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Helio Basin Brewing Co. Co-Founder and Head Brewer Dustin Hazer Talks 602 Brew
We spoke with Helio Basin Brewing Co. Co-Founder and Head Brewer Dustin Hazer about 602 Brew.
BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did!
BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
This beer can be enjoyed anytime of the year given the versatility of its flavor profile, making it a perfect complement to many dishes. It is a beer that is easy to drink yet subtly complex enough to appease a wide range of drinkers. The summers in Arizona get pretty hot so nothing beats an ice-cold 602 Brew on a 115-degree day in the desert.
BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
602 is the original Phoenix area code and it inspired me to call our signature beer “602 Brew” to build a sense of pride living in Phoenix as well as a sense of community. With myself and my business partner, Mike Conley, being Arizona transplants ourselves, we noticed there are also many other transplants or non-Arizona natives from the East coast, Mid-West and West Coast who now call Phoenix their home. One of the things that we found a little frustrating was that a lot of these folks try to imprint their own styles and characteristics of where they came from onto this City rather than embrace it for who it is. After all, we are all choosing to live here, why not highlight what it has to offer rather than dilute it down with where we all come from. We opened the brewery in Phoenix properly and wanted people to take pride in being from Phoenix and help it regain its own identity.
BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
This could definitely be my desert island beer, it’s very easy to drink, yet complex enough to truly appreciate!
BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Light-bodied, refreshing, clean, crisp and well-balanced.
BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
The 602 Brew is so diverse when it comes to food pairings! We have paired it with everything from house-made ice creams to nachos. It is light and crisp enough that it can help highlight flavors, while also having just enough oomph to allow its flavor to not get lost in the shuffle!
