Rating 5 Phoenix-Area Brew Pubs

There's some good news on the horizon for Phoenix-area folks (and visitors to the area) who love craft brews: Sleepy Dog Brewing and Dave's Electric Brewpub will open soon in Tempe. This bodes well for a metro area ranking low nationwide on craft brewers per capita. We've still got a long way to go, but Sleepy Dog and Dave's Electric are welcome additions.

In recognition of their opening, let's take a look at other craft brewers in the area. I've not included chains such as BJ's, Gordon Biersch or Rock Bottom here because I want to emphasize local above all else. I've ranked them, and included some reasoning for their rankings. Enjoy!

1. Sun Up Brewing - This is a terrific brewpub in uptown Phoenix. Yes, it's incredibly friendly, both in terms of its knowledgeable staff and regular customers. Yes, it has quality food. Yes, you can carry on a conversation. Yes, its brews are all great examples of each genre represented. But one of the big factors in its favor is that you can walk in there at anytime and get a real ale, also known as a cask ale. Unlike brews carbonated with CO2, real ales have silky textures and wonderful floral hop characters. They're also unpasteurized. Sun Up also offers outstanding seasonal and high-strength selections. If I could ask them to do anything differently, I'd want some envelope-pushing brews a la Dogfish Head, and some better desserts. But overall, it's a notch about the rest. Aside from the cask ales, its standout is The Trooper IPA.

2. Four Peaks - An Arizona original! It is much less mellow than it used to be, but the food is excellent. There's also a nice selection of ales. If you get there on Thursday or early Friday, you might get a taste of their cask ale. Otherwise, you'll miss it. Once the cask blows, it's gone until next week, unlike Sun Up. The original warehouse location has a great atmosphere, but parking is a total hassle during the busy times. The Scottsdale location is a bit easier that way. If I had to pick a standout, it would be between Hop Not and the oatmeal stout. I should say that I never liked any beer before until back in about 1997, when I tried the oatmeal stout.

3. Papago Brewing - There's an extensive menu here, along with a very nice array of bottled beers. And you can take those bottled selections home or drink them on-site. You'll also find nearly 30 taps offering some of Papago's own concoctions (which are made by Sun Up according to Papago's recipes, I believe- if you know better, feel free to speak up) and some unusual selections from around the world. On the down side, Papago can get really loud with a large space, concrete floors and a blaring jukebox. Service is also inconsistent, with some really great staff members and others who are pretty indifferent. Sometimes they have a cask brew, sometimes they don't. If they're offering their Elsie's Stout when you visit, give it a try.

4. Pinnacle Peak Brewing - It's way out in the sticks and a bit hard to find. It also has a narrow selection. And to me, only one is worth the drive, and it's only served in the winter. That's the Gunslinger Stout, a monstrous imperial-style beast. Unfortunately, it's served in a pint glass at far too cold a temperature. An imperial stout needs to be served slightly chilled in a snifter, or you're going to miss a lot of the complex flavor. I'm not big on the country-western vibe, either.

5. Old World Brewery - It's a brewery. No, it's a music venue. No, it's both. Kind of. There's barely any seating. It's buried in an industrial park. And frankly, the beer is lackluster. Each selection I tried had a sour tang, as if it were coming out of a line that hadn't been cleaned recently. The brewmaster is considerably too self-satisfied and needs to focus less on how many barrels he intends to brew and distribute, and do more to execute his recipes well. Here's another funny: The bar staff was pouring its craft crew into the infamous red plastic cups like you'd see at a frat house. That should never happen anywhere brewing is taken seriously.

I didn't rank Sonoran Brewing Company (not to be mistaken for Sonora, which was Sun Up's name until a few months ago) because I haven't had any of their products for quite awhile. I also left San Tan Brewery out because I've only been there once, but it made a good impression.

If you're planning to visit Arizona and travel throughout the state, be sure to check out:

Beaver Street Brewery (Flagstaff) - terrific food and decent brews.

Prescott Brewing Company (Prescott) - Both the beers and the food are equally awesome.

Thunder Canyon Brewing (Tucson) - Owned by the same folks as Prescott Brewing, so count on them to be just as tasty.