Check out the "new" House of Brews!

The southwest corner of Cooper and Warner Rd's has seen some changes over the last year. Tucked back into a strip mall, behind a Discount Tire and a Circle K, you will find The House of Brews, or affectionately referred to many as the HOB. For you locals, you may remember the House of Brews having been there for quite a while (a year or two if I recall correctly). Well, if you haven't been there since August, you need to check it out again. As some of you recall, the original House of Brews shut down early last year, never really effectively gaining any real acceptance from the craft beer crowd here in the east valley (due mainly to their reliance on "main stream" and none craft beers, that are not really appealing to the hard core beer guy or gal). Well, just a few weeks after shutting down, the doors were once again opened, under a new name (I can't recall the name) only to last a month or so, and shut down again. Well, now under new management, and reopened, while retaining the old name "House of Brews" (that is about all they retained from the old place, let me tell you!). This time however, they truly are a house of brews!! Currently sporting around 45 tap handles, with some additional handles in the works, and expect to be up and flowing in the next few weeks, which will make a total of 56 taps pouring some fantastic beers!

They also have A COMPLETLY reworked, fresh menu, full of burgers, sandwiches, steaks, and other

Meat and cheese board!

pub fare. There is even a French fry menu! (waffle, tots, sweet fries etc!). There is a complete appetizer and dessert menu as well. Everything is from scratch, and fresh, made in house (the lone exception being bread). In fact, one of the very few items they even keep in the freezer, is the ice cream that they make fresh, in house!
If you are a part of the Arizona Craft beer community, you no doubt you have heard folks raving about, or even seen pictures posted of their meat and cheese boards as well, which look (and from what I have heard and seen, are) fantastic, and go perfectly with a glass of beer or two.

I recently had a chance to sit and chat with Tim and Billie McGovern, who now run the HOB's, to talk about their plans for the very near, and the slightly more distant future.

A beautiful site!!!

I must say, before I get to into this, I feel I have to mention how VERY impressed I was that one of the first things I saw after settling in at the bar were the four Boston team championship banners hanging above the bar! Being a native New Englander, this not only impressed me, but made me feel quite at home and comfortable! (Tim is a Boston area native himself). He runs a beer bar, AND he's a Sox fan!

Digital Pour's display screen

The most exciting plan for the very near future (aside from expanding the tap handles) will be the installation of a "Digital Pour" system. This is a dynamic, inventory management system that allows not only the management to know, but everyone at the bar (or anyone connected via social media) to know what they currently have available on tap, what style of beer it is, who brews it, the state it is brewed in,  its abv, the price per glass, price per pitcher and even lets you know how much is left in the keg!  You can also check out instragram, untappd and Foursquare posts from people at the bar,  all displayed on 5 large big screen TV displays that will be mounted throughout the bar. From what they are told from the folks at Digital Pour, this is the very first system of theirs in the state! They except to have this system running in just a few weeks! I will certainly let you all know when they do!
installation of a new

(Just a side note, they are not currently able to fill growlers, but they are working on getting that issue cleared up, I will let you know when that happens)

Just one line of tap handles

The future may even hold some "small" expansion plans for the patio as well, that may or may not include garage doors,  but that is a little further down the road. I mean, they've only been open 8 or 9 months, but the improvements already are amazing, so, take your time on the patio!





They are also planning a monthly series of beer dinners as well. The next one being May 6th, featuring the beers of Sierra Nevada! $50 gets you a 5 coarse meal, 5 beers to go with each one, and even a cigar to enjoy post dinner! I will post more info on their beers dinners as it comes available. (check out the Facebook event page for this dinner here).

There's more on the back!

So, if you haven't checked out the "new" House of Brews, do yourself a huge favor, and check them out. Locally owned, and operated, with a fantastic menu, one of the best tap lists in the east valley (they still do have Bud, Miller etc. as well, so there is something for everyone), good size patio, and plenty of TV's to check out the Sox games!

I want to thank Tim and Billie for giving me a little bit of their time this afternoon, it was great to meet you, and I am sure I will be seeing you again in the very near future!

Get their full menu, and other news at their website here.....
Like them on Facebook here....
Follow them on Twitter here....

House of Brews is located at (map)
825 S Cooper Rd Ste. B6
Gilbert, AZ 85233

480.426.9787

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

World of Beer Opens in GIlbert!

 



Today, Dec 16th marked the public opening of the much anticipated World of Beer Gilbert! After a VIP event the night before (I was told it was packed) they opened their doors to the public at 11am this morning. Being as I am only a mile or so from SanTan Village (where WOB is locate) I decided to spend my lunch break checking out the Gilberts newest beer bar.

Locate right out front, facing Williams Field Rd, right next to Kona Grill, WOB has a fairly small, but very recognizable, noticeable store front, you can't miss it! (if you pull into the main entrance off Williams Field Rd, take a right, go passed Barnes and Noble, and it will be right there on your left).





Offering up 60 taps, and over 500 bottles (and not a single Bud Light to be found!!) you are going to find something you like, and even love. They offer a pretty awesome showing of some local beers as well, from breweries throughout the entire state.

Its somewhat small, very comfortable bar, with garage doors facing up front that open to an outdoor bar and patio seating. I didn't have any food, but I hear its awesome, and from what I could see from my bar stool, it looks very good, with generous helpings.


There is a Facebook party tomorrow night (Dec 17, just like their Facebook Page, and your in the door!). There is a series of events later this week, including a SanTan tap take over, and a 12 beers of Christmas event as well.

Check out their website, and Facebook page for the latest on what is going on there, and make sure to down load their app, and join their loyalty program! This is a pretty awesome beer bar, Gilbert should be proud! GO check it out, and please, if you do, let me know what you think of it, and please, share your photos with us, we would love to share them!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

THE AMERICAN DREAM IN A PINT GLASS - PART 1 OF 2

Exciting! Part 1 of the documentary "American Dream in a Pint Glass (part 1 of 2) was released just moments ago. The film follows my friends at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. as they push through the struggles of trying to open a brew pub. Check out part 1!

Can't wait for them to open! Stay tuned for more info on their grand opening. Until then, enjoy the documentary!

Until next time

Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

Update Guns vs. Hoses Yarnell Fundraiser (video)

Just wanted to take a minute and update you all on the sucsess of the Guns and Hoses Charity Hockey game I wrote about here recently. The event was a great time for the ton of folks that showed up. The event raised over $8500!!!




I also want to take a moment and thank Sleepy Dog Pub and Bistro, San Tan Brewing Company, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company and Arizona Brewery Tours for your help making not only the Beer Czar gift basket a great score for the lucky winner, but for helping make this a great event over all! I thank you!


Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

Great news for East Valley beer folks!!!

***UPDATE***

For those of you looking for news of World of Beer opening in Gilbert. They don't have a set opening date as of yet, looks like it may be this fall sometime. The location will be at San Tan Village, along the Williams Field Rd side, right between Kona Grill and Chipotle. New's is still pretty vague, but they do have a Facebook page now, so go there, like it, and keep up to date on their news, and of coarse, as I hear anything, I will be updating it on here as well.       World of Beer Gilbert Facebook Page

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As many of you know, I live in Gilbert, AZ, a suburb of Phoenix. When you hear the term "east valley" in Phoenix, you are talking about cities such as Mesa, and Tempe, as well as Chandler, and Gilbert, and a few others. Until recent years, Tempe dominated the east valley (and I would argue, the entire valleys) beer scene. Tempe hosts the states largest brewer, Four Peaks, and, well, with the exception of Papago Brewery  (just a mile north of downtown Tempe, in S Scottsdale, and btw, check out their new website!!) that was pretty much it. We slowly started getting a few "chain" brewers in the east valley, i.e. BJ's in Chandler, and Rock Bottom in Ahwatukee (S Phoenix). Then, the opening of San Tan in Chandler, and Whole Foods introduction of "The Watering Hole", and well, Chandler was in the running for the Beer Capital of the East Valley. The opening of a few more brewery's, and World of Beer in Tempe probably keeps Tempe as the capital, but Chandler is becoming a destination for beer folks in the east valley.

Inside Trophy's

Gilbert has always been a little lack luster in the beer dept. For a while, there was really no where to go get a "good" beer. No brewery's at all, and few places that offered more then the ubiquitous "mega brews" you can get at any Applebee's. Well, things are looking up in Gilbert I must say. For a while, Throphys Steakhouse was THE place for craft beer in Gilbert (Trophy's in technically in Queen Creek, but about 10 feet from the Gilbert line, so I'll include it, plus, its a VERY cool place, so check it out!).

Then, Arizona Wilderness Brewing announced it was moving to Gilbert! Gilbert's first brewery. They've had some issues with permitting, and their opening, originally planned for the last part of 2012, has now been pushed to March of 2013. Worth the wait I am sure. (I am working on setting up a meeting with the owner of AWB to go over his plans, and check out his operation, stay tuned for more details)

Well, now Sleepy Dog of Tempe just announced it is taking over the recently vacated Warren's Jazz Bistro on Val Vista and Williams Field Rd!. They will have a FULL kitchen, and are looking to move their brewery operations to Gilbert as well, once the restaurant is up and running. They will continue to operate their Tempe location for another 18 months. From what I hear, they plan on having live entertainment, and just a ton of events. They plan on opening Feb 15th!!!!

.....but wait, there's more! According to Mouth by Southwest, World of Beer plans on opening its second Arizona location at Gilbert's San Tan Village Market place (literally 2 miles from my house!!!! walking distance!) I haven't been able to confirm this with any other source, but MXSW hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I can't imagine they will start now.


So beer fans of the east valley. In the up coming 4 months, we here in Gilbert will go from having a couple of options for fine beer here in our fair city, to a pretty impressive collection of beer joints! What a difference a few months can make!

So, in a few short months, make your way to Gilbert, AZ, and have a glass or two with the Beer Czar!
Until next my friends,
Bottoms up!
The Beer Czar