The number of Arizona craft breweries increases by one tonight when Helio Basin Brewing in east Phoenix opens for the first of three invitation-only ‘‘friends and family’’ nights.
The brewery will open to the general public at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Helio Basin is the dream of Pennsylvania small-college classmates Mike Conley and Dustin Hazer, who took over the long-vacant Clicks Billiards building on the southwest corner of 40th Street and Thomas.
The 8,200-square-foot space is divided into two levels with sealed concrete floors, dark wood furniture, black metal accents, and occasional patches of burnt orange paint.
The upper level (shown above) has a 15-seat, C-shaped bar with 12 taps and a full kitchen. Down a few steps, the lower level (shown below) offers a dining area and the glass-enclosed brewhouse.
There’s no patio, although Conley and Hazer plan to add a beer garden on the south side of the building next year. Until then, a pair of glass garage doors can be rolled up for dining al fresco.
Hazer, who worked a few years at Four Peaks Brewing and, most recently, was brewmaster at Southern Tier Brewing in western New York, oversees the brewing operation.
His 15-barrel system will produce six ‘‘core’’ beers he intends to have available at all times:
- House Beer: An easy-drinking, introductory beer that doesn’t fit the definition of a pale ale, blonde ale, lager, or pilsner (4.8%)
- Blackberry Wheat: An American-style wheat beer (4.9%)
- Pale Ale: An American-style pale ale (5.8%)
- Hoppy Amber: A hop-forward amber (5.8%)
- IPA: An American-style IPA with just 75 IBUs (6.5%)
- Porter: A robust porter (5.7%)
The House Beer and Blackberry Wheat (shown below) are ready to go, and the next three should be on tap by Saturday. The porter is scheduled to join them on Monday.
Once Hazer builds up an inventory of the core beers, he’ll add a half-dozen seasonal and specialty beers. All 12 taps will be devoted to Helio Basin beers.
At this point, Conley and Hazer only have a microbrewery license, so they’re not allowed to serve wine or cocktails. But the pair expect to add another license that will allow them to offer wine in a couple of weeks.
In the meantime, non-beer-drinkers can avail themselves of Jarritos bottled sodas and aguas frescas that will change daily.
The scratch kitchen, under the direction of chef Tamara Stranger and sous chef Irwin Hernandez, will make its own tortillas from spent grain, grind its own chorizo, and pickle its own vegetables.
Appetizers include a frybread with a puree made from white tepary beans grown on the Tohono O’odham nation in southern Arizona, and a seared banana cornbread with cracked-pepper honey butter.
There are five ‘‘tortilla plates’’ (aka taco plates) to start, although Stanger says the number of menu items eventually will double:
- Yucatecan banana leaf roasted pork: With pineapple relish and crispy fried onion
- Beer-braised pork belly: With pistachio and pine nut mole, roasted corn, cotija, and cilantro
- Mesquite honey chicken: With apricot pepper compote and spicy goat cheese
- House chorizo: With herb, roasted tomato, queso fresco, and sunny-side-up egg (pictured)
- Vegan: With black beans, sweet potato, portabella, arugula, sweet corn, and roasted tomato hummus
Sides include Sonoran tomato and pepper rice and smoked duck-fat charro. For dessert, there are blackberry chimichangas with blackberry wheat beer caramel.
Starting Saturday, Helio Basin will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
