More on SanTan Brewing’s plans: No taproom, a new seasonal IPA, bottle-conditioned beers

Earlier today I posted about SanTan Brewing announcing a second Chandler facility (see post). I just got some additional details from brewmaster Anthony Canecchia (pictured). Among the highlights:

• The brewing equipment and the canning line are scheduled to arrive the last week of February, and Canecchia has set an “optimistic” goal of April 1 to begin brewing. By May, he hopes to be brewing all of SanTan’s various beers at the new facility.

• The new facility will brew all the beer for distribution to restaurants, bars and stores. But beers on tap at the downtown Chandler brew pub still will be brewed at the brew pub.

• There will be no restaurant or taproom at the new location. “It just wouldn’t make any sense,” says Canecchia, pointing out SanTan’s two facilities are barely two miles apart.

• The new location will feature a 50-barrel brewing system (vs. the 15-barrel downtown). It also will have a rotary, 10-head canning line capable of producing 600 cans per minute (vs. the current 60).

• SanTan is rethinking its current lineup of seasonal beers, and likely will add HopFarm, a new white IPA, as a fall seasonal. The beer, which has drawn rave reviews, will be prominently featured during Arizona Beer Week (Feb. 16-24).

• Mr. Pineapple, a hefeweizen, will be the next seasonal available in cans. Canecchia, so far, is resisting requests to brew it year-round. “Mr. Pineapple is just too cool to hang around here all year,” he jokes.

• SunSpot Gold likely will be the next “core” SanTan beer to join the four currently available in cans.

• SanTan likely will begin offering some special bottle-conditioned beers in 22-ounce bomber bottles later this year.

• Canecchia says he regularly gets calls from distributors all over the country seeking Arizona beers. “Unfortunately, no Arizona beers are sold outside of Arizona yet,” he says. “Arizona breweries barely are keeping up with the demand in our own state.”

• If/when SanTan begins out-of-state distribution, Canecchia says, Southern California likely would be its first market.