Best New Brewery 2024 | Catalyst Crafted Ales | Food & Drink | Phoenix
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Best New Brewery

Catalyst Crafted Ales

Sara Crocker

Catalyst Crafted Ales may be new to the Valley, but its brewer's fingerprints are all over the state. Will Walthereson worked at craft havens including Wren House Brewing Co. and The Shop Beer Co. before opening up his own spot, Ad Astra, in Prescott. Luckily for local drinkers, he's brought his talents back to the Valley, opening Catalyst Crafted Ales in Tempe. The sleek taproom is comfortable and shares space with S.A.L.T. (short for Sea and Land Tacos). There's also an expansive, dog-friendly patio out front. Walthereson makes beers that are big, bold and sometimes a bit irreverent. Catalyst Crafted Ales boasts a massive tap list that includes playful fruited sours, outstanding IPAs, such as the New England-style hazy Expects in Checks, and imperial brews of all stripes, including of the higher-ABV seltzers that drink like a cocktail. You'll also find well-made pilsners among the selections. No matter what your preference, Catalyst has something for every type of craft beer drinker.

Best Bike-Friendly Brewery

O.H.S.O. on Central

Casual and friendly, O.H.S.O. on Central is a refuge for bicyclists. You can bike along the canal before you park and take a break to grab a beer and have some pub fare. Choices include burgers, sandwiches and typical bar food. Bicyclists don't have to worry about where to park their bike, since there are several racks to house your wheels. The inside of the restaurant also is a homage to bike riders, with fun bike decor accessorizing the walls. The point is you don't have to stop your bike ride to refuel — you can grab a bite to eat, enjoy the patio and then go for another ride along the canal. O.H.S.O.'s laid-back, community-focused vibe, combined with its playful nod to cycling culture, makes it a welcoming haven for active locals and visitors alike.

Best Food at a Brewery

Peoria Artisan Brewery

This West Valley brewpub takes its food as seriously as it does its craft beer. Peoria Artisan Brewery has served its beers since 2013 and has partnered with executive chef Michael Mahalick on scratch-made gastropub fare since 2015. The menu includes staple bar bites that are all made in-house with care, including crisp dry-rubbed chicken wings, fat pretzels with cheddar fondue and Kennebec fries dusted in the brewpub's spice blend. Get a side of them alongside one of Peoria Artisan's thick Arizona Angus beef burgers. The namesake PAB is a must-try, featuring bacon jam, muenster cheese, aioli, lettuce, tomato and onion. Like any great bar, the brewery offers a bustling happy hour and weekly specials, including its Burger Wednesdays that can help save a buck or two. But, if you're looking to splurge, you can see what Mahalick and his crew have up their sleeves in the brewery's new speakeasy. Tucked behind the brewpub's kitchen, the chef's table-style kitchen and bar is serving elevated eats and cocktails worthy of a special night out.

Best Place to Pour Your Own Beer

Tap That Downtown

At Tap That Downtown, the slogan is "for the love of beer." And that sentiment is embodied at this unique concept where customers are invited to pour their own pint. The bar features 35 different taps, which pour a rotating selection of craft beer and wine. Not sure what to try or don't want to commit to a full pint? Tap That is perfect for those who want to taste their way through the menu. Pour yourself a little taste and move on to the next. Make sure to check out the food menu, as this bar offers much more than beer. Share a plate of wings or poutine or dig into a hearty burger or bowl of pasta. Pick a seat inside or on the mural-decorated patio at this fun and customizable experience.

Best Arizona Wine Selection

FnB

Debby Wolvos

When FnB opened in 2009, many applauded chef/owner Charleen Badman and co-owner/sommelier Pavle Milic for their devotion to local, seasonal fare but questioned their sanity regarding the decision to feature predominantly Arizona wines. Their insistence on championing the industry helped it grow and thrive, providing even better-quality bottles for their list. While the restaurant's cellar today features a broad and impressive international selection — it garnered James Beard Award nominations for outstanding wine program in 2017 and 2020 — it's still the best place in town to explore homegrown vino thanks to stellar sourcing and affordable pricing. Most of its Arizona bottles fall in the $30 to $60 range and include dozens of selections from bubbles to malvasia bianca, carignan to tannat, and numerous inventive blends using what grows best in the high desert. The list also includes a handful of selections from Milic's esteemed label, Los Milics Vineyards, launched in 2014.

Best Wine on Tap

GenuWine Arizona

There are lots of logical and scientific arguments for wine on tap. Like, the machine keeps the contents in an opened bottle fresher by opening, dispensing and closing with minimal air between pours. The regulated precise pour enables a tasting smorgasbord that you'll still remember the next morning is another perk. But really, the mere act of pushing a button and having an automated servant fill your glass with the wine of your wish is just plain fun. GenuWine Arizona founders Emily Rieve and Lindsey Schoenemann are former school teachers, so they're experts in making a task easy and entertaining. Here, 24 wines are encased in a sleek self-serve contraption with screens above each bottle showing the wine, winery and price per pour of three options: 1, 3 or 5 ounces, which is a full glass. Just head to the bar and open a tab to get your chip card that you insert into said contraption before making your selection. After the pour is done, take your glass and find a comfy spot to sit and sip. Added bonus: Several of the wines are Arizona-born and made.

Best Place to Take a Wine Geek

Hidden Track Bottle Shop & Wine Bar

The recent proliferation of wine bars around Phoenix has been a boon for oenophiles. Hidden Track has been a champion of natural wines since Craig Dziadowicz and Danielle Middlebrook debuted their original bottle shop in 2015. At its current uptown location in The Strip on 12th Street, Hidden Track's shop boasts unique wines that are often only distributed to them. Dziadowicz and his knowledgeable team can help you make a selection that will delight any geek. You will also find beers and provisions, such as conservas, pickles and cured meats to make a luxe charcuterie plate to pair with your purchase. But, Hidden Track is much more than a shop. The bar offers a rotating selection of wines by the glass and hosts tastings each Wednesday night. With the addition of Chef Marco Di Santo, Hidden Track's food menu has blossomed with tapas and pizza-like flammekueche, a thin baked tart, to pair with your drink.

Best Arizona White Wine

Callaghan Vineyards 2021 Love Muffin White

This white blend is refreshing, easily drinkable and ideal for sipping poolside. However, that's not what catapults this wine to the top of the heap. It's dominated by malvasia bianca, a delicate grape with peachy-apricot vibes that most don't think would thrive in the Southwest but, like most Mediterranean varieties, does well in the Arizona desert. A nice dose of picpoul blanc, a Rhone grape that also grows happily here whose name translates to "lip stinger," brings its distinct acidity and a kiss of abrasiveness, but in a good way that balances the bouncy and floral personality that malvasia brings to the party. It's wonderful chilled. But after 10 minutes at room temperature, it changes and its full flavor and personality struts its stuff. This evolution reflects that of Arizona's wine industry and growth, and the determination of fruit that defies mainstream reason by flourishing in rugged terrain. It also represents Arizona wine royalty with winemaker Kent Callaghan being the state's most experienced winemaker, whose family planted their vineyard in the Sonoita/Elgin designated American Viticultural Area in 1990. Side note: "Love Muffin" is how Callaghan affectionately refers to his wife, Lisa.

Best Arizona Red Wine

Chateau Tumbleweed 2021 Le Blend

Ten grape varieties. Six vineyards. Two counties. Le Blend is not just a clever name. It's an amalgam representing the harmony that arises in the hands of a talented winemaker willing to push the boundaries in an emerging Arizona wine industry while having fun with it. The actual blend changes every year. This vintage flaunts sangiovese, cabernet franc, mourvedre, petite sirah, graciano, aglianico, grenache, tannat, montepulciano and tempranillo sourced from vineyards in Cochise and Graham counties in southeastern Arizona. The list may seem overwhelming, but the combination of light and fruity grapes with meatier and hearty ones produces a very likable, straight-forward red that offers qualities red wine loyalists crave — hefty dark fruit characteristics with a nice mouthfeel — and none that tend to scare non-fans away from it, such as intimidating tannins or a finish that overstays its welcome on the palate. It's also super food-friendly. Le Blend originated 10 years ago, when winemaker Joe Bechard wanted to use grapes leftover after creating his other wines. It was intended to be a one-off. But it proved so popular that it's been part of this Clarkdale winery's regular lineup ever since, with the grapes intentionally sourced for this blend.

Best Liquor Store

Trevor's Liquor

Sara Crocker

A visit to the liquor store is often called a run because the implication is that it's a quick trip. When Trevor's opened its first outpost on McDowell Road, the expansive and luxe liquor shop proved that a visit doesn't always need to be rushed. In addition to boasting impressive selections of whiskies, craft beer, wine and cigars, these stores also come with bars, food and plenty of room inside and out to sit, sip and savor. Each location has something unique and fun to offer, too, from golf simulators to pinball machines. This combo of play and shopping works so well that Trevor's continues to expand, with three locations and counting. Coming up next is a spot in PV, the redevelopment of the Paradise Valley Mall. We'll be there, not just to make a run but also to relax and linger.

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