Arizona Brewing Company

The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 gave birth to scores of new breweries throughout the United States. Eight brewing companies would attempt to open in Arizona after Repeal. Only one, the Arizona Brewing Company, would be successful. From humble beginnings of only 15,000 barrels per year, The Arizona Brewing Company would grow to produce over 250,000 barrels annually. During the brewery’s heyday in the 1940s and 50s, its flagship brand, A-1, would become the largest selling beer in Arizona.

Fenster Brothers Start State’s First Successful Post-Prohibition Brewery: The Arizona Brewing Company was founded as a closed corporation on May 6, 1933 by two brothers, Martin and Herman Fenster. Their brewery would be at 1143-1153 E. Madison Street in Phoenix, Arizona, with 34,000 square feet of floor space, and feature copper products in its equipment. All cooling rooms, storage rooms, fermentation rooms, and any other sections where the beer was kept, would remain under lock and key. Cleanliness would be an important aspect of the brewery.

The population of Phoenix by 1933 was just over 50,000 people, and it was the largest urban area between El Paso and Los Angeles. It was also the leading retail and wholesale trade center in much of the southwest. Many people, including local farmers and miners, depended on Phoenix for the necessities of daily life. The Fenster brothers picked an ideal location for their new brewery… read more >