Report
2019. Craft production will likely exceed
comparable 2019 levels by the end
of 2022, buoyed by strong at-the-brewery
sales for tap rooms and brewpubs.
From an employment point of view,
the opportunity that was created
through them played its importance,
creating many jobs, precisely in areas
that did not offer many options. John
Peasley for example, a Navy veteran,
wanting to return to the places of his
childhood, bought his first café in Williams,
AZ, in 2003: the White Horse
Post and Cruisers Route 66 Café. Obeying
his mantra: “The world is yours and
waiting for you, so go out and explore.”
John soon wasn't satisfied anymore
and consequently founded the Grand
Canyon Brewing Company, to pay
homage, as he says, "to the breathtaking
panorama and Williams' adventurous
kind of life.” In fact, such venues
did not exist before and the wonder of
nature, just a step away, served as a
unique attraction, giving great impetus
to work.
However, after a decade in business
and with products already distributed
in Phoenix and Tucson, production
was no longer sufficient to meet the
growing demand, so John decided to
relocate the brewery to its present site,
about a mile from its previous location.
This allowed not only the expansion
of production, improved quality control,
the creation of an evocative room
with a fireplace, but also a complete
kitchen and many visual features that
please the eye.
The same policy also applies to spirits,
whose production, again with 100%
local Arizona raw materials, began in
2017.
But John is not used to resting on his
laurels, along with the impossibility of
creating small seasonal beer batches
combined with the desire to make the
most of the breathtaking surrounding
landscape, prompted the creation of a
second brewery in Flagstaff, Arizona,
in 2019. At just over 30 minutes by car,
a specialized production, an adjoining
bar and recreation area was created
within a convenient distance.
Today the full company name is
18 BREWING AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY · 2/2022