Four Peaks Brewing Company

The Phoenix area does not have a deep craft brewery culture, but it is fortunate to have a brewery as good as Four Peaks. From its Tempe location in an historic creamery building on 8th Street, Four Peaks produces an assortment of craft beers and serves unusually good pub food for lunch and dinner. Four Peaks is conveniently located approximately half a mile from the Dorsey / Apache station. The walk is a reasonably pleasant one through a residential neighborhood. There is a second location in Scottsdale, but it's just a strip mall pub and not an actual working brewery. It's also impossible to reach via light rail -- another reason to skip the Scottsdale scene and instead walk a few blocks from the train to the original site in Tempe.

The large space is part sports bar, part patio, part dining room, and a whole lot of brewery. The entire rear of the building is taken up with huge tanks, vats, pipes, and other hardware devoted to beer-making. Because of the open design, there's no air conditioning. No need to panic from May through September, though. Huge fans blow through the room, keeping things cool for the most part. It's a casual environment without rigid dress codes or velvet ropes. There are even high chairs for kids. Parents shouldn't worry too much about the "no minors" sign at the patio host station. That sign generally seems to be interpreted as "no unaccompanied minors" as long as everyone behaves and only those 21 and over enjoy the beer. It's therefore not unheard of to see families in the dining room, especially during lunch.

Four Peaks is best known for bottled brews such as Kilt Lifter and 8th Street Ale, both of which are available at retail outlets throughout Arizona. The former is a medium-dark Scottish-style ale; the latter is a slightly bitter brew, lighter in color but not in flavor. At the brewery, Four Peaks offers those two as part of a broader array of brews on tap, including an unfiltered hefeweizen, an oatmeal stout, a peach beer, a Kolsch-style ale, and a two India Pale Ales (IPAs), Hop Knot and Raj. Hop Knot is a relatively mellow IPA, while Raj takes no prisoners with its full-strength bitterness. At any given time, there are also seasonal beers. Look for a chalkboard at one end of the room listing the choices, along with their alcohol contents. The 2007 Winter Wobbler (right photo below) was particularly interesting with a smoky taste that might be described as halfway between chipotle and bacon. In a more mainstream style, Four Peaks also brews the house beer for the Roosevelt, the popular pub at the north end of Downtown Phoenix.

The menu leans toward hearty, beer-compatible dishes with regional American influences. One signature appetizer is the Thai hummus (center photo below), which mixes a peanut sauce suitable for satay dipping with a creamy chickpea puree. The blend works unexpectedly well. The standard entree menu includes numerous burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Most items are listed with recommendations of good beers to accompany them. Some noteworthy choices include a burger with bleu cheese crumbles and the salmon BLT sandwich. Acknowledging its regional identity, Four Peaks offers some Southwestern specials like chicken enchiladas and carne adovada. Half a dozen pizzas are available with a build-your-own option for anyone who wants total control.

Although the everyday menu is solid by itself, some of the most impressive offerings are the specials, which are publicized each day in two email bulletins, one each for lunch and dinner. There's an unexpected emphasis on game. Recent specials have included fare as adventurous as an elk burger and a shredded rabbit chimichanga. Sometimes even a basic dish like fish and chips is dressed up as a special. The normal preparation with cod is joined on the menu with an alternative walleye version when the Midwest's favorite fish is available. No matter what the fish, the chips are some of the best fries around. Hand-cut slivers of potato with the skin on are fried just right to produce a crisp exterior and more yielding interior. There is even an occasional meatless special, including a recent vegetable calzone with pinenuts adding an interesting bit of flavor and crunch.

Four Peaks is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. After dinner, there's a late night menu of appetizers and pizzas available until the kitchen closes at 1 AM. Happy hour, offered from 3 PM until 7 PM and then again after 10 PM, is probably the most hectic time at Four Peaks. At all times, service is seldom fawning, but usually quite competent. Despite its location within walking distance of the Arizona State University main campus, Four Peaks draws a diverse crowd and never feels completely like a fraternity party. To be sure, the patio is packed at happy hour, but with varied clientele of all ages. It's a comfortable place for a drink and a meal in a place that has worked hard to build a distinctive beer culture in the Phoenix Metro Area.

1340 E 8th Street, Suite 104, Tempe, AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 303-9967
http://www.fourpeaks.com