Smelter town

What Smelter town does

Smelter Town Brewery is a privately held craft brewery founded in fall 2020 by Craig and Becky Backus, operating from a single taproom at 921 Main Street, Suite A, in Clarkdale, Arizona. The brewery occupies a historic 1915 building — previously an undertaker's office, laundromat, and car dealership — alongside the co-located Park Hotel's nine rooms, forming one of Arizona's first "Bed and Brews." The portfolio spans approximately a dozen core beers across IPA, Hefeweizen, Berliner Weisse, Milk Stout, Pilsner, Cream Ale, and Amber Ale styles, plus a rotating in-house Smelter Seltzer and seasonal collaboration brews with regional partners (Hair of the Dog, Montapata Farms, Simple Machine Brewing, The Beer Babes, Catalyst). Notably differentiated offerings include the Sluice Box Smoothie Sour Series (whole-fruit-puree Berliner Weisse) and the Modern Miner Milkshake IPA (lactose- and vanilla-infused).

The business operates a pure direct-to-consumer model with no wholesale, distributor, or retail channels referenced. Revenue is generated entirely from on-premise draft pours ($6–$8 per pint), four-pour flights (from $10), crowler to-go sales (16oz from $10, 32oz from $16), a small food menu ($10 pretzel bites and nachos), and Park Hotel lodging. Customer segments are local Clarkdale and Verde Valley residents plus regional visitors; foot traffic is driven by weekly Music Bingo events, two annual festivals (ClarkdALE Beer Fest in May, Clarktoberfest in October), and active organic social presence on Instagram, Facebook, Untappd, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. The named leadership team consists of owners Craig and Becky Backus, General Manager Allyn Backus, and Head Brewer Tim Godin; no external funding, acquisitions, or expansion to additional locations have been disclosed.

Name

Smelter town

Legal name

Smelter Town Brewery

Website

https://smeltertownbrewery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smelter Town Brewery is a craft brewery and taproom in Clarkdale, Arizona, co-located with Park Hotel, serving local residents and Verde Valley visitors via on-premise pours, crowler to-go sales, flights, and lodging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Taproom services
• Crowler to-go sales
• Beer flights
• Brewery events

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarkdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. On-premise beer sales: The primary revenue stream is selling draft beers directly to consumers at the taproom. Beer prices range from $6–$8 per pint.
2. Crowler to-go sales: 16oz and 32oz crowlers of on-tap beers sold to-go. Prices start at $10 for 16oz and $16 for 32oz.
3. Food sales: Snack items including Soft Pretzel Bites (12 pieces for $10) and Nachos with beer cheese and jalapeños ($10).
4. Beer flights: Flights containing four 5oz pours, starting at $10 per flight.
5. Park Hotel rooms: The brewery shares a building with Park Hotel (9 rooms), marketed as Arizona's first 'Bed and Brews.' Room bookings are handled through Park Hotel's own website, and the proximity drives cross-consumption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Smelter Town Brewery produces and serves a diverse portfolio of house-brewed craft beers at its Clarkdale, Arizona taproom for on-premise consumption and to-go crowler sales. In addition to draft pours, beer flights, and a small snack menu, the brewery operates alongside the 9-room Park Hotel to offer Arizona's first 'Bed and Brews' concept, and hosts recurring community events including annual beer festivals and weekly Music Bingo nights.

Product overview

Smelter Town Brewery is a craft brewery offering a diverse portfolio of beers including IPAs (Hop Deposits, Heart Of Mine, Modern Miner Milkshake IPA), Blonde Ales (Main Street Blonde), Wheat beers (Steel Stack Wheat), Stouts (Slag-Out Stout), Seltzers (Smelter Seltzer), Pilsners (Crushing Department), Sour beers (Sluice Box Smoothie Sour Series, Clarkdale Weisse Guy), and collaboration brews. The brewery also provides food items, crowler to-go service, and beer flights. Additionally, it operates alongside Park Hotel offering accommodation services as part of Arizona's first Bed and Brews concept.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clark's Copper Ale American Amber Ale honoring Clarkdale with light orange and red hues, medium body with toffee flavor and slight hints of chocolate; 14.5 IBUs. Sold on tap and as crowlers to-go for adult craft beer consumers.
• Main Street Blonde Approachable Golden Blonde Ale that is malt-forward with a touch of hop character, not overbearing or bitter on the palate; 5.5% ABV, 15.5 IBUs. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Hop Deposits IPA Unfiltered New England IPA that is light, flavorful, and packed with tons of citrus aromas supported by a silky malt backbone; 35 IBUs. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Slag-Out Stout Semi-sweet Milk Stout that pours dark like copper slag with a cream-colored head, with aroma of roasted espresso and rich chocolate; 5.6% ABV, 25 IBUs. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Steel Stack Wheat Cloudy Hefeweizen reminiscent of copper smelter haze; semi-sweet and fruity with notes of banana and clove; 6.5% ABV, 15.5 IBUs. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Modern Miner Milkshake IPA Milkshake IPA flavored with lactose sugar and vanilla, producing a rich, full-bodied, creamy texture; dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops; 6.3% ABV, 23.5 IBUs. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Smelter Seltzer Alcohol-based seltzer made in-house with rotating flavors such as Ginger Peach (4.5% ABV). Sold on tap for adult consumers seeking a lighter alternative to beer.
• Crushing Department Pilsner Crisp, clean, and dry lager-style pilsner; 4.7% ABV, 30 IBUs. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Sluice Box Smoothie Sour Series (Cherry Cheesecake) Super fruited Berliner Weisse series made with whole fruit puree, producing a thick, viscous body reminiscent of a fruit smoothie; featured Cherry Cheesecake variant at 5.8% ABV. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Clarkdale Weisse Guy Strawberry Lemonade Berliner Weisse with real lemon and ripe strawberry over a crisp pilsner and white wheat base; 0 IBU. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Heart Of Mine Anniversary Hazy IPA Anniversary Hazy IPA brewed annually with Citra, Sabro, and Galaxy hops; 6.0% ABV, 43 IBUs. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers as the brewery's commemorative anniversary release.
• That's How We Casserole (Collaboration with Hair of the Dog) Collaboration ale with Hair of the Dog brewery, brewed with brown sugar, sweet potatoes, and toasted marshmallow flavor; 5.5% ABV, 59 IBU. Brewed for ClarkdALE Beer Fest and sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Root Awakening (Collaboration with Montapata Farms) Turmeric Session IPA collaboration with Montapata Farms, featuring Motueka and Mosaic hops and locally sourced turmeric; 5% ABV, 48 IBU. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Grinding Gears Extra Pale Ale (Collaboration with Simple Machine Brewing) Collaboration Extra Pale Ale with Simple Machine Brewing, featuring juicy white grape and tropical notes; 4.6% ABV, 75 IBU. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Bandit Queen (Collaboration with The Beer Babes) Collaboration cream ale with The Beer Babes, inspired by Arizona outlaw Pearl Hart; brewed for ClarkdALE Beer Fest and celebrating Arizona beer culture; 5.2% ABV, 18 IBU. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Diggin' Up Bones (Collaboration with Catalyst) Collaboration IPA with Catalyst, featuring Pilsner malt, Citra Incognito, Simcoe, and double dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic hops; brewed as a special for ClarkdALE Beer Fest; 8.4% ABV, 80 IBU. Sold on tap for adult craft beer consumers.
• Crowlers To-Go 16oz and 32oz crowlers to-go of any beers on tap, available via walk-in or call-ahead orders; 16oz starts at $10 and 32oz starts at $16, with prices varying by beer. Targets adult craft beer consumers wanting to take beer home.
• Beer Flights Flights containing four 5oz pours of selected beers, starting at $10 per flight. Targets adult craft beer consumers wanting to sample multiple house beers on-premise.
• Taproom Snack Menu Snack offerings including Soft Pretzel Bites (12 pieces for $10) and Nachos with beer cheese and jalapeños ($10). Targets taproom patrons pairing food with craft beer on-premise.
• Park Hotel Rooms (Bed and Brews) Nine revitalized rooms in the same building as the brewery, marketed as Arizona's first 'Bed and Brews' concept; bookings handled through Park Hotel's own website. Targets visitors and tourists seeking overnight lodging integrated with craft beer hospitality.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hair of the DogminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative brewing partnership resulting in 'That's How We Casserole,' an ale brewed with 50 pounds of brown sugar, 40 pounds of mashed sweet potatoes, and toasted marshmallow flavoring. Brewed for ClarkdALE Beer Fest.
• Montapata FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with local Cornville, AZ turmeric farm for 'Root Awakening,' a Turmeric Session IPA featuring Motueka and Mosaic hops and locally sourced Montapata Farms turmeric.
• Simple Machine BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Simple Machine Brewing resulting in 'Grinding Gears Extra Pale Ale,' featuring juicy white grape and tropical notes.
• The Beer BabesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with The Beer Babes for 'Bandit Queen,' a smooth cream ale inspired by Arizona outlaw Pearl Hart, brewed for ClarkdALE Beer Fest and celebrating Arizona beer culture.
• CatalystminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Catalyst resulting in 'Diggin' Up Bones,' a hoppy, resinous beer featuring Pilsner malt, Citra Incognito, Simcoe, and double dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic hops. Brewed as a special for ClarkdALE Beer Fest.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• THAT Brewery: Small-town craft brewery in Pine, AZ. Closest peer in scale and concept — rural Arizona mountain town, single taproom, community events, and locally rooted brand identity similar to Smelter Town.
• Wren House Brewing Company: Phoenix-based craft brewery and taproom with a strong neighborhood/place-based brand identity. Comparable as an Arizona craft brewery of similar size with diverse rotating styles and an event-driven taproom.
• Simple Machine Brewing: Cottonwood, AZ craft brewery located in the same Verde Valley as Smelter Town. Direct local peer and active collaboration partner ('Grinding Gears Extra Pale Ale'); competes for the same Verde Valley taproom traffic.
• Oak Creek Brewery & Grill: Small craft brewery and grill in Sedona, AZ, ~20 miles from Smelter Town. Direct competitor for Verde Valley/Sedona tourist taproom traffic with a comparable small-scale, on-premise-focused model.
• Mother Road Brewing Company: Flagstaff, AZ-based craft brewery with taproom and distribution. Comparable as an Arizona regional craft brewery of similar vintage (founded 2010) targeting the same Northern Arizona visitor and local community base.
• Grand Canyon Brewing + Distillery: Williams, AZ craft brewery plus distillery and taproom. Directly comparable as a rural Arizona craft brewery dependent on regional tourism and a single physical site.
• Dragoon Brewing Company: Tucson-based craft brewery operating a taproom and distributing packaged beer across Arizona. Directly comparable as an Arizona craft brewery with an active product portfolio and community-focused brand.
• Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company: Gilbert, AZ craft brewery and taproom recognized for place-based, locally themed branding. Comparable in community-driven positioning and product depth within the Arizona craft market.

Broad incumbents

• Four Peaks Brewing Company: Largest Arizona craft brewery (Tempe/Scottsdale), broad distribution and full restaurant. Larger incumbent that sets pricing and traffic benchmarks across the Arizona craft segment and overlaps on taproom experience.

Regional players

• Lumberyard Brewing Company: Flagstaff, AZ craft brewery and restaurant housed in a historic lumberyard building. Comparable in the historic-building-brewery concept and Northern Arizona visitor market, though operating in a different town.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SmelterTownBrewery
• Instagraminstagram.com/smeltertownbrewery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smelter-town-brewery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smelter town