HISTORY IN THE MAKING
How could a simple magazine article change so many lives? Well it did, in 1993.
Co-Founder’s Dick and Jean Wilson read an article about the up and coming trend of “Brewpubs”. Just not another restaurant, but one that brewed their own beer. In 1993 there were a mere 250 microbreweries and brewpubs. They quickly called their daughter Winnie Hanseth and told her about concept, hoping this would bring their daughter and her husband back to Flagstaff to live with their two children.
As it happens, one of the first Craft Brewers Conferences was in a few weeks away after the phone call. Winnie and Evan quickly dropped off their children at the neighbors and boarded a plan to New Orleans – the site of the Conference. The conference was small those years, a total of around 600 participants attended. (Today there are over 10,000 attendees)
The conference inspired and motivated Evan and Winnie to put their house on the market and moved to Flagstaff. Together with Winnie’s parents, Dick and Jean, they found the perfect spot to open the brewpub, on the Southside of historic downtown Flagstaff. Using the money from the sale of their house they bought the brewing equipment that Beaver Street Brewery still uses today.
In March of 1994, Beaver Street Brewery opened its doors as Flagstaff’s first brewpub. Over the years Beaver Street Brewery’s beer has been well received by the public and has won numerous awards. With little space, small capacity, and high demand for Beaver Street Brewery’s beer, owners Winnie and Evan Hanseth looked for an opportunity elsewhere to brew more beer and start distribution throughout Arizona.
Just when they had exhausted many possible locations around Flagstaff, the city of Flagstaff put out a request for proposal for the historical Halstead Lumberyard Building, built in the early 1900’s, and had been abandoned for 8 years. After being granted the proposal, Winnie and Evan rehabilitated the lumber building to become our sister brewery Lumberyard Brewing Company.
Lumberyard Brewing Company continues to brew the flagship Beaver Street Brewery beers, formed from Flagstaff’s original brewpub: Railhead Red, Flagstaff IPA, and Red Rock Raspberry. Even though some of their names have changed, these are still the great beers that started their journey here in 1994.
Beaver Street Brewery’s original brew house is still active today supporting Beaver Street Brewery with their flagship beers and seasonals to those that are visiting Flagstaff’s first brewpub.
MEET THE FAMILY, OWNERS
The Wilsons & The Hanseths
Jean & Dick Wilson
The Hanseths
If you asked Winnie 30 years ago what she would be doing today, her answer would be far from brewing beer and running a restaurant. But here she is today, having opened Beaver Street Brewery in 1994 and then Lumberyard Brewery in 2010. If you ask her what she loves the most, it would be all the people she has met and worked with throughout the years.
MEET OUR TEAM
Mike Darby | Chief Operations Officer
Mike joined the Beaver Street team in 1998 while attending Northern Arizona University. Growing up in Phoenix, the transition to Mountain life was quite a welcomed change. As an avid outdoors man, the forests surrounding Flagstaff became a natural fit. He has a wonderful wife and two active young boys
who keep him busy. He loves craft beer and the culture surrounding it, thus making going to work everyday a pleasure.
Rueben Stoller | Head Chef and Culinary Director
Reuben is classically trained in French and Italian cuisine, and hales from Bisbee Arizona. After his apprenticeship in northern Michigan, Reuben moved to Galesburg, Illinois where he took his first Sues Chef position at a French bistro Chez Willies, several years later he moved back to Arizona and landed in Flagstaff where he spent ten years as a Teppanyaki chef before becoming a part of the Beaver Street/Lumberyard family. When not at work you can find Reuben four wheeling or working on his Jeeps as well as fishing or any other outdoor activities. His favorite beer the Del Sol Lager.
Rachel Crowe | General Manager
Rachel has been with the lumberyard/beaver street family for over 6 years. She worked her way through the ranks from hostess to server and then all the way to general manager. She has lived in Arizona most of her life and has spent a good deal of time in Mesa, Sedona and Lake Havasu. She loves a good true crime podcast mixed in with some history. You will catch her spending time with her two dogs Gabbi and Ollie or enjoying a trivia night with her friends.
Kelly Hanseth | Marketing
Kelly grew up in the brewery industry working at Beaver Street Brewery throughout high school, and then moved to California for college. After graduation, she came back just as Lumberyard Brewing was in planning and has been here since. Not only does she help manage the restaurant and running all their social media pages, Kelly is currently the Vice President of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild. When not at the Lumberyard you can find her out on the numerous trails in Flagstaff either running or hiking with her two rescue dogs.
Stephen Hendricks | Head Brewer
Stephen started working in restaurants in high School where, like his mother, found a passion for food. After high School Stephen enrolled in culinary college at Baltimore International Culinary College. While in culinary school, Stephen also began home brewing, and turned this into a fulfilling hobby. When Stephen moved out to Flagstaff in 1998, there weren’t a whole lot of chef opportunities available, but was able to procure a line cook position at Beaver Street Brewery. When Brewmaster/owner Evan Hanseth needed a new assistant in the brewery, Stephen jumped at the opportunity. Stephen worked alongside Evan for 3 years, and then at Mogollon Brewing Co. for 13 years, before returning to BSB to run the brewery in 2014. When Stephen is not in the brewery you can find him on the Disc Golf course, the 4×4 trails, down river with his best friends, or cooking a homemade meal at home.
Michael McCarthy | Kitchen Manager
HISTORY OF OUR BUILDING
The building in which Beaver Street Brewery resides, has long been the site of businesses run by merchants who have understood the value of personal service.
1938
Merle Sauer and Henry Hutchinson opened the Complete Food Market on the corner of Beaver Street and Phoenix Avenue. Sauer and Hutchinson offered doorstep delivery and emphasized knowing each customer by name.
1947
The market expanded with the construction of the portion of the building now occupied by Beaver Street Brewery and Whistle Stop Café. The market was renamed the Food Town Super Market.
1955
The west section of the building was added. Constructed of Malapais rock, the addition included second story office space and a basement that was frequently flooded by runoff from the Rio de Flag, which currently runs under this building.
1965
The Market was one of the three largest grocery stores in Flagstaff. It closed permanently around 1984. After that time, the building was occupied by a Factory 2-U clothing outlet and a National Furniture Store.
1994
Beaver Street Brewery & Whistle Stop Café opened for business following nine months of remodeling. We soon expanded outdoors with our unique beer garden featuring native-grown hops.
2001
Beaver Street Brews & Cues opened its doors. This unique game room caters to adults of all ages. An antique Brunswick Bar is the center of attention, along with five Connelly Ultimate Billiard tables, digital jukebox, board games, and big screen TV’s.
TODAY
The owners, management, and staff of Beaver Street Brewery & Whistle Stop Café strive to carry on the tradition of personal service that made small businesses like Food Town SuperMarket both unique and successful.
