Local Beer: Cheers to the Desert
Beer lovers, rejoice — drinking local in Arizona doesn’t just taste better, it does better. From barley fields in Camp Verde to brewhouses in Tucson and Tempe, craft breweries are fueling a movement rooted in sustainability, flavor, and community connection. Local brewers are teaming up with Arizona farmers to grow grains and hops that are adapted to the desert, conserve water, and showcase the true taste of the Southwest — one pint at a time.
Beer is mostly water. In Arizona, that fact makes sustainability a necessity — and an opportunity.
Keep reading to discover:
Why drinking local beer matters
How beer supports Arizona agriculture
Sustainable practices in brewing
Where to find beers made with Arizona-grown ingredients
Why Drink Local Beer?
Local craft beer is more than a cold beverage — it’s a delicious way to support Arizona’s farmers, conserve natural resources, and gather with friends. Here's why it matters:
Supports Arizona Farmers: Breweries provide a reliable, high-value market for crops like barley, wheat and heritage grains. This makes it easier for farmers to grow low-water-use crops that suit our desert climate.
Promotes Sustainability: Sourcing ingredients locally shortens the supply chain and lowers the carbon footprint. Many breweries also reuse waste, compost, or donate spent grain to farms.
Brings People Together: Breweries have become beloved community gathering spaces, offering something for everyone — including nonalcoholic options and craft sodas.
Tastes Like Arizona: When you drink local, you’re tasting the region’s terroir — the soil, sun, and story behind every ingredient.
How Beer Is Made — and Why the Ingredients Matter
Beer starts with malt — often barley or wheat — which is soaked, sprouted, and dried. After mashing the grains in hot water to release sugars, brewers add hops for bitterness and aroma. The cooled mixture is fermented with yeast, and then matured to develop its flavor.
Arizona breweries are putting their own spin on this age-old process by using:
White Sonora wheat — an Arizona Heritage grain that thrives in dry soils (read our guide to learn more)
Malting barley — a water-conscious crop grown thanks to organizations like Sinagua Malt
Heirloom corn — including blue corn and Ramona Farms corn (also Arizona heritage foods! read our blue corn guide)
Botanicals like creosote or hibiscus — uniquely Arizona flavors
These ingredients aren’t just sustainable — they make each beer distinct, rooted in place and tradition.
From Alfalfa to Barley: A Win for Water
In a state where water is precious, every drop counts. That’s where Sinagua Malt comes in. This Arizona malt house helps farmers switch from water-intensive crops like alfalfa and corn to barley, which uses half as much water.
Barley uses about 1 acre-foot of water per year — compared to 2 for corn and 4 for alfalfa
Switching 140 acres saved enough water to brew 1 million pints
Each pint of beer made with Sinagua malt saves about 50 gallons of water
It’s a win for the rivers, a win for farmers, and a win for your taste buds.
Breweries Leading the Way
Arizona’s breweries aren’t just making great beer — they’re changing the way we think about food and farming.
Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. uses Sinagua malt, White Sonora from Oatman Farms, and desert botanicals like creosote. They also send spent grain to Heartquist Hollow to feed pigs and compost other waste through R City.
Wren House Brewing brewed an all-local beer with Ramona Farms corn and is working with the U.S. Forest Service on habitat restoration. Their “Big Cactus” release helped fund saguaro replanting in the Tonto National Forest.
The Shop Beer Co. makes “Church Music” IPA with White Sonora from Sossaman Farms.
Sedona Beer Co. uses Sinagua malt and sends their spent grain to feed local livestock.
Borderlands Brewing and others are also championing the use of local ingredients.
A Toast to Arizona’s Future
Beer is mostly water. In Arizona, that fact makes sustainability a necessity — and an opportunity. With every local pint you pour, you’re backing a brewing ecosystem that supports Arizona growers, saves water, and keeps food dollars circulating locally.
Next time you crack open a cold one, make it a local one. You’re not just tasting beer — you’re tasting Arizona’s future.
Want to Learn More?
Visit Sinagua Malt to explore how they save water through beer.
Follow @goodfoodaz for features on Arizona brewers and growers.
Read about Arizona’s climate-smart crops: White Sonora Wheat, Tepary Beans, Agave, and Blue Corn.
Cheers to beer that does good.
