Cartel Brewery, a fast-growing offshoot of Cartel Coffee Lab, is opening a second, larger Tempe brewery in February to be called The Shop Beer Co.
“I’m committed to giving the beer a voice of its own,” Cartel owner David Arnce says. “I want to create an atmosphere tailored for beer.”
Cartel Coffee, which opened in 2008 and now has five locations in the Valley and Tucson, installed brewing equipment near its original location in downtown Tempe in late 2012.
Under the direction of head brewer Matt Johnson, the brewery’s 5-barrel system produces four “core” beers – Desert Pale Ale, Coffee Brown, Amber Rye, and FYITM Double IPA.
The beers are sold at all five Cartel coffeehouses and about 20 accounts – bars and restaurants – in the Valley.
From house to office to brewery
The new location is 922 West First Street (map), a 1952 house-turned-office in an industrial area south of Rio Salado Parkway near the Tempe Center for the Arts.
Arnce says he looked at other spaces in Tempe, “but what kept falling short for me was character.”
Now he’s in the process of restoring the house, which was converted into a commercial office 15 years ago, back to its original state, including the restoration of its front porch.
The Shop Beer Co. (which Arnce pronounces “The Shop Beer-Co”)Â will have 9,500 square feet, compared to just 1,200 at Cartel Brewery, which also will continue to brew beer.
Contrary to one published report, the new brewery’s 20-barrel system will not have 11 60-barrel tanks, but rather a more realistic three 60-barrel and five 15-barrel.
16 beers on tap, but no kitchen
The sixteen taps eventually will feature a dozen of the brewery’s own beers and four collaborations or “guest” beers from other local breweries.
The new site will accommodate 50 people in a tasting room and another 150 on a garden patio. There also will be a small stage for live music.
There’s no kitchen, but there will be an area for food trucks to set up.
“We’re trying to show off things we love like urban art,” Arnce says of the decor. “We’re trying to create a space that’s fun.”
The demo and prep work of the site is complete, and construction is about to begin. Arnce is planning a February opening.
