The menu consists of elevated and eclectic comfort classics, with a rotating selection of beers on tap. It is widely recognized for its regular 20 beers, and the restaurant and brewery, Old Ellsworth Brewing Company, is located in Queen Creek. The award-winning establishment spans 5,800 square feet and I am grateful to my supportive mother-in-law and Alaska for bringing this to Arizona.
According to Brian McKean, one of the owners of Old Ellsworth, my personal experience began as I approached the end of my service in the Navy in approximately 1998. The Navy took me to both the East and West coasts, including a visit to Arizona where I encountered my future wife, Christine, who happened to be from Illinois. Shortly after, I decided to settle in Arizona until an opportunity arose from the north. “A family friend owned a jewelry store in Skagway, Alaska and needed assistance during the busy summer months, so we gladly accepted the offer. Initially, we spent summers in Alaska and winters in Arizona, but eventually, we started dividing our winter time between Mexico as well,” McKean explains. “We continued this lifestyle for about nine years, during which an Alaskan acquaintance introduced us to the art of home brewing.”
Christine and Ryan Bostrom, who were both interested in home brewing long before they met, found success at a high level on their own and together. Along the way, Ryan fell in love with the process and several of his recipes. They initially set out to brew at home in Alaska, but soon moved back to Arizona in 2009. McKean was impressed by their dedication and passion.
With the help of the Economic Development Committee in the town of Queen Creek, an opportunity arose for a family to start a brewery in Creek Queen. While reading a trade magazine about beer, Brian came across an ad about this opportunity. Brian’s studies revealed that Creek Queen had the highest per capita population of beer drinkers in Maricopa County, yet there were no actual breweries in Creek Queen. “I spent the better part of five years talking about starting a brewery, while finishing my college education at the University of Phoenix studying business intensively,” says McKean, Brian’s mother-in-law, Sheryl Bostrom’s mother.
The menu displayed chef Hudson’s exceptional skill by featuring unique variations of Philly cheesesteak, egg rolls, Nashville Hot Chicken, Cajun pasta, and gourmet burgers. After a brief five-minute taste test, the brewery’s culinary program was entrusted to chef Hudson, who gladly accepted the opportunity to develop it. Coincidentally, Robert Hudson, a renowned culinary expert, was referred to the project by a friend. The brewery, interestingly enough, was managed by a former grain farmer for Anheuser-Busch in North Dakota, and the development team promptly suggested a suitable location for it.
The onset of the pandemic has marked the first kind of festival of its kind since February 2021, when the Ellsworth Old Brewery hosted the Strong Saving Beer Festival in its parking lot. Recently, Ellsworth Old Brewing partnered with the Arizona Farm Bureau to develop a beer called Cien, which is currently available at Total Wine & Spirits. They have also exclusively featured spirits from Arizona-based distilleries such as Clover Blue and OHSO on their cocktail menu. In addition, they have supported local Scouts-Arizona by participating in the Cookie Scout Girl Dessert Challenge in 2020. Their mission since day one has been to collaborate authentically with the community and create crave-worthy food and damn good beer. The doors of Ellsworth Old Brewing opened in 2017, and ever since then, they have been making beer in a simple yet authentic way. McKean says, “Beyond our mission, our goal has always been to make good beer that the community craves.”