Bad Water Brewing - Western Lager

Bad Water takes the extra time and effort to use traditional lagering methods with their Western Lager, and it shows in the quality. Pouring a medium amber, this brew offers up a pleasant aroma; look for floral and spicy hop notes to come forward with a bit of an herbal zing, overlaying a base of caramel malts with a distinct bready quality. Our tasting panel found this lager very well-balanced on the palate as those bready, crackery caramel notes deliver a hint of sweetness that is countered nicely by a floral, spicy, and lightly woody Willamette hop contribution. The hops dry the beer out nicely in the finish, which lingers with a toasty, peppery note. We felt this was a tasty easy-drinker in the vein of a well-executed Vienna lager, which is hard to beat in terms of versatility with food, especially anything off the grill: we’d recommend chicken, pork chops, and especially, brats. Prost!

Launched towards the end of 2012, Bad Water is relatively new on the brewing stage. Founder Lewis Kubitz brings a diverse background to the business, including experience in politics, finance, and technology. His passion for beer is rooted in the way beer serves as a social glue, bringing people together while remaining timeless despite the changing and varied interests and experiences of the people who enjoy it. From the beginning, Kubitz’s approach to the beer business was a bit unorthodox, choosing neither of the typical paths into craft beer brewing: building his own brewery, or contracting with a single local existing brewery to brew his recipes and package his beer. Instead, he chose to forge relationships with multiple breweries around the country, including Nimbus, a local Arizona brewer, as well as Fort Collins Brewery and Minhas Craft Brewery in the brewing havens of Colorado and Wisconsin, respectively. Says Kubitz, “Each brewery has unique specializations and we are fortunate they all see the benefit in working with us to produce at the top of their game for the best Bad Water beer.”

The first beer Bad Water launched in 2012 was their Saison, a bold choice for a flagship brew considering it’s a lesser known style – although that’s begun to change. After growing significantly through 2013, they released their second product early this year: an IPA, brewed to be less heavy and lower in ABV than typical IPAs. It was a timely move, as we’ve seen this trend toward more sessionable IPAs accelerate over the last year or so. Our members will be among the first to try their third product, Western Lager, which is launching right now. As we write this, Bad Water is also constructing a new Tap Room in downtown Scottsdale that is slated to open towards the end of August. It’ll be a great place to meet their staff and sample their beers, eventually including several new year-round products they’re planning to release in the coming years. For more info, visit them at www.badwaterbrewing.com.