Pinnacle Brewing Company has exploded onto the local craft beer scene in the past three years, capturing multiple local, national and international awards along the way. The Scottsdale-based beer maker was named Brewery of the Year in 2025 at the Arizona Craft Beer Awards and followed it up with three more medal wins in 2026. So what’s on tap for the future of this superstar brewery? We caught up with owner Robert Wilson to talk all things medals and an anticipated opening in the East Valley.
Congrats on the medals for Colonia, Ludwig and Surveillance Pigeon in 2026. That makes it eight medals in three years for you. You’re already one of the most-decorated breweries in Arizona. What does it mean to you to win competition awards?
Winning awards is always incredibly rewarding and we love knowing that people are enjoying the beers we make. Wyatt, our Head Brewer, is passionate about brewing traditional craft beer and we’re always glad to see his efforts get recognized on local, national, and international stages.
Are beer medals like children or do you have a favorite?
Each competition is different so it’s hard to pick a favorite. We love seeing how our beer measures up to others, from the local level to the international level. The bigger the competition, the more competitive it can be, so it’s always exciting to get World Beer Cup or GABF medals, but the local competitions are also meaningful because that’s our community.
What is the beer or brewing philosophy at Pinnacle and how has it developed over time?
Our passion is for the original craft beers, especially lagers. The craft beer universe is full of wild, creative beer making and while we respect that side of it, we want to highlight the styles of beer that started it all. We love offering that experience to everyone, from the experienced beer drinker to the people who are just starting to learn to love beer.
You’re expanding to a second taproom location in Downtown Mesa. How close are you to opening and what can your fans expect at that new location?
We are very excited about joining the Downtown Mesa community with our restaurant and taproom concept, Altar by Pinnacle Brewing. We are currently scheduled to open in late February of 2027 and will have more to share in the coming weeks!
What will Halloween be like at Pinnacle this year and what are some other events you have coming up?
We’ll be hosting our annual Pet Costume Contest on Saturday between 3 and 4pm. Obviously, our human customers are welcome to dress up too! We’re also excited to be a part of the Arizona Craft Beer Festival in Downtown Mesa, right next door to our future Mesa location. It’s going to be a busy weekend!
