PHX Beer Co. -- Phoenix, AZ

05/11/2024 Kenny and Sarah Love ventured into Phoenix on a fine, mid-morning Saturday. There were two reasons this outing occurred. Initially, we set off to visit the PHX Vintage Market at the Brewery. The event was advertised to open at noon. When we arrived a few vendors had gotten there and were setting up. We soon learned, however, it had been rescheduled to open at 4:00 PM that particular day. The second reason, of course, was to enjoy a pretzel tasting and a beer: a Sonoran White Chocolate Ale for Kenny and an IPA for Sarah Love. A cool vibe and chill atmosphere awaited us in the PHX Beer Co. The brewery was unique; it was literally an open warehouse. A couple of yard games were out for patrons. It was pretty empty since the bar just opened. The kitchen was not even in operation yet. As Kenny and Sarah Love waited patiently, a burly gentleman came in and asked the barkeep for a 'penny beer'. Highly intrigued, we learned about PubPass - a scavenger hunt of breweries sprinkled throughout AZ but mostly located in Phoenix and surrounding areas. The 2024 annual pass was $25 and guaranteed you a penny beer at 25 participating locations. There are sometimes limitations on the beer choice, depending on the brewery, but the deal is unbeatable! Kenny and Sarah Love immediately purchased these passports to begin their beer tasting mission. Not to upstage their pretzel tasting experience and efforts, though! On a side note, the Phoenix brewery location has unfortunately closed prior to this pretzel blog post. Fortunately, however, the brewery has moved spots and is now located in Tempe.
PHX Beer Co. -- Phoenix, AZ
“Pretzel Bites” Menu Description: Caraway, Arizona Gold Cheese Fondue, Iron Horse Porter Mustard.
When the kitchen did open, Kenny and Sarah Love jumped at the opportunity and embarked on the beginning of their pretzel tasting adventure. The order came out relatively quickly since we were practically the only ones in the brewery.

The bites were little nugget shapes and resembled mini-potatoes. They were light weight and colored with an amber hue. The toppings were alright. Another pinch of salt would have helped the ratio; the caraway provided an interesting flavor twist. As for the texture, the crispy outside crust surrounded the doughy inside and the juxtaposition between the two was great.

Along with the pretzel bites came two side accoutrements. First, was the thin fondue. What a delicious cheese taste it had! Kenny gave a thumb of approval for the mustard, vouching for how flavorful it was. Sarah Love claimed the mustard had a bite up front that subsided pretty quickly. The excursion that day was far from finished, but this pretzel tasting was definitely successful. 3.5/5.0 Sincerely,

Kenny Muzzey & Sarah Love

The Perch Brewery -- Chandler, AZ

The Perch Brewery -- Chandler, AZ

Sarah Love and Kenny took a casual Sunday drive into downtown Chandler. It was a little bit of a hike from their standard stomping grounds; they usually frequent places around Phoenix. Chandler is home to a variety of dining establishments, including a few breweries. One brewery in particular had piqued our interest as it houses a gigantic enclosure holding a small variety of exotic rescue birds. Kenny parked in the parking lot caddy-corner for easy access to the destination. Then we set off.

Kenny and Sarah Love arrived at peak lunch time hours on a Sunday and had to wait for a little while. There were naughty children outside waiting for their own family's table which was quite vexing. When it was our turn to be seated we found ourselves in an open air dining area. The beautiful and spacious outdoor patio was perfectly suited for the April weather.

The bird sanctuary next to us was large and displayed many different, unique birds. Each bird is a rescued pet; they had been unwanted, neglected, abused and abandoned and the Perch decided to make it their mission to give them a good home. To ensure their safety, the birds are not sold, bought or bred.*

There was a chill vibe to the restaurant. The venue contains an outside, inside, and upstairs portion but Kenny and Sarah Love decided they weren't necessarily in an exploring mood. Instead they sat and enjoyed the beautiful weather outside. In the bathrooms, there were colorful flyers advertising fun events. It would be a great place to visit during the week, both for some entertainment and to hang out with the birds. Unfortunately, it is too far for Kenny and Sarah Love to make the trek during the week.

On an ironic note, The Perch Brewery does serve buffalo wings just in case you were morbidly curious.

04/14/2024

The birds were quite loud as we sat waiting for our food. Soon the waitress, who was very pleasant, brought out our pretzel. The snack was toasted brown and smelled of butter. There were odd visual textures. The lightly coated salt was interestingly enough flaky. There were bubbles baked into the pretzel's crust which are supposedly called microblisters - sounds appetizing, doesn't it? The shape was normal and the size was enough for two as an appetizer. As we bit into the treat there was a light and airy feel. The taste was decent. Accompanying the pretzel was a thin beer cheese with a tiny kick of spice. Not too impressed, but not disappointed, Kenny and Sarah Love enjoyed the treat and were excited to have another pretzel tasting under their belt.

3.25/5.00

Sincerely,

Kenny Muzzey & Sarah Love

*The Perch Brewery - Meet the Birds!