Mesa has long been known for its great selection of Asian food, with small restaurants serving Cantonese dishes, expansive grocery stores selling kimchi and ingredients to make bulgogi, and spots specializing in some of the best dumplings in all of metro Phoenix.
But Mesa is also becoming a destination for beverages. Breweries are popping up around the East Valley city, and now downtown Mesa offers enough for an afternoon of bar hopping.
Stop by Oro Brewing Company to try a house-made beer. Then swing by Cider Corps to sample some apple magic. Drop into Chupacabra Taproom for a selection of craft beer from around the world. Then end the afternoon with a hearty meal at 12 West Brewing Company.
Craft beer fans also have something to look forward to, as Tempe’s Pedal Haus Brewery plans to move in soon.
Here’s a guide to the can’t-miss beer destinations sprinkled throughout Mesa. Check back for our lists focusing on the West Valley and catch up with lists for Gilbert, Phoenix and the Tempe and Scottsdale areas as well.
These breweries have great food and beer
While technically a cidery and not a brewery, Cider Corps makes the list as a can’t-miss craft beverage destination in Mesa. Brothers Josh and Jason Duren create fruit-flavored, yet not overly sweet, sparkling ciders that are sold at specialty liquor stores and bottle shops across metro Phoenix.
But the beauty of stopping into the taproom comes with the rotating specials, including frozen cider slushies in the hot months, and the food. Mykes Pizza, a local pizza pop-up created by chef and owner Myke Olsen, found a permanent space inside Cider Corps and cranks out specialty pies multiple nights a week.
From the outside, it’s hard to tell just how expansive the downtown Mesa location of 12 West Brewing Company really is. Step inside the space to find towering ceilings and a large dining room of customers eating burgers, burritos and bowls of poke. The eclectic menu offers options for many tastes, as does the drinks list.
12 West’s popular beers, including the ultra crushable Zona Pilsner or the bright and fruity Blap Blap Blood Orange Belgian Wheat, are mainstays on the menu. But keep an eye out for seasonal releases along with a list of craft cocktails, many of which come with a show. The Butterfly Effect, a bright purple cocktail served in a martini glass, is delivered with a “magic bubble” perched on top that releases a cloud of flavored smoke when it pops.
Coming soon: The original location of Pedal Haus Brewery is located in Tempe. In 2020, an outpost opened in Chandler. Now, two more locations are in the works: one in downtown Phoenix and another in Mesa. The two existing locations of Pedal Haus serve a classic pub menu along with multiple vegetarian and vegan options. The Mesa location is planned to open in December, according to the brewery’s website.
Details: Cider Corps, 31 S. Robson, No. 103, Mesa. 480-993-3164, cidercorpsaz.com. 12 West Brewing Company, 12 W. Main St., Mesa. 480-508-7018, 12westbrewing.com/mesa. Coming soon, Pedal Haus Brewery, pedalhausbrewery.com.
Craft beer in Gilbert: Ultimate guide to breweries, taprooms and bottle shops
Meet your neighbors at these local hangouts
Located right on Main Street in downtown Mesa lies a tiny space where you’re likely to bump into a neighbor. Look for the black and white sign and decor to find Oro Brewing Company, a mini but mighty brewery. Some core beers include the Hopiphany, an American IPA; the Singularity, an American pale ale; and Give Peat a Chance, a foreign extra stout.
Depending on the weather, Chupacabra Taproom can be the perfect place to hang out all year. In the winter, or on an especially hot summer day, cozy up inside the little brick building to grab a pint and play a board game. When the weather is nice, sip on the taproom’s large selection of beers from a picnic table on the patio.
Beer Research Institute, or BRI, is located inside a Mesa strip mall. But as hidden-gem hunters know, this is often the setting of a great local find. Seats at the bar and a few booths are usually filled with friends and family grabbing a beer together or enjoying a meal. Along with a rotating beer list, BRI also serves burgers and pub fare. Pay attention to some of the thought-provoking beer names, including Taxation Is Theft, a wheat beer brewed with tea, and Morning Sex milk stout.
Open since 2012, Desert Eagle Brewing Company leaves the trendy atmosphere and hip decor to the newer breweries around the Valley and instead focuses on old school beer bar vibes. The casual spot features fruit-forward beers flavored with black cherries and pomegranate along with a food menu of pizzas and sandwiches. Stop by this brewery in the afternoons, and you’ll often find a live music act entertaining a host of regulars.
Details: Oro Brewing Company, 210 W. Main St., Mesa. 480-398-8247, orobrewing.com. Chupacabra Taproom, 14 N. Robson, Mesa. 480-751-5566, chupacabrataproom.com. Beer Research Institute, 1641 S. Stapley Drive, Mesa. 480-892-2020, thebeerresearchinstitute.com. Desert Eagle Brewing Company, 150 W. Main St., Mesa. 480-656-2662, deserteaglebrewing.com.
Stop here on the way home from a hike
The Goldwater Longbow Taproom, an outpost of Old Town Scottsdale’s Goldwater Brewing Company, is located away from the collection of breweries downtown and finds its home in northeast Mesa.
Whether coming back from visiting the Salt River’s wild horses or a hike in Usery Mountain Park, this modern taproom is well worth a stop. Decorated with dark metal and wood, the taproom provides an industrial yet cozy spot to enjoy one of the many rotating beer options. A stocked fridge also offers cans to go. If it’s on tap, try the bright pink Desert Rose Cactus Kolsch.
Details: Goldwater Brewing Company Longbow, 5942 E. Longbow Parkway, Unit 105, Mesa. 480-590-3215, goldwaterbrewing.com.
Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @tirionmorris, on Facebook at Tirion Rose and on Instagram at tirionrose.
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