Phoenix Beer Scene Inquiry

Discussion in 'Southwest' started by Brewfisted, Jan 25, 2018.

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  1. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Greetings, BA friends! Haven't posted any inquiries in these forums, so I figured I'd throw some feelers out there and see what comes back. Heading down to Phoenix next week for some golf, and most importantly, good beer. Does anyone have any suggestions on must-stop breweries, bottle shops and places with a great local craft beer tap selection? I look forward to hearing any feedback! Cheers!!
     
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  2. aschwab

    aschwab Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2009 Texas

    I visited for the first time 10 days or so ago. To me, the breweries that I went to that I suggest are:

    Wren House
    Helton
    McFate
    Arizona Wilderness
    Goldwater
     
  3. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Awesome, thanks for the info. Wren House looks great!
     
  4. Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse

    Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse Zealot (744) Jul 20, 2016 Indiana

    Where are you staying? The Phoenix area is a lot larger than most people realize.

    In general, though, @aschwab had some pretty good suggestions. Only brewery I'd add is The Shop. I'd also recommend hitting up a good beer bar and/or bottle shop. Don't want to come out here and not grab a beer from Tombstone or Modern Times. Plenty of good suggestions on those things if you do a quick search.
     
  5. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Perfect, thanks! Definitely not at all familiar with the distro out there, but I LOVE Modern Times. My understanding is that we are relatively close to the airport (PHX). We're in town for the Waste Management tournament. I'm definitely allocating a bit of time to finding the best bottle shop(s) in close proximity to that area, as well as good watering holes with an ample selection of local taps.
     
  6. aschwab

    aschwab Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2009 Texas

    Close to the airport is where we stayed, and it worked out great. You may not have anything right next to you, but you are close to the train and uber in all directions are not bad.
     
  7. Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse

    Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse Zealot (744) Jul 20, 2016 Indiana

    Yep, from the airport area, just hop on the light rail and it'll take you by lots of points of interest. Plenty of bars on Mill Ave., and Tops is just walking distance from there. Decent bottle shop and taplist.

    If you like pizza, I like Boulders on Broadway. Awesome tap list. Craft 64 in Scottsdale has all local taps. Depends on where you'll be golfing, really.
     
  8. bigbelcher

    bigbelcher Initiate (0) Jul 10, 2003 Arizona

    I would add to the list Huss Brewing and Sun Up. Both making great beers, Huss has a tap room 3 blocks from Sun Up right off the light rail. Pedal Haus on Mill Ave has some solid offerings as well. Also off the light rail in Mesa is Cider Corps if you want to try something different, there are a couple of beer places nearby but I wouldnt recommend them.
     
  9. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Love it. Keep the suggestions coming! All solid options. I will actually have a rental car since I intend on getting a few holes in each day, so anything adjacent or accessible to light rail isn't really a pre-requisite. It seems as if Mill Ave will be my one-stop shop for everything, including food. And along those lines, I'm a foodie, so if anyone has any awesome must-stop eateries they recommend, I'd love to hear it.
     
  10. bigbelcher

    bigbelcher Initiate (0) Jul 10, 2003 Arizona

    I wouldn't recommend drinking and driving. This state has some of the toughest DUI laws around. It's worth your money to uber it around if you've even have one beer. Just off Mill Ave on Farmer St is the Yard. its a fun place to go. You can also get Thai take out at Thai Basil and eat in Taste of Tops. A couple of cheap burger places on Mill Ave are Five Guys and Steak and Shake
     
  11. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Thanks for the tip. Yeah, I've actually heard the same, and I'll probably take your advice on that. Guess I'll have to suck it up and get the uber app once and for all. Don't need to be taking any unnecessary risks. Definitely not a fast food kinda guy.... We have Five Guys and Steak & Shake here as well. I'm into places that have a good variety of menu items, notably things that locals say "you gotta go try this" (of course a solid beer menu is a huge plus). I'd like to try things that I could get while in Phoenix and know that I will never see again once I get back to St Louis. But based on what I'm hearing, it seems Mill Ave is the place.
     
  12. Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse

    Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse Zealot (744) Jul 20, 2016 Indiana

    For drinking, Mill is a decent choice. For food, it's lots of bar food. That said, Rula Bula is a great Irish pub. I'd recommend it for the food alone, and there are some basic local craft options. They had Dragoon IPA last time I was there, even though it wasn't on the menu. If you're looking for another "bar district" old town Scottsdale deserves a mention. Hit Goldwater and Two Brothers, then you've got lots of bars within walking/short-uber distance. Craft64 has decent pizza and good taps, and Yardhouse always has something good on tap whichever city I'm in. Plus, you can hit the world-class mall in case you need to do some drunk impulse-buying. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    Off Mill, still, I mostly eat at breweries/gastro pubs when I go out. Wilderness has stand-out burgers, I already mentioned Boulders for pizza and beer, Buddyz is GREAT for real Chicago deep dish (skip Lou Malnati's and Geno's East in favor of Buddyz, IMO). McFate has solid food. (North has real wood fired pizza, south does not, but had a larger menu if you'll be at the open, North is worth a stop to pregame. Not a lot of local beer at the open. Best thing I saw last year was Saint Archer. Really good IPA, but Coors-owned.) Cornish Pasty is a unique spot. Good taps, and where else can you get a pasty?

    If you want dessert, Doc's in Tempe is THE place. Weird hours, but the ice cream (technically gelato) worth it. He even makes some liquor-infused flavors.

    And I'll stress this again. Find a Tombstone beer on tap before you leave. Good stuff.
     
  13. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Thanks for all the great advice guys! I'm going to try and knock out as much of that as I possibly can! I'm actually staying on 8th Street so it looks to be about a 17 Mile Uber ride to Mill Ave. Sucks. I tried looking into the light rail but I got to be honest... That shit is confusing as hell! Mill Ave is Tempe right?
     
  14. Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse

    Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse Zealot (744) Jul 20, 2016 Indiana

    It is in Tempe. The light rail is really pretty simple. Just find a stop and you can buy a ticket from the machine. They come about every 15 minutes. You can get a multi-day pass cheaper than a per-ride ticket.
     
  15. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    I was actually trying to find a light rail map that sort of overlaid the streets so that I could find a stop close by where I'm staying but didn't have much luck with that. I suspect taking light rail from there to Mill would be a hell of a cheaper than an uber.
     
  16. Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse

    Ten_SeventySix_Brewhouse Zealot (744) Jul 20, 2016 Indiana

    Yes, it should be much cheaper. Depending on where on 8th Street you're staying, you might look at Angel's Trumpet Ale House. I've never been, but hear good things. It may be walking distance for you.
     
  17. sonsofauerbach

    sonsofauerbach Crusader (494) Sep 30, 2013 Vermont
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    I lived in AZ for years and can vouch for Angel's Trumpet. Always a great list of beers and plenty of good food options.
     
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  18. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Thanks for the suggestions. As it turns out, the major intersections I'm staying near are north 7th st and E. Cheryl. This is around 12 mi from Angel's Trumpet, which seems like it will be a mandatory stop before heading toward Mill. Wren House seems to be on the way as well.....
     
  19. IGaveYouPower

    IGaveYouPower Savant (1,070) Dec 2, 2010 New York
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    I've spent a week in Phoenix in each of the last couple years and minus Goldwater (only because I haven't been) these would be my suggestions.

    In order: Wren House, AZ Wilderness, McFate, Helton.

    For bottle shops, when you're at AZ Wilderness, it's a pretty quick scoot down to Gilbert Convenience Mart, who'll have Modern Times, Tombstone, Council, Lost Abbey, Grassroots and a lot of other stuff you probably wouldn't get in MO.
     
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  20. Brewfisted

    Brewfisted Devotee (347) Dec 26, 2016 Florida
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    Thanks for the advice. Already going to Wren House. Guess I'll have to hit AZ Wilderness and the bottle shop as well!
     
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