MXSW guide: E.V. craft beer bars

The Hungry Monk

Jim Lolli (pictured above) converted his two-year-old Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise in Chandler to The Hungry Monk in 2010, increasing the number of tap handles from 16 to 28. The beer list changes daily and usually leans toward IPAs, although there’s always a little of everything. There are wallet-friendly specials every day of the week – the best may be Wednesdays, when craft pints are just $3.

Handlebar

Apache Junction never has been known for worthwhile food and drink – until, that is, Jeff and Alec Golzio opened the Handlebar in late 2010. Don’t be fooled by its rustic appearance, this tiny gem’s wood-fired grill and oven produce gourmet-quality dishes using organic produce, grass-fed beef and free-range chicken. There are 28 beers on tap, including one of the Valley’s best collection of Belgians.

Watering Hole

If you’ve been to any of the bars on this list, you’ve probably crossed paths with James Swann, Whole Foods Chandler’s beer guru, the guy who keeps the latest and greatest flowing through the 31 taps at the Watering Hole, the market’s in-store bar, as well as stocked on nearby shelves. Swann also organizes the store’s popular Friday night beer “classes,” open to anyone 21 or over.

Flanny’s

When John Flanagan and son John Jr. (shown at left) opened Flanny’s in late 2010, I figured it would be yet another in a series of failed tavern in the south Tempe strip-mall space. Instead, the Flanagans have slowly but surely built one of the East Valley’s top beer bars. There currently are 22 taps, but 10 more are on the way – all the better to handle monthly “tap takeovers” by acclaimed breweries like Dogfish Head and Odell.

Trophy’s

This museum-esque, hunting-themed steakhouse didn’t seem to put much of an emphasis on craft beer when it opened in 2009, but manager Brett Dettler (son of owners Kevin and Becky Dettler) now has 18 taps, giving Trophy’s the best selection in Queen Creek. He’s also one of the guys behind Arizona Wilderness Brewing, a new brewery that hopes to open in Gilbert later this year.

Papago Brewing

Although technically in south Scottsdale, Papago is only about a mile from the Tempe border so I’m annexing it into this East Valley list because Ron Kloth‘s establishment is one of the longtime landmarks of the local scene. The 30 beers on tap include several of their own (contracted out to other breweries that use Papago’s recipes), most notably their bestselling Orange Blossom wheat beer.

Taste of Tops

It’s not too surprising that a bar attached to a Tempe liquor store (Tops Liquors) would have a great lineup of craft beers on its 24 taps. And although all the bars on this list boast extensive selections of bottled beers, only Papago can better the 400-plus at Taste of Tops. The same people also own Sun Devil Cellar & Pub (eight beers on tap) in the basement of Sun Devil Liquors near downtown Mesa.

Monsterland

Not only is Monsterland the Valley’s first horror-themed bar and grill – filled with animatronics and full-scale reproductions from scary movies and TV shows – it’s also the only one that dedicates 20 taps (every tap it has) to beers from Arizona breweries. On Wednesdays, the downtown Mesa venue offers a three-course meal deal with each course paired with a different beer.

Mellow Mushroom

This Atlanta-based chain of pizzerias arrived in downtown Tempe in 2011. I’m not sure what their obsession with Rogue is, but if you like the Oregon brewery you’ll usually find nine or 10 of its beers among the 48 taps (and no more than two from any other brewer). Mellow Mushroom has one of the better happy hour deals on craft beer – half-price from 3-6 p.m. and 10-close weekdays.

Boulders on Broadway

ASU student Erick Geryol enjoyed making pizzas at Tempe’s Old Chicago so much he returned a decade later to buy the then-closed building and open Boulders on Broadway (the name reflects his passion for rock climbing). This friendly establishment has 30 taps and offers a number of specials, including “talls for the price of smalls” (23-ounce beers for price of a 16-ounce) on Wednesdays.

Yucca Tap Room

One of the Valley’s best live-music venues – where there’s never a cover – the Yucca has had “Tap Room” in its name for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until 2010 the grungy strip mall hangout opened a separate tap room next door. Owner Rodney Hu‘s laid-back lounge has 16 taps and provides a quiet retreat from the sometimes raucous shows in the bar, where there are an additional 12 taps.

Thirsty Lion

This Portland import took over the huge Maria Maria space at Tempe Marketplace in 2011 so it has plenty of room for tap handles – 52 of them, to be exact. IPAs and pale ales, almost all from the U.S., are most numerous on the draft list, and about a fifth of the list is Arizona beers. While Thirsty Lion has the most taps in the East Valley, it has only 10 bottled beers, none of them craft beers.

Here’s where to find these craft beer bars:

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