Arizona Distilling Co. got its start in 2012, operating out of a warehouse in an industrial area just west of downtown Tempe. With its flagship spirit Copper City Bourbon, it became the first company to legally distill liquor in the state since Prohibition. At the time, Jason Grossmiller was often a one-man-operation handling duties from leading tours to affixing labels to every bottle by hand.
The company went on to churn out staples like Desert Durum Wheat Whiskey, which is made from locally sourced grain, and Commerce Gin, which gets its unique flavor profile from local botanicals plus cardamom, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and citrus, all meant to pay tribute to the five C’s of Arizona commerce.
In 2023, the company opened a location in downtown Mesa along the light rail line. That bar will remain open.
The move to close the Tempe location comes on the heels of the distillery receiving a long-awaited certificate of occupancy that allowed it to move all of its production equipment from Tempe into the Mesa facility, explains co-owner Jon Eagan. With all of the production taking place in Mesa, maintaining a small bar in a comparatively large space made little financial sense.
“Mesa is where everything will be centered,” Eagan says.
In mid-October, pop-up pizzeria &Juliet Neapolitana closed after five months of operating out of Arizona Distilling’s Tempe location, serving its wood-fired pies to distillery guests.
Eagan confirms the closure of both the pop-up and Tempe location were connected.
The cocktail bar at Arizona Distilling Co. is stocked with bottles of the distillery's award-winning spirits.
Lauren Topor/Good Karma Photo
Sonoran Rows coming soon
Another factor in the closure is Arizona Distilling’s focus on creating a new business. Sonoran Rows will be a malt house that will produce locally-grown malted grain for breweries, says lead distiller and co-owner Grossmiller.Construction has barely started on Sonoran Rows, so there is no estimated opening date. However, the new venture will be located at 18 W. Main Street, Mesa, about a five-minute walk east of the distillery and next to 12 West Brewing.
In addition to the production facility, Sonoran Rows will feature a restaurant and bar in a 16,000-square foot building, plus a 4,000-square-foot patio. The bar and restaurant will focus on goods and ingredients from Arizona farms and purveyors.
Currently, no food is served at Arizona Distilling Co. in Mesa, but that will change soon, Eagan says. The space features a sunken, horseshoe-shaped copper-topped bar amid a low-lit setting that exudes cocktail lounge vibes. At 10,000 square feet, it’s double the size of the Tempe space.
The cocktail menu boasts classics as well as creative concoctions from beverage director Micah Olson, who will debut a new cocktail menu before Thanksgiving.
