Written by Alison Bailing Batz Photographed by Luke Irvin
Arizona has Alaska and a supportive mother-in-law to thank for Old Ellsworth Brewing Company, the award-winning 5,800-squre-foot brewery and restaurant in Queen Creek. It’s known for its nearly 20 regular and rotating taps of beer and eclectic elevated menu of comfort classics.
“My side of the story begins as I neared the end of my service in the Navy around 1998,” says Old Ellsworth co-owner Brian McKean. “Though an Illinois native, the Navy took me across the East and West coasts, which included a stop in Arizona, where I met my future wife, Christine.” McKean made Arizona his home soon after, until opportunity knocked from up north. “A family friend had a jewelry store in Skagway, Alaska and needed help during the touristheavy summer months, so we obliged, at first spending summers in Alaska and winters in Arizona, but soon also dividing our time in the winter in Mexico as well,” says McKean. “We did this about nine years, during which time an Alaskan friend introduced us to home brewing.”
Impressed, McKean set out to home brew as well, initially in Alaska but soon back in Arizona, as they moved back full-time in 2009. McKean fell in love with the process – and several of his recipes – along the way. His brother-in-law, Ryan Bostrom, got similarly interested in home brewing. Before long, the two – along with Christine – were brewing both together and on their own with a high level of success.
“I then spent the better part of five years talking about starting a brewery, going so far as to study the business model intensively while finishing my college education at University of Phoenix,” says McKean. During Brian’s studies, he found Queen Creek to be the highest beer drinking population per capita in Maricopa County, yet it had zero actual breweries of its own. Enter Sheryl, McKean’s mother-in-law and Bostrom’s mother. While reading a beer trade magazine, the family came across an ad about an opportunity to start a brewery in Queen Creek with the help of the Town of Queen Creek Economic Development Commission. Sheryl not only called the number listed on the ad, but she set up a meeting for her boys to connect with the development committee in person.
The development team quickly recommended a space for the brewery, which happened to be run by a gentleman who used to grow grain in North Dakota for Anheuser-Busch. Kismet! A friend also knew a culinary master named Robert Hudson seeking a new project. It took about five minutes of tasting chef Hudson’s food before they offered to have him develop their culinary program. The resulting menu was a showcase of his extraordinary talent and included gourmet burgers, Cajun pasta, Nashville Hot Chicken (pictured above) and even a twisted take on egg rolls using Philly cheesesteak.
“By 2017, we opened the doors – and tapped the kegs – at Old Ellsworth Brewing Company,” says McKean. “Since day one, our mission beyond just making damn good beer and crave-worthy food has been simple: to collaborate with the community in an authentic way.” Case in point: in 2020, they supported the local Girl Scouts–Arizona CactusPine Council by participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge. They also feature exclusively Arizonabased spirits – including offerings from OHSO, Blue Clover, and Arizona Distilling Company – on their cocktail menu. Old Ellsworth recently partnered with the Arizona Farm Bureau to develop Cien, a beer currently available at Total Wine & Spirits that was made to honor the Bureau’s Centennial. Old Ellsworth also hosted the 2021 Saving Strong Beer Festival in its parking lot in February. The 18-brewer event marked the first such festival of its kind since the onset of the pandemic. Cheers to that!