Gilbert's very own Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. has been tapped to help create a new brew for Chipotle's one-day festival.
The "Chipotle Mexican Lager" will be developed in partnership between three local breweries, including Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri; and Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida.
The lager will only be available at the chain's "Cultivate Festival", which will be held April 30 at WestWorld of Scottsdale.
It's essentially a Chipotle-sponsored music and food festival. There are also some exhibits on GMOs (genetically modified foods) and comparisons between farm-raised and factory-made foods.
Local chefs Stephen Jones (Blue Hound Kitchen, Yard Bird + The Larder), Charleen Badman (FnB restaurant) and Chris Bianco (Bianco's Pizzeria) will host demonstrations. Chopped stars Amanda Freitag and Aaron Sanchez will also do demos.
The festival, music and activities are free and open to everyone. Food and drinks will have to be purchased.
The music lineup consists of Young The Giant, Echosmith, Lukas Graham, Betty Who, Holychild, Jared & The Mill and DJ Christopher Golub.
In February, Chipotle closed its stores nationwide to re-train workers on food safety after dozens of E. coli cases that sickened people were linked back to the chain. No locations in Arizona were linked to the E. coli outbreak, but the brand's image was obviously in a PR crisis.
Since then, the chain has offered coupons for a free meal to try and get people back into stores.
IF YOU GO:
2016 Phoenix Cultivate Festival
WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road
When: April 30, 2016
Time: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
