AZ Beer Week

To be honest, I haven't liked the Lugene. I was worried that they used maraschino cherries in the cask, but it actually turned out pretty tasty. It wasn't grossly fake-cherry, and the chocolate seemed to be balanced a bit more.

btw, saw the Amuste at GCM last sunday. Other new items there: picked up a couple Haandbryggeriet. The (Mikkeller) Mexas Ranger label amuses me somewhat, but the ingredients scare me..

 

Lugene was the bomb.

 

I've never noticed much of the college kid, let's get drunk, crowd there. I have only been there a couple of times late night, but afternoon and early evenings, most people seem somewhat engaged with the beer, and interested in learning more. Most of the staff is pretty solid. At the end of the day, the 21-30 demographic is moving to craft beer faster than any other so it is natural that WOB would set up in an area where that demographic is abundant. It will be interesting to see how their new location in Gilbert differs since it will be a different age group out there.

 

I'm 26, enjoy Mill Ave. once in a blue moon (the other kind) but 10/10, I'd rather visit Boulders or Flanny's than drive down to WoB. I've had such terrible experiences here in the evening on a Friday or Saturday night that I won't be back on those nights, ever. I've gone immediately after they opened on a Friday and Saturday (noon-ish) and had a much better time. I will probably agree that more 21s-30s are moving to craft currently, but I think MUCH more 30s-40s have already done so and are much more knowledgeable, hence the people who are opening these places. There is no doubt WoB is targeting college students of legal drinking age by placing their first bar on Mill Avenue, no doubt. However, craft beer is more expensive and I don't know too many college kids who have a large amount of disposable income (since I am one). I think more are going to WoB for an experience much like a couple would visit an expensive restaurant with $30+ entrees. I would be more inclined to visit a location that's not directly in the "get drunk" mecca of AZ, proven by ASU consistently rating in top lists for a party school and a location with one of the highest concentrations of bars in the PHX metro area. One of my absolute favorite places to go is Fox Cigar Bar in Gilbert because there are no large groups of "kids" and fantastic beer...oh, and cigars. I had no idea that WoB was opening a new location in Gilbert but I can guarantee that I will enjoy that location more.

 

I was there too! Thought both beers were amazing! The Rufus was with Brett, right? I rated it on *ahem* another site, and had somebody question if it indeed was the brett version. Made me start question myself. I did have a bit to drink that night!

 

Haha, yeah, it was a Brett beer but certainly not your typical advertised, over-the-top-funkiness brew - VERY "BOOZY" (I.M.O.). Were you able to hear Jeffers from Firestone speak? I was super excited about him talking, but about 60 seconds after he began speaking everyone just tuned out and started talking over him. I was pretty bummed by this and thought it was kind of embarassing for ATAH...

 

Maybe we just had different experiences because mine were the same as Bryan's. Even in the daytime hours it seems like college aged kids there and not working/professional adults (there is no food. it's not a restaurant. you come here to drink). Anything on Mill is going to lean this way because of the location.

 

Well, however, solo drinking at a craft beer bar is much cheaper than going to a typical bar and buying drinks for ladies in hopes of something later in the evening.

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like ASU has quite a few students with drinking money.

 

No, you're probably right. Ramen, twice a day, all week...but just wait 'til Friday! Gotta keep those priorities straight

I certainly don't hate WoB, just don't care for this particular one.

 

And now that this has turned into a WOB thread, I'll say that I'm looking forward to them coming into San Tan Village. At least the parking will be free... My 1st experience at Tempe was for the beer/cheese pairing which was great, but my visit the next night was sufficiently bad that I wrote them off--considering the other available choices.

Can't say that I've been impressed with the 'local' clientele at the STV Gordon Biersch, but if the beer is good enough and not horrendously overpriced I'll still give WOB a chance.

Darn, we should've made this its own thread to give the pesky Texans some competition...

 

I agree- pretty boozy. But the description I read said it spent 5 years in a bourbon barrel! So what can we expect? Ha. Got there a bit late & missed Jeffers. I was bummed, but sounds like I didn't miss much. That's really too bad.

 

I despised WOB right as it opened because it had the "let's go get lit at the new place" feel. It's now one of my favorite beer bars in town. I can understand how you guys hate the location but it works perfect for me. I'm 23 and still go to ASU and my part of campus is a 1/4 mile away. A quick skateboard ride and i'm there and then i take the light rail home. I usually only go on Wednesdays for WOBU after class at 4:30. You really can't beat half off all beers. And JP is the man!

 

The Angels Trumpet Firestone Walker tap takeover was great. They had 10 FW beers and a couple of barrel aged beers rarely seen. This was the first time at AT and we had a great experience. The staff handled the packed house well and I was glad to get there a bit early.

 

When it opened i didn't expect to ever be coming to the defense of WOB. But WOB is actually pretty cool on SUN/MON night after 10 or MON - THU before 7....other times its loaded with the crowd you'd expect. And There are at least two really cook bartenders there who know beer well (and one of them is a well-established BA).

And it is true the current group of 20-somethings are falling into craft faster than any other demographic and way faster than my cohorts did when we were in our twenties. i think it is good.
i don't love the WOB but it is among the least offensive of place son Mill (maybe Handlebar and Bison Witches being the only other places with craft that aren't awful...the Mushroom late at night isn't totally horrible either).
In fact if a chain with a little of the sterile corporate feel had to come along and contaminate my neighborhood (i do live in walking distance to the Mill Ave nonsense) then one selling craft beer is least on the list of my worries.
Yeah I've had some bad experiences at WOB (servers who said they didn't have something that i had specifically come there to get, only to find later people sitting next to me drinking it;...the absurd idea of the bathroom attendant; the bathroom being too small in general; horrendous pop music; mainstream pro sports on tv etc etc...) but it is way better than the analogous chain restaurants for example. And actually ive had some good times and good beer conversations and above all some great beer at WOB.

Contrary to Yemmenmocha's stubborn, curmudgeonly nonsense: all growth is craft beer is good
BECAUSE THEN MORE PEOPLE CAN HAVE BETTER BEER, and support small businesses, and support local food movement (which are also good despite the whining of people who don't like some AZ breweries) and reduce the long arm of the Macros and encourage changes in the culture.

It is inevitable that when something you like becomes popular and gains some success it will be emulated and it will spread. But if these people who don't like don't buy craft beer than the prices go up and the availability goes down for everybody...and the macros win.

 

Then anytime people point out that a release is sold out immediately, the strong beer fest sold out and now you can't go, the lines are crazy, that Hungry Monk was a shitshow for a rare Bell's event, etc. then I'm happy to reiterate the Luwak opinion - those are good things. All of the growth related negatives are your baggage then (but I guess they aren't negatives).

I don't dispute there are many goods, or that the goods outweigh the negatives. I just think it's crazy to assert that all aspects of growth are good.

 

Yeah when craft reaches 50 percent of the beer market than we can start evaluating the negatives right now i contend all growth is good.

 

It reminds me of the times when I start listening to a new band that not many people have heard of. You attend their concerts, tickets are super cheap and you feel it's your job to spread the word and help make them grow. Soon the band is mainstream, it's all over the radio, you're so sick of their songs and eventually you stop listening to them.

Now, I don't think this will happen with craft beer but as long as I have more choices, availability grows from just 3 or 4 shops around the valley and prices don't go through the roof, I'm content. I think these "events" need to understand this is a growing industry and almost at an exponential rate, and that they can prevent shit-shows from happeing with just the smallest amount of planning. I can imagine we'll see even more events next year, more tickets available and new faces throughout...and that makes me happy.