There was no way we were going to bypass checking out some Arizona breweries when visiting our craft brew-loving friend Nora in Scottsdale! And since we were able to Uber around pretty much everywhere for only $5 to $7 per ride, we could take advantage and make a day of it.

To be fair, we didn’t do all of these breweries in one day. The night before our brew-tour, we had dinner at the TapHouse Kitchen in Scottsdale, where the food was okay and food was lackluster; but I enjoyed my local brew and being able to sit outside in February!

On our way back to the house, we stopped at one of Nora’s favorite breweries.

Goldwater Brewing Company – Scottsdale

I loved the small, intimate taproom at Goldwater. I’m not sure choosing the name Goldwater has any historical tie to beer; but this family-owned and operated craft brewery is located right off the corner of Scottsdale Road and Goldwater Boulevard. {That’s right next to the eclectic Sip Coffee and Beer House!}  But who wouldn’t want a name that would make you think of beer as *Gold* Water?!

One of the things I love doing when I’m at a taproom is checking to see if a brewery has come up with any clever names for their styles of beer. In fact, I could write a whole post on this and may do so at some point! Goldwater was no exception:

Before I sipped on my Black Gold Porter, I had to get a taste of their local, unique Desert Rose Cactus Ale. After reading this description, I knew it probably wouldn’t be my style.

But I was in Arizona and had never had a beer brewed withcactus beer before! So I asked for a taste, which you’ll find in the background of my photo of the porter below. Isn’t it a beautiful pink color!?

I was correct in my assumption of my tastes; however, I respect a brewery for doing something this unique and tying their brews to their locale. My Black Gold Porter, though, hit the spot.  Here’s the rest of the beer menu that night:

~

The next day, to kick off our Friday Beer Tour, we started with lunch at not a brewery, but a beer-famed restaurant. Angels Trumpet Ale House has been recommended to Nora several times, but she had not yet been there.

Angels Trumpet Ale House – Phoenix

It’s February in Arizona. One must sit outside. All I require is some shade for my fair skin.

Plus, there is a nice little view of Downtown Phoenix. Even this Uber ride from Scottsdale was somewhere around $12, if my memory serves me. Plus, do you see that chalkboard in the photo above? Here, let me zoom in a little closer.

Yes, those are all of the draft beers. Rob has this amazing talent to always choose a beer that has just been tapped out. Good thing there were lots of choices!

This was also where we filled up on food.

Rob had pizza again! He saw it recommended on Yelp or TripAdvisor. The Fun-Guy Pizza did not disappoint!

Nora thought the fries inside this burrito were a little strange; but otherwise she enjoyed it.

They had me at pretzel bread. Why is it, though, I never get enough horseradish flavor? I need to start asking for extra on the side. No matter what, this food and craft brews made a great start to a beautiful day!

~

Sun-Up Brewing – Phoenix

The beer is brewed in this building that looks like it was meant for auto repair.

But the taproom is actually in the brewpub next door.

Did I mention it was a beautiful day to sit outdoors?!

Deciding on a beer was a challenge for me.

If I remember correctly, I ordered the Porter w/Cinnamon, but then stole Rob’s White Russian Imperial Stout after he let me taste it! His draw dropped, but he didn’t steal it back. Good husband!

~

O.H.S.O Brewing – Phoenix {Arcadia}

This is not to be confused with O’So Brewing in Plover, Wisconsin, which Rob and I visited last fall.

Here is what this O.H.S.O. means:

There is a patio out front. But it was full. So we went through the bar back to the “Backyard” which hails an even bigger patio! Oh and did I mention that many of the restaurants have dog-friendly patios in this area of Arizona?

That pooch was quite relaxed on the cold concrete. We loved watching all of the puppers come in! This place is so dog friendly that the walls surrounding the Backyard are adorned with photos of mutts who’ve been there!

I felt right at home in our little booth.

Now what to order?

O.H.S.O offers local beer by the pint and pitcher (roughly two beers) as well as their own.

But turn to the other side and you get all of the specialty brews.

I was all about Side B!

 There were too many I wanted to try; but I ultimately was satisfied by both the Xoco Barril de O.H.S.O. and the S’mores Imperial Stout.

I must have been hungry, too, or just really impressed with the menus, because I took a lot of photos of them! For instance, I was eyeing that Brewer’s Board.

There was a pretty impressive selection of eats.

Kalua Pork, too!!! Mmm… 

And tell me that you aren’t curious about that Beer Sorbet!

If you aren’t in beer mood, you could go for a Whiskey flight – including some that are locally distilled.

Or have some wine… I could imagine that would be nice on a cool evening.

Happy Hour is a real steal, too. I mean – $6 for a pitcher of beer? WT…?

In the end, we left full of beer, not of food. So we walked out back for the gorgeous view.

Yeah, bikers along this canal can stop right at O.H.S.O. and park for a pint.

It was the perfect place to be on a splendid afternoon.

~

Before we knew it, we ended up at the Pig & Pickle in Scottsdale, where we had a pint on our first day in Arizona. I kept wanting to call it Pig & Fiddle, a brew-centric pub in Minneapolis.

This is ultimately where we finished with dinner. All-in-all, it was a perfect day.

Where is your favorite outdoor patio?

Other posts on our 2016 trip to the Phoenix Area:

• AZ-Perfectly Timed – Craft 64
• A Day in Phoenix
• Virtù & Old Town Scottsdale

Cheers~
Carrie