Beer Bloke: Scoping out Taste Chandler

Taste Chandler is upon us. Is that beer I smell?

The annual culinary festival begins at the crack of noon Saturday in historic downtown Chandler and features specialty foods prepared by local restaurants paired with wines, craft beers and spirits. I was pleased to see some of my favorite local eateries participating, including The Living Room, Down Under Wine and Coach & Willie’s, plus our favorite local meat shop, Von Hanson’s. Did someone say bacon?  My mouth is watering already!

Of course, we’re excited for the beer so let’s look over the breweries involved in this year’s festivities. In the spirit of keeping it local, many of the beers chosen for Taste are brewed right here in Arizona. Those breweries include Four Peaks, SanTan, Lumberyard, Oak Creek, Nimbus, Phoenix Ale and a few special surprises from BJ’s. In case you were wondering, nearly every brewery represented here has won a medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

Beer recommendations

Of note, Phoenix Ale Brewery is new and one you will certainly want to try.  Their feature brew, Fretzy’s Pale, is an unfiltered British-style ale brewed with whole cone hops for a citrusy-floral character balanced by malty notes of biscuit and honey. Smooth and easy-drinking, this is a perfect beer for those just beginning their adventure into craft beer.

Another must-try is Four Peaks’ Hop Knot. This brew is special because after years of begging from adoring fans, Four Peaks is finally canning it!  This beautiful West Coast-style award-winning IPA features big hoppy citrus notes balanced ever so carefully by just the right amount of malt for a clean, dry, grassy finish that has made it a local favorite for years.

If I had to pick a third must -try, it would be the Hefeweizen from Chandler’s own SanTan Brewing. Brewed very much in the Bavarian style, this refreshing beer features notes of clove, banana and coriander that give it just the right amount of spice for all-day drinking. Man, all this talk of beer is making me thirsty!

Other advice

Another important detail of note is the air-conditioned VIP Craft Beer Tent. Yes, I said air-conditioned. It’s just $10 more than to enter the tent and drink your craft beer in cool comfort.  In addition to A/C, your extra ten-spot gets you live entertainment, a class on cooking with beer and a special beer sampling with yours truly. I bet you can’t wait, right?

Hot tip: Once inside the event, if you are a member of the Arizona Society of Home Brewers (ASH), flashing your membership card gets you into the VIP tent for FREE! Yes, of course, the ASH deal was my idea, but that’s another story involving far too many empty PBR cans, cheap tacos and loud reggae music. Hey, don’t laugh. PBR is medal winner (kinda). Until next week, cheers.

You can send comments or column ideas to England native James Swann, the beer buyer at Chandler’s Whole Foods, at kingjamesswann@gmail.com.