Thursday 17th May 2012
Bob Thompson
One of the problems of walking around Flagstaff became evident whilst walking from the Beaver Street Brewery to Flagstaff Brewing. What was a five minute walk took over ten.
I was walking towards one of the two railroad crossings in the downtown area, the westernmost, when the lights started flashing and the bells began ringing.
In a surprisingly short time a huge train with three locomotives on the front went hammering through at about 40 mph. I counted about 140 sections, each with a double stacked 45 or 53 foot container, way over a mile long.
I knew when the end was coming though, because of the roar of a further two locomotives on the rear. This system of distributed power allows these long and heavy trains to accelerate and, more importantly brake, without putting too much strain on the couplers. Most surprisingly, there were no barriers. No wonder there are so many crossing accidents in this country.
Eventually I made it to Flagstaff Brewing which is actually on Route 66. I must admit I liked the place as soon as I walked in. It had a more pub atmosphere than the others in town.
The pub was founded in 1994 and is the longest established brew pub in Flagstaff.
The brewery faces out towards the street and the railroad beyond.
There's a long varnished bar and I was lucky to encounter a knowledgeable and attentive bartender.
They have a fantastic selection of whiskies from throughout the world, including some very unusual Scottish malts, some of which I'd never seen previously.
There are five beers in the basic range: Blackbird Porter (6.0%), 3 Pin Pale Ale (6.0%), The Great Golden Ale (5.2%), Agassiz Amber Ale (5.7%) and Sasquatch Stout (6.7%).
I had all five in 5 oz (1/4 Imp pint) tasting glasses and my views are as follows. 1) Porter: Not enough bitterness, in fact rather sweet with a very soft taste. 2) 3 Pin Ale: Very bitter with lots of American hops, absolutely excellent! 3) The Great Golden Ale: A slight taste of wheat malt but not overpowering, a good summer beer. 4) Agassiz Amber: Well balanced with hints of bitterness. 5) Sasquatch Stout: Good without being exceptional although not bitter enough, nevertheless, very acceptable.
This pub also offered some rather interesting guest beers. From Mudshark Brewing of Lake Havasu City, (AZ) there was Desert Magic IPA (7.2%). I stayed in that city two nights later but arrived so late it wasn't possible to visit Mudshark, pity. They had two from Four Peaks of Tempe (AZ): Hopknot IPA (6.0%), an American IPA and Kiltlifter (6.0%), a Scottish Ale. Finally, there was Old Rasputin all the way from the North Coast Brewery of Fort Bragg in California. This was in the style of an English Imperial Russian Stout and came in at 9.0%. Oh for a bit more time and a nearby hotel?
There's a full food menu and a very pleasant shaded outside drinking area that was full when I visited.
Important Information:
Flagstaff Brewing,
16 East Route 66,
Flagstaff AZ
Open: Sunday to Saturday 11.00-02.00
The pub is five minutes from local buses, the Amtrak Rail station and long distance buses.