Sonora Brewing Company - Burning Bird Pale Ale

Nothing like the smell of a Burning Bird, eh? That's what they're saying in Arizona anyway. Seriously, when you pour this beer you are going to find that an ample head develops and sits lastingly atop the golden-orange brew, with an aroma so pleasant you may have to force yourself to stop sniffing and start drinking. You'll certainly be pleased with the captivating, heavily hoppy, grapefruit aroma. Expect a medium body and note how the biscuity malt plays off the fruity, floral hop flavors while still finishing with solid bitterness. Wonderfully suited for a mandarin chicken dish or perhaps an Asian-style sweet and sour pork.

The Sonora desert of Arizona is one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the USA. It spans thousands of square miles and runs from Phoenix, AZ to Palm Springs, CA and beyond. It is the hottest of the North American deserts, so if you plan on going in to the desert proper, you might want to consult our annotated survival guide, which you can read below. Despite being among the hottest regions on the continent, it receives, surprisingly, an abundant amount of rainfall and as a result, is home to a terrific degree of biological diversity. Naturalists, scientists, and tourists alike have flocked to this area for years, fascinated by the fantastic examples of plants and wildlife that flourish despite the temperature. The plants and animals of the region are the treasures of the area, and for nearly a decade, visitors and locals to the region of Arizona near the Sonora have been treated to the refreshing treasures offered by one of this month's featured breweries, the Sonora Brewing Company.

Some people may find it hard to believe that a brewery of this stature sprung up and flourished in this climate, while others recognize the similarity that the brewery holds in comparison to the wonders of the desert itself—how, from the harshness of the elements, such an oasis has developed is a characteristic common to the both of them. This fact was likely recognized by John and Margie Watt, the husband and wife owners of the brewery who borrowed the name of the adjacent desert back in 1996. The Sonora desert is a uniquely North American landscape, unduplicated elsewhere in the world, distinctly southwestern in nature. However, the Sonora Brewing Company, though locally influenced in terms of the colorful names given to their beers (e.g. Burning Bird Pale Ale, Desert Amber, or Old Saguaro Barley Wine Ale), is run in accordance with time-tested European traditions. From its inception, the Sonora Brewing Company has chosen to follow the strict guidelines of the German Beer Purity Law, also known as the Reinheitsgebot. As per the regulations of this law, Sonora uses only the finest malted barley, hops, water, and yeast. Add to that list a fine German brewer, Uwe Boer, and youve got yourself a brewery that crafts the freshest and tastiest beers that the Valley of the Sun has ever enjoyed.

John, Margie, and Uwe have been catering to the locals for eight years now and in that time have developed an impressive line up. One interesting member of this line up is actually non-alcoholic: a root beer made with local desert honey. If you can pay a visit to the Sonora Brewing Company Brewhouse Pub and Restaurant in Phoenix, you can have one of their famous root beer floats, made by mixing this root beer with vanilla vodka. That, along with their other fine beverages ought to inspire you to take a trip to the desert, so read our desert survival guide, and head on out to the great state of Arizona. When it comes to their beers, there's nothing better suited to slaking your thirst during the area's hot summer days and cool winter nights.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (602) 484-7775 or check out their web site at www.sonorabrew.com.