The Beer Research Institute is not Mesa’s first brewery, but it is the city’s first brewpub. It’s an important distinction, according to owners Matt Trethewey and Greg Sorrels.
“This is a restaurant, and we make beer here,†Tretheway says. “That’s what this is. It’s not a bar that serves food.â€
The 3,000-square-foot venue had its soft opening Monday next to the AMC Mesa Grand theaters on the southeast corner of Stapley and U.S. 60.
The industrial-style interior – stained brick, unstained wood, and black metal – and no-frills decor make the space seem roomy for its capacity of 68 people.
Dog-friendly front and back patios, which will be ready in about 30 days, will add another 40-45 seats.
Besides an L-shaped bar, there are a half-dozen booths. The rest of the seating is provided at three long community tables.
BRI’s “pilot system,” Tretheway and Sorrels’ now-dormant homebrewing set-up, sits in the front window. There are no TVs.
The heart of the operation, visible through an opening in the brick wall, is a five-barrel brewing system that has yet to produce any ales.
Those will debut at BRI’s “official” grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 29.
In the meantime, 15 taps offer “guest” craft beers (including Mjango Unchained, a mango IPA Tretheway and Sorrels brewed in collaboration with OHSO).
But the full food menu is available (see page 1 & page 2).
Journey from ‘chatter’ to ‘motion’
Tretheway (shown on right) met Sorrels (left) nearly a decade ago when he lived next to Sorrel’s brother. The two struck up a friendship, and Sorrels soon began homebrewing with Tretheway.
“I think after we brewed together maybe 10 times or so, we were like, ‘Man, we should open a brewery someday,’’’ Tretheway says. “The chatter was always there.
“Getting from the chatter – just two homebrewers going, ‘Wow, this would be awesome’ – to saying, ‘Hey, let’s actually put it in motion,’ that was literally about a year and a half ago.â€
Although neither had any experience with breweries or brewpubs, Tretheway has extensive experience with various restaurant concepts, including Cold Stone Creamery and Cheba Hut.
Sorrels did custom woodworking, a skill that came in handy. The pair did all the construction on BRI with the exception of the electrical and plumbing.
They had looked at possible sites in east Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Tempe before finding the space next to the theaters in March. Twenty-four hours later, they had signed the paperwork.
“We were looking at the East Valley specifically,” Tretheway says. “That’s where we’re from. It’s where we live. It’s where we work. It’s where we play. It’s where we pay our taxes. This is our home.â€
Belgian-style beers & West Coast IPAs
Tretheway and Sorrels plan to focus on higher-alcohol Belgian-style beers and hop-forward West Coast IPAs. The challenge, they know, will be the limited capacity of their five-barrel brewing system.
“When some seven-barrel systems have opened up around town, they’ve had a hard time keeping up,†Tretheway says.
The pair plan to have three of their own beers debut at the grand opening: Lolli Belgian blonde (8.2% ABV), War Paint red IPA (7.4%), and a vanilla porter (5.5%).
“We’ll probably bring on another beer every four or five days after that,†Sorrels says. “We want to take at least eight of the 15 taps for our beers.â€
With Sorrels overseeing the brewing and Tretheway watching the front-of-house operation, they’ve hired chef Jose Vega, whose resume includes a stop at North Mountain Brewing, to develop their menu of Southwest- and Mexican-inspired fare.
“He was a great personality fit for us,” Tretheway says. “One of the things that’s important to Greg and me is teamwork – we can’t work with assholes. When we started talking food, we were all on the same page.â€
The signature menu item? So-called “Meat Candy,” strips of sriracha-flavored candied bacon, available in a pint glass as an appetizer or on various menu items.
“It’s glorious,” Trethway says.
Long-running joke becomes a name
The brewpub’s unusual name was a result of the pair’s years of research.
“We’d be together at a local brewery having lunch or dinner and our wives would call us and say, ‘What are you guys up to?’’’ Tretheway says. “We’d say, ‘We’re conducting research.’
“It was always kind of a joke. Then one day I called Greg and asked, ‘What do you think about Beer Research Institute?’ And he loved it.â€
The name serves dual purposes, according to Tretheway.
“It’s very much a tribute to how we brew beer – we’re very experimental,” he says. (That theme is also advanced in various elements of the decor, including Erlenmeyer flasks used as light fixtures.)
“But more importantly, it’s tongue-in-cheek. People don’t always get it, and that gives us a great opportunity to start a conversation and educate them a little bit about what we are and what we do.â€
The goal for Tretheway and Sorrels is to become a popular neighborhood hangout, not a production brewery.
“Everyone wants to know who are distributor is,” Tretheway says. “We’re our distributor, and (pointing to the bar’s taps) that’s our distribution point. We want to sell beer by the pint.
“You know, we’ve got a vision here. I want our vision to ring true, and I want us to be true to who were are.”
Beer Research Institute is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 11 a.m.-midnight Thursday-Saturday. Happy hour, which runs 3-6 p.m. weekdays, includes $3.50 BRI beers and other food and drink specials.
