Gilbert's original eco-conscious brewpub, known for desert-foraged beers and grass-fed burgers.
Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company opened its original brewpub in Gilbert in 2013, founded by Jonathan Buford and Patrick Ware after a backpacking trip in the Chiricahua Wilderness. Located in a free-standing building at 721 North Arizona Avenue, the establishment quickly gained international acclaim, earning the title of Best New Brewery in the World from RateBeer.com within months of opening. The founders built the brewery on a foundation of strict environmental stewardship and deep community integration. This ethos is most clearly demonstrated in their grain sourcing: every beer brewed here uses a base of Sinagua Malt, a benefit corporation in the Verde Valley that incentivizes local farmers to switch from water-intensive crops like alfalfa to barley, a shift that saves more than 100 million gallons of water annually for Arizona waterways.
The draft list at the Gilbert brewpub is a showcase of regional agriculture and creative fermentation. The flagship Refuge IPA is a balanced West Coast-style IPA built on a 100 percent Sinagua Malt base and loaded with citrus-forward American hops. Other seasonal and rotating taps highlight local collaborations: the AZ Dreamsicle Double Milkshake IPA incorporates hundreds of pounds of fresh oranges harvested from the nearby Agritopia Farm, while the Cactus Juice sour features locally grown prickly pear juice from Cactus Ranch and hibiscus tea from Tea Royalty. For sour and wild ale enthusiasts, the cozy Woodnotes Cellar on-site serves as a dedicated space for barrel aging and wild fermentation. This program includes beers born from their annual Camp Coolship expedition, where hot wort is exposed to the night air in remote Arizona landscapes to capture native yeasts and desert microflora.
The kitchen matches the beer's local focus with a robust, farm-to-table menu that highlights purveyors from across the state. The signature PB&J Burger is a local favorite, featuring a grass-fed beef patty, house-made peanut butter, jalapeño jam, and thick-cut bacon served on a bun from Phoenix-based Noble Bread. Another staple is the hand-cut duck fat fries, which are seasoned with fresh rosemary and thyme and served with a signature house dipping sauce. The dining room itself is designed with warm reclaimed wood and long communal tables, which transition to a spacious, dog-friendly outdoor patio wrapped in a high-powered misting system to combat the desert heat. Through a partnership with R. City, the brewery composts its organic waste, napkins, and utensils, closing the loop as that compost is used to grow produce that eventually returns to the kitchen.
Pair the flagship, water-saving Refuge IPA with the sweet-and-savory PB&J Burger on a Noble Bread bun.
Coffee & Craft — Roadside fuel stops curated by Basecamp West. The best coffee shops, craft breweries, diners, and eateries worth the detour on your next Western road trip.