Beaver Street Brewery celebrated its 30th anniversary.he orpheum theater. On March 1, staff and community members gathered for a night of drinking, games, music, and movies to celebrate “his 30th anniversary with beer and toast.”
To mark this milestone, the brewing team held a celebration outside the restaurant for the first time, demonstrating the scale and importance of the ceremony.
The event featured a happy hour reception featuring brewpub appetizers and beer. Proceeds from Beaver Street Brewery's Hazy Angel IPA were also donated. american riveran organization focused on maintaining the health of America's rivers.
Films and live music from the Flagstaff Mountain Film Fest were also shown. DJ Fresh. Jumbo size board games were also playable.
Beaver Street Brewery opened in 1994. Dick and Gene Wilson founded this bar after learning of his concept of a “brewpub”, a restaurant that brews its own brand of beer. Brewpubs were a new concept at the time, but they have since become more common in the United States.
The brewpub has been family-owned and operated since its opening, and the restaurant is currently owned by Winnie Hanseth, daughter of Dick and Gene Hanseth. Hanseth said she believes the fact that the restaurant is family-owned makes it even more professional.
“I think the family-owned aspect is important, and it allows us to be more connected to the city, rather than just a bunch of players coming to the game,” Hanseth said.
Hanseth said when the restaurant first opened, neither she nor her family expected it to become the popular hotspot it is today. Instead, they envisioned a low-key store, and Hanses compared their vision to that of a bar.cheers”
In 2010, Lumberyard Brewing Company It opened next door to Beaver Street Brewery and was originally intended to serve as a custom beer distribution center. Eventually, the location became another brewpub owned by the Beaver Street Brewery team.
Lumberyard Brewing Company is located in what was once the historic Halstead Lumberyard building down the road from Beaver Street Brewery. The city had planned to demolish the building, which had been abandoned for eight years, but the brewpub team won the building at auction and expanded its business to a wider audience.
Mike Darby, chief operations officer for both brewpubs, said Beaver Street Brewery is popular with locals and Lumberyard Brewing Company is a popular spot for tourists.
Hanseth said the rapid growth of the brewpub was a daunting experience, as she was working in an industry she knew nothing about. She saw an opportunity, she said, and decided to go all in on this business.
“I was a computer programmer, but getting into the restaurant business was completely new to me, especially when it came to brewpubs,” Hanseth said. “I really learned a lot about business and the community.”
Thirty years later, Beaver Street Brewery stands in the same location, offering custom beer, food, and entertainment to members of the community.
Darby said the initial impact the brewpub had on the community was huge, especially for students who attended NAU in the 1990s.
“Back then, there weren’t many places for NAU students to hang out, but Beaver Street was very popular among them,” Darby said. “Now we have people coming back and saying they used to hang out here when Beaver Street first opened.”
Darby said Flagstaff is a community-oriented city and that focus on the community keeps businesses thriving.
Darby said the community influence of the 1990s was crucial to the bar's growth. He said it was the support of local residents that had kept the pub open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Throughout the pandemic, what really kept us and other businesses afloat was the community,” Darby said. “Even when the doors were closed, people were ordering take-out food. The locals really supported us.”
When the brewpub opened, it was one of only two in Flagstaff. Currently, about 10 brewpubs in downtown Flagstaff have joined this growing community.
Gene Almquist, director of brewing operations at Beaver Street Brewery, said he feels a strong sense of camaraderie within the community.
“At the time, we were road-tripping specifically to talk to breweries and figure out what to do,” Almquist said. “One owner stopped everything he was doing to help us.”
Almquist said this sense of trust and help among other businesses that own brewpubs is important to him. It's still a competitive business, but those with more experience have always been willing to help.
Almquist said this healthy interaction builds a friendship of respect among brewers.
“Now, if someone asked me to do something similar, I would definitely help them,” Almquist said. “That’s all we are.”
Thirty years later, Beaver Street Brewery continues to serve as a community hub for Flagstaff residents, as well as a hotspot for tourists and visitors.
