Craft beer is a pretty big deal considering that while beer sales in the states continue to shrink in comparison to wine and spirits, craft beer is a thriving industry that's shown steady growth for several years. The only downside is that all the new breweries out there make finding the good stuff -- or the best stuff -- a tough task. To address your craft beer struggles, Thrillist recently complied a list of the 50 best craft breweries by state.
See also: Meet Craft Beer's First Billionaire, Jim Koch
Arizona craft beer was represented by Tempe's Four Peaks Brewery, which was founded in 1996 and is housed in a 1892 Mission-style warehouse (that later was used as a creamery). We can't say the pick's a surprising one since last year the company made the Brewers Association's list of the top 50 craft breweries in the U.S. Well, technically they tied for 50th place with California's Anderson Valley Brewing Company.
As mentioned in the Thrillist list, Four Peaks also is well-known for their Kilt Lifter, a 6% ABV Scottish Ale, which has won multiple awards at the World Beer Cup.
If you're a Four Peaks fan, you might already be familiar with its Pumpkin Porter, a seasonal offering that has a habit of selling out -- fast. This year the brew became available at all three Four Peaks brewhouses on Monday and you can expect it to be pouring at other locations on October 1. It's also supposed to be available in cans this year. So we know what we'll be drinking with Thanksgiving dinner.
For a rundown of Phoenix's other notable craft breweries check out our list of the 10 Best Breweries in Metro Phoenix.
See also: 5 Things You Need to Know About Craft Beer in Arizona
