The 18th annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival takes place on February 10 this year, serving as the apex of Arizona Beer Week. In addition to offering more than 500 delicious beers to festivalgoers, five exciting local musical acts have been finalized, along with more than a dozen delicious restaurant and food truck offerings.
The wide array of craft beers offered at the festival will provide something for everyone to enjoy. From hoppy selections such as Faced IPA from Freak’N Brewing Company in Peoria, to malty good brews like Machine Gun Teddy from Goldwater Brewing in Scottsdale, and mouth-puckering sours like Cloud People from Crooked Tooth Brewing in Tucson, the brews at this fest are sure to please. This year, festival goers will have the chance to research each beer appearing at the festival to map out their tasting plan of attack through the “Untappd” app. Enthusiasts just need to download the app from any Smart Phone device and can even add their own ratings and feedback while exploring samples of beer throughout the day.
To complement the incredible beer line up, the Strong Beer Festival will also feature a smorgasbord of Arizona’s best food vendors, including El Jefe Tacos, Gorilla Cheese Truck, Doughlicious, Bourbon Jacks Wood Fired Grill and the Hungry Monk, in addition to several other dining options that will be on site to feed hungry imbibers by the thousands.
“This year, we’re celebrating 20 years of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild and we’ll have some special events on tap at the Strong Beer Festival to celebrate,” said Rob Fullmer, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild. “Each year, the festival gets bigger and bigger – it’s a true testament to our community’s love and appreciation for our craft and we enjoy putting on an event that brings people together in a common love for exceptional beers.”
The lineup of talent is set to be as diverse as the 500 independent craft beers being poured at the event. Local favorite, The Hour Glass Cats will kick off the event at noon with a taste of reggae, edgy rock and a hint of Latin flair, performing their hits, “Too Damn Rude” and “Bailar Para Mi.” Another local act, Kung Fu Grip with Joel Maze, will take the stage next performing a mix of tunes ranging from country to hip hop and everything in between. A funky reggae band, Good Rust will then entertain the crowd with “Fight for Peace” and “Hummingbird.” Closing the event on the Arizona Live and Local Entertainment stage is Black Bottom Lighters, a Valley reggae band known for their harmonization and memorable tunes like “Stuck in Arizona.”
In addition to the Strong Beer Festival, Arizona Beer Week plays host to dozens of smaller events throughout the course of the week, encouraging taprooms and breweries throughout the state to host their own in-house affairs. One such celebration will take place in Goodyear at Saddle Mountain Brewing Company. From February 1-17, patrons may purchase thank you cards for first responders or military service members. The cards, which have included handwritten thank you sentiments in the past, may be redeemed by active duty or military veterans and first responders for one free pint of beer until the last card is removed from the brewery’s wall. The money raised from these efforts will then be donated to charities that support our troops. For those looking for something closer to Central Phoenix, beer enthusiasts can purchase tickets to a beer-pairing dinner at Desoto Market on February 8, combining amazing DeSoto dishes with beers from SanTan and Goldwater Brewing Companies. Finally, for the perfect Valentine’s Day outing on Wednesday, February 14, beer lovers can indulge in a uniquely romantic Hopped Up On Love Valentine’s Beer Dinner with Huss Brewing Co. and Phoenix Public Market beginning at 6 p.m.
Arizona’s craft beer industry has flourished in recent years, and is now home to more than 87 independently owned brewing companies at 110 locations across the state that have come together in their commitment to producing a rich variety of high quality, locally crafted beers. Four Arizona breweries recently took gold, silver and bronze medal honors at the Great American Beer Festival.
Tickets to the Arizona Strong Beer Festival can be purchased by visiting www.chooseazbrews.com/events. VIP tickets are currently sold out, however Super VIP is available in limited quantities, along with general admission. For additional information about events throughout the state during Arizona Beer Week, visit https://arizonabeerweek.com/events-2018/.
