92 near Bisbee. Mitten was driving his 1932 Nash Roadster, and since the car lacked seatbelts, both Harvan and Mitten were ejected. The two were airlifted to University Medical Center in Tucson where Mitten died shortly afterward. Harvan lingered in critical condition, sedated in a coma for ten days before coming to. The news came as a shock to a great number of people. Hospital staff commented that Harvan set an unofficial record for the number of visitors who stopped by to wish him well during his stay. Hoffman and Burge, also shaken, continued to move forward, but reset the brewpub’s opening for late in October. The Four Peaks Brewing Company was planning for future growth during the time of Mitten and Harvan’s accident. Jim Scussel and his partners sought to replace its existing 20-barrel brewery with a 40-barrel brewing system. In order to expand production, a change in the law for Class 3 microbreweries in Arizona was necessary for the state to be more in line with other states. Under a Class 3 classification, a brewery could produce up to 620,000 gallons of beer per year before needing a different license, a production level very near where Four Peaks was at. Four Peaks could build a second brewery with a separate license at a cost topping $4 million or spend $500,000 to expand its existing brewery. Regardless of how it was done, the expansion in production would require an in-state producer’s license, which requires microbreweries to sell beer only to wholesalers, and a restaurant could only exist where the beer was produced. The result would force the closure of the Four Peaks Grill in Scottsdale, which employed ninety people. Therefore, Four Peaks pushed to raise production under a Class 3 license up to 1,240,000 gallons before needing a new license. Their efforts, along with other supporters’, paid off when the new law took effect on September 30. In the fall of 2009, Oggi’s began looking for a franchise buyer for its brewpub in Scottsdale. As of October, its sale looked imminent when an interested party looked ready to cut a deal. However, when the deal fell through with no other option on

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the table, corporate offices prepared for its closing. The Scottsdale location became more of a financial burden than an asset, and as a result, its final day open was October 31, 2009. While Dave Harvan underwent a slow recovery and physical therapy, Hoffman and Burge held a provisional opening of Dave’s Electric Brewpub as a test run during Arizona State University game day weekends in October, then reclosed it for a short time. Its official grand opening, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, came on November 19, 2009. The brewpub was being fitted with a 7-barrel Pub Brewing Company brewing system, but it would not be operational for some time. Therefore, its beer was shipped from Bisbee to Tempe with the help of Caleb Johnson, “the beer slave” at Electric Dave’s in Bisbee. Caleb handled all brewing duties in Bisbee under Harvan’s limited supervision. According to Harvan, he was “working his ass off.” The Sonoran Brewing Company began to regain profitability with rising sales soon after Layrd Mahler and Zach Schroeder joined Scott and Dawn Yarosh at the brewery. However, under the influence of Mahler and Schroeder, the brewery began heading in a different direction than the Yaroshes had originally conceived. In July 2009, the two notified their partners they were ready to move on. On November 5, Schroeder and Mahler finalized the deal to purchase the Yaroshes’ share of the brewery. Near this time, David Williamson bid farewell to the Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits Distillery in pursuit of other interests. He still remained a partner on paper, but was no longer involved in day-to-day operations. From that point on, Mogollon largely became a two-man operation with Dana Kanzler and Steve Hendricks working both the brewery and distillery, while Andrew Silver headed its sales. The new Mogollon location did not include a tasting room because of laws and licensing that prevented it. The partners sought to change those laws. Jim Counts continued to pursue a second Nimbus location in Tucson following a string of botched attempts, and he finally succeeded with the opening of the Nimbus Bistro and Brewery on September 24, 2009. The Bistro was located at 6464 East Tanque Verde Road at the location of the former Bobby McGee’s and Italia Ristorante. Counts partnered with Bob McMahon, the owner and CEO of Metro Restaurants who formerly operated Italia Ristorante, to manage the Bistro. The restaurant contained a 120-member staff and was initially intended to have a brewery and distillery. However, the two were scrapped early on in order to allow more restaurant seating. The restaurant provided more of an upscale bar and food menu in comparison to Nimbus Brewing Company’s kitchen. While Counts celebrated the opening of the Nimbus Bistro, longtime Nimbus brewer Scott Schwartz was contemplating leaving his job at Nimbus. In preparation, Schwartz groomed former Abita Brewing Company brewer Lijah Foregger for the

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position. Foregger joined during a strong growth phase for the brewery, which included new sales accounts in California, New Mexico, and Arizona. Less than two years after Helldorado Brewing Company closed, Cody Sexson landed a job at the newly built Turquoise Hills Golf & RV in the nearby town of Benson as a groundskeeper. George Neff, a majority owner of Turquoise Hills, knew of Cody’s brewing background and asked if he would be interested in setting up a brewery there. The eighteen-hole, three-par golf course is located on Country Club Road off State Route 80 in Benson. Cody installed a 1-barrel nano-system inside the kitchen of the full-service Triple Green Café. He brewed 15-gallon batches or as demand required. His first beer was a light amber. A slightly darker beer named Teed-Off Ale was offered during the cooler months. The café served its first dinner to resort members on October 1, 2009, and Sexson’s beer was served exclusively at the resort. Anthony Canecchia ran into trouble with his Sun Devil Ale soon after he learned Arizona State University was not too keen on the use of the name. In October 2009, an attorney representing the university submitted a “strongly worded” cease-anddesist letter to the SanTan Brewing Company, warning that the name Sun Devil was a registered trademark protected and controlled by the university. Canecchia considered contesting the order, but in the end took advantage of the situation by promoting a name-the-beer contest to find a new name. Patrick Fields, Perry Parmely, and Matt Mercer continued to move forward with the Old World Brewery. Since Fields and Parmely played in a classic rock band together called Viper Militia, they decided to turn Old World into a live-music venue. The installation of a lit stage for local acts became a vehicle to draw in customers. When Old World struck a deal with Republic National Distributing Company in December 2009, it gained approximately fifty accounts, which helped Old World increase its presence locally. Soon after its bottler was installed, its first bottled beer was shipped to retailers in 22-oz. bombers. On November 21, 2009, Robert Sizemore and his girlfriend Debbie Conforti opened the Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery inside an industrial office complex in Tempe less than one mile from the Four Peaks Brewing Company. Sizemore was a former massage therapist and Conforti an interior designer. Sizemore gained an interest in brewing professionally following a serious motorcycle accident that limited his ability to continue his career. He had been home brewing since 1999. Once he chose to become a brewer, he joined the Arizona Society of Homebrewers and later interned for six weeks at Rock Bottom under Brian Helton. Sizemore studied at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago and trained at the American Brewers Guild in Vermont. Sleepy Dog was fitted with copper- and steel-topped furnishings and hues of lime-green, purple, orange, and copper on its walls. Matt Weber of Della Terra Studios fabricated the bar and its furnishings with discarded pieces of steel and 2000s: the new millennium

(facing page) Figure 12.27. Steve Hendricks tends to the Arnold Holstein copper-clad still at Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits Distillery. (Courtesy of Dana Kanzler.)

Figure 12.28. (above) Brewer Cody Sexson brewed his beer out of a 1-barrel nano-system from the kitchen of the Triple Green Café at Turquoise Hills Golf & RV, 2009. (Reproduced by permission from Thelma Grimes, San Pedro Valley News-Sun.)

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Figure 12.29. The Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery has an inviting atmosphere, with its brewhouse visible behind the bar, 2009.

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copper plucked from salvage yards. The sales floor was thoughtfully designed with a polished industrial look more akin to a tranquil coffeehouse than a beer bar. Movies were frequently played on its televisions instead of sports to purposely deter a “bar culture” atmosphere observed in typical drinking establishments. Weber became assistant brewer. He and Sizemore worked on a steam-heated 10-barrel Bohemian brewing system, which came from the defunct Murrieta Pizza & Brewing Company in Murrieta, California. Its maze of hoses and pipes protruding from its stainless steel and copper-clad tanks add to the brewery’s contemporary décor and give its patrons a vivid sense of a working brewery. Sleepy Dog found a niche with its canine themed beers and casual coffeehouse-style atmosphere. It has been steadily growing its accounts in Arizona through distribution with the Hensley Beverage Company.

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The 2010s: The Second Wave of Newcomers

On August 2, 2010, the Brewers Association reported 1,625 breweries operating in the United States. It was the highest number of breweries in one hundred years. Back in 1910, the number of breweries had been reduced to 1,498, as the sentiment toward Prohibition gained favor. The Brewers Association further reported that the volume of craft-brewed beer sold grew 9 percent for the first six months of 2010, compared to 5 percent growth in the first half of 2009. Overall U.S. beer sales decreased 2.7 percent in the first six months of 2010. Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association, noted: “There is a movement by beer lovers to the innovative and flavorful beers created by America’s small and independent craft brewers. More people are starting to think of craft-brewed beer first when they buy in restaurants, bars and stores.” According to Dennis Arnold, owner of Gentle Ben’s and Barrio Brewing Company, microbreweries have proven to be a windfall for the state’s economy. “Overall, in 2011, Arizona craft brewing had a total economic impact of $278 million on Arizona” (Economic Contributions of the Craft Brewing Industry to the State of Arizona, January 2012, Northern Arizona University, W. A. Franke College of Business). When John and Roxanne Nielsen laid out plans for a new production brewery in January 2010, principally with canning beer in mind, they became part of a resurgence of new breweries either expanding their production in Arizona or forming. The Nielsens built a 4,500-square-foot warehouse-style facility near the Prescott Regional Airport to house a new 30-barrel brewhouse with space for several 30- and 60-barrel fermenters. General contractor Bob Bell, a specialist in Butler Steel Buildings, was recruited to conduct the work. The Nielsens’ downtown brewery brews smaller batches with up to twelve different beers on tap at a time. In 2010 and again in 2011, Ranking Arizona—the state’s largest business opinion poll conducted by Arizona Busi-

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13 The craft industry has matured. Going forward, there will be a lot of specialization, rather than trying to be all to all people. —Gordon Schuck, co-founder and brewmaster of Funkwerks, in Paul McMorrow, “Steps to Beerdom,” Beer Advocate, October 2012

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Figure 13.00. Installation of the grain silo at the new Prescott Brewing Company production facility, August 2011. (Courtesy of Roxane Nielsen.)

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ness Magazine—ranked the Prescott Brewing Company number one among Arizona’s microbreweries. In February 2010, the SanTan Brewing Company found a new name for its Sun Devil Ale acceptable to Arizona State University officials. Terri Shafer, the university’s associate vice president in the Office of Public Affairs, suggested simply shortening it to Devil’s Ale. The name Sun Devil was a registered trademark, but the word devil alone was not. Before the issue with Devil’s Ale was resolved, SanTan’s choice of glassware came under scrutiny on February 18, 2010, when the Boston Beer Company (brewers of Samuel Adams beer) filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission over its uniquely shaped drinking vessels. The Massachusetts company alleged that it had worked for several years on a perfect beer-glass design, which loosely resembled SanTan’s. Peter Sciacca, owner of di Sciacca, a downtown Chandler retail shop, and an importer of glassware from China, was also cited in the claim. Canecchia and di Sciacca alleged any similarity in design was purely coincidental, but in the end, they decided to not push the matter further and discontinued use of the glasses. chapter 13

Longtime friends and partners Victor Winquist and Dale Fountaine chose to establish a microbrewery in Bisbee merely on a whim to once again return “brewing” to the area long known as Brewery Gulch. On March 15, 2010, Winquist and Fountaine’s idea came to fruition when they opened the Old Bisbee Brewing Company on Review Alley adjacent to Brewery Gulch. Winquist had forty years of experience in the fermentation industry, primarily as a chemist and winemaker. He and Fountaine originally operated the site as Fountaine Cellars Winery, which they founded in 2005. While preparing for their brewery, the partners sought guidance from breweries as far away as Europe. Stromberg International was contracted to design, manufacture, and install a “state-of-the art” brewhouse, located across Review Alley in a separate building from the taproom. It houses a custom-built 10-barrel mashing and lautering brewing system as well as four fermentation vessels. The beer is pumped from the brewhouse to its serving tanks in the taproom via pipes positioned underneath Review Alley. Winquist’s daughter, Mindy Winquist, became Old Bisbee’s head brewer prior to relocating to Oregon. She graduated from Arizona State University and studied brewing science with her father at Sunderland University’s internationally renowned Brewlab in England. Winquist then became brewmaster and later was joined by Frank Tornoe and Paul Freistedt as assistant brewers.

Figure 13.01. SanTan Brewing Company in 2009.

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Figure 13.02. Old Bisbee Brewing Company, 2010. The brewery’s beer is funneled from the brewhouse on the right through a pipe under the alley to the serving tanks located inside its taproom. (Courtesy of Victor Winquist.)

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Near the same time Old Bisbee Brewing Company was being established in Bisbee, Greg Fretz and George Hancock were quietly setting up a new production brewery in Phoenix. The two incorporated the Phoenix Ale Brewery on March 24, 2010. Fretz first devised his plan in 2009 while working on his MBA. He contacted Hancock to explain his vision, and the two began studying its market potential in Phoenix and touring other facilities for suggestions. The two then searched for a suitable site with the proper permit requirements. Once everything fell into place, the Phoenix Ale Brewery began to take shape. Fretz and Hancock had a great deal of experience in the beer industry. For fifteen years, Fretz sold Pyramid and Deschutes beers in Arizona and other parts of chapter 13

the Southwest. He was a native of Gainesville, Florida, but had called Arizona home since the 1980s. His first job in the distribution business was with Arizona Beverage (known today as Alliance Beverage) from 1994 to 1997. For more than ten years, he was a sales representative of Pyramid, and from 2008 until his resignation in 2011, he represented Deschutes in the Southwest. The British-born Hancock was an icon among brewers as past president and founder of Pyramid Breweries in Kalama, Washington. He was a successful software entrepreneur who first got into the beer business in 1989 when he and some friends purchased the Hart Brewing Company in Kalama, Washington. Its name was changed to Pyramid Breweries in 1996, and it grew to become one of the largest craft breweries in the country. As president of the Washington State Brewers Guild, he was “instrumental” in establishing the Washington Beer Commission—the first of its kind in the country. In 1997, Hancock had the honor of receiving the F. X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award given by the Brewers Association. He continued with Pyramid Breweries until retiring when the company was sold to Independent Brewers United (IBU) in 2008. By March 2010, the new Mudshark Brewery in Lake Havasu City was beginning to take shape. The twelve 465-gallon tanks at its original brewpub were relocated to the new brewery. A large portion of the exterior wall at Mudshark was removed to accommodate its removal. The space where the brewery once stood was expanded,

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Figure 13.03. Advertising card for Mudshark Brewery. (Courtesy of Scott and Tina Stocking.)

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with more seating for its restaurant. During this time, former Rock Bottom brewer Guy Bartmess joined Jack Johnson to oversee production at the new facility. Across the bridge from Mudshark, Barley Brothers brewer Lon Weatherson and John “Pirate” Hughes were making preparations for their own new brewery in Lake Havasu City called Not So Normal Brewing Company. Weatherson and Hughes originally met at Barley Brothers and developed their friendship to the point where the two set up a partnership. Weatherson was a philosophy major at the University of Kansas who later sought to become a lawyer before being transformed by beer when he landed a job at the Free State Brewing Company in Lawrence, Kansas, and later at Barley Brothers in 1997. He was an award-winning brewer, having won a bronze for Barley Brothers’s JennaGrace Wit Hefeweizen at the Seventeenth Annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver in 1998, and a bronze for his Kickstart Oatmeal Stout. The brewery has since received medals seven times at the Great American Beer Festival. Unlike Weatherson, Hughes was a self-described “hippie” or, as they are dubbed off the waters of Key West, a “pirate.” He had no brewing experience, but was a captain on a charter and fishing boat, navigating waters from Alaska to Key West ports and other parts of the world. The one thing they did have in common was their love of beer. In April 2010, Weatherson and Hughes acquired two large parcels of land with a striking view of Lake Havasu and nearby mountains for Not So Normal Brewing Company. The Three Floyds Brewing Company of Hammond, Indiana, contacted Weatherson and, to his surprise, threatened a lawsuit for trademark infringement over the name. It seems the Indiana brewery had been using the phrase “It’s Not So Normal” on its IPA packaging for some time. As a result, a search for a new name became imperative. At this stage of the game, the Grand Canyon Brewing Company was undergoing significant growth at its facility. Its tasting room was removed from the brewery to make room for a new pilot brewing system similar to its existing Bohemian brewhouse. The pilot brewery gave Grand Canyon the ability to trial beer recipes without affecting production. The expansion took place during some of the heaviest snowfalls to hit the area in some time. Former Mudshark brewer Andrew Carricato exchanged the searing summers of Lake Havasu City for the chilly winters of Williams when he joined Grand Canyon in 2009 to work alongside assistant brewer Erik Atherton after Tom Netolicky made his exit. Grand Canyon’s Sunset Amber and Black Iron IPA in cans were introduced in May 2010. Various distributors, including World Class Beverage, Fred Nackard, Northland Beverage, and Finley Distributing, began to ship the beer across the state. Both the Amber and IPA won bonze at the 2010 U.S. Open Beer Championship in Atlanta. Anthony Canecchia made big strides at his brewery in May 2010 when he pur276

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chased the building where the brewpub resided. He then began a $700,000 expansion on the heels of what he called a “historic partnership” between Crescent Crown Distributing and SanTan. Five 15-barrel fermenters and seven 30-barrel fermenters were installed along with a Cask Brewing Systems automatic canning system. The brewery’s first cans hit the market in August 2010. Evan Hanseth and Gene Almquist also studied the idea of expanding, but through a second facility. Beaver Street’s 10-barrel brewing system was positioned in a room that did not allow space for growth, and it was becoming a struggle just to keep up with demand. When the Hanseths discovered the 1890s-era, nine-thousand-squarefoot J. D. Halstead Lumber Company building, approximately one block from Beaver Street, was available for purchase, they proceeded to buy it. The historic structure,

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Figure 13.04. The Lumberyard Brewing Company is located one block from Beaver Street. It is the principal production facility for both locations. This photograph dates from 2011.

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with its high ceilings, offered ample space for a brewery. The renovation required to convert the building into a brewery was another story, requiring more than $2 million to complete. The Hanseths toiled through nearly five months of delays, but in the end, the Lumberyard Brewing Company Taproom & Grill held its grand opening on May 17, 2010. Lumberyard’s 3,000-barrel brewing capacity was nearly twice that of Beaver Street’s 1,600 barrels. It was fitted with a new 3-vessel, 20-barrel brewing system and six 40-barrel tanks. The brewery at Beaver Street was now able to concentrate on producing small-batch in-house beers while Lumberyard concentrated on larger batches for distribution. Hanseth installed a canning line, which, aside from kegging, became Lumberyard’s preferred method of packaging. Its first cans rolled off the line in late May 2010. Two of its beers are the same as those at Beaver Street under different names. Beaver Street’s flagship Railhead Red is sold as Lumberyard Red and Beaver Street’s Hopshot IPA is sold as Lumberyard IPA. Adding to the numerous awards won by Beaver Street, Lumberyard won silver in the Special Bitter category for its Lumberyard Red, silver in the Imperial Red Ale category for its Lumberyard Imperial Red, and a bronze in the American-Style Strong Pale Ale category for its Lumberyard IPA at the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. Gary Blazevich and, for a short time, Trevor Bass have since joined Almquist in the brewhouse at Lumberyard. Similar to Beaver Street and Lumberyard, the nearby Flagstaff Brewing Company became an encouraging player with its brewery and coffeehouse in downtown Flagstaff’s conversion from an overlooked town center to its present-day historic charm. At about a two-thousand-keg annual capacity, the brewery was much smaller than Lumberyard, but it succeeded without following the typical model for a brewpub through its small-batch production. In the summer of 2010, the Flagstaff Brewing Company received attention soon after the Schultz Fire threatened a large portion of the community. An estimated one thousand residents were evacuated during June as a result of the fire, which had been sparked by an abandoned campfire near Schultz Pass and Eden Springs. The blaze charred more than fifteen thousand acres over a two-week period before firefighters gained control. The brewery pledged “free beer for life” to anyone who divulged information on those responsible for the abandoned campfire to local authorities. Down in Tucson, Jim Counts was eager to put the Nimbus name ahead of the pack. In June 2010, he proposed the 5,500-square-foot Nimbus Ice House at the former My Big Fat Greek Restaurant location off River Road west of Rillito Park. Concurrently, Counts was planning another Nimbus in Oracle. Counts conveyed: “We’ll keep building more restaurants until other restaurateurs realize the value of retailing all of our locally made products in their establishments . . . after all, it works for us and it will work for them too.” But as the economy took a dip, both projects were abandoned. 278

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Figure 13.05. The outdoor patio at Four Peaks is a popular place to drink a beer, especially during the spring and fall months. (Courtesy of Jim Scussel.)

During this time period, Counts embarked on a move to remake the iconic A-1 Pilsner Beer brand after being contacted by Eli Drakulich, the owner of the trademark, in March 2010. Drakulich was eager to sell the trademark or find a brewer willing to make A-1. The $100,000 asking price for the trademark was excessive, however. In the end, a deal was struck, with Drakulich retaining rights to the name and the brewery paying him royalties from A-1 sales. On August 21, 2010, the first bottles of A-1 rolled off the brewery’s bottling lone. This A-1 was quite different than the original A-1, with a new recipe said to be a European-style pilsner beer prepared under Foregger’s guidance. With the new Class 3 classification for microbreweries in effect, Four Peaks completed installation of its new 40-barrel brewhouse. The expansion consisted of six 120-barrel fermenters, one 240-barrel brite tank, and one 120-barrel brite tank. One of the first beers brewed after its completion was the collaborative effort of brewers from around the valley. Ingram invited brewers from Old World, Papago, Sleepy Dog, SanTan, Sonoran, and SunUp to gather at Four Peaks during American Craft Beer Week (May 17–23, 2010) and create an India pale ale utilizing a fairly uncommon rye malt and Apollo and Citra (American Northwestern hops strains), as well as Sorachi Ace (Japanese hops variety), which had never been used in Arizona before. The beer was named Mötley BrüeRyePA and served to enthusiastic reviews at participating breweries in the valley. 2010s: second wave of newcomers

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Figure 13.06. (above right) The new site of the Old World Brewery in Phoenix was still under construction at the time this photo was taken in July 2007. Figure 13.07. (above) Matt Mercer and Patrick Fields of Old World Brewery, 2011. (Reproduced by permission from Jim Petrosino, Southwest Brewing News.)

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Patrick Fields faced some serious concerns with his landlord over Old World Brewery’s lease agreement. When the issue could not be resolved, the landlord offered Fields a termination of the lease agreement. Fields then faced being left out in the cold without a space to relocate the brewery. In July 2010, Jeff Olson, a mutual member of a business group along with Fields and Parmely, joined Old World as an investment partner. He operated All Star Catering, a company that operates twenty-five mobile food trucks around the Phoenix valley. Olson offered to move the brewery to the old Capital Station post office building he owned on Twentieth Avenue just north of Van Buren Street. The partners inspected the building and found it suitable, but it would need a great deal of vision, hard labor, money, and perseverance to make it work. In July 2010, the Four Peaks Brewing Company announced plans for a second brewery in Tempe that, when complete, would move it from the sixty-fifth to the fortieth largest brewery in the country. The City of Mesa quickly courted Four Peaks, which showed interest in the historic Mesa Citrus Growers co-op building, better known as the Sunkist building, but the cost of renovation into a brewery would run approximately $9 million. A new site was found near Roosevelt Street and Broadway Road in Tempe, with an approximate cost of $3 million. It consisted of 56,000 square feet of space, which was fitted with a 60-barrel brewing system and 240-barrel chapter 13

fermenters with a brewing capacity of 40,000 barrels per year. Jim Scussel noted that its capacity would increase as the cap on brewing determined by the legislature increased. Its main focus was to concentrate on producing its top sellers: Kilt Lifter, Tribute Sunbru, and Hop Knot. Kilt Lifter alone accounted for approximately 60 percent of the brewery’s total sales. Ingram estimates production to top 45,000 barrels by the end of 2013. The Old World Brewery’s move into their new location hit Fields and his partners hard in the wallet. When construction began in earnest in September 2010, costs began to skyrocket. The fees alone reached upward of $20,000, which led Fields to consider a campaign to rewrite the law that forces operating microbreweries who relocate to relicense their entire operation. While the brewery was under construction, Fields struck a deal with Dana Kanzler at Mogollon Brewing Company to contract brew Old World’s beers. This gave Old World the opportunity to serve its accounts without interruption. Fields was “very grateful for the boys in Flagstaff,” and according to him, they helped save the brewery. While its production facility was down, Mercer and Fields were able to reflect and revisit their plans for production. Instead of brewing five different beers and an occasional seasonal, they chose to focus on their best sellers: Nitro Blonde and 4-Leaf Irish Red Ale. In January 2011, Old World’s taproom opened, although its brewery was not yet running. In February 2011, Fred and Rita Kraus installed a small kitchen inside the Oak Creek Brewery to serve gourmet beef and vegetarian hot dogs, bratwurst, homemade chili beans, and nachos, called Simon’s Hot Dogs. The addition quickly gained favor with Oak Creek regulars and proved to be a great pairing for its beers. The kitchen has since won numerous awards and recognition, including being named among the top six hot dog places in Arizona by the Arizona Republic in 2011 and receiving the Gold Plate Award from Yavapai County Community Health Services in 2012. Some big changes were occurring with Chattanooga-based Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group Inc. Back in 2008, the company revamped its entire menu in an effort to meet its customers’ demands. The following year, it went international by opening a licensed Gordon Biersch in Taiwan. Then, in November 2010, in somewhat of a surprise move, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group Inc. and Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc. merged, becoming CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries Inc. CraftWorks was created by Centerbridge Capital Partners LP and its related entities. The newly formed company was now in control of nearly two hundred owned and franchised restaurants across the United States. Its primary concepts include Old Chicago, Rock Bottom, and Gordon Biersch. Although Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch were now under one umbrella, each retained its own brand identity. The one by-product of the merger between Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch was the closing of Rock Bottom at Shea Boulevard on April 2, 2011, and in Ahwatukee on 2010s: second wave of newcomers

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June 25, 2011. CraftWorks maintained the decision to close the two came “only after much consideration.” The move created a stir among its regulars and employees, who were not happy to see the brewpubs go. Some individuals in Ahwatukee assumed that the company had “little interest in the community.” Over the years, Rock Bottom had a number of well-qualified brewers crafting its beers in Arizona. Scott O’Hearn and Paul Buckner brewed a variety of styles at the Ahwatukee location, and they were principally noted for offering two different caskconditioned ales on tap seven days a week. Brian Helton, the current brewer at Desert Ridge, aged some of his cask-conditioned ales in Old Grand Dad Whiskey barrels. Former Arizona Roadhouse brewer Charlie Billingsley took over for Terry Watson in Scottsdale before heading over to Four Peaks, where he is currently employed. Others who graced Rock Bottom’s brewhouse include Greg Scharrer, Dave Peacock, Guy Bartmess, and Mitch Dougherty. Since February 2010, Jeff Yade has been brewing for the Arrowhead location, while Rob Rodriguez brewed at both the Scottsdale and Ahwatukee brewpubs before they closed. For Rodriguez, the closing was timely, as he joined Four Peaks just in time to assist in their new brewery under construction. While CraftWorks altered the valley’s brewing map, the Phoenix Ale Brewery was working under the radar toward its opening. George Hancock asked John Donehower, former lead brewer at Pyramid in Berkeley, to join him and Fretz at the Phoenix Ale, which he accepted. Donehower started out as a home brewer in 1995 and took on his first professional role in January 2003, at Pyramid Breweries. He learned how to brew

Figure 13.08. Rock Bottom, Glendale. (Courtesy of Rich La Susa.)

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Figure 13.09. Phoenix Ale Brewery co-owner George Hancock, brewer John Donehower, and co-owner and sales manager Greg Fretz, 2011. On May 18, 2013, Greg Fretz quietly passed away in his sleep following a short battle with throat cancer three months after completing treatment at the Arizona Oncology Biltmore Cancer Center in Phoenix. Although his death came as a shock, Fretz’s name lives on through the beer that carries his name, Fretzy’s Unfiltered Ale.

through the “hands-on-approach.” By April 2011, he was living in Phoenix and immediately went to work formulating the brewery’s traditional English-style ales. Dave’s Electric Brewpub quickly found its place among Tempe’s drinking establishments, earning a Best of the Valley award for Best Brewpub in the September 2010 Phoenix Magazine. By mid-February 2011, its brewery was fully functional, and the brewpub’s first batch of pale ale brewed in house was served. Harvan and Caleb drove as necessary from Bisbee to Tempe to brew on its newly installed brewing system. As a result of Hoffman’s and Burge’s efforts, Harvan’s beer gained a larger presence, necessitating expansion of the brewhouse in Bisbee and putting Harvan’s retirement on indefinite hold. Steve Tracy over at Thunder Canyon Brewery continued on a path of success. He won a gold for his Countdown Honey Brown and a silver for his Roadrunner Red Lager at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival, and in 2010, a bronze for his Bluegrass Brown Ale in the Wood and Barrel Aged category. By 2011, Thunder Canyon was nearing capacity, which kept Tracy and his assistant brewer Kyle Ratcliff busy and in need of more space. Consequently, a second location was planned. An old Safeway store on the southeast corner of East Broadway Boulevard and South Fifth Avenue was chosen. The location, very near the Barrio Brewing Company and not far from the Borderlands Brewing Company, was ideal. 2010s: second wave of newcomers

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Figure 13.10. View of Nimbus Brewing Company’s bottling line during the first day bottling A-1 Beer, August 10, 2010. (Courtesy of Bill Legoullon.)

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Eli Drakulich, the owner of the A-1 Pilsner Beer trademark, passed away on February 15, 2011. His passing left the future of A-1 in question, with uncertainty about the direction Jim Counts and the Nimbus Brewing Company would take with it. Since its inception, it had met with mixed reviews, and the brewery did not appear to be pushing it like its other beers. Back in 2005, Jim Strelau was joined by assistant brewer Brett Huggins at the Oak Creek Brewing Company. The two traveled to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver that year, where the brewery was awarded a silver medal for its Oak Creek Pale Ale. Huggins parted ways with the brewery two years later. In the early morning hours of March 15, 2011, tragedy struck when he was shot and killed after mistakenly knocking on the wrong door after a night of drinking. The assailant was arrested and faced a sentence of more than fifteen years for the killing. Strelau commented, “He was easily one of the best and most capable of all brewers I have ever worked with.” Cody Sexson continued to brew beer in small batches exclusively for the Turquoise Hills Golf & RV. As time passed, however, small town life began to wear on him, and he realized his little brewery was going nowhere. Consequently, in May 2011, he pulled the brewing equipment out with the mind-set of relocating to Tucson and potentially starting a brewery there. On May 21, 2011, SanTan and Whole Foods Markets held the first annual AmeriCAN Canned Craft Beer Festival in the Chandler Fashion Center across from the brewery. The event centered on promoting the benefits and growing popularity of canned craft beer. Canecchia found it to be a perfect setting to advance his canned Devil’s Ale, which won gold at the 2011 Great Arizona Beer Festival on March 5, 2011. Ron Kloth of Papago Brewing acquired some blank cans from SanTan and canned his popular Orange Blossom Hefeweizen and Coconut Joe Coffee Stout specifically for the event. Four Peaks also unveiled its Hop Knot IPA in cans at the festival. Patrick Fields and his partners continued on a rocky path to get the Old World Brewery headed in the right direction. Early on, Old World parted ways with Republic National Distributing and signed a contract with Hensley. The transition created its own set of headaches and confusion about the availability of its beer, and many taps were lost. Soon after, Old World left Hensley and returned to Republic National, which became Young’s Market Company Southwest LLC in May 2011, following a merger between Republic National and Young’s Market. By the first week of October, the relationship with Young’s Market came to an end, and Old World was once again self-distributing. Looking back at all the setbacks, relocation, confusion, time, and money invested, Fields wondered if it was all worth it. Old World has proven to be quite resilient, however, more so than many breweries who would have thrown in the towel long ago. Its fortitude to stick around through all its misgivings gives hope that eventually better times will prevail. 2010s: second wave of newcomers

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Figure 13.11. Cask Brewing Systems set up one of its canning systems, which filled souvenir cans with Sonoran Root Beer for the Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Festival attendees, 2011.

On June 20, 2011, the Phoenix Ale Brewery held its grand opening. The brewery was established in a 15,700-square-foot former electrical supply warehouse at 3200 East Washington Street, adjacent to the light rail system. Initially, it opened with a small tasting room until a larger room was established west of the brewhouse. A brand-new custom-built 3-vessel, 20-barrel JV Northwest automated brewing system was installed. The only used piece of equipment was its bottling line, which came from the Ithaca Beer Company in New York. The space where the brewery is located offers enough room for growth to fit a 35,000- to 40,000-barrel brewery. 286

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Fretzy’s Unfiltered Ale, a 5 percent alcohol by volume English-style bitter, became the brewery’s flagship beer. It was first introduced at the Made in the Shade Beer Festival in Flagstaff on June 25, 2011. The brewery’s first account was Buster’s Restaurant & Bar in Flagstaff that weekend. When Fretzy’s debuted at Chase Field (formerly Bank One Ballpark) on June 27, news began to circulate about the valley’s newest brewery. The beer was served at the stadium on draft and in 22-oz. bottles, of which 876 sold that weekend at $11 per bottle. Each bottle was hand filled since the bottling line was still not in operation. Phoenix Ale later introduced Camelback India Pale Ale, a Watermelon Ale (wheat ale). Its latest offerings include Ironwood Imperial Porter and Wheatstalk Imperial Hefewiezen as part of its new Arizuma Series of big beers. On July 30, 2011, Vic Winquist and Dale Fountaine opened a beer garden adjacent to Old Bisbee Brewing Company’s tasting room 6 feet above Brewery Avenue just below the Bisbee Inn. Its additional fifty seats were a welcome addition to the brewery since its tasting room seated only thirty. Old Bisbee offers approximately seven varieties of beer, ranging from a Belgian Whitbier to a Double IPA to an Imperial Stout. More recently, Winquist developed a gluten-free beer called Mountain Lime Lager, utilizing a proprietary technique that removes gluten at the end of the beermaking process without altering its recipe. Old Bisbee’s ability to offer a wide selection of quality beers from its small brewhouse has made it a favorite stop for visitors and locals alike. Shortly after Scott Yarosh left the Sonoran Brewing Company in 2009, he moved on to brew a line of specialty boutique sodas called J. J. Lazlo’s, along with business partner Michael Murray. The two leased space from local breweries to produce their sodas and partnered with Pop the Soda Shop to handle online sales. Yarosh then partnered with Susan Seiter, owner of the Cider Mill Gourmet Market & Sandwich Shop in the Frontier Town Plaza in Old Town Scottsdale, where he set up his tanks for brewing his soda. In November 2010, his share of the business became known as The Cider Mill Soda Company. In celebration of Scottsdale’s sixtieth anniversary on June 25, 2011, Yarosh produced a commemorative limited edition soda called City of Scottsdale Sixty Sarsaparilla. Yarosh’s former partners at Sonoran Brewing Company held a Centennial Beer Tapping Party on August 26, 2011, in an anticipatory celebration of Arizona’s one hundredth birthday. Schroeder and Mahler unveiled Arizona Centennial Ale and Arizona Centennial Copper Ale that evening. Sonoran aligned with the Arizona Centennial Organization, which named the Sonoran Brewing Company the “Official Craft Brewery of the Arizona Centennial.” In October 2011, Jim Counts sold a majority stake of Nimbus American Bistro to Brandon Williams and Don Norris, owners of New Way Restaurants, with Counts holding a 1 percent ownership in the bistro. Williams and Norris retained the rights to 2010s: second wave of newcomers

Figure 13.12. Tap handles inside the brewhouse at the Phoenix Ale Brewery.

Figure 13.13. The Sonoran Brewing Company was classified as Arizona’s Official Centennial Brewery in celebration of Arizona’s one hundred years of statehood. On August 26, 2011, the brewery held a centennial beer tapping party at the historic Stockyards restaurant in Phoenix.

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Figure 13.14. Big Blue Van is an unfiltered Blueberry and Vanilla Wheat Beer offered by College Street Brewhouse & Pub. (Courtesy of Lon Weatherson.)

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establish Nimbus-branded restaurants, and they are essentially partners with Counts in promoting the Nimbus beer brand. No significant changes were made to the Nimbus Bistro in Tucson following the acquisition. While Lon Weatherson was busily preparing the opening of his new brewery, he helped Barley Brothers win a gold at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for its chocolate stout in the Chocolate Beer category. Barley Brothers was the only Arizona brewery to win gold that year. Once the GABF was over, Weatherson returned his focus to his new project in Lake Havasu City. He chose the name College Street Brewhouse & Pub. The name was fitting since the brewpub was located along College Drive near the Mohave County Justice Court building in the northern section of town. The brewpub quietly opened on November 16, 2011, but its official ribboncutting ceremony came one month later on December 16. Customers were treated to the culinary creations of Culinary Institute of America graduate Anthony Crossley, who sought to incorporate fresh, locally grown foods in his recipes. This has proved to be challenging in the dry deserts of the Southwest, but he has managed. Its brewhouse was fitted with a 4-vessel, 30-barrel brewing system, including five 60-barrel fermenters and one 60-barrel brite tank, capable of producing 10,000 barrels annually. Crescent Crown Distributing represents the brewery and delivers its bottled beer throughout the state. A new brewery made inroads in Flagstaff when Michael and Alissa Marquess and Urs Reiner opened the Mother Road Brewing Company on November 17, 2011. The new brewery added to the mountainside community’s growing reputation as a beer destination. The idea for the brewery was first conceived by Michael and Alissa because of their love of craft beer and a fondness for Route 66, “the Mother Road,” which runs through Flagstaff. Both Marquess and Reiner, the “Head Yeast Whisperer,” helped found the Flagstaff Home Brewers Club. Prior to the venture, Marquess operated a consulting firm, which he sold with the intent of opening a brewery. He purchased brewing equipment from a defunct brewery in Silver City, New Mexico, but the economic situation at the time put his dream on hold, and the equipment sat idle. Near this time, Reiner left Flagstaff to attend the University of California, Davis, to study brewing. Once he graduated, he returned and lined up a job at the Lumberyard Brewing Company, but it never materialized. Marquess and Reiner created a buzz early on about the Mother Road Brewing Company through social media. The brewery was placed inside the 1920s-era Milum Building along Mikes Pike, a road just west of the Beaver Street Brewery, which was originally a part of U.S. Highway 66 until it was realigned to its current location decades ago. The Milum Building housed a commercial laundry business through the 1990s. The partners invested more than $500,000 transforming it into Mother Road. It is a production brewery fitted with a 15-barrel brewing system that was expected to chapter 13

sell 700 barrels by the end of its first year. Its brewhouse sits adjacent to a cozy tasting room and bar with high ceilings, an abundance of natural light, and local artwork within feet of its tanks. At present, Fred Nackard Wholesale Beverage Company represents the company in Arizona. Back in 2009, Little Guy Distributing changed its name to World Class Beverages (later World Class Beer) to reflect its participation in a national network of craft beer distributors. In 2006, Crescent Crown purchased Little Guy, which operated as its craft beer branch. In 2009, its name was changed to World Class Beverages, and today it is known as World Class Beer. The purchase instantly placed it among the ten largest distribution companies in the country. A clear indication of Crescent Crown’s success was displayed in February 2012, when it opened its new 335,000-square-foot facility and headquarters in Mesa. Coupled with its three-year-old concern in Surprise, Crescent Crown now had more than 500,000 square feet of warehouse space. 2010s: second wave of newcomers

Figure 13.15. The Mother Road Brewing Company, seen here in June 2011, was built inside the 1920s-era Milum building, which housed a commercial laundry until the early 1990s.

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Dave Hoffman and Scott Burge soon found that running a restaurant while operating a brewery was burdensome. Therefore, they decided to sever ties with the Electric Brewing Company in Bisbee and sold the restaurant to brothers Justin, David, and Ryan Borchik. The Borchiks renamed it the Mad Hatter Brew Pub, and its brewery became the Trident Brewing Company under the control of Hoffman and Burge as a separate entity from the restaurant. Mad Hatter’s grand opening was held on April 12, 2012. Harvan has since moved forward with the Electric Brewing Company, which appears reinvigorated with its new website and help from Hensley Beverage Company. As for Hoffman and Burge, the partners severed ties with the Mad Hatter in November 2012 and removed its brewing equipment shortly after. Hoffman indicated that the Trident Brewing Company may be resurrected at a new location sometime in the future. Brandon Williams and Don Norris opened a second Nimbus American Bistro & Brewery in March 2012 at the Seville Scottsdale shopping center on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Indian Bend Roads in Scottsdale. The partners saw great potential in extending the Nimbus brand to a number of new markets in and out of state. According to the October 27, 2011, Arizona Daily Star, they received calls from interested parties as far away as Chicago and New York City seeking information on the concept. Near this same time period, Lijah Foregger parted ways with the Nimbus Brewing Company and returned to New Orleans (Foregger has since returned to Nimbus). For a brief time, Ed King returned to the brewery, before Mike Gillis took the head brewing position. Surprisingly, all of the recent occurrences involving Nimbus came on the heels of the company filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in April 2012. Counts also filed for personal bankruptcy and faced a number of lawsuits for non-payment of bills to creditors. At this point, A-1 Beer was discontinued. Since the latter part of 2011, Arizona suddenly has become a hotbed of activity, with rumors flying left and right of breweries preparing to open. One of the early exploits was Borderlands Brewing Company in Tucson, which held its grand opening on December 11, 2011. Borderlands was launched by two friends and novice home brewers, Michael Mallozzi and Myles Stone. Both were fairly new at brewing beer, but they were ambitious and eager to learn the process. As an undergraduate at Colorado State University, Mallozzi was employed as a quality assurance technician at the local Anheuser-Busch brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. He received a PhD in microbiology and immunology under a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona, researching bacteria. Stone was a medical student at the University of Arizona. His dream was to one day become a family practice physician. The partners met Blake Collins shortly after their plans were on the table. Collins was an experienced home brewer with professional brewing experience who assisted home brewers at Tucson’s 290

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Brew Your Own Brew home brew store. For several months, he offered guidance to Mallozzi and Stone, prior to being asked to join Borderlands as an equal partner and its head brewer. The three located Borderlands within the Tucson Warehouse Arts District in the former Tooley and Sons Produce Company building built during the early 1900s. Stone’s great-great-uncle, James Edward Tooley, was proprietor of the warehouse a half century ago. It is strictly a production brewery, with no plans for a restaurant in the foreseeable future. Its brewhouse consisted of a 6-barrel brewing system inside a room with exposed wood, brick, and steel, quite fitting for a brewery. Approximately 500 barrels were estimated to be produced in its first year and double that in its second year. Its logo, with iconic elements of the Southwest, was a product of the North State Design Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina. The studio captured “Old West 2010s: second wave of newcomers

Figure 13.16. View of the Borderlands Brewing Company one week prior to its grand opening in December 2011.

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elements” in its design, befitting the theme the warehouse invoked. Mallozzi, Stone, and Collins’s view of “sustainable brewing” promotes a clean environment while also touting the notion that locally made beer cuts down on waste and, more importantly, provides the consumer with a fresher product. Their ideas appear to be paying off. Larger tanks were added in March 2012, and in November 2012, the brewery temporarily closed its taproom for installation of a new 20-barrel brewhouse. Once renovations were complete, its doors reopened on January 25, 2013. Arizona’s leading craft brewery to date has been the Four Peaks Brewing Company. From its humble beginnings as a half-barrel backyard pilot brewery first established as the Cactus Creek Brewing Company, it has grown to become one of the top fifty largest breweries in the country. Jim Scussel, the only remaining partner from the original four, helped organize “Randomonium,” Four Peaks’s fifteenth anniversary celebration, at Tempe Beach Park on April 21, 2012. As Four Peaks’s new production facility readied to open, it seems safe to say that the brewery is in it for the long haul. Talk of two other breweries in Tucson began circulating among beer enthusiasts back in February 2011, concurrent with Borderlands’s first phase. The first venture was called Dragoon Brewing Company, coined from the strip of mountains straddling a portion of southeastern Arizona between Tombstone and Willcox. The other venture is 1702, a nanobrewery being set up at 1702 East Speedway in Tucson. Dragoon was a joint venture between Eric Greene, his father Bruce Greene, and Tristan White. Eric Greene got his start as a home brewer and later apprenticed through the American Brewers Guild in Vermont before landing a job at Nimbus. His father helped found the company as its financial backbone, but was also an experienced longtime home brewer. Tristan White, also a home brewer, handles marketing and sales under the appellation “Director of Dragoonery.” The trio set up the brewery inside a multiuse warehouse at 1859 West Grant Road, approximately one mile west of Interstate 10. The space was renovated to fit a brand-new 15-barrel brewhouse manufactured by Premier Stainless Systems out of Escondido, California. While construction was underway, the partners promoted their efforts largely through social media, including Facebook and various beer blog sites. On April 23, 2012, the brewery held its much-anticipated soft opening. The first beer offered was a West Coast–style IPA aptly named Dragoon IPA. It received good reviews, and Dragoon has grown steadily, with limited distribution making waves in Phoenix shortly after. On January 16, 2013, Dragoon poured an exclusive beer brewed with “experimental” hops for the grand opening of the new Whole Foods Market on 5555 East River Road in Tucson. 1702 evolved from a longtime Tucson establishment known as Eric’s Fine Food & Ice Cream, which was first established in 1976. Eric Lepie established the ice cream store and operated it for nearly three decades before reopening it as Local Dough in 2005 with the introduction of pizza. It continued under that name for six months 292

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Figure 13.17. Tristan White and Eric Greene of Dragoon Brewing Company. (Courtesy of Eric Greene.)

before being renamed 1702. Over time, Lepie and co-owner Austin Santos increased its craft beer selection and transformed it into a beer and pizza mecca with more than fifty microbrewed beers on tap. In November 2011, 1702 received a license to brew beer on the premises with its own 1-barrel brewing system. The nanobrewery portion of the business became known as the Address Brewing Company. Its first beer was a porter released in January 2012. When the opportunity arose to acquire Borderlands’s 6-barrel brewing system in August, Santos and Lepie began negotiations to acquire the adjacent property to make room for the system. The newest brewery to open in Prescott is the Granite Mountain Brewing Company, which opened its doors on August 8, 2012. The brewery was the dream of two couples: Michael Stanger and Amanda Richardson, and Damon Swafford and Audra Yamamoto. The friends loved good food and good beer and enjoyed sharing Michael’s home brew with others. Michael’s experience in restaurants and bartending led to home brewing on the side as a weekly hobby. He joined the Arizona Society of Homebrewers and succeeded in winning a number of medals. Soon after he met Damon and Audra, the two couples built a friendship. Their like-minded interests led to underground gourmet food and beer tastings with friends and willing participants. From there, the tastings evolved and the idea for Granite Mountain Brewing Company was born. Once a business plan was formulated, the friends sought to build 2010s: second wave of newcomers

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Figure 13.18. Merchandise from the Granite Mountain Brewing Company. (Courtesy of Audra Yamamoto.)

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capital through Kickstarter.com, a site that provides a funding platform where private individuals can donate money to help a proposed undertaking reach a predetermined goal. If enough money is not pledged, the project is not funded. Granite Mountain surpassed its $15,000 goal with pledges reaching $18,012 with 242 backers. Granite Mountain Brewing Company was established at 123 North Cortez Street within Prescott’s antiques district north of the Yavapai County Courthouse plaza. It operates as a nanobrewery consisting of a 3-barrel brewing system located behind its bar. Michael brews a variety of beers in 100-gallon batches. They currently offer three flagship beers—a blonde ale, brown ale, and milk stout—and two rotating seasonals on tap at all times. In August 2012, a new law went into effect in Arizona that allows a variety of businesses with liquor licenses, including restaurants, bars, and liquor stores, to sell growlers of draft beer no larger than 1 gallon for takeout. Prior to this law, only microbreweries and brewpubs were allowed to refill growlers with beer. What may seem somewhat surprising is the fact that the Walgreens drugstore chain was staunchly in favor of the law. Walgreens operated four small growler bars at its Duane Reade Drugstores in New York, a chain acquired by Walgreens in 2009. Walgreens supported the legislation in Arizona because of its success with the bars in New York. The chain specified that no plans were in order yet to implement the bars in Arizona, but that it wanted to have the option to open such bars, depending on customer demand. Four Peaks Brewing Company co-owner and brewmaster Andy Ingram invited a number of the latest breweries from around the state to come together and contribute to making a new collaborative brew called Up and Runnin’ Arizona Summer Ale. On August 3, 2012, Brewers from O.H.S.O, North Mountain, Fate, Arizona Wilderness, Desert Eagle, Mischief, Freak’n Brewing, THAT Brewery, Dragoon, and Mother Road gathered at the Four Peaks brewery, and all pitched in to create an English-style session ale, which then was sold at limited locations throughout the state. Each brewery present was in a different phase of operation: some had recently opened, and some were still in the planning stage. Ingram’s idea was to get everyone together as a community, providing the next generation of brewers an opportunity to share what they all had in common, a love for brewing beer.

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A Positive Outlook for Arizona’s Craft Beer Industry

According to the Brewers Association, there were 1,759 breweries operating in the United States in 2010—the highest number since the late 1800s. More than 725 breweries were planned throughout the nation as of June 30, 2011. There were 33 active breweries in Arizona in 2011, with 8 to 10 more in the planning stage. Despite a slowdown in the economy, the future of the craft beer industry is bright. The rosy picture being painted across the country for the craft beer segment was reflected in a study completed in January 2012 on behalf of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild by the Arizona Hospitality Research & Resource Center (79 percent of Arizona’s breweries are members of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild). The study, which estimates the scope and economic impact of locally owned in-state breweries on Arizona’s economy, was completed with help from the Arizona Rural Policy Institute and the Center for Business Outreach at Northern Arizona University’s W. A. Franke College of Business. In short, the study determined the total economic impact by craft brewers on Arizona’s economy in 2011 totaled $278 million. Broken down, the direct economic impact came to $152 million, while indirect contributions totaled $59.1 million, with an induced economic contribution of $66.9 million. Craft brewers shelled out $9.69 million in state sales tax in 2011 and an additional $1.4 million in federal and excise or luxury tax. The study also found that a resounding number of Arizona brewers were very optimistic about the state of the industry for 2012, and 66 percent felt the industry would experience strong growth. In 2012, the state of Arizona was experiencing a boom in the number of breweries opening that could surpass the number that succeeded during the late 1990s, if all pull through. Some of the latest breweries to open from the new generation of Arizona brewers include O.H.S.O. Eatery + nanoBrewery, THAT Brewery, Desert Eagle Brewing Company, Wanderlust Brewing Company, Fate Brewing Company, and arizona’s craft beer industry

14 It is an exciting time to be an Arizona beer enthusiast. This time of year always welcomes the best beer festival in the state, which will kick off the second annual Arizona Beer Week. When combined with the upcoming arrival of Phoenix’s first nanobrewery, beer lovers across the Valley can only grin in anticipation. —Erik Adams, “Arizona News: Central,” Southwest Brewing News, February/March 2012

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Mountain Top Brewing Company. There very well could be others silently preparing their business plans in preparation for opening. O.H.S.O. Eatery + nanoBrewery opened in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix near Forty-Eighth Street and Indian School Road at the former Black Forest Haus German Restuarant. First-time restaurant owners Jon Lane and Pat Walsh developed the concept with the intent of installing a nanobrewing system. Lane had worked as a bartender for the Four Peaks Brewing Company and also at Dos Gringos for a time. The initials in the name originally stood for “Our Homebrew Society.” The “O” was added so as not to conflict with a local high school with the same initials. Because its 4-barrel brewing system did not fire-up until September 2012, its in-house beers were brewed by the Grand Canyon Brewing Company in Flagstaff and poured alongside a large selection of local and regional craft beers. O.H.S.O. plans to offer brew on premises (BOP) services with the assistance of brewer Johann Fultz, who interned at Glacier Brewing in Polson, Montana, and worked at Rogue Brewery in Oregon. Its restaurant was guided by Chef Nate Hibbard, formerly of Kai and D’Vine Bistro. THAT Brewery & Pub (formerly the Rimside Grill) off Arizona State Route 87 in the mountainside community of Pine approximately fifteen miles northwest of Payson was developed by two former Honeywell employees, Steve and Tamara Morken. The couple relocated from Phoenix in 2004 and opened the Rimside Grill. Steve began homebrewing in 2006 and grew a passion for craft beer, and in June 2012, the Rimside Grill officially changed its name and concept to THAT Brewery to reflect the Morkens’ love of “beer, hiking, and pub-style food.” Desert Eagle Brewing Company, located in downtown Mesa just east of Country Club Drive on Main Street, held its grand opening on October 5, 2012. Co-owners Joe Campbell and Jeff Bryant opened it as a production brewery, but plan to install a restaurant if and when appropriate. It is the first brewery to open in City of Mesa history. In northern Arizona, the Wanderlust Brewing Company opened its doors on October 13, 2012, at 1519 North Main Street in Flagstaff. Wanderlust is a nanobrewery with a 3-barrel brewing system and is the brainchild of home brewer, out­door enthusiast, and local engineer Nathan Friedman. Friedman took on the entire venture principally as a one-man show after friends and family convinced him he should take his brewing passion to the next level. In Scottsdale, the Fate Brewing Company held its grand opening on November 25, 2012. Owner/brewer Steve McFate, who formerly brewed at Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery in Ridgeway, Colorado, set up his brewery near the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard. The interior of Fate is designed with a slick industrial look reminiscent of a cozy neighborhood winebar. Its 7-barrel brewing system is visible behind glass adjacent to the bar, which pours six in-house beers with two rotat-

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Figure 14.00. View of the Desert Eagle Brewing Company one month prior to its grand opening.

ing guest taps. Wood-fired pizza and a small selection of baked goods round out the brewpub’s fare. The Mountain Top Brewing Company at 401 North Tyler Parkway in Payson held its grand opening on December 1, 2012. Owner/brewer Tom Piazza, president of the Rim Country Homebrewers club and a carpenter by trade, learned how to brew beer simply through a love for craft beer, not through formal education. According to the January 24, 2013, Payson Roundup, Piazza chose to become a commercial brewer “out of insanity” to share his passion. One of the last breweries to open prior to this book going to publication is Ten Fifty-Five Brewing Company. Ten Fifty-Five is within walking distance of the seasoned Nimbus Brewing Company in Tucson at 3810 East Forty-Fourth Street. The brewery, which opened February 2, 2013, was developed by two avid home brewers, Chris Squires and John Paul Vyborny. The two chose the location because of its proper zoning and inexpensive rent. Its brewhouse consists of a 3-barrel brewing system producing approximately 100 gallons at a time. Its small tasting room initially offered four beers on tap: Sugar Skull Chocolate Milk Stout, Lazy Duck American Wheat, Leap Pale Ale, and Two Suns Citra IIPA (the second “I” is intentional). The North Mountain Brewing Company in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix should have been included in the recent group of openings. However, not

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(facing page) Figure 14.01. The new brewhouse at the North Mountain Brewing Company, October 2012.

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unlike many owners of upstart breweries, Robert and Candy Berkner encountered a bevy of setbacks and delays in construction, licensing, permits, and inspections since establishing their brewery in 2010. However, their willingness to perservere is paying off, and the couple project its grand opening to be some time in February 2013. (North Mountain officially opened on March 9, 2013.) Robert produces his beers on a 10-barrel Premier Stainless Systems brewhouse located behind the restaurant, which features beer-centric food. As of February 2013, the Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company in Gilbert is another brew­ery readying to open. The brewery is a 50-50 partnership between home brewer John Buford and Brett Dettler, whose family owns Trophy’s Steakhouse in Queen Creek. The partners reached their $40,000 Kickstarter.com goal in April and have since been constructing their brewery on the southeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Guadalupe Road in Gilbert. The brewery will consist of a 7-barrel brewing system formerly from Carter’s Brewing in Billings, Montana. One of the latest mentions of a brewery in planning is the Huss Brewing Company, which publicly unveiled its plans in December 2012. It is being built at the site of the former Seidemann’s/Rio Salado Brewing Company at 1520 South Mineral Road in Tempe. The brewery has some veteran people in the industry behind it, including brewer/owner Jeff Huss, a longtime brewer at BJ’s in Chandler, and his wife Leah, a co-owner and general manager at Papago Brewing. The brewery will consist of a new 30-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system which will produce a slew of beers, including Papago’s Orange Blossom Vanilla Mandarin Wheat Ale, Hopago Citra IPA, and Coconut Joe sweet stout. Canning is also being planned. According to Kloth, the brewery will break ground and receive tanks in May and be brewing by summer 2013. Mesquite River, Devious Brewing Company, and Veritas Brewing have also been scouting locations in Phoenix, while the Mischief Brewing Company, along with the Freak’n Brewing Company and the Peoria Artisan Brewery (formerly Arrogant Brewer), are moving forward with plans in Peoria. In Tucson, Sentinel Peak and Corbett Brewing Company have been developing their own strategy toward opening. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, each of these breweries, which are in various stages of planning, project to be in production by the time this book reaches publication. Some of the veterans are also expanding. Anthony Canecchia of SanTan Brewing Company is undergoing work on a second 38,000-square-foot facility in Chandler. It includes a 50-barrel brewing system capable of producing 100,000 barrels annually. The Barrio Brewing Company expanded by 6,000 square feet to make room for its new 30-barrel Specific Mechanical brewing system, and in January 2013, Thunder Canyon opened a second restaurant location at 220 East Broadway Boulevard in Tucson. That same month, the Four Peaks Brewing Company broke ground on its fourth chapter 14

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Figure 14.02. Exterior view of O.H.S.O. Eatery & nanoBrewery. The abbreviation of its name originally stood for Our Homebrew Society. The extra “O” was added simply to avoid confusion with the name of a local high school.

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location by installing a restaurant inside Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. Of the many new breweries setting up in Arizona, a large number are nanobreweries, such as O.H.S.O. and Granite Mountain. This segment represents breweries with a production capacity of 4 barrels per year or less. Since nanobreweries offer brewers a less costly alternative to break into the industry, they are proving popular among prospective brewers. Most that succeed will be forced to break from the category fairly quickly by installing larger brewing systems, while those that don’t may fall by the wayside. We can only hope all in Arizona will succeed. A good example of a nanobrewery that has progressed is the Address Brewing Company at 1702 East Speedway in Tucson. As of October 2012, it was seeking a larger brewing system as it looked to acquire Borderlands’s 6-barrel brewing system. Cartel Coffee Labs chose to install a nano-system at its Tempe location with an initial capacity of 600 gallons per month. Cartel has become highly popular for its roasted coffees and hopes to mirror chapter 14

its success with its craft beer. In 2011, it installed beer bars at a number of its locations. Cartel’s first beer was served at the Arizona Craft Brewer’s Guild’s Strong Beer Festival in February 2013. Thankfully, there have been more breweries opening in the state than closing in recent years. Failure, however, is sometimes inevitable. In November 2012, Dave Hoffman and Scott Burge, who had been operating the Trident Brewing Company inside the Mad Hatter Brew Pub in Tempe (formerly Dave’s Electric Brewpub), parted ways with Mad Hatter and removed the brewing equipment. Hoffman suggested that Trident may one day be resurrected, but as of this writing, it remains out of business. Another brewery that closed in 2012 is the Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits Distillery. Although it had been a fixture on Arizona’s brewing map for many years, Kanzler and Hendricks threw in the towel and closed the brewery/distillery in the fall of 2012 following lackluster growth in sales. Its closing left Jeff and Susanne Discuss without a contract brewery to brew their Cosmic Distributing beers. Therefore, they worked out a deal to purchase the brewery in December 2012, but the deal fell through. Only time will tell in what direction Cosmic Distributing will go.

The Social Impact of Craft Beer The slew of new breweries in Arizona offers only a glimpse of what the craft beer industry is experiencing across the country and, in many instances, other countries. The extraordinary rise of craft beer can be directly attributed to one common factor: the growing enthusiasm beer enthusiasts and home brewers have for fresh, handcrafted, artisan-style beers. Without their passion and willingness to entertain different styles, the industry could very well have languished in the production of uninspiring domestic adjunct lagers. Many craft beer enthusiasts believe mass-produced beers are simply not given the extra love, care, and attention that microbrewed beers are allotted during the brewing process. The “artisan” aspect of craft-brewed beer is where large-scale breweries generally come up short. The extraordinary rise of microbreweries forced the giants in the industry to take a hard look at the craft beer segment. The Miller Brewing Company was one of the first big breweries to make inroads into craft beer by acquiring the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in 1988. The Adolph Coors Brewing Company built the “world’s first” brewpub in 1996 inside Coors Field, called the Sandlot Brewery, and Anheuser-Busch acquired a minority stake and distribution agreement with Craft Brewers Alliance, a company formed when Red Hook and Widmer Brothers merged in 2007. More recently, in March 2011, Anheuser-Busch InBev paid $38.8 million to acquire the Chicago-based Goose Island Brewing Company—a move arizona’s craft beer industry

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that created a stir in the craft brewing community (back in July 2008, the iconic Anheuser-Busch—which some felt was the “soul” of American beer—underwent a hostile takeover by Belgian brewers InBev). The major advantages large corporate breweries have over microbreweries are in distribution, pricing, and money for advertising. They focus on producing lighterstyle beers, which satisfy the largest segment of the market. Microbreweries, on the other hand, are allowed more freedom to experiment with different varieties of yeast and a larger spectrum of malts and hops because they brew in small batches. This provides smaller breweries a nearly unlimited variety of beer flavors to develop. The “Imperial” beer craze that swept the industry beginning in 2008 reveals the creativity craft brewers have over corporate giants in producing more provocative styles of beer. It is important to note, however, that a beer like Budweiser, which some perceive as having limitations in flavor, is not necessarily a “bad” beer. Thomas Ale Johnson, a graphic artist, home brewer, and professional writer, reasoned in the summer 2011 Arizona Vines & Wines magazine that its “fizzy yellow” characteristics help it play its role “perfectly” as an American-style adjunct lager. He further explained that even “a cardboard, cabbage, and postage stamp ale would be good if it were carefully brewed to taste like cardboard, cabbage, and postage stamps.” When asked in the April/May 1996 Southwest Brewing News “if Coors killed American beer,” Peter McFarlane explained: “I don’t think they killed American beer. They chose a style and perfected it. But they have brainwashed humanity for the last forty or fifty years since Prohibition.” Without a doubt, the average beer drinker is much more educated on the various aspects of beer today than a short decade ago. Various publications and periodicals—such as All about Beer, Zymurgy, Celebrator, Brewing News, Beer Advocate, Draft Magazine, and more—help disseminate beer-centric news to the industry as well as the individual enthusiast. Over the past two decades, a subculture of beer enthusiasts has arisen who are passionate about beer, want to learn the distinction between different styles, and willingly communicate their ideas and knowledge through Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and other social media sites. Brewery collectibles clubs such as the Brewery Collectibles Club of America, the American Breweriana Association, and the National Association Breweriana Advertising espouse the history of beer and brewing, while appreciating the collectible aspects in breweriana, to like-minded individuals. Home brew clubs—such as the Arizona Society of Homebrewers, Brewmeisters Anonymous, Northern Arizona Homebrewers, and Tucson Homebrew Club—offer people a vehicle to share resources about beer, mead, and wine making. The growing interest in home brewing helped spawn a cottage industry of home brew supply stores that cater directly to home brewers. A great indicator that craft beer has become in itself a cultural phenomenon is the ever-growing popularity of beer fests across the 302

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country, such as the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild’s Strong Beer Festival in Phoenix and, on a national scale, the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The Arizona Craft Brewers Guild coordinated the first Arizona Beer Week on February 19–26, 2011, to promote and celebrate everything that is craft beer. It was officially launched with the Eleventh Annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival and concluded with a festival held at the Barrio Brewing Company in Tucson. During the week in between, numerous participating establishments offered craft beer specials, pub crawls, beer tastings, beer and food pairings, brewer’s dinners, tap takeovers, and more. Since its inaugural year, the festival has grown and has turned into an event every beer enthusiast eagerly anticipates. New festivals have since been on the rise, including the Phoenix Brewers Invitational, held for the first time on December 7, 2012, at Heritage Square. Others may follow. It is remarkable to think of how much the beer industry has changed since the time pioneer brewer Alexander Levin first set up his brewery in Tucson nearly 150 years ago. Levin succeeded against all odds in producing beer with limited supplies and grueling manual labor in an environment not so friendly to beer making. Only when an influx of foreign brands arrived in the territory did his and other Arizona breweries begin to fade. Although Prohibition silenced the beer and liquor industry across the nation, it is unlikely we will ever see the imposition of Prohibition on such a huge scale again. However, some staunchly believe the threat remains through strict regulations and taxation laws on beer and alcohol, under the guise of looking after our well-being. Thankfully, the craft beer industry today stands stronger than ever as consumer buying habits increasingly support locally made craft beer over mass-produced beers. It is in great part because of individuals like Fritz Maytag (former owner of the Anchor Brewing Company), Merlin Elhardt (founder of the Maltose Falcons), Michael Jackson (beer journalist and author), and other like-minded individuals that we can enjoy the beer we have today. For those who enjoy a wide assortment of handcrafted beers, these are exciting times, unlike any other in the history of beer making. With such a diverse variety of styles available in such large quantities for us to enjoy, and more in the making, I for one am glad I am able to experience it.

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Chronological Listing of Arizona Breweries, Microbreweries, and Brewery-Owned Pubs On the following pages you will find a chronological listing of all known breweries that have been recorded in Arizona records or discovered through research of various publications. This includes breweries dating from pre-Prohibition to the present-day microbreweries that are or were either in production, were established but never reached production, or were planned and documented but did not become operational. An endeavor of this magnitude may contain some omissions or errors, but every attempt has been made to make this listing the most accurate possible based on the information available. Each city in which a brewery operated is listed in alphabetical order, with breweries listed chronologically by date under the city name. I use the years of the opening and closing dates only (e.g., 1999–1999 or 1999–2000). Some breweries may have been in operation for only a matter of months, so the dates may not denote a full year of operation. Some dates have been estimated since little information is available.

Abbreviations or Symbols Used ?? c. Planned UC NP N/A

Dates for which I could not find information to verify An estimated time period in which a brewery may have been in operation A brewery that is not in production but has taken preliminary steps to become established A brewery that is nearing completion but is still “under construction” Never produced Not applicable

The 1995 edition of American Breweries II by Dale P. Van Wieren has been an incredible source for compiling this list. Those of you familiar with the book may find some disparity between dates or listings. This occured when I found more accurate information about a brewery. Since the publication of American Breweries II, many microbreweries have opened and since closed, and those have been cited here. It is important to note that this list will continue to change as breweries open, close, change names, or move to different locations and as new information is discovered.

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Alexandra (Yavapai County) • Joseph Mingus, a.k.a. Jos. Mingus & Bros. (1880; Joseph & Mike Mingus)

1878–1882

Arivaca (Pima County) • Machaltz & Ruckelhausen

1882–1884

Bisbee (Cochise County) • Arnold Sieber • Henry Dubacher   Dubacher Bros. (Henry & Frank)   Henry Dubacher   Frank Dubacher & (Joseph) Muheim (Brewery Ave., Brewery Gulch) • Tribolet Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Electric Dave’s Brewing Company (microbrewery; 1A DD St., South Bisbee)   • Electric Brewing Company (microbrewery; opened New Year’s Eve 1999; 1326 Highway 92, in San Jose Square; unofficially closed October 13, 2007 for six weeks pending a possible sale, still brewing) • Copper City Brewing Company (brewpub; PO Box 171, #2 Copper Queen Plaza) • Old Bisbee Brewing Company (microbrewery; 200 Review Alley; opened March 15, 2010)

Buckeye (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Veritas Brewing Company (microbrewery)

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1880–1884 1884–1888 1888–1890 1890–1893 1882–1884 1988–1993 2000–

1997–2000 2010–

Planned

Camp Apache (Fort Apache) (Navajo County; Apache County prior to 1895) • Simon Bibo (Bibo was the post trader at Fort Apache, 1870–1872; 1870, post trader noted to be “making the first lager beer in that region”)

1870–1872

Cave Creek (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Black Mountain Brewing Company, Crazy Ed’s (brewpub; 6245 E Cave Creek Rd, Frontier Town, Restaurant/Outlet “The Satisfied Frog”; stopped brewing on February 15, 2008)

1989–2008

chronological listing

Chandler (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Copper Canyon Brewing & Ale House (brewpub; 5945 W. Ray Rd. #13; Officially opened April 1996) • Copper Canyon Grill & Brewery (August 2007, brewing equipment sold and name changed to Jersey’s) • Hops! Bistro & Brewery #6 (planned late 1990s, but never produced) • BJ’s Pizza, Grill & Brewery (brewpub; opened October 2001; 3155 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler Fashion Center) • SanTan Brewing Company (brewpub; 8 South San Marcos Plaza; doors opened 5 p.m., September 22, 2007) • SanTan Brewing Company (brewery, 495 E. Warner Rd.)

1996–2000 2000–2007 NP 2001– 2007– 2013–

Charleston (Fort Huachuca) (Cochise County; Pima County prior to 1881) • Smith & McDowell • Andreas Joerger   Andreas Joerger (Fort Huachuca)   Ransom Canyon Brewery, Frank Joerger, Proprietor

1879–1880 1888–1897 1897–1900 1900–1906

Chiricahua (Cochise County) • A. L. Stahl

1882–1882

Chloride (Mohave County) • (The January 4, 1873, Arizona Miner reports one brewery operating in Chloride.)

1872?–??

Clifton (Greenlee County; Graham County prior to 1909) • Adolph Gerhardt

1884–1884

Dos Cabezas (Cochise County) • C. Graner

1884–1884

Douglas (Cochise County) • Copper City Brewing Co., (Henry M. & William H. Reno)   Peoples Ice & Manufacturing Co. (Ice Manufacturing & Soda Bottler)

1904–1916 1916–1919

Ehrenberg (La Paz County; Yuma County prior to 1983) • John H. Myers

1870?–??

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Flagstaff (Coconino County; Yavapai County prior to 1891) • Flagstaff Brewery, John Stemmer and William Carl   Jack F. Daggs and W.M. Carl   Augustus Dillman Freudenberger, Bowers, and Streit   Gruner & Dillman   Gruner   A. T. Cornish (brewing beer is believed to have stopped under Cornish) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Beaver Street Brewery Whistle Stop Café (brewpub; 11 S. Beaver St., #1) • Flagstaff Brewing Company (brewpub; 16 E. Route 66) • Daisy Head Brewing Company (planned but never produced; 1997–1998) • Mogollon Brewing Company (microbrewery; 15 N. Agassiz St.)   Mogollon Brewing Company & Arizona High Spirits Distillery   Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits Distillery (4366 Huntington Dr.) • Lumberyard Brewing Company (brewpub; South San Francisco St. and Phoenix Ave.; opened May 17, 2010) • Mother Road Brewing Company (microbrewery; 210 W. Phoenix Ave.; opened November 17, 2011) • Sterling Springs Brewing Co. (not a stand-alone brewery; a.k.a. Cosmic Distributing Company; was contract brewed through Mogollon Brewing Company until 2012; Jeff Dicus and Susan One Love) • Wanderlust Brewing Company (microbrewery)

Florence (Pinal County; parts of Maricopa and Pima counties prior to 1875) • Peter Will & Co.   Peter Will

Fort Apache (Camp Apache) (Navajo County; Apache County prior to 1895) • Simon Bibo (Bibo was the post trader at Fort Apache, 1870 to 1872    (1870, post trader noted to be “making the first lager beer in that region”)

Galeyville (Cochise County) • Jacob Strohl

Gilbert (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant (restaurant; 2218 E. Williams Field Rd., Ste. 101; opened October 26, 2007; beer provided by Gordon Biersch in Glendale) • Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company (microbrewery; 721 N. Arizona Ave.) • Sleepy Dog Pub & Bistro (restaurant) • Lost Dutchman Beer Company (microbrewery) 308

1884–1884 1884–1886 1886–1888 1888–1890 1890–1890 1890–1892 1994– 1994– NP 1997–2004 2004–2008 2008–2012 2010– 2011– 2011–2012

2012–

1870–1884 1884–1888

1870–1872

1882–1882

2007– 2012–UC 2013– Planned

chronological listing

Gillett (Yavapai County) • Peter Arnold (moved to Tip Top, 1882)   Cook & Company

Glendale (Maricopa County) • Tri-State Brewery Company, J. S. Cosgrave, (located in the old sugar beet factory; original name, Maricopa Brewery Company of Arizona; never produced)   Maricopa Brewery Company (see Tri-State Brewery Company) • Showa Shoyu Brewing Corporation (not a beer brewery) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Cougan’s Brewery & Grill (Rock Bottom owned; brewpub; 7640 W. Bell Rd., at Arrowhead Mall)   Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub) • Casa Arriba Brewing Company, Arriba Mexican Grill (brewpub; 17211 N. 79th Ave.) • Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company (restaurant; 6681 W. Beardsley Rd.; opened August 31, 2005) • Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant (brewpub; 6915 N. 95th Ave.; opened November 2006)

Globe (Globe City) (Gila County; parts of Maricopa and Pinal counties prior to 1881) • Pinal Brewery, Fred Medler & Co. (Bissig & Pieper)   Bissig & Pieper   Bissig, Pieper & Hayse   Bissig, Pieper & Von Soyer   Bissig, Pieper, Von Soyer & Rechenmacher   Bissig, Pieper, Von Soyer & Denhardt   Banker & Von Soyer   Banker • Fredricksburg Brewery   Gustave Bohse   Bohse & Knight (a.k.a. Gustave Bohse & Company)   (listings have been found with misspelling of G. Bosche & Co.)   G. Bohse • St. Louis Brewery, Charles Banker (N. Broad St.; Ernest Helm, brewer) • Globe Brewing Company, Ernest Helm & John Lanz   John Lanz   Charles Banker (St. Louis Brewery; on delinquent tax lists) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Globe Brewery & Barbeque Company (brewpub; 190 N. Broad St.; sold stock starting 1996; opened August 1999; closed February 2000) • Kelly’s Broad Street Brewery (restaurant only; Kelly Haydon owner; opened June 2004, brewery equipment removed soon after)

chronological listing

1878–1882 1882–1882

1933–NP

N/A 1997–2001 2001– 2000– 2005– 2006–

1878–1879 1879–1882 1882–1884 1884–1885 1885–1885 1885–1889 1889–1890 1890–1898 1881–1882 1882–1882 1882–1887 1884–1888 1888–1888 1888–1889 1889–1897 1999–2000 N/A

309

Green Valley (Pima County) • Bissig, Pieper (proprietors of the Pinal Brewery in Globe)

1885–??

Harshaw (Santa Cruz County; parts of Cochise and Pima counties prior to 1899) • Danguire & Company   Chas. Daucher & Company   Jules Flin   S. P. Nelson

1882–1882 1882–1882 1882–1882 1882–1884

Jerome (Yavapai County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Jerome Brewery (brewpub; 111 Main St.; discontinued brewing in 2004; restaurant only as of 2004; opened December 31, 1998)

La Paz (La Paz County, Yuma County prior to 1983) • Alex Levin (most likely a branch saloon for Levin’s Pioneer Brewery in Tucson)

1864–??

Lutrell (a.k.a. LaNoria and Lochiel) (Santa Cruz County; parts of Cochise and Pima counties prior to 1899) • John Deckert (also opened Pioneer Brewery) • Ernest F. Pieper

1882–1882 c.1880s–1890

Lake Havasu City (Mohave County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Barley Brothers Brewery & Grill (brewpub; 1425 McCulloch Blvd.) • London Bridge Brewery, City of London Arms Pub (brewpub; 422 English Village) • Mudshark Brewing Company (brewpub; 210 Swanson Ave.) • Not So Normal Restaurant & Brewery (see College Street Brewhouse & Pub) • College Street Brewhouse & Pub (brewpub; 1940 College Dr.; originally planned as Not So Normal Restaurant & Brewery; name changed in July 2011; Lon Weatherson)

Marana (Pima County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Wicked Monkey Brewing Company (microbrewery)

310

1998–2004

1997– 1997–2002 1998– NP 2011–

Planned

chronological listing

Mesa (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Brew Haus Brewing Company ( a.k.a. Brew Haus Brew Your Own; microbrewery/ Brew on Premises; 2025 S. Alma School Rd. #4; opened May 1997; closed June 1998) • BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (restaurant; 6622 E. Superstition Springs Blvd.; opened July 26, 2005) • Desert Eagle Brewing Company (microbrewery; 150 W. Main St.)

2012–

Nogales (Santa Cruz County, parts of Cochise and Pima counties prior to 1899) • A. M. Conrad (Conrad was a brewer in Williams, AZ; see Williams Brewing Company)

1899–1899?

Page (Coconino County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Lake Powell Brewing Company (brewpub; 125 S. Lake Powell Blvd.)

2001–2002

Paradise Valley (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Pendleton’s Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub; a.k.a. Camelback Brewing Company; 4949 E. Lincoln Dr., Red Lion’s La Posada Resort)   Camelback Brewing Co. (DBA Pendleton’s Restaurant & Brewery) • A–Z Brewing (brewpub; 5507 N. Palo Cristi Rd.)

Payson (Gila County) • Payson Brewery   Pieper, Bissig, Von Soyer, Rechenmacher,   Pieper, Bissig, Von Soyer   Pieper, Bissig, Dennhardt Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Payson Steak House & Wild Weede Brewery (proposed 2007 but never materialized)   Western Village Steakhouse & Microbrewery • Mountain Top Brewing Company (brewpub)

Peoria (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • BJ’s Resturant & Brewhouse (restaurant; 978 W. Northern Ave.; opened July 14, 2008) • Freak’n Brewing Company (microbrewery; 9299 W. Olive Ave. #513) • Mischief Brewing Company (microbrewery) • Peoria Artisan Brewery (microbrewery; formerly Arrogant Brewer) • Arrogant Brewer (see Peoria Artisan Brewery)

chronological listing

1997–1998 2005–

1989–1990

NP

1885–1886 1886–1890 1890–1892 NP NP 2012–

2008– UC Planned Planned

311

Phoenix (Maricopa County) (The May 31, 1873, Weekly Arizona Miner lists three breweries operating in Phoenix at the time.) • Cavaness & Cosgroves Brewery & Saloon (Phoenix Brewery; Montezuma & Maricopa Streets; Michael Braungart brewer)   Hayes & Peeples Brewery & Saloon   Hayes & Lovejoy Brewery & Saloon   Champion Brewery, Albert H. Sales   Champion Brewery (proprietor unknown; a.k.a. the Old Brewery) • Great Western Brewery   Gustav Becher • United States Brewery   Gustav Becher & Albert H. Sales   G. Becher, United States Brewery • Arcade Brewery   Charles A. Luke & Joseph Thalheimer   C. A. Luke, Arcade Brewery   C. A. Luke & Michael Wurch, Arcade Brewery • Michael Wurch • J. J. Gardiner (planed, never produced) • Duval & Son (planned, never produced) • Phoenix Brewing Co. (William Melczer, Joseph Thalheimer, Alex Rheinstein; planned, never produced) • Melczer Bros. Brewery (William Melczer; planned, never produced) • Phoenix Brewing Association Inc. (not a beer brewery; manufactured pharmaceutical chemicals and compounds, 1933) • Avery Brewing & Malting Company (Harry P. Avery, Emma P. Avery, A. D. Stanley; filed incorporation papers April 6, 1933; never produced) • Clinton Brewery (C. Martin Stoddard, Henry H. Miller, M. O’Mara; filed incorporation papers January 23, 1933; never produced) • Arizona Brewing Company   Arizona Brewing Company (Martin E. & Herman J. Fenster;   1141–1143 E. Madison St.)   Arizona Brewing Company (E. P. Baker, B. J. Russell, & Wirt G. Bowman)   Arizona Brewing Company (Robert H. Elder)   Arizona Brewing Company (Ralph Feffer, trustee) • Arizona Brewing Company, Inc. (Joseph F. Lanser)   Arizona Brewing Company, Inc. (Joseph F. Lanser; 150 S. 12th St.)   Arizona Brewing Company, Inc. (Joe F. Lanser Jr.)   Carling Brewing Company, Inc.   National Brewing Company (Western Division; a.k.a. Dutch Treat Brewing   Company & Van Lauter Brewing Company, 1970–1975)   Carling-National Breweries, Inc. (a.k.a. Dutch Treat Brewing Company)   G. Heileman Brewing Company (a.k.a. Carling-National Breweries, Inc.,   and Dutch Treat Brewing Co.)

312

1872–1873 1873–1873 1873–1878? 1878–1878 1878–1885? 1878–1878 1878–1880 1880–1882 1878–1882 1882–1884 1884–1888 1882–1884 1892–1892 1892–1892 1900–1901 1902–1902 N/A 1933–1933 1933–1933

1933–1934 1934–1937 1937–1941 1941–1942 1942–1949 1949–1963 1963–1964 1964–1966 1966–1975 1975–1979 1979–1985

chronological listing

Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Big Stick Brewing Company (a.k.a. All Saint’s Brewery; microbrewery; Pub Brewing NP Company was hired to install equipment c. 1988) • All Saint’s Brewery (see Big Stick Brewing Company) • Barley’s Brewpub (brewpub; 4883 N. 20th St.; opened March 30, 1990, 1990–1992 closed August 1992) • Coyote Springs Brewing Company & Café (brewpub) 1992–1999 • Hops! Bistro & Brewery #2 (brewpub; 2584 E. Camelback Rd.) 1994–1998   Christopher’s Fermier Brasserie (brewpub) 1998–1999 • McFarlane Brewing Company (microbrewery; 202 S. 29th St.) 1996–1998 • Sonora Brewing Company LLC (microbrewery; 3601 N. 36th Ave.; John Watt owner; 1996–2003 Uwe Bower brewer)   Sonoran Brewing Co. (microbrewery; Watt owned both names) 2003–2004 • O’Ryan’s Brewing of Arizona (planned microbrewery, never opened; John Ritter) NP • Valley Brewing Company (not a brewery; see Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company, N/A Scottsdale; company formed to sell Scorpion, Rattlesnake & Diamondback Beer; 1995) • Coyote Springs Brewing Company & Café (bar-restaurant only; 122 E. Washington) 1996–1999 • Phoenix Ale & Lagering Company (former Star Brewing Company, Portland, OR; 1997–NP microbrewery; plans to relocate from Oregon never panned out) • Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery (Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company; brewpub; 1998–2001 201 S. 4th St.;original planned name in 1996, Diamondback Brewery)   Hi-Tops (Leinenkugel’s operated as a separate business) 2001–2003   McFadden’s (brewery portion closed in November 2003) 2003–2003 • Diamondback Brewery (see Jacob Leinenkugal Brewing Co.) • Host Marriot, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (not a brewery; 3400 Sky N/A Harbor Blvd., Terminal Building #3; sometimes found listed as a brewery) • Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub; 14205 S. 50th St., Ahwatukee; 1999–2011 closed June 25, 2011) • Sonora Brewing Company Brewhouse (pub & restaurant only; 322 E. Camelback Rd.; 2000–2003 different owner from brewery)   Sonoran Brewing Company Brewhouse Pub & Restaurant (pub & restaurant only; 2003–2005   Watt sold brewery and rights to both names to two separate owners in 2004; see   Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company, Scottsdale)   Sonora Brewhouse & Brewer’s Den (brewpub; brewing equipment installed, 2005–2009   began brewing 2006; Uwe Bower, brewer)   SunUp Brewing Company (brewpub; Brewer’s Den name change) 2009– • Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub #3 (brewpub; 101 E. Buchanan) 2000–2002 • Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub; 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Desert Ridge) 2002– • Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company (proposed restaurant 2003; 85000 Phoenix, AZ) NP • Casa Arriba Brewing Company, Arriba Mexican Grill (brewpub; 4649 E. Chandler Blvd., 2004– located in Ahwatukee) • BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (restaurant; 21001 N. Tatum; opened March 14, 2006) 2006– • Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant (restaurant; opened October 22, 2007; 2007– located in The Shops at Chauncey Ranch, 18545 N. Allied Way; beer provided by Gordon Biersch in Glendale)

chronological listing

313



• Old World Brewery (microbrewery; 201 W. Lone Cactus Dr.; closed July 2010) • Old World Brewery (microbrewery; 334 N. 25th Ave.; opened January 2011) • Phoenix Ale Brewery (microbrewery; 3002 E. Washington St.) • O.H.S.O. Eatery & nanoBrewery (brewpub; nanobrewery installed 2012) • North Mountain Brewing Company (brewpub; 522 E. Dunlap Ave.) • Mesquite River Brewing Company (microbrewery) • Veritas Brewing Company (brewpub) • Lucky Duck Brewing Company (microbrewery) • Devious Brewing Company (microbrewery)

2008–2010 2011– 2011– 2011– 2013– Planned Planned Planned Planned

Pinal (a.k.a. Picket Post) (Pinal County) • Pinal City Brewery   Warnke & Jantzen   Warnke & Werner   E.F. Warnke   August Werner • Fred K. Jensen (Jantzen?)

1881–1882 1882–1883 1883–1884 1884–1888 1884–1884

Pine (Gila County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • THAT Brewery & Pub (brewpub)

2012–

Pioneer (mining camp and stage near Silver King mine west of Globe, Gila County) • Thompson & Deckert (also found as Deckhart, operated brewery in Lutrell)   Jenkins & Deckert

1882–1884? 1884?–1885

Prescott (Yavapai County) • Arizona Brewery   Arizona Brewery, John Littig & Company (Littig & Nelson) Arizona Brewery, Max Simonsen & George Arizona Brewery, Cal. Jackson & Company (Cal., Sol. & Jess Jackson) Arizona Brewery, Julius Rodenburg & Gray Foster Arizona Brewery, Julius N. Rodenburg Arizona Brewery, Gotlieb Urfer & Company Arizona Brewery, F. Jacoby Arizona Brewery, Aumuller & Jacoby Arizona Brewery, Rodenburg & Aumuller Arizona Brewery, Romald Martin & Henry Burmeister (Martin formerly worked for Pacific Brewery; lessee)

314

1867–1869 1869–1869 1869–1872 1872–1877 1877–1881 1881–1882 1882–1882 1882–1884 1884–1886 1886–1886

chronological listing

• Pacific Brewery   Pacific Brewery John Raible & Phillip Sheerer   Pacific Brewery, John Raible Pacific Brewery, John Raible & Charles Wurth Pacific Brewery, John Raible Pacific Brewery, Phillip Michler Pacific Brewery, Raible Pacific Brewery, Raible & Waller Pacific Brewery & Saloon, P.R. Barret • City Brewery   City Brewery, Leimbacher & Co., Rudolph Leimbacher & William Fish   City Brewery, Leimbacher City Brewery, Blackburn & Schultz City Brewery, Blackburn & Yackle City Brewery, Blackburn & Thibodo Excelsior Brewery, Louis Dugas • A. H. Hauch & Co. • Prescott Brewing Co. • Arizona Brewing Company   Arizona Brewing Company, Mulvenon, Brinkmeyer, Maxgut Arizona Brewing Company, Mulvenon, Brinkmeyer, Bold Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Prescott Brewing Company (brewpub; 130 W. Gurley St., Ste. A) • Prescott Brewing Company (microbrewery; 6396 Lear Ln.) • Granite Mountain Brewing Company (nanobrewery; 123 N. Cortez)

Queen Creek (Maricopa County) • Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. (brewpub; planned opening 2013)

Quijotoa (Logan City) (Pima County) • Quijotoa Brewery (Columbus Glassman & Company; opened brewery with Louis Enricht; “Snyder’s” brewery relocated from Total Wreck; destroyed in fire in 1887)

1867–1872 1872–1879 1879–1884 1884–1886 1886–1888 1888–1889 1889–1891 1891–1891 1876–1876 1876–1877 1877–1878 1878–1879 1879–1879 1879–1879 1898–1899? 1998–1899? 1903–1905 1905–1915 1994– 2012– 2012–

UC

1884–1887

Rio Verde (believed to be in Yavapai County) • Fish & Schrope   Schrope & Arnold William Horn

1874–1875 1875–1875 1875–1884

San Bernardino (Cochise County) • Arizona Brewing Company, John H. Slaughter (1903–1904)

NP

chronological listing

315

Scottsdale (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Hops! Restaurant & Brewery #1 (brewpub; 7000 E. Camelback Rd., #100)   Hops! Bistro & Brewery   (Note: Hops! #2 opened in [La Jolla] San Diego, CA, 1992)   Hops! Bistro & Brewery (Scottsdale Fashion Square; 7014 E. Camelback Rd.) • Hops! Bistro & Brewery #3 (brewpub; 8668 E. Shea Blvd.)   Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub; closed April 2, 2011) • Lawler Brewing Co. (11375 E. Saguaro Dr. #2043; not a brewery, brewed only under contract from Dubuque Brewing Co., Dubuque, IA) • Steve & Clark’s Brewpub & Sausage Company (pub & restaurant only; 3030 N. 68th St.; brewing equipment was never installed) • O’Ryan’s Brewery & Tavern (brewpub with Tempe address; planned but never opened; 1997; see also Tempe listing) • Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company (brewpub; 10426 E. Jomax Rd.; first brewmaster, John Ritter; Pinnacle Peak stopped brewing on premises in May 2002; while brewery remained idle, contract brewed from Four Peaks & later Sonora Brewing Company; 1995, Valley Brewing Co. formed to sell Diamondback Beer for restaurant prior to the brewery’s opening)   Sonoran Brewing Company (brewpub; a.k.a. Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company;   brewery reopened under Sonora Brewing Co. name, which Yarosh purchased from   John Watt in 2004; May 2013, Sonoran joined Phoenix Ale Brewery; Schroeder,    new brewer) • Uptown Brewery by Streets of New York (brewpub; 6910 E. Shea Blvd.)   Streets of New York Brewery (brewpub; stopped brewing in July 2006) • Breckenridge Brewery (brewpub; Scottsdale, AZ, 85200; planned 1998) • Ice Breaker’s Restaurant & Brew Place (brewpub/brew on premises; 15730 N. Pima Rd., Ste. D5-7)   Four Peaks Grill & Tap (Four Peaks Brewing Company pub/restaurant;   officially opened January 2004) • Casa Arriba Brewing Company, Arriba Mexican Grill (brewpub; 15236 N. Pima Rd.) • Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub; 21001 N. Tatum Blvd.) • Papago Brewing Company (bar and restaurant only, contract brewed beers; 7107 E. McDowell Rd.) • Unlikely Cowboy Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub; 20751 N. Pima Rd., #100)   Cowboy Restaurant & Brewery (brewpub)   Zona Brewing Company (brewpub) • Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company (brewpub; 8763 E. Bell Rd., Ste. 101; officially opened October 24, 2004; closed October 31, 2009) • Nimbus American Bistro & Brewery (restaurant; opened March 2012; closed November 2012) • Fate Brewing Company (brewpub; 7337 E. Shea Blvd., Ste. 105)

316

1990–1991 1991–1996 1998–2000 1995–2001 2001–2011 1996–1998 1997–1998 NP 1998–2002

2004–2013

1998–2003 2003–2006 NP 1999–2003 2004– 2001– 2001– 2001– 2002–2003 2003–2005 2005–2005 2004–2009 2012–2012 2012–

chronological listing

Sedona (straddles county line between Coconino and Yavapai County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Oak Creek Brewing Company (brewpub; 2050 Yavapai Dr.) • Oak Creek Brewery & Grill (restaurant; 336 Highway 179)   Oak Creek Brewery & Grill (brewpub; installed a brewery in 2005)

Sierra Vista (Cochise County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Sierra Vista Brewing Company (microbrewery; 4641 S. Highway 92; opened March 1999) • Desert Sky Brewing Co. (microbrewery; planned 2009 but never opened)

1995– 2003–2005 2005–

1999–2001 NP

Signal (Mojave County) • (Brewery of unknown name)

1877–1877

Silver King (Pinal County) • August Werner (also operated Pinal City Brewery during the 1880s)

1880s–??

Solomonville (Graham County, parts of Apache and Pima counties prior to 1881) • Barnabe Palm (a.k.a. Brewer’s Ranch; partnered with Alex Levin; Willcox-Globe road) 1880–1884

Springerville (Apache County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Wild Weede Brewery and Lil’ Rangler’s Café (brewpub, 173 W. Main St.)

2004–2007

Tempe (Maricopa County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Tempe Brewery Company (microbrewery; planned c. 1987 but never opened; NP 5th St. & Farmer) • Bandersnatch Brewpub, Christopher Joseph Brewing Co. (brewpub; 125 E. 5th Ave.; 1988–2003 opened June 22, 1988; sold September 2003 to Martini Ranch Owner’s) • Copperhead Brewing Company (brewpub; 1604 E. Southern Ave.; owners Michael NP Poates and Tim Murphy unveiled plans in late 1995; 15 bbl system, targeted to open on February 20, 1996; never opened) • Four Peaks Brewing Co. (microbrewery; 1340 E. 8th St. #103) 1996– • Tombstone Brewing Co. (brewpub/brew on premises; 710 E. Gilbert Dr.) 1996–1999 • O’Ryan’s Brewing of Arizona (a.k.a. O’Ryan’s Tavern & Brewery, Organ Mountain NP Brewing Company; 1300 bbls brewery planned c. 1997 by John Ritter of Las Cruces, NM, but never opened; brewer, Bryon Macleod)

chronological listing

317

• Seidemann Brewing Company (microbrewery; 1520 W. Mineral Rd.)   Rio Salado Brewing Co. (microbrewery) • Arizona Roadhouse & Brewery (brewpub; 1120 E. Apache Blvd.) • Gordon Biersch Brewing Company (brewpub; 420 S. Mill Ave. #201) • Alcatraz Brewing Company (brewpub; 5000 Arizona Mills Cr. #567, Arizona Mills Mall; closed November 22, 2003; sold to Travistock Restaurants LLC) • Uptown Brewery by Streets of New York (brewpub; 1470 E. Southern)   Streets of New York Brewery (brewpub) • Salt River Saloon (Rio Salado Brewing Co. owned pub/restaurant only; former site of Mill Avenue Beer Company, 605 S. Mill Ave.) • Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery (microbrewery; 1920 E. University Dr., Ste. 104; grand opening November 21, 2009) • Dave’s Electric Brewpub (brewpub; 502 South College, Ste. 103)   Mad Hatter Brew Pub (restaurant; brewery portion operated under separate   ownership; Trident Brewing Company)   Trident Brewing Co. (brewery inside Mad Hatter Brew Pub; operated under   separate ownership; discontinued brewing late 2012) • Four Peaks Brewing Company (brewery; 2401 S. Wilson St.) • Cartel Coffee Lab and Microbrewery (coffeehouse & nanobrewery) Tip Top (Yavapai County) • Peter Arnold

Tiger District (Yavapai County) • Martin Maiver (Charles Wurth and Peter Arnold affiliated with brewery at some point)

Tombstone (Cochise County) • Golden Eagle Brewery (Fredrick) Wehrfritz & (Sigfried) Tribolet (Allen & 5th St.)   Golden Eagle Brewery Tribolet & Berger (7th and Allen St.)   S. (Sigfried) Tribolet • Arizona Brewery (Charles Bernhardt & Herman Leptein; 519 Allen St., between 5th and 6th; next door to Crystal Palace Saloon) • Lion Brewery (A. Uebel & Co.; 517 Allen St.) • Milwaukee Brewery (John Harker) • Kirker & Schrey Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Helldorado Brewing Company (brewpub; 107 Toughnut St.; incorporated January 22, 2004; last weekend open was June 30–July 1, 2007)

318

1997–1998 1998–2005 1997–2001 1998– 1998–2003 1997–2003 2003–2007 2003–2005 2009– 2009–2012 2012– 2012–2012 2013– 2013–

1882–1888

1879?–??

1880–1881 1881–1882 1882–1886 1881–1886 1881–1882 1881–1881? 1882–1882? 2004–2007

chronological listing

Total Wreck (Pima County) • Lake & Root • Julius Lindenmeyer (January 1884, “Snyder’s” brewery moved to Quijotoa)

Tubac (Santa Cruz County; parts of Cochise and Pima counties prior to 1899) • Louis Quesse (Quesse arrived in Tubac in 1860 as a blacksmith and established a brewery serving the military; he died around 1871 in Tubac)

Tucson (Pima County) • Pioneer Brewery Pioneer Brewery, (Alex) Levin & Company (with Frank Hodges: 115–121 Camp St.) Pioneer Brewery, Levin (with Julius Goldtree; Main & Pennington Sts.) Pioneer Brewery, Levin (with J. W. Hopkins; 315 Main St., near Pearl St.) Pioneer Brewery, Alex Levin • Tucson Brewery, Sales (Sigal) & Smith (a.k.a. City Brewery or Opposition Brewery)   J. Neugass & Co. • Park Brewery Park Brewery, Zenona (& Alex) Levin (foot of Pennington St.) Park Brewery, Joseph Bayer & Louis Schwartz Park Brewery, Louis Schwartz Park Brewery, Columbus Glassman Park Brewery, Hugo Dorn Park Brewery, Patterson & Levin   Park Brewery, Ernest Hartmann Park Brewery, Jacob Martin & Henry Weick • French Brewery, Paul Abadie • Excelsior Brewery (at Silver Lake), Conrad Mundelius • John Hanson (Carrillo Garden; Arizona Republican, June 5, 1898; NP?) • C. M. Caudill (1933) • Oliver Preston (1933) • Southwestern Brewing Company (817 Security Building; 1933) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Old Pueblo Brewing Company (microbrewery; proposed 1987, never opened) • Southwest Brewing Company (microbrewery; Ray Brice brewer/owner) • San Francisco Bar, Grill & Brewpub (brewpub; 3922 N. Oracle) • Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company (brewpub; Firehouse Brewing Company; 841 N. Tyndall)   Firehouse Brewing Company (see Gentle Ben’s Brewing Co.) • Baboquivari Brewing Company (proposed brewpub 1995; Tucson, AZ, 85179) • Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company (brewpub; 865 E. University Blvd.; brewery removed in 2007, moved to Barrio Brewing Company) • River Road Brewing Company (brewpub; 1980 E. River Rd.; opened July 1996)   Breckenridge Brewing Company (brewpub)

chronological listing

1884–1884 1884–1884

1860–1871?

1864–1869 1869–1870 1870–1871 1871–1872 1870–1870 1870–1870 1872–1880 1880–1882 1882–1882 1882–1883 1883–1885 1885–1885 1885–1886 1886–1886 1873–1876 1880–1885 1898–1898? NP NP NP NP 1988–1990 1990–1992 1991–1995

NP 1996– 1996–1997 1997–1999

319



• Habañeros Tropical Cantina & Brewery (brewpub; 3880 E. Sunrise Dr.) • Nimbus Brewing Company (microbrewery, 3850 E. 44th St., #138) • Pusch Ridge Brewing LLC (brewpub; 5861 N. Oracle Rd.; opened June 4, 1997) • Thunder Canyon Brewery (brewpub; 7401 N. LaCholla Blvd.) • Kitt Peak Brewing Company (a home brew supply store, not a brewery; opened 1997) • BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (restaurant; 4270 N. Oracle Rd.; June 7, 2005) • Barrio Brewing Company (brewpub; 800 E. 16th St.; opened September 10, 2007; Gentle Ben’s, Dennis Arnold, owner) • Nimbus American Bistro & Brewery (restaurant; 6464 E. Tanque Verde Rd.; opened September 2009) • Nimbus Ice House (brewpub; 95 W. River Rd.; planned 2010, never opened) • BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (restaurant; 5510 E. Broadway) • Address Brewing Company, 1702 (brewpub; 1702 E. Speedway; December 2011) • Dragoon Brewing Company (microbrewery) • Jalopy’s Grillville & Brewery (restaurant; a brewery is being planned) • Old Pueblo Brewing Company (microbrewery; planned for 2012 but never opened; unrelated to the 1987 planned microbrewery) • Thunder Canyon Brewery (restaurant; opened January 8, 2013; brewery to be installed in 2014) • Ten Fifty-Five Brewing Company (nanobrewery) • Catalina Brewing Company (microbrewery) • Sentinel Peak Brewing Company (microbrewery) • Corbett Brewing Company (microbrewery) • Surly Saguaro’s Brewing Company (microbrewery)

Vail (Pima County) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Dark Mountain Brewery & Winery (former R. W. Webb Winery; microbrewery; Romans Brewing Co. LLC; 13605 E. Benson Hwy.)

Vulture (Maricopa County) • Jas. F. Marvin

Wickenburg (Maricopa County) • Magnolia Brewery & Saloon, Abe H. Peeples (as of January 1872, the brewery is believed to have been removed, name changed to the Magnolia Saloon under the proprietorship of A. H. Peeples)

320

1997–1998 1997– 1997–1999 1997– N/A 2005– 2007– 2009– NP 2010– 2011– 2012– 2012– NP 2013– 2013– Planned Planned Planned Planned

1997–2002

1882–1882

1868–1871

chronological listing

Williams (Coconino County) • Williams Brewing Company, Albert M. Conrad (a.k.a. Williams Brewing Company Bottling Works)   Williams Brewing Company, George H. Barney (Williams Brewery; Conrad leased the   brewery to Barney, moved to Nogales to start a brewery there)   Williams Brewing Company (ceased brewing, Maier Brewing Company depot) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Grand Canyon Brewery (microbrewery; 233 W. Route 66; Cruisers Route 66 Café; opened August 24, 2007)

Yuma (Arizona City or Colorado City until 1873) (Yuma County) • Mathew Rochamachen • Yuma City Brewery   N. Watry   F. C. Arnold   (January 4, 1873, Arizona Miner reports two breweries operating in Arizona City) Microbreweries and Brewpubs • Monarch’s Rest, Brewpub & Restaurant (brewpub; 130 S. Main St.)

chronological listing

1895–1899 1899–1900? 1900–1911 2007–

1870?–?? 1873–1875 1875–1875

2001–2003

321

322

chronological listing

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328

bibliography

index Abadie, Paul, 12; and French Brewery, 12 Abita Brewing Company, 269 Adam, Carl, 241 Adam’s Rib BBQ & Brewery, 259 Address Brewing Company, 293, 300. See also 1702 (brewery) Adkisson, John, 201, 206, 207 Adolph Coors Brewing Company, 116, 150, 151, 163, 208, 211, 215, 251, 301, 302; competition with Arizona Brewing Company, 132; Johnson Commercial Company distributing, 132 advertising, slogans: “Brewed with Crystal Pure Water,” 135; “Judged the Finest,” 124; “The Western Way to Say Welcome,” 135; “Which One? . . . A-1,” 133 Ager Tank and Equipment, 257 A. J. Bayless Markets. See Arizona Brewing Company: Dutch Treat Alaskan Brewing Company, 209 Alcatraz Brewing Company, 207, 208; and California Café Restaurant Corp., 207; and Graffe Auction Company, 242; modeled after Alcatraz prison, 207 Aldridge, Cindy and Jerry, 240 Alliance Beverage, 216, 227, 233, 275 Allin, Thomas B., 211 Almquist, Gene, 277, 278, 230 American Breweriana Association, 302 American Brewers Guild, 245, 264, 269, 292 American Can Company, 106, 138 America West Arena, 190, 197 Anchor Brewing Company, 44, 157 Anheuser-Busch, 29, 43, 68, 72, 76, 77, 96, 109, 116, 131, 132, 133, 150, 151, 163, 182, 211, 241, 290, 301, 302; as Anheuser-Busch InBev, 302; and Craft Brewers Alliance, 301 A-1 Beer, 115, 117, 119, 123, 124, 128, 131, 144, 146, 147, 149, 158, 284, 290; and Anheuser-Busch lawsuit, 133; as A-1 Beer Company, 161, 162; A-1 Beer prints series, 120–22; A-1 Bock, 137; A-1 Heritage Edition, 153; and A-1 On Tap, 127; A-1 Pilsner, 114, 116, 279, 285; and A-1 Queens, 120, 125; and Institut International d’Alimentation, 124; produced by Nimbus, 162; purity of, 117; replaced by Lancers, 138; sales and distribution in New Mexico, 132, 147; slogans, 133, 135; and A-1 softball team,

index

126. See also Arizona Brewing Company; Drakulich, Eli A-1 Beer print series. See titles of individual prints A-1 Queens (softball team), 120, 125; and Phoenix Greyhound Park, 120; rivaled by PBSW Ramblers, 120. See also under A-1 Beer Apache Beer, 4, 5, 10, 12, 19, 20, 21, 24, 47, 68, 69, 70, 102, 105, 107, 108, 110, 111, 112, 114; distribution in New Mexico, 104. See also Arizona Brewing Company Arcade Brewery, 37, 38, 40, 41 Arizona Brewery (Tombstone), 22 Arizona Brewery and Saloon (Prescott), 51, 52, 53, 178; and George Frommer, 51 Arizona Brewing Company: Arizona Brew Beer, 102; as Arizona Brewing Company Inc., 114; bomb plot against, 104; broadcast ad campaigns, 104, 110; and Curran-Morton Advertising Company, 138; Dutch Treat, 104, 114, 140, 151; and Falstaff Brewing Company, 141; under John Slaughter, 70; and Keagle Memorial Sports Award, 125; and Lancers-Oberheit Products Division, 138; and Oberheit (beer), 138, 140; in Phoenix, 97, 100–109, 113, 114, 116–23, 126–28, 131–35, 138, 140, 141, 142, 145, 160; in Prescott, 63, 64, 66–69, 71, 86, 87, 89, 90; and Specialty Brands Division, 138; and Sunbru (beer), 102; vs. the railroads, 68. See also specific beers Arizona Centennial Organization, 287 Arizona Charlie’s Wild West Show, 120 Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, 236, 295, 303 Arizona Daily Star, 14, 192, 290 Arizona Federation of Labor, 84 Arizona Hospitality Research & Resource Center, 295 Arizona Micromalting, 229 Arizona Roadhouse & Brewery, 205, 206, 216, 225, 226, 229, 282 Arizona Rural Policy Institute and the Center for Business Outreach, 295 Arizona State University, 125, 167, 172, 180, 186, 213, 230, 266, 267, 269, 273; and Office of Public Affairs, 272; problem with Sun Devil Ale, 272 Arizona Super Corporation, 147 Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company, 298; and Carter’s Brewing, 298

Arnold, Dennis, 174, 175, 182, 183, 191, 192, 253, 254, 259, 263, 265, 271 Arnold, Tauna, 175, 259, 263 Arnold, Todd, 229 Arriba Mexican Grill, 232 Art & Antique Corral, 256 artificial refrigeration. See refrigeration Ashley, Ryan, 239, 240, 242, 248; and brothers, 239; and SABMiller Brewing Company, 248. See also Cowboy Restaurant & Brewery Atherton, Erik, 276 A. Ubel & Company, 22 Aumuller, Sebastian, 52 Avery Brewing and Malting Company, 97 Avery Brewing Company, 197 Aviation Brewery, 259 Aztec Brewing Company, 92, 102, 103, 109, 178 Baboquivari Brewing Company, 183, 184 Backcountry Brewery, 241 Baker, E. P., 102, 103, 107 Balboa Café, 226 Baldauf, Leonard, 183, 184; and Paige TenBrook murder, 184 Ballast Point Brewing Company, 233 Bandersnatch Brewpub, 163, 167, 168, 172, 173, 174, 183, 230, 237, 242, 262, 266; and Downtown Redevelopment Concept Plan (Tempe), 241 Banes, Marianne, 191 Banker, Charles, 44, 46, 47; and Banker’s Garden, 49; and fire, 48; and San Antonio Brewing Association, 48 Bank One Ballpark, 188, 190, 197, 222, 237, 241, 287; and Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery, 210; and McFadden’s, 241; proximity to Tommyknocker, 225; and Yount brothers, 208 barley, 1, 31, 53, 117, 194, 255; European vs. American, 6; Harrington brewers malt, 229; malting process of, 6, 37, 173; in Nimbus logo, 225; and Reinheitsgebot, 3; scarcity of, 6; two-row, 195; varieties of, 6 Barley Brothers Brewery & Grill, 201, 202, 203, 276, 288 Barley’s Brew Pub, 172, 173, 174 barley wine, 207, 218, 242, 252

329

Barney, George H., 58, 61, 62; and Flagstaff Brewing Company (1890s), 58 barrel, definition, 42 Barret, P. R., 54 Barrio Brewing Company, 253, 254, 259, 261, 271, 283, 298, 303; and Golden Eagle Distributors, 263; and Tucson Warehouse & Transfer Company, 253, 254. See also Gentle Ben’s bars: Brunswick, 221, 222, 230; and smoking ban, 237, 242 Bartman, Scott, 195, 205, 216 Bartmess, Guy, 232, 276, 282; at Main Street Casino & Brewery, 232 Bass Brewery, 181 Bass, Trevor, 278 Bauer, John, 48 Bayer, Joseph, 14 Beaver Street Brewery, 177, 178, 230, 277, 278, 288; and Beaver Street Brews and Cues, 230; in Food Town Supermarket building, 177; location at J. D. Halstead Lumber Company building, 277 Becher, Gustav, 11,35, 37, 49 beer: ale, 2; in Arizona Territory, xv, 63; definition, 2–4, 41, 309; early history, 1, 2; Egyptian beer-like substance, 1; European-style, 9, 138, 140, 279; “Imperial,” 302; indigenous, 4; lager, 2; and the military, 24, 25; Mesopotamian beer-like substance, 1; in Mexico, 4; vs. mezcal, 4; in Neolithic period, 1; vs. pulque, 4; “ship’s beer,” 2; tizwin (Apache beer), 4; use of gruit in, 1. See also craft beer; and names of specific beers and breweries beer bottles: and Arizona Brewing Company, 104, 138, 161; “bomber” bottles, 167; cost of, 20, 43, 53; and Eco Tap, 247; “Glass Cans,” 135; growlers, 183, 219, 294; “Little Brown Jugs,” 135; in manufacturing process, 53, 114, 132, 135; and Mexico, 8; and Owens Illinois Glass Company, 135; scarcity of, xv, 8; transport of, 8, 44 beer-centric periodicals: All about Beer, 302; Arizona Vines & Wines, 302; Beer Advocate, 302; Brewing News, 302; Celebrator, 302; Draft Magazine, 302; Zymurgy, 165, 174, 220, 302. See also Southwest Brewing News beer festivals: Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Festival, 285, 286; Arizona Beer Festival, 166, 195, 218, 221, 285; Arizona Strong Ale Fest, 236; Bock Fest, 236; Great American Beer Festival (Denver), 164, 175, 216, 226, 240, 242, 248, 250, 276, 283, 285, 288, 303; Great Arizona Beer Festival, 195, 218, 221, 285; Made in the Shade Beer Festival, 287 “Beer in the Face Club,” 172 Beffa, Harvey, 141

330

Benson House Brewery, 262, 265; and Buckeye’s Town Lake project, 263; Nels Benson/Raney House location, 263 Berkner, Robert and Candy, 298 Bernhardt, Charles, 22 Beverage House, 158, 161, 162 Bickert, Scott, 246, 251 Biersch, Dean, 211 Billingsley, Charlie, 216, 225, 282 Bines, George, 103 Bisbee, 26, 27, 28, 29, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76, 166, 167, 177, 194, 218, 223, 227, 262, 266, 267, 273, 274, 283, 290 Bisbee, DeWitt, 26 Bissig, Frank, 43, 44, 46, 49 BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery, 234, 235, 248, 298; as BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria, 234; as BJ’s Grill & Pizza, 234; as BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, 234, 251, 252 Black Bart, 120–22 Black Forest Haus German Restaurant, 296 Black Mountain Brewing Company, 169, 170, 233, 262; in Frontier Town, 262 Blackburn, John, 54, 55 Blackthorn’s Taunton Cider, 181 Blair, Samuel E., 51, 53 Blazevich, Gary, 278 Boelts Brothers Associates, 225 Boer, Uwe, 164, 189, 190, 248, 249, 250, 264, 265 Bohemian Brewers Importers, 191 Bohren, Charles, 44 Bohse, Gustav, 46; and Fredericksburg Brewery, 46 bootleggers, and bootlegging, 20, 84, 93, 94; and Mexico, 20, 84, 94 Borden Milk Company, 180 Borderlands Brewing Company, 283, 290, 291, 292, 293, 300; logo by North State Design Studios, 291; in Tucson Warehouse Arts District, 291 Boss Levin. See Levin, Alexander Boston Beer Company, 272 Boulder Brewing Company, 171 Bowers and Streit, 60 Bowman, Wirt G., 102, 103, 107 Brando’s Southwest Grill, 253 Braungart, Michael, 32, 34, 35 Breckenridge Holding Company, 199; Breckenridge Brewery & Pub, 193, 194, 199, 200 Brewgal Gourmet (column), 220 Brew Haus, 201, 212, 219 breweries: in Arizona Territory, 9, 22, 26, 38–40, 63, 70; Brew on Premises (BOP), 186, 201, 212, 219, 222, 241, 296; and Facebook, 292, 302; fires at, 21–24, 35, 54, 57, 58, 90, 91; in New Mexico, 58, 183, 184, 209, 288; and Twitter, 302

Brewers Association, 97, 165, 166, 226, 271, 275, 278, 295; and World Beer Cup, 278 Brewer’s Ranch, 17, 18 Brewery Collectibles Club of America, 302 Brewery Gulch, 27, 29, 30, 194, 273 Brewery Saloon, 28, 29, 30 brewing beer: German influence in, 3, 112; in a hostile environment, 4–6 brewing systems: all-grain, 183, 186; Bohemian, 191, 216, 231, 258, 270, 276; Brew Magic, 180; Century Manufacturing, 209; Cross Distributing Company, 264; Diversified Metal Engineering, 221; DME, 246; extract, 167, 172, 186, 214; JV Northwest, 167, 180, 188, 202, 219, 261, 286; Liquid Assets, 182, 197; Specific Mechanical, 170, 184, 185, 187, 192, 202, 203, 205, 213, 298; Wachsmann Brautechnik, 212 Brewmeisters Annonymous, 166, 183, 195, 302 brewpub, definition, 165 Brice, Ray, 171, 173 Brinkmeyer, Henry, 57, 63, 64, 86, 90; and Crystal Ice, Fuel and Supply Company, 90 Brown, Graydon, 203 Brown, L. A., 89; and Deputy Sheriff J. L. Gannon, 89 Brown, Ron, 200 Bruzina, Thom and Lori, 202 Bryant, Jeff, 296 Buckner, Paul, 180, 205, 219, 282 Buddy Ryan’s Bar & Grill, 188 Budweiser, 42, 72, 75, 147, 302 Buford, John, 298 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, 168, 177, 223 Burge, Scott, 262, 265, 266, 267, 283, 290, 301 Burke, Robert S., 211 Burke, W. M., 82 Burnett, Don, 201 Burrell, John B., 168, 169 Buster’s Restaurant, 287 Cabirac, Gary, 225 Cactus Creek Brewing Company, 180, 181, 182, 292; becomes Four Peaks Brewing Company, 183; in Tempe Creamery and Tempe-Mesa Produce Company building, 180 Café Terrace Italian Bistro, 186 Campbell, Joe, 296 Campoeii, G. W., 70 Canecchia, Anthony, 255, 260, 269, 272, 276, 285, 298 canned beer, 104, 106, 265; and “cap sealed” can, 106; and “church key,” 106; and Continental Can Company, 106; flat-top design, 104; and

index

G. Krueger Brewing Company, 104; and “olive drab” color, 114; and Oskar Blues, 253 canning line, 106, 118, 137, 253, 263, 265, 278; and Cask Brewing Systems, 253, 263, 265, 277, 286 Capone, Al, 94, 235; and Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn, 95. See also bootleggers, and bootlegging carbonation, 44, 182, 216 Carl, William M., 58, 60 Carling Brewing Company, 141, 142, 145, 146, 147, 150; A-1 Beer at, 144, 146; Black Label, 142, 144, 151; as Carling-National, 150, 151, 153. See also Arizona Brewing Company Carrau, Robert W., 211 Carricato, Andrew, 253, 276 Cartel Coffee Labs, 300 Casa Arriba Brewing Company, 232 Caudill, C. M., 97 Cavaness, Mathew, 32, 33, 35 Cavaness, Rebecca, 32 Centennial Brewing Company, 70 chain brewery, 131, 301 Champion Brewery, 11, 31; fire at, 35 Chase Field, 287 Chieffo, Ron, 216, 253 Chilleen, Ed, 170, 174, 177, 205, 258, 262, 263; and Cave Creek Chili Beer, 174, 177, 205, 257, 258; and Maria Chilleen, 258, 262; and Mexicali Brewery, 258 Christopher Joseph Brewing Company, 167 Christopher’s Fermier Brasserie and Paola’s Wine Bar, 199 Churchill, Clark, 38 Ciatu, Sam, 166 Cicerone Certification Program, 237 Cider Mill Gourmet Market & Sandwich Shop, 287; as Cider Mill Soda Company, 287; in Frontier Town Plaza (Old Town Scottsdale), 287 City Brewery (Prescott), 54, 55; renamed Excelsior Brewery, 54, 55 Clements, Christopher and Kimberly, 263 Clinton Brewery, 97 Cochise County, 87, 89, 90 Coconino County, 62, 227 Cohen, Mark, 203 Colangelo, Jerry, 147, 208, 209 College Street Brewhouse & Pub, 288; and Anthony Crossley, 288 Collins, Blake, 290, 292 Colorado River, 201, 202, 216, 232 Conrad, Albert M., 57, 58 consolidation, of breweries, 150 Copper Canyon Brewing and Ale House, 187, 195, 205; as Copper Canyon Grill & Brewery, 227, 256;

index

under management of Manuel’s Mexican restaurants, 256 Copper City Brewing Company (Bisbee), 194, 218, 227 Copper City Brewing Company (Douglas), 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 87, 88, 89; fire at, 90; violation of Pure Food and Drug Act, 90 Corbett Brewing Company, 298 Cornish, Alexander T., 61, 62 Cosgrave, John S., 98, 99 Cosgrove, Frank, 32, 33, 35 Cothran, Mike, 225 Cougan’s Brewery and Grill, 194, 232 Counts, Jim, 162, 218, 225, 228, 229, 230, 258, 267, 278, 279, 285, 287, 288, 290 Couzin, Nimbus, 193, 218, 225, 229. See also Nimbus Brewing Company Cowboy Restaurant & Brewery, 248; changes name to Zona Brewing Company, 248 Cowboy’s Dream (A-1 Beer print series), 120–22; and Fred Elquest and Sons, 120 Coyote Springs Brewing Company & Café, 174, 181, 182, 183, 185, 188, 210, 220, 222, 225, 230 Craft, Arthur, 198 craft beer: social impact of, 301–3. See also microbreweries CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries Inc., 281, 282; and Centerbridge Capital Partners LP, 281; and Old Chicago, 281 Cramton, Paul, 145 Crazy Ed’s Satisfied Frog, 170, 258, 262; in Frontier Town, 262 Crescent Crown Distributing, 251, 277, 288, 289 Crystal Palace Saloon, 23, 24, 25, 258 Cullen-Harrison Act, 96; and 3.2 percent alcohol by volume, 96, 97, 102 Cummins, Matt, 251, 256 Cunningham, Bill, 234 Daggs, Jack F., 60; in Graham-Tewksbury feud, 60 Dark Mountain Brewery & Winery, 204, 205, 207, 237, 239 Dave’s Electric Brewpub, 266, 267, 283, 301. See also Mad Hatter Brew Pub Davison, Noah, 195, 227 De Santi, Timothy, 201, 212 Delaportas, Steven, 185, 186, 205, 208 Dennhardt, Charles, 46, 48 Desert Eagle Brewing Company, 294, 295, 296 Desmarais, Rick, 167, 168 Dettler, Brett, 298 Devious Brewing Company, 298 Dewhurst, Geoffrey, 233

Diamondbacks (baseball team), 208, 209, 210, 237, 241; game against Colorado Rockies, 210; and trademark dispute with Harvey McElhannon, 208 Dillman, “Gus,” 60, 61 Dillon, Denise, 172 Discuss, Jeff and Susanne, 301 Ditzen, Walt, 127 Donau, Alfred, 83 Donehower, John, 282, 283 Dorber, Mark, 191 Dougherty, Mitch, 282 Dozer, Richard, 208 Drachman, Samuel H., 10 Dragoon Brewing Company, 292, 293, 294 Drakulich, Eli, 158, 279, 285; and A-1 Beer Company, 161, 162; and lawsuit with Nabisco, 161, 162 drys, 79, 82, 83, 84; and Anti-Saloon League, 81, 82. See also Prohibition Dubacher, Frank, 27, 29 Dubacher, Henry, 27 The Dude (A-1 Beer print series), 120–22 Dugas, Louis, 54–55 Duncan, Jeff, 186 Dunn, John, 26 Duppa, Darrel, 31 Earp, Virgil. See Tombstone: and the Earps Earp, Wyatt. See Tombstone: and the Earps education programs, for brewers: American Craft Brewers Academy, 190; Doemens Brewing Academy, 239; Institute for Brewing Studies, 234; Siebel Institute of Technology, 109, 175, 178, 181, 188, 200, 202, 203, 213, 216, 239, 269; Wahl-Henius Institute of Fermentology, 109 Eighteenth Amendment. See Prohibition Elder, Robert, 108, 109; and bankruptcy, 112 Elder Bräu All Malt Beer, 110, 112, 140; and Elder Grams, 110 Electric Brewing Company, 227, 260, 261, 262, 290; and Hensley Beverage Company, 290; sale to Borchik brothers, 290. See also Mad Hatter Brew Pub Electric Dave’s Brewing Company, 167, 177, 183 Engstrom, Matt, 242 Farnsworth, Dr. Paul, 190, 191 Fate Brewing Company, 294, 295, 296 Feffer, Ralph B., 112, 113 Fenster, Herman J., 100 Fenster, Martin E., 100 fermentation, 2, 4, 8, 44, 142, 178, 182, 191, 194, 216, 218, 239, 247, 273; bottom fermenting yeast, 2; top fermenting yeast, 2 Fertitta family, 211

331

Fields, Patrick, 261, 262, 264, 269, 280, 281, 285 Fish, William, 54 Fisher, William H., 92 Flagstaff, 57, 58, 60, 61, 83, 133, 177, 188, 193, 195, 227, 230, 234, 248, 256, 265, 281, 287, 288, 296 Flagstaff Brewing Company (Henes and Thorsett), 178, 186, 254, 278; in Aubineau/Andreatos building, 178; and Flagstaff Coffee Company, 255; and Schultz Fire, 278 Foregger, Lijah, 269, 279, 290 Foster, Gray, 52 Fotey, Dave, 194, 218 Fountaine, Dale, 273, 287; and Fountaine Cellars Winery, 273; and Victor Winquist, 273. See also Old Bisbee Brewing Company Four Peaks Brewing Company, 180, 181, 186, 187, 235, 237, 246, 255, 256, 264, 265, 269, 282, 285, 292, 294, 296; beginnings of, 184, 185; and bottling line, 231; as brewpub, 198; and Casey Moore’s Oyster House, 184; distributed to Timber Wolf Pub & Grill, 184; Four Peaks Grill & Tap, 241, 243, 244, 266; growth of, 266, 279, 280, 298; and Kilt Lifter, 226; name changed from Cactus Creek, 183; and Randomonium (15th anniversary celebration), 292; and Rio Salado, 250, 251; in Sky Harbor International Airport, 300; in Sunkist building (Mesa), 280 Frank, Louis, 71 Frankovic, Tom L., 145, 147 Freak’n Brewing Company, 294, 298 Freistedt, Paul, 273 Fretz, Greg, 274, 282, 283; as salesman for Deschutes, 274–75 Freudenberger, Augustus Dillman. See Dillman, “Gus” Friedman, Nathan, 296 Fultz, Johann, 296 funding, for breweries, 229, 263; and Kickstarter. com, 294, 298 Funk, Art, 120 Gantt, Jerry, 166, 167, 168, 227, 256; and Bandersnatch, 172, 173, 183; and Copper Canyon, 187, 195 Gardiner, J. J., 40 Garrard, Bill, 210, 220; and bankruptcy, 222; and Coyote Springs, 174, 181, 182, 188; and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, 182 Gatza, Paul, 271 Geerdts, Walter, 180, 182 Gentle Ben’s Brewing Company, 174, 175, 182, 183, 191, 192, 193, 253, 254, 261, 271; and Dirtbag’s West, 174; and Tucson Warehouse & Transfer

332

Company, 253, 254. See also Barrio Brewing Company German Beer Purity Law. See Reinheitsgebot G. Heileman Brewing Company, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 160, 163; and bankruptcy, 161; and Commercial Development Company Inc. (CDC), 157, 158; demolition of buildings, 158, 159; holdings acquired by Stroh Brewery Company, 161; and Phoenix Fire Department, 158, 160. See also Arizona Brewing Company Gibson, Michael, 203, 213 Gillis, Mike, 290 Gilpin, Lane and Suzanne, 202 Gleason, William E., 100 Globe, 17, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49, 219, 223, 244 Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company, 219, 220, 221, 224, 244; in Old Dominion Commercial Company building, 221; and public stock, 219, 221; sale of, 244 Globe Brewing Company, 47 Goldbaum, Julius, 15 Golden, Ted, 225, 231; and Coast Distributing Company, 226 Golden Eagle Brewery, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Goldtree, Julius, 10, 12 Gomez, Brando and Tammy, 253 Gomez, Tim, 216 Goose Island Brewing Company, 170, 302 Gordon, Dan, 211. See also Gordon Biersch Gordon Biersch, 210, 211, 212, 255, 256, 261, 281; and Big River Brewing Inc., 211; at Westgate City Center, 255 Gossack, Tim, 213, 214, 224, 236, 250, 251; and Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR), 213–14; and Full Sail Brewing Company, 213 Graham, Tom, 66. See also Graham-Tewksbury Feud Graham-Tewksbury Feud, 60, 66 grain, 4, 6, 70, 153, 203, 218, 272; all-grain brewing, 183, 186; and dry laws, 79; and President Harry S Truman, 118; price of, 114; rationing and restrictions, 114, 116, 117, 118; silos, 197, 207, 208; spent grain, 6, 118, 153, 218. See also specific grains Grand Canyon (National Park), 57, 202, 233, 259 Grand Canyon Brewing Company, 256, 257, 258, 259, 276, 296; and Cruiser’s Café, 256; distribution of beer, 276 Granite Mountain Brewing Company, 293, 294, 300 Graves, Thomas, 31 Great Western Brewery, 35, 37 Greene, Bruce, 292 Greene, Eric, 292, 293 Greet, Anne, 171

Greiner, Fritz, 72, 75 Grel, William, 35 Grisham, Joe Bob, 183, 230, 237, 242, 262, 263, 265 Grundy tanks, 181, 184 Gruner, Charles, 61 Gunn, Paul, 230, 236; and Gunnbrew Supply, 230 Habañeros Tropical Cantina & Brewery, 200, 201, 206; and bankruptcy, 207; and Bridge Group, 200 Hadjis, George and John, 246 Haines, Jeffrey, 243 Haldiman, Sam, 123, 126 Hale’s Ale (brewery), 188 Hancock, Alma L., 48 Hancock, George, 274, 282, 283; receives F. X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award, 275 Hanseth, Evan, 177, 277, 278; and Winnie, 230 Harker, John, 22 Harris, Tom, 241 Hartenbach, Jason, 201 Hartman, Ernest, 38 Harvan, “Electric” Dave, 167, 168, 223, 265, 267, 283, 290. See also Dave’s Electric Brewpub; Electric Brewing Company; Electric Dave’s Brewing Company Hasker, Doug, 212 Hatz, Daniel, 53, 54 Hauch, A. H., 57, 63 Hawley, Edward B., 70 Haydon, Kelly, 244; and bankruptcy, 244; and Kelly’s Broad Street Brewery, 244 Hayes, Thomas C., 35; and Hayes & Lovejoy, 35 Hayse, Charles, 43, 44 Helldorado Brewing Company, 245, 246, 258, 259, 269 Helm, Ernest, 46, 47 Helton, Brian, 234, 269, 282 Henderson, J. R., 70 Hendricks, Steve, 227, 247, 267, 269, 301 Henes, Al, 178, 254, 255 Hennessey, Jerry, 234 Hensley Beverage Company, 270, 285, 290 Hermon, Bev, 166 Herzog, Arthur L., 109 Hi-Tops, 229, 230, 241, 242; and bankruptcy, 241; and Leinenkugel beer, 241, 242; and Leinenkugel family, 230; taken over by McFadden’s, 242 Hodges, Frank, 9 Hoffberger, Jerold, 145 Hoffman, Dave, 262, 265, 266, 267, 283, 290, 301 Hoffman, Nate, 186 Hofford, Harry, 145 Holstein, Arnold, 247, 265, 269

index

home brewers clubs and organizations: American Homebrewers Association, 165, 181, 220; Arizona Society of Homebrewers, 195, 200, 269, 293, 302; Flagstaff Home Brewers Club, 288; Maltose Falcons, 163; Northern Arizona Homebrewers, 302; Old Pueblo Homebrewers Club, 166, 202; Rim Country Homebrewers, 297; Suds of the Pioneers, 167; Tucson Homebrew Club, 219, 302 home brewing, 165, 168, 171, 177, 178, 181, 200, 204, 212, 216, 230, 269, 293, 302, 303; done by ale wife, 1; and House Resolution 1377 (Senate Amendment 3534), 163; and President Jimmy Carter, 163; support for legalization of, 163 home brew stores: Brewers Connection, 229; Brew Your Own Brew (Tucson), 291; Homebrew Depot, 237; Homebrewers Outpost, 230; Home Brewery, 194, 218 Honeywell, 296 Hook, Alistair, 191 Hooper, William B., 36, 37 hops, 1, 6, 26, 40, 70, 72, 172, 292, 302; American Northwestern hops strains, 279; Apollo, 279; Backa hops, 138; Citra, 279; function of, 4; introduction of, in beer making, 2–3; and Reinheitsgebot, 190; shortage of, 255, 262; Sorachi Ace (Japanese variety), 279 Hops! Bistro & Brewery, 3, 171, 183, 188, 198, 199, 231; and Chef Russell Hodges, 171; and Cougan’s, 194; multiple locations of, 175, 178, 180; and Super Hops! (parent company), 194, 199. See also Cougan’s Brewery and Grill Hops Grill and Brewery, 259 Horn, Norman, 233, 248, 249, 264 Horvath, Ian, 262, 263, 265 Hostak, John “Vegas,” 180, 235 Hotz, Bernhard “Ben,” 20 Hough, F. A., 180 Huggins, Brett, 285 Hughes, Elizabeth Josephine Brawley, 12, 82. See also Prohibition; temperance movement Hughes, John “Pirate,” 276 Hughes, Louis C., 12, 82 Hummer, David, 171 Hummer, Julius, 171, 175 Hundley, Hot Rod, 149 Huss, Jeff, 298; and Huss Brewing Company, 298; and Leah Huss, 298 Ice Breaker’s Restaurant & Brew Place, 219, 241, 243 Ingram, Andy, 183, 185, 186, 279, 281, 294. See also Four Peaks Brewing Company Ithaca Beer Company, 286

index

Jackson, Michael, 164, 165, 190, 195, 205 Jackson brothers: Jesse, 51, 52; Joe, 51; Solomon “Sol,” 51, 52; and Cal. Jackson & Company, 51 Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, 210, 243, 301 Jacoby, Frank, 52 Jensen, Frederick, 49 Jerome Brewery, 214, 243; renamed Grapes Restaurant & Bar, 243 J. F. Lanser’s Beer, 138, 140, 142, 144 Joerger, Andreas, 25 Joerger, Frank, 26 John, Barry, 186 Johnson, A. W., 72 Johnson, Caleb, 267, 283 Johnson, Jack, 276 Johnson, Thomas “Ale,” 302 Jones, Brian, 219, 241 Jones, Hugh, 26 Jones, Kirk, 230, 231, 236, 237 Jones, Tom, 190, 191 Jurisin, Eric and Michelle, 214, 243 Kanzler, Dana, 234, 263, 265, 267, 281, 301; and Mogollon Brewing Company, 195, 227; and distillery, 243, 247, 248 Keagle, Mearle, 125 Keller, Dave, 167 Kelly, Shelly, 219 Kelser, Joe P., 100 Kerr, Gordon, 254 Keyser, Andy, 237 King, Ed, 216, 290 Kloth, Ron, 230, 231, 285, 298 Kovalaske, Mathew, 191, 193, 200 Kovalevsky, Matt, 216 Kraus, Fred, 182, 187, 202, 227, 241; and Rita Kraus, 181, 281; and spunding, 182. See also Oak Creek Brewing Company Krekk, Bobbie, 190 Lachmanek, Paul, 194; and Amy Lachmanek, 218, 227 lager, 24, 40, 43, 51, 54, 60, 117, 137, 163, 170, 182, 223; American-style, 44, 116, 301, 302; Arizona Brewing Company, 102, 104; definition, 2; and grain rationing, 114; lagering, 8, 12; Lancers, 138; and refrigeration, 8 Lake Havasu City, 201, 202, 203, 215, 240, 259, 275, 276, 288 Lake Powell Brewing Company, 230, 231, 236; as Fiesta Mexicana Family Restaurant, 238, 239 Lancers (beer), 133, 138, 140 Lane, Jon, 296

Lanser, Joe, Jr., 123, 140, 141 Lanser, Joseph Francis, Sr., 113–18, 119, 120, 122, 126, 127, 131, 137, 138, 140; and J. F. Lanser & Company, 113; knowledge of grain industry, 113, 114; and Wholesale Beer and Liquor Association, 117 Lanser, Ross E., 141 Lanz, John, 47 Leimbacher, Rudolph, 54 Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery, 210, 226, 229, 243; planned as Diamondback Brewery, 208, 210 Lembitz, Allan, 145 Lenahan, Greg, 225 Lepie, Eric, 292, 293 Levin, Alexander, 8, 16, 18, 20, 25, 303; as Boss Levin, 11, 14; death of, 17; and John Spring, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11; and Julius Goldtree, 10; and Park Brewery, 12, 14, 174; and Pioneer Brewery, 6, 9, 10; and Zenona Molina, 10 Levin, Henry, 10, 17,18 Lindner, E. W. “Pop,” 107, 108, 109, 110, 114; and Anheuser-Busch, 109; death of, 140; and Griesedieck-Western Brewing Company, 109; and Peerless Brewing Company, 109; in photographs, 119, 129, 130, 131, 137; and Standard Brewing Company, 109. See also Arizona Brewing Company Lindner, Herb, 117, 137, 138, 142, 145 Lindner, Max, 131, 137, 150 Lion Brewery, 22 Littig, John, 51, 53, 178; and New Theater, 51 Little Guy Distributing, 236, 237, 251, 264, 265, 289. See also World Class Beverages London Bridge Brewing Company, 201, 202, 203, 240; in English Village, 203; and London Arms Pub (& Playhouse), 203, 240 Los Angeles Brewing Company, 57, 72, 102 Loveless, Ian, 172 Luke, Charles August, 37, 38 Lumberyard Brewing Company, 277, 288; and Lumberyard Brewing Company Taproom & Grill, 278 MacAulay, Steven, 195 Mad Hatter Brew Pub, 290, 301 Magnolia Saloon & Brewery, 32 Mahler, Layrd, 263, 264, 267, 287 Maier, Joseph Frederick, 58; and Maier Brewing Company, 58 Malinski, Mary Suzanne, 256, 257, 265 Mallozi, Michael, 290, 291, 292 malting, 6, 12, 37 malt liquor, 147, 149, 251; Colt 45 Malt Liquor, 144,

333

145, 147, 149, 150, 151; Country Club malt liquor, 149; Mickey’s Malt Liquor, 149 Manning, Scott, 200, 235 Maricopa Creamery, 41, 42 Market Street (Scottsdale), 239, 248; restaurants on, 248 Marks, Jake, 57, 66 Marquess, Michael and Alissa, 288 Marriott Hotel, 182, 242 Martin, Steve, 265; and Deborah Martin, 245, 253, 256 Martini Ranch, 242 Matzen, Charlie, 165 Maus, Lieutenant Marion, 20 Maxgut, Rupert, 63, 64, 66, 68 McCloud, Glen I., 104 McConnell, Bruce, 230, 236; and son C. B., 236. See also Little Guy Distributing McCulloch, Robert, 202 McElhannon, Harvey, 208, 209, 237. See also Valley Brewing Company McFadden’s, 241, 242, 243 McFarlane, Peter, 175, 183, 188, 189, 194, 195, 198, 199, 226, 230, 243, 252, 302. See also Hops!; Mc­ Farlane Brewing Company McFarlane, Stephen, 183, 188, 189, 194, 195. See also McFarlane Brewing Company McFarlane Brewing Company, 183, 188, 194, 195, 197, 209, 213, 252; and bankruptcy, 198; sale to Uptown Brewing Company, 198 McFate, Steve, 296 McLin, Sean, 183, 203 McMahon, Bob, 267; and Metro Restaurants, 267 Meczer, Joseph, 40 Megargee, Alonzo “Lon,” 120 Melczer, William, 40, 41,42, 43 Mercer, Matt, 264, 269, 280, 281 Merklein, John, 74, 75, 77, 78, 89, 92 Mesa Citrus Growers, 280 Mesquite River, 298 metal rationing, 114 Michler, Phillip, 54 Mickey Finn’s, 210, 239, 248 microbreweries: and Arizona State Legislature, 157, 166; and Class 3 license, 266, 279; definition, 165; economic impact of, 271, 295; and H.B. 2185, 166; and H.B. 2323, 166; New Albion Brewery (Sonoma, CA) as first, 165; and “yuppies,” 166 Miles, Eric, 186 military, and beer brewing, 4, 5, 24; and breweries, 5, 9, 18, 25, 51, 116, 144; and canning, 114; and the “Wet West,” 81

334

Mill Avenue Beer Company, 240. See also Rio Salado Brewing Company; Salt River Saloon Miller, Brian, 181, 225, 229 Miller, Laurence, 192 Miller, Scott, 221 Miller Brewing Company, 116, 149, 150, 151, 163, 208, 209, 210, 239, 251, 301 mining, 18, 19, 27, 29, 35, 37, 49, 52, 54, 58, 64, 66; and brewing industry, 51; and mining towns, 18, 26, 43, 44, 47, 70, 167, 214, 219, 243, 245; and the “Wet West,” 81 Mischief Brewing Company, 298 Mitten, Kevin, 266 Mixer, Kelli, 218 Mocca, Addie, 167 Mocca, Joe, 241, 242 Mogollon Brewing Company, 195, 197, 216, 227, 233, 234, 243, 253, 263, 281; and Cosmic Distributing, 301; as the Green Room, 263; as Mogollon Brewing Company & High Spirits Distillery, 247, 265, 267, 269 Mohler, Bill and Flossie, 227, 256 Molina, Zenona, 10. See also Levin, Alexander Monarch’s Rest Restaurant & Brew Pub, 232, 233, 238, 241, 257, 258; and bankruptcy, 239; and Community Development Block Grant, 239; and offer by Quechen tribe, 257 Mondragon, Bill, 187, 195 Moran, Bugs, 94, 95. See also bootleggers, and bootlegging; Capone, Al Morken, Steve and Tamara, 296 Motenko, Paul, 234 Mother Road Brewing Company, 288, 289, 294; and Fred Nackard Wholesale Beverage Company, 289; in Milum Building, 288, 289 Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 167 Mountain Top Brewing Company, 296, 297 Mudshark Brewing Company, 216, 232, 253, 259, 275, 276; as Mudshark Pizza & Pasta, 215 Muheim, Joseph, 27, 29, 30 Muheim Block, 29, 30. See also Muheim, Joseph Mulvenon, William J., 63, 64, 66, 67, 86; and Arizona Brewing Company, 66; and Crystal Ice Company, 66; and Ella Johnson Mulvenon, 66, 67; and Gurley Street Bar, 67; and Mulvenon Saloon, 64 Mundelius, Conrad, 14; established Excelsior Brewery (Silver Lake), 14; and fire, 14 Munoz, Tom, 201 Murray, Michael, 287; and Pop the Soda Shop, 287 nanobrewery, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 300; definition, 165

National Association Breweriana Advertising, 302 National Brewers Association, 241 National Brewing Company, 144–149; and Colt 45 Malt Liquor, 144, 145, 147, 149, 150, 151 National Brewpub Conference, 216 National Union of United Brewery Workmen, 84 near-beer, 86, 87, 89, 90, 92; Barette, 87, 88, 89 Neff, George, 269 Nelson, Clark, 172, 174, 181, 183, 185, 186, 205, 208 Netolicky, Tom, 258, 259, 276 Newlands Services, 178, 201, 203 Nielsen, John, 177, 178, 250, 263, 271 Nielsen, Roxane, 177, 250, 263, 271, 272 Nimbus Brewing Company, 161, 192, 216, 224, 228, 245, 249, 284, 285, 297; and bankruptcy, 162, 290; and New Way Restaurants, 287; as Nimbus American Bistro and Brewery, 290; as Nimbus Bistro and Brewery, 267, 288; and Nimbus Ice House, 278; sales accounts in New Mexico, 269. See also Counts, Jim; Couzin, Nimbus Nogales, 58, 84 Noll, Chuck, 237 Norris, Don, 287,290 North Mountain Brewing Company, 294, 297, 298 Northern Arizona University, 197, 247, 271, 295 Not So Normal Brewing Company, 276 Oak Creek Brewing Company, 181, 202, 227, 228, 230, 241, 242, 285; and Oak Creek Brewery & Grill, 227; at Oak Creek Canyon (Sedona), 181; and Simon’s Hot Dogs, 281; at Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village (Sedona), 227 Oberheit (beer). See Arizona Brewing Company O’Conner, John, 75, 76 O’Conor, Colonel Hugo, 9 Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Company, 246, 247, 251, 256, 266 O’Hearn, Scott, 218, 282 O.H.S.O. Eatery + nanoBrewery, 295, 296, 300; and Chef Nate Hibbard, 296 O.K. Corral, 18, 19 Old Bisbee Brewing Company, 273, 274, 287; and Fountaine and Winquist, 273; and Stromberg International brewhouse, 273 Old Pueblo Brewing Company, 167 Old World Brewery, 261, 264, 269, 279, 280, 281, 285; location in Capital Station post office building, 280; and Republic National Distributing Company, 269 O’Leary, Charles M., 168 Olguin, Juan, 177 Olson, Jeff, 280 O’Neel, Cory, 236

index

organized crime, 84, 93, 94. See also Prohibition O’Ryan’s Brewery, 183, 209 Osborne, Derek, 164, 235, 248 Otto Esch’s Park Brewery, 20 Owen, Jack, 172 Owen, Wade, 200 Pacific Brewery (Raible & Sheerer), 52–55; fire at, 54 Pacific Creamery, 180 Palace Saloon, 39 Palm, Barnabe, 17, 18, 25 Papago Brewing, 230, 236, 279, 298 Papazian, Charlie, 164, 165, 219 Paradise Valley, 168, 172, 186 Park Brewery, 12, 14, 16, 20, 174; competition with Carillo Gardens and Elysian Grove, 14 Parmely, Perry, 264, 269, 280 Pasteur, Louis, 4. See also pasteurization pasteurization, 8, 38 Pawsey, Warren, 207, 229 Payson Brewing Company, 44, 46 Payson Roundup, 297 Payson Steak House & Wild Weede Brewery, 257, 265; and Planning and Zoning Commission (Payson), 257 Peacock, Dave, 282 Peagler, Beverly and Julian, 262, 263 Pearce and Sons Distributors, 132, 251 Peasley brothers, 256, 258 Peeples, Abraham H., 31, 32, 35 Pendleton’s Restaurant and Brewery, 168, 169, 172; and Victor Ecimovich III, 170 People’s Ice and Manufacturing Company, 90–92; and Mexican Revolution, 91 Peoria Artisan Brewery, 298 Perry, Ray, 232 Perschka, Leonard and Kathy, 218, 227 Phillips, Melissa, 248 Phillips, Michael, 234 Phoenix Ale Brewery, 274, 282, 283, 286; Arizuma Series, 287 Phoenix Art Museum, 194 Phoenix Brewers Invitational, 303 Phoenix Brewery (Cavaness & Cosgrove), 32, 35 Phoenix Brewery Company (Melczer Brothers), 41–42; and Goldman & Company, 41 Phoenix Magazine, 283 Phoenix Suns (basketball team), 188, 208; and Al McCoy, 149; and A-1 Beer, 147, 149; and KTAR, 149 Piazza, Tom, 297 Picket Post, 35, 49 Pieper, August, 43, 44, 45, 46, 49

index

Pinal Brewery (Fred Medler & Company), 43, 46, 47, 48 Pinal Brewing Company (Charles Banker), 44, 47, 48, 49 Pinal City Brewery, 49 Pinnacle Peak Brewing Company, 208, 209, 237, 248, 249; and Diamondback Pale Ale, 208; and Pinnacle Peak Patio Restaurant, 208, 209, Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse, 249, 262; and demolition threat, 262 Pioneer Brewery, 6, 9, 10, 12. See also Levin, Alexander Place, Roy, 100 Pock, Ray, 126 Premier Stainless Systems (manufacturer), 292, 298 Prescott, 32, 35, 37, 40, 41, 44, 50–55, 57, 58, 61–64, 66–70, 76, 82, 84, 86, 89, 90, 93, 177, 197, 221, 250, 293, 294; Prescott Bottling Works, 77; Prescott Regional Airport, 271; as territorial capital, 50, 53 Prescott Brewing Company, 57, 271, 272; in Bashford-Burmeister Mercantile building, 177; and Bob Bell, 271 Preston, Oliver, 97 Prohibition, 12, 24, 25, 43, 79, 81–84, 86, 87, 90, 92–97, 100, 102, 109, 113, 117, 163, 178, 204, 271, 302, 303, 305; in Arizona Territory, 82; Catholic Church against, 84; and creation of cocktail, 94; as Eighteenth Amendment, 81, 95, 96; and the “eightyear” amendment, 83; and Independent Order of Good Templars, 82; and Mexico, 94; and organized crime, 84, 93, 94; and President Wilson, 81. See also bootleggers, and bootlegging Propp, Carl, 253 Prussia, brewers from, 5, 10, 35, 37, 43, 44, 46, 49 Pub Brewing Company, 172, 267 Pusch Ridge Brewing Company, 202, 205, 219, 220, 221 Pyramid Breweries, 188, 274, 275, 282; sold to Independent Brewers United, 275 The Quartet (A-1 Beer print series), 120–22 Quesse, Louis, 5, 25 Raible, John, 51, 52, 53, 54; and Wilhelmina. See also Pacific Brewery (Raible & Sheerer) railroads, 47, 52, 61, 70, 91, 98, 117, 119, 153, 177; Arizona Brewing Company vs., 68; effects of, on Arizona breweries, xv, 14, 38, 63; and distribution of beer, 58, 60, 259; and price of beer, 72 Ramsey Canyon Brewery, 25, 26 Ranking Arizona Magazine, 243 Ratcliff, Kyle, 283 Rechenmacher, Ferdinand, 44, 46, 48

Red Hook (brewery), 188, 302 Red Star Yeast, 239 refrigeration, 8, 35, 38, 46, 47, 63, 99 Reiche, Carl, 61 Reiner, George, 14 Reiner, Urs, 288 Reinheitsgebot, 3, 190, 212 Reno brothers, 70, 75, 76, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92; Henry M., 70, 72, 77, 87; William H., 70, 87 repeal of Prohibition, 24, 95, 96, 97, 100, 113, 163; and beer parade, 96; Great Depression and, 95, 97; New Deal and, 96; and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 96, 99; as Twenty-First Amendment, 96 Rheinstein, Alex, 41 Rho, John and Ken, 186, 222 Rice, Carl, 228 Rice, J. A., 114 Richardson, Amanda, 293 Riehl, Valentine, 52; and English Rose, 52 Rillito Steak Brew, 200 Rimside Grill, 296 Ringer, Phillip, 99 Rinzler, Barrett, 242 Rio Nuevo, 258 Rio Salado Brewing Company, 214, 224, 225, 226, 231, 236, 240, 246, 250, 251, 298 Risi, Christopher Joseph (Joe), 167, 172, 174 Ritter, John, 183, 209, 213 River Company Restaurant and Brewery, 244 River Road Brewing Company, 190, 192, 193; and bankruptcy, 191 Riverside Brewing Company, 216 Roberts, David, 180, 181, 183, 226, 235 Roberts, Miles, 181 Roberts, T. P., 72 Rock Bottom, 219, 231, 234, 259, 276, 281, 282; and Cougan’s Brewery & Grill, 232; and Hops! Bistro & Brewery, 231–32; merger with Gordon Biersch, 281; under Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc., 218, 219, 231, 232, 281; as Rock Bottom Brewing Company, 269 Rodenburg, Julius N., 51, 52 Rodig, Charles, 20 Rodriguez, Rob, 282 Rogers, Paul, 203 Romans, H. Clarke, 204, 205, 207, 227, 228, 239 Romans Brewing Company, 204 Roosevelt Dam, 31, 221 Roper, Jim, 209, 237 Ross, John F., 89 Rothman, Daniel, 194 Route 66, 57, 97, 178, 256, 288; as “the Mother Road,” 97, 288; and Mother Road Brewing Company, 288

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Rowe, Alice, 32 Rowell, Nat, 221; and Kathy, 202 Rushton, Quinton, 233, 253 Russell, Bailey J., 102, 103, 104, 107, 109, 114 Russell, Henry E., 142, 145 R. W. Webb Winery, 204, 207. See also Dark Mountain Brewery & Winery Sabin, Pauline Morton, 95 Safford, Governor Anson P. K., 82 Sales, Albert H., 11, 35, 37 Salt River Saloon, 240, 250 Salter, James, 180 Sanderson, John, 61 Sandlot Brewery, 208, 215 San Francisco Bar & Grill, 172, 174, 175 Santa Catalina Mountains, 172, 190, 197, 201, 202 SanTan Brewing Company, 255, 260, 261, 269, 272, 273, 277, 279, 298; and Ameri-CAN Canned Craft Beer Festival, 285; and International Trade Commission, 272; near San Marcos Hotel, 261; and SanTan Village, 261 Santos, Austin, 293. See also 1702 (nanobrewery) Santos, Roberto, 216 Satisfied Frog, 170, 205, 263. See also Chilleen, Ed Saxe, Ken, 237 Scharrer, Greg, 282 Schermerhorn, Candy, 174, 219, 221, 223, 224, 243; and KPNX-TV, 220. See also Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company Schermerhorn, Mark, 219, 220, 221, 223, 224, 244. See also Globe Brewery & Barbecue Company Schieffelin, Edward, 18, 19, 153 Schlener, William, 64 Schlitz (beer), 49, 58, 106, 116, 131, 132, 147, 149, 150, 151 Scholz, Oscar, 102, 103 Schroeder, Zach, 253, 262, 263, 264, 267, 287; and Uptown Brewing Company, 262 Schudy, Buzz, 201 Schultz, Randy, 198 Schwartz, Louis, 14 Schwartz, Scott, 184, 216, 267, 269 Sciacca, Peter, 272 Scussel, Jim, 180, 183, 185, 244, 266, 279, 281, 292 Seideman, Russell, 200, 205, 213, 224 Seidemann Brewing Company, 200, 205, 213, 214, 298; and Price Schonstrom, 200 Seiter, Susan, 287 Selby, Dr. Robert “Buzz,” 190, 191, 193 Sendman, Otto, 72 Sentinel Peak, 298

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September 11 (2001), 223, 233, 234 Sette, Edward, 78 Sette, Francis S., 78 1702 (nanobrewery), 292, 293; evolved from Eric’s Fine Food & Ice Cream, 292; as Local Dough, 292 Sexson, Brent, 245 Sexson, Cody, 258, 269, 285; and nano-system at Triple Green Café, 269 Shafer, Terri, 272 Shurgrue, Tim, 201, 202; and Mark Shurgrue, 201 Sieber, Albert, 27 Sieber, Arnold, 25, 27 Siebl, E. A., 92 Silver, Andrew, 267 Simonsen, Max, 51 Sizemore, Robert, 269, 270 Skelly, Jim, 166 Skully, Vaughn, 192 Slaughter, John Horton, 68, 70 Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewery, 269, 270, 279; and Debbie Conforti, 269; and Matt Weber, 269 Smets, Rick, 256 Smith, Nick, 259 Smith, Robert W., 11 Snyder, Doug, 187 social media, and beer, 288, 292, 302. See also under breweries Society of Regional Brewers, 117 Sonora Brewhouse, 233; and Brewer’s Den, 249, 250, 264 Sonora Brewing Company, 164, 189, 190, 209, 210, 230, 237, 248; name change, 248; as Sonoran Brewing Company, 248, 249, 251, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 279, 286, 287 Southern Arizona Beer Wars, 72 Southwest Brewing Company (Ray Brice), 172, 173 Southwest Brewing News, 171, 188, 190, 192, 205, 210, 212, 216, 227, 228, 232, 237, 252, 254, 255, 260, 264, 280, 295, 302 Southwestern Brewing Company, 97, 100 speakeasies, 92, 93, 94. See also bootleggers, and bootlegging; Prohibition Spietachka, Carl, 99 sports teams, and effect on breweries: Phoenix Coyotes, 256; Phoenix Roadrunners, 147; Phoenix Stars (baseball team), 126. See also Diamondbacks (baseball team); Phoenix Suns (basketball team) Spring, Johann Arnold. See Spring, John Spring, John, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 17, 24 Squire, Richard, 193 Squires, Chris, 297

Stanford, R. C., 110 Stanger, Michael, 293 Stemmer, John, 58, 60; and fire, 60; and Mary, 60 Stephens, Richard, 203 Stern, Lessing, 171, 175 Steve & Clark’s Brew Pub & Sausage Company, 185, 202, 205, 207, 208 St. Louis Brewery (Globe), 43, 44, 46, 47 Stocking, Scott, 215, 216; and Tina Stocking, 253, 259, 275 Stone, Myles, 290, 291, 292 Streets of New York Brewery, 242, 253 Strelau, Jim, 241, 285 SunUp Brewing Company, 264, 265, 279 Swafford, Damon, 293 Swersey, Chris, 210, 226, 239 Swilling, John W. “Jack,” 31, 32; and Swilling Irrigating and Canal Company, 31 Tanmeyer, Louis, 35 Tannhauser (beer), 72, 75, 76, 77, 88. See also Copper City Brewing Company (Douglas) Tapie, Estienne, 10, 12 television, 120, 128, 144, 233; advertising and, 131, 147, 149, 208; in bars, 188, 227, 270; promoting A-1 beer through, 122–23, 124 Tempe Beach Park. See Four Peaks Brewing Company: and Randomonium (15th anniversary celebration) temperance movement, 79, 81, 82. See also drys; Prohibition Ten Fifty-Five, 297 Tewksbury, Edwin, 66. See also GrahamTewksbury Feud Thalheimer, Joseph, 37, 38, 40, 41 Thalheimer, Walter J., 110 THAT Brewery, 294, 295, 296 Thibodo, Dr. A. J., 54 Thompson, Mike and Don, 172 Thorsett, Jeff, 178, 186, 254, 255 Three Floyds Brewing Company, 276 Thunder Canyon Brewery, 197, 216, 250, 283, 298 Tombstone, 20, 24, 25, 76, 89, 245, 258, 292; and the Clantons, 18, 21, 22; and the Earps, 18, 19, 21, 23 Tombstone Brewing Company, 186, 219, 222; reopened as Crazy Fish & 202 Sushi, 222 Tommyknocker Brewing Company, 197, 198, 210, 225, 229, 246; and bankruptcy, 237 Tooley, James Edward, 291; and Tooley and Sons Produce Company, 291 Tornoe, Frank, 273 Tracy, Steve, 197, 216, 250, 283. See also Thunder Canyon Brewery

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Tribolet brothers: Abraham, 20; Charles, 20, 21; and General Cook, 20–21; and Geronimo, 21; Robert, 20; Sigfried, 20, 21 Trident Brewing Company, 290, 301 Tri-State Brewing Company, 97, 98–99, 100; location in Eastern Sugar Company factory, 98; and National Recovery Administration (NRA), 99; and Phoenix Packing Company, 98, 99; in sugar beet factory, 98, 99 Trophy’s Steakhouse (Queen Creek), 298 Tubac, 5, 10 Tucson (Old Pueblo), 14, 17, 24, 82, 166, 167, 174, 202, 219; and Mexico, 9; as presidio, 9; as territorial capital, 50 Tucson Brewery, 11, 35 Turquoise Hills Golf & RV, 269, 285 Twenty-First Amendment. See repeal of Prohibition ultraviolet light, in brewing, 117 United Distiller’s Company, 99 United States Brewery, 11, 36, 37, 49 University of Arizona, 86, 100, 125, 171, 174, 182, 290 University of Phoenix Stadium, 256. See also sports teams, and effect on breweries Unlikely Cowboy, 239, 240, 242; and Ashley brothers, 239. See also Ashley, Ryan Uptown Brewery, 203, 204, 213, 242. See also Streets of New York Brewery Urfer, Gotlieb, 52 U.S. Army, 20, 26, 91, 181. See also military, and beer brewing U.S. Cavalry, 10, 18, 24, 37. See also military, and beer brewing U.S. Open Beer Championship, 276 Vache, Bob, 149 Valentine’s Day Massacre, 94. See also bootleggers, and bootlegging; organized crime Valley Brewing Company (Phoenix), 208 Veritas Brewing, 298 Vietnam War, 144, 149 Vogt-Nilsen, John, 172, 174 Volstead Act, 81, 95, 96; President Wilson’s veto of, 81. See also Prohibition Von Soyer, Carl, 44, 46, 47, 48 Vyborny, John Paul, 297 W. A. Franke College of Business, 271, 295 Waananen, Wayne, 215, 216 Wagner, Conrad, 40 Walker, Adam, 242 Waller, George, 54

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Walsh, Pat, 296 Waltz, Jacob, 32 Wanderlust Brewing Company, 295, 296 Warnke, Ernest F., 49 Warren, George, 26 Washington State Brewers Guild, 275 Washington, George, 2 water, for beer and brewing, 1–6, 18, 35, 38, 39, 48, 60, 64, 70, 72, 117, 140, 190, 197; boiling point of, 86; and fires, 21–23; and mining, 24; purification of, 133, 135, 157, 158, 239; scarcity of, 5, 6, 8, 31, 57, 98, 99; sources of, 14, 31, 40, 41, 43, 151, 172 Watkinson, Ian and Judy, 232, 239, 241 Watson, Terry, 253, 282 Watt, John, 164, 190, 210, 248, 249 Watt, Margie, 190, 233 Weatherson, Lon, 202, 276, 288 Webb, Robert W., 203, 204 Wehrfritz, Bernhardt “Ben,” 20, 22, 23 Weigaertner, Josef, 181 West, Judge J. H., 40 West, Justin, 253 West, Linda, 194 Western Hockey League, 147. See also sports teams, and effect on breweries Western Village Steakhouse & Microbrewery, 257 wets, 81, 82, 83, 86, 95. See also Prohibition; temperance movement wheat, 1, 31, 117, 175, 181, 195, 201, 207, 216, 242 Wheeler, Sheriff Harry C., 89 White, Tristan, 292, 293 Whole Foods Markets, 285, 292 Wick, Kent, 168 Wiggins, Robin and Tami, 202 Wild Weede Brewery & Lil’ Rangler’s Café, 244, 253 Will, Peter, 35 Willard, Francis E., 82 Williams (town), 257, 259, 276; pioneer brewery in, 57, 58 Williams, Brandon, 287, 290 Williams, Cody, 189 Williamson, David, 233, 243, 247, 248, 263, 265, 267; and Eco Tap, 247 Wilson, John, 256 Wilson, Joyce, 239 Winquist, Victor, 273, 274, 287; and Dale Fountaine, 273; and Fountaine Cellars Winery, 273; and Mindy Winquist, 273. See also Old Bisbee Brewing Company Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). See temperance movement Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR). See Prohibition; wets

women’s suffrage, and Prohibition, 81, 82 Woo, Mary A., 55 Woodring, Terrell “Beau,” 192 World Beer Cup, 207, 226, 278 World Class Beverages, 265, 289; as World Class Beer, 289 World War I, 91, 96, 113 World War II, 113, 115, 117, 131; effect on brewing industry of, 112 wort, 8, 46 Wurch, Michael, 38 Wurth, Charles, 54 Wurth, Wilhelmina, 53 Yackle, George L., 54 Yade, Jeff, 282 Yamamoto, Audra, 293, 294 Yarosh, Scott, 248, 249, 251, 261, 262, 263, 264, 267, 287; and Dawn Yarosh, 248, 267; and J. J. Lazlo’s, 287; and Pop the Soda Shop, 287 Yavapai County, 66, 177; Yavapai County Courthouse, 177, 294 yeast, 2, 3, 6, 8, 44, 117, 138, 190, 191, 195, 201, 239, 288, 302 Zak, Lawrence, 168 Zaneis, Chad, 219 Zappa, Frank, 215 Zona Brewing Company, 248. See also Ashley, Ryan; Cowboy Restaurant & Brewery Zulich, Governor C. Meyer, 50 Zupko, George, 213

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ed Sipos’s interest in beer memorabilia and Arizona history developed early on, before he was old enough to have a drink legally. Like many collectors, he became enamored with the history of the items he sought. A jewelry designer and manufacturer by trade, Ed is an avid craft-beer enthusiast who searches for brewery memorabilia and other collectibles as a hobby. His passion for craft beer augmented his interest in researching and writing about breweries from the past to the present. He is a past president of the A-1 Chapter, a local extension of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America (BCCA). Ed has written extensively for the BCCA’s Beer Cans & Brewery Collectibles magazine and has been editor of the chapter’s newsletter, the A-1 Can-o-Gram, for more than fifteen years.

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