Four Peaks

reviewer from The Arizona Republic (after the brewery installed air-conditioning).

Quite a bit has changed since then, including the recent addition of the former sound studio used by Arizona band the Gin Blossoms, which has been converted into an entryway, bar space and merchandise room for the pub.

Four Peaks beers also are being sold in neighboring states, with plans to expand around the West and beyond. Anheuser Busch can brew Kilt Lifter at one of its massive California breweries to meet the increasing demand.

“I’m kind of famous for saying when we sold that nothing is going to change,” Ingram said. “I got kind of beat up for that because of course stuff is going to change. What I meant was that if you are going to go into Fry’s or come in here for a beer, you are not going to notice anything different.”

But the brewing has been stepped up, he said.

“What really has changed is their commitment to quality,” he said of Anheuser. “It’s impressive the amount of resources they’ve given us, from lab equipment to raw materials to the highest quality barley and hops that you just can’t find on the market.”

The makers of Kilt Lifter, Peach Ale, Hop Knot and Eighth Street Ale brewed up several batches of “throwback” beers from the vaults for the anniversary. One of them is called ML 209, a malt liquor named for rapid 209 on the Colorado River, where the brewery crew once got dumped from a raft.

The beer has more than 8 percent alcohol and pint glasses are served inside small paper bags.

They also brewed a batch of Blind Date Ale, an award-winning beer the crew never replicated after its 1998 debut because of the difficulty securing enough Medjool dates.

The beers will be released throughout the week at the Eighth Street pub and made available at the Saturday celebration. Dilbert online at comics .azcentral.com