BEAT

IN HIGH SPIRITS

Tyler Smith is serving up positive vibes one beer at a time at Kitsune Brewing

In Japanese, kitsune translates to “fox.” In Japanese culture, however, kitsune are often seen as a symbol of a good omen. “For me, kitsune means all things good vibes, and maybe being smart like a fox, too,” says Tyler Smith, Kitsune Brewing Company founder. Smith, a Scottsdale native who graduated from Paradise Valley High School in 2004, first learned about brewing during a house party while studying journalism and marketing at University of Arizona. “I went out that next week and purchased my own brew kit. One led to two, and two to about 200 over time,” says Smith, whose beer became the unofficial beverage of Meritage Homes’ company parties during his time on their marketing team after graduating from college. When the real estate market crashed, Smith was recruited to Portland to work for Nike in 2010, a job that required travel to Japan. In between having two children with his supportive physician wife and traveling, he still brewed when he could, perfecting his recipes. “As I was starting to burn out on travel, I kept coming across kitsune shrines in ramen shops across Asia. I took them as a sign,” Smith says. “When I went to get a tattoo once back home and the artist had just completed a kitsune-themed art show, I knew in my gut if I followed my heart that good omens would follow.” As such, Smith and his family moved back to Phoenix in 2019 to launch Kitsune Brewing Company. “My wife gave me two years to make my dream come true, and the clock did not stop when COVID19 hit,” says Smith, whose initial brewery plans were thwarted by the statewide shutdown in 2020. Smith took the setback in stride, partnering with Simple Machine Brewing Company to do contract brewing, and investing in two large-scale fermenters to assist with production. His first formal beer, a hazy IPA, hit the market in September 2020. It sold out in two weeks, as have subsequent releases. Feeling blessed, Smith is eyeing late 2021 or early 2022 to open his own shop. “And yes, plans are already in place for a kitsune shrine in homage to the ones that first inspired me,” Smith says. “Good omens and great beer for all!”

BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ / PHOTO BY CLAUDIA JOHNSTONE