Mesa brewery throws beer and barbecue bash before saying goodbye

Oro Brewing & Vice Co., a craft beer staple along downtown Mesa’s Main Street, will close on Sunday after more than nine years in business.

“TIME TO SAY SO LONG,” said a social media post from owner Dave Valencia, adding that “this has not been the easiest decision to make.”

But before they say goodbye, the team is throwing a farewell party complete with plenty of beer and barbecue.

On Saturday, from noon until they sell out, Golden Oak Barbecue will pop up at the Mesa brewery with a menu of brisket, ribs and other “heavy hitters.”

It’s a full-circle moment, as Golden Oak got its start as a Mesa pop-up, called Nicky’s Barbecue. Pitmaster Chris Figueroa partnered with the Oro Brewing team to bring the downtown Phoenix taproom and restaurant to life.

“We’re coming back to where it all started,” said a post from Golden Oak. “This Saturday, we’re popping up at Oro, the place that helped spark this whole journey.”

Sending off a Mesa pioneer

Originally known as Oro Brewing Co. until a recent name change, Oro was a pioneering business in downtown Mesa alongside neighbors like Worth Takeaway. When the brewery set up shop, the area had just a few businesses and the downtown district was a far cry from the dining destination it is today. 

The small brewery, situated in a historic building on Main Street just west of Robson, quickly became a destination for beer geeks. Head brewer Jesse Kortepeter made solid standards, unique quaffs and racked up plenty of awards for the nanobrewery. 

Among those accolades was a Great American Beer Festival gold medal for the Cafe Oro coffee beer in 2022 and a World Beer Cup silver medal for the tangerine wheat beer, Trigo Suave, the same year. Oro was also named the Brewery of the Year at the Arizona Craft Beer Awards, presented by the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild and PHOENIX magazine, during the inaugural awards in 2022.

Since that standout year, Oro has undergone some significant changes. Last summer brought several moves. 

The brewery partnered with Figueroa to open Golden Oak Barbecue & Taproom, in October. The brewery then added “Vice,” to its name and leaned into a dive bar feel by adding a red-felted pool table, covering the walls and ceiling with band and movie posters and selling convenience store finds, including cigarettes, snacks and over-the-counter medications like Pepto Bismol.

“It’s hard to be just a brewery anymore,” Valencia told New Times in July.

Nationally, craft breweries have struggled over the last two years. The Valley hasn’t been immune; last year, major departures included Mesa’s Beer Research Institute and Litchfield Park’s T.C.B.C. Beer. 

In December, Oro announced Kortepeter would depart at the end of 2025, celebrating his long, award-winning tenure. 

“It’s been one heck of a ride!” the Instagram post said of Oro’s “never compromising” brewer.

Now, Valencia is reflecting on the end of the ride for the brewery. 

“Going through our posts from the past 9 years, you realize how much has happened over this time, and we have seen it all,” he wrote. “Along the way we have made lots of incredible friends here and are truly humbled to have been ‘our go-to place’ for so many.”

What’s next for the taproom?

The brewery won’t be vacant for long. Valencia shared plans to turn over the brewery keys to restaurateur Armando Hernandez. He and his wife Nadia Holguin own the popular local chain Tacos Chiwas, which has a downtown Mesa location. They’re also partners with chef Roberto Centeno on the luxe Mesa surf-and-turf restaurant Espiritu and the retro-casual spot, Main Burgers.

The Chiwas team has partnered with Cider Corps and brewer Drew Ortega, formerly of Uncle Bear’s Brewery on the new craft beer outfit, Mesa Brewing Co. Hernandez anticipates the beer will start flowing at the taproom again by February or March and will be exclusively served there and at their restaurants.

“These guys know what they’re doing already,” Hernandez says of the partnership for the forthcoming brewery. “For us, it’s more about being able to have a say in how we make all of our product.”

Golden Oak will work through the rest of its Oro brews, then pivot to featuring other local brewers, says Figueroa. The downtown Phoenix smokehouse boasts a full bar that currently includes other macro beer options, such as Coors and Modelo.

“Dave built some incredible stuff with Jesse as the brewer, and (won) so many awards. It’s the end of a chapter,” Figueroa says.

Oro Brewing & Vice Co.

Closes Jan. 25
201 W. Main St.