The Brass Tap craft beer bar expands with 2nd location in downtown Gilbert

The Brass Tap, a four-year-old craft beer bar at Mesa Riverview, expands its East Valley footprint today by opening a second location in busy downtown Gilbert.

The new location, which is more than twice as big as the original, is on the ground floor of a new three-story building between Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row and Bergie’s Coffee Roast House on the east side of Gilbert Road.

It might be a little tricky to find: As of Sunday, there was no exterior signage, although owner Jason Rowe hopes that will change today or Tuesday.

Also, the main entrance is on the east side of the building (where you’ll find the parking lot), not on Gilbert Road. Look for a sign that simply says, ‘‘Good Time, Well Crafted. Downtown Gilbert, AZ.’’

The bar boasts 72 handles – 65 for craft beers, three for wines, two for margaritas featuring local 3 Amigos Tequila, one for Bergie’s cold-pressed coffee, and one for local Sonoran Brewing root beer.

The new kitchen is much larger than the Mesa location’s, so the food menu is much more expansive. The Brass Tap serves lunch and dinner daily.

Rowe says he’s focused on getting the basics running right first. Then, in the coming weeks, he’ll add extras like weekend brunch with a Bloody Mary station, an omelet station, and a waffle station.

Also in the works: Installation of a wood smoker for Wing Wednesdays and Smoked Meat Weekends.