SanTan Brewery - Chandler, AZ

I am flying out to Phoenix next week with SWMBO to visit my daughter and my very first grandson who is only four months old. My wife tells me that we are REQUIRED to go to Ikea, since she has never been to one before. We don't have one here in Kansas City.

So, I start google mapping around Phoenix looking for the Ikea, and what do find nearby? Lo and behold...SanTan brewery, just down the road. I go over to check out this brewery's website and discover that they have a weekly cask-conditioned ale tapping on Thursday's at 3 PM. And the week I will be there, they are tapping a "Mexican Stout" - described as "One of our Small Batch series, an Imperial Stout aged with Mexican cocoa, Mexican cinammon and Arbol chiles"

Suddenly, I can sense the good forces of the universe, intersecting in time and space, creating a happy place just for me....

So, my plan is load up the daughter, grandson, wife and head to Ikea in the morning, spend a few hours wandering around there, have lunch at there little restaurant, then head over to SanTan for the 3 PM cask tapping. Will be my first cask-conditioned ale, can't wait! I hear good things about this brewery.

Too bad I won't be able to take some of their brew back on the plane!

They're not bad from what I hear from my Phoenix friends, but every time we go to Phoenix, we go to Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe. They have really solid beers all around, a few special seasonals and one-offs on all the time, and amazingly good food. You surely won't be disappointed. Can't wait till October 14th(next time me and SWMBO fly out there).

http://www.facebook.com/fourpeaksbrew

http://www.fourpeaks.com/

P.S. -- Four Peaks isn't too far from Ikea iirc, so make an excuse to go.

Cheers!

SanTan is pretty good. They have a nice APA and IPA, but the food isn't that great, and none of the beers leave any big lasting impression.

Listen to the guy above though. Four Peaks rocks. It's about 10-15 minutes from IKEA (about as far as SanTan is). They have an excellent IPA, excellent english pale ale, and a bunch of other great beers. All their beers are very well balanced, and the food is great(the carne adovado is my fav). It's tucked away in Tempe (college town), so there's a younger, more livelier crowd. If you only have time for one, I'd recommend Four Peaks. SanTan is a good brewery and I love that it's only 5 minutes from my house, but I find myself at Four Peaks more often. FYI, Four Peaks usually has 1-2 beers on cask as well.

Thanks guys! I think I will try out Four Peaks. We will be going around lunch time or early afternoon. Wondering if you think it's appropriate to take my 20 year old daughter and 4 month old grandson. Some brewery/restaurants are okay for families and some are not. Let me know what you think.

Neither is as family friendly as an Applebees, but they are both fairly family friendly(my first HBT alliteration). San Tan probably a little more so because Chandler is a suburb. Four Peaks usually IDs at the door during peak hours, but that's because they are about 1/2 mile from ASU campus. You would have to tell them that she is your daughter, and won't be drinking. Both are a little loud inside at night, but aren't bad in the afternoons. Your grandson should be fine.

Yeah, Four Peaks can be a bit loud later on after dark, but mid-afternoon shouldn't have any problem at all. Super friendly folks every time. I enjoy the Italian Beef Beer Bread with a Hop Knot IPA(or whatever small batch is being served). Dang, now I'm hungry.

HopsJunkie said:

Yeah, Four Peaks can be a bit loud later on after dark, but mid-afternoon shouldn't have any problem at all. Super friendly folks every time. I enjoy the Italian Beef Beer Bread with a Hop Knot IPA(or whatever small batch is being served). Dang, now I'm hungry.

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thanks, man! We're going. done deal.

I vote on 4 peaks. I have lived in Phoenix most my life, and never made it down to tempe (live about an hour drive from there) until this past july for my birthday. It was incredible. TOTALLY BLEW MY EXPECTATIONS AWAY as far as food. It has such an "authentic" feel. And although, I have not been to San Tan, you cannot go wrong with Four Peaks.

Both have great beers worth your time trying. Four Peaks definitely has expectation shattering food though. However I'd call ahead and make sure that your daughter will be allowed in during the hours you're visiting. I'm pretty sure she's legally allowed in before 10pm, but they probably have their own policies regarding the matter.

I was at SanTan last Friday, I liked the atmosphere and thought the beer was decent. They sell their beer in cans, so it would be easier to pack some in your checked luggage. I usually go to Four Peaks when I'm there, but I was on my own this time and SanTan was closer. You should enjoy either place.

I would go to Four Peaks or Papago over SanTan. Depending on where you're staying, Four Peaks also has a location in North Scottsdale. I really like their food actually. And their beer is top notch.

IKEA is pretty fun to hang out in, and cheap food for a great meal. Literally you can feed a family of four for under $10.

Another thing worth seeing that is fairly close to there is the Desert Botanical Gardens. I don't usually like gardens, but that place is incredible.

4 Peaks is the best brewery in the valley in my opinion. All the beers are great and the food is fantastic here.

After 4 peaks I would check out Papago. Not only do they have their beers. They also have a ton of freezers full of other breweries craft beers (bottles) which you can drink there or take to go. So the selection is pretty much endless. Papago does not have as good a food selection as 4 peaks, it seems like their specialty is pizza.

Another place to check out if you have time is Sleepy Dog Brewery, it is literally right down the street from 4 Peaks. It's nothing grand or anything, but might be worth checking out if you have time. This place doesn't have any food at all though, but they welcome you to bring in your own food though.

All three of these breweries are more o less close to each other so you might be able to do a tour of all three ha.

Thanks! As much as I would love to check all those places out, I might be limited to just one considering we are visiting the grandkid. I think four peaks will be the place we go!

Why have I not met all of you Phoenix people yet?

In my opinion both SanTan and 4 Peaks are good breweries. Both seem to be busy all the time too. I live closer to SanTan so I'm usually there more often.

Soperbrew said:

Why have I not met all of you Phoenix people yet?

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You know why! Phoenix people are all anti-social and don't want to interact with anyone.

I haven't met anyone here yet either... but then, I am up here in almost in Cave Creek.

I never got to goto San Tan during my Phoenix trips but I had their canned Devil's Pale Ale and it was good.

Ranked from my favorite to least:
Sleepy Dog Brewery
Papago Brewery
Four Peaks
Dave's Electric Brew Pub

pointerDixie214 said:

I haven't met anyone here yet either... but then, I am up here in almost in Cave Creek.

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Well next time I plan to go to or through Cave Creek I'll look you up for a beer. It's been probably 15 years since I've been up there.

AZ_IPA said:

You know why! Phoenix people are all anti-social and don't want to interact with anyone.

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Says the hermit from the White Mountains!

Soperbrew said:

Well next time I plan to go to or through Cave Creek I'll look you up for a beer. It's been probably 15 years since I've been up there.

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Lemme know for sure... I have three kegs on right now. :rockin: