Valley brewer brings Vermont roots to local craft scene

Gilbert resident Derek Hanson leads Pedal Haus’ beer vision

When Derek Hanson moved from his small hometown in Vermont to Arizona at age 21, he was looking for more than a change in weather.

The biting wind that once forced him to walk backward across his college campus had convinced him he needed a new environment, but it was his curiosity and creativity that set the course for his career in brewing.

Now 46 and a Gilbert resident, Hanson is the director of brewing operations at Pedal Haus Brewery , where he oversees the production facility in Chandler that supplies beer for all of the company’s Valley locations: Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Phoenix and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

His role blends the meticulous science of brewing with the creative artistry of developing new f