Goodyear brewery adding seasonal brews for fall

Editor's note: This article first appeared in Sun Life Magazine, a Daily Independent publication.

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Saddle Mountain Brewing Co. in Goodyear specializes in a variety of beers, including IPAs, stouts, lagers, and seasonal offerings all made on site by a team of brewers led by head brewer Anthony Worthy.

Worthy has been with the company for eight years and has seen the company and the team grow.

“It’s thankless work, it’s hard work, hard labor but we’re not jaded or burnt out because at the end of the day we know all of the work that went in to get our product to this point was worth it,” Worthy said. “I’m proud of what we do and having creative freedom make it that much easier.”

Part of Worthy’s work is to create new beers for the brewery. His creative process starts where the product ends up – at a bar. He takes inspiration from other brews, pulling ideas from ingredients he hasn’t used or a type of beer he has not made in a while.

For Saddle Mountain’s 10th anniversary on Oct. 28, Worthy is recreating an old favorite with a twist. A Belgian quad made with a plum and prickly pear puree that has been aged in wine barrels.

“With our theme being 10 years in the desert, we really wanted that cactus flavor to shine out,” Worthy said.

MORE:  3rd Annual AZ Craft Beer Awards coming to the East Valley

Taking autumnal inspiration, Worthy and Saddle Mountain will serve a toasted pecan beer, complete with 150 pounds of locally grown pecans.

“Our fall offering is the most expensive, most technical, hardest beer we make,” Worthy said. “Every-one makes pumpkin spice, and I do too, but only a small keg of it to use on Halloween. SMBC didn’t want to do that. We’re taking fall brews in a different direction.”

SMBC collaborates with local businesses and nonprofits to contribute to the regional beer scene and community feel inside its taproom and in larger events that kick off in the cooler weather. The brewery hosts live music every Wednesday and Thursday and special events nearly every weekend be-tween September and May.

“Getting to share the work is so cool,” Worthy said. “I got lucky. I love beer and I like the chemistry, and I like the community.”