Opened: 1989

Closed: 2008

Annual Production: 4,500 bbl

Contributor: Marc Peagler

Beer shipped outside Arizona is brewed by Gluek.

Paul Burton passes along this brief history:

The Arizona desert. Home to 20 million rattlesnakes, Scattered F-16 parts, and lizards the size of beagles. All baked to a crisp 130 degrees. It's the kind of wide open desolation that makes people think twice before shutting off the car. And a place where a cold beer is pretty damned important.

For Crazy Ed Chilleen, of Cave Creek, Arizona, (Pop.1328 including coyotes and cattle) beer was much too important to be trusted to outsiders. So, in 1989, he started brewing his own.

The town was suspicious. And became even more so when an entire brewery arrived in crates at the foot of Black Mountain, along with a German named Arnold. But after the first batch the people began to come around. The beer was good, damn good, So good in fact, the yuppies started driving in from all over to try it.

Something had to be done, So , whenever one of them whined for a "wedge of lime" Ed started putting a hot serrano chili pepper into the beer instead. Amazingly, about 2 out of ten actually liked the stuff. Surely, thought Ed, the Eighties had come to close.

Today Ed with Juan Olguin brew the original "Cave Creek Chili Beer" "Juanderful Wheat" "South of the Border Porter" "Ocotillo Amber" " Frog light" and the original "Black Mountain Gold". Chili Beer is sold in 20 states in the U.S., Japan, China and some other countries with strange sounding names.

Our motto is and always will be

"WE DRINK ALL WE CAN AND SELL THE REST"

Updated: October 20, 2008

• Original Cave Creek Chili Beer
  Herb and Spice Beer
  • Date: June 17, 1996 (#1515)
    Package: bottled
    Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA
    Score: 15 points
    Overall Impression (2½)
    Golden, very low carbonation, good head, whole