When Pedal Haus Brewery debuts its renovated Tempe space later this month, perhaps the most notable change will be that the brewhouse itself is gone. Head Brewer Derek “Doc” Osborne and his team moved to a warehouse that previously was a custom wheel shop in Chandler and began brewing there last December.
The company also has forthcoming locations in Phoenix Sky Harbor'sTerminal 4, downtown Mesa and at the Chandler brewing facility.
In addition to giving Pedal Haus more room to brew, Osborne says the new facility has allowed them to implement more eco-friendly approaches.
“Sustainability, bicycles and dogs are our things – we give a shit about that,” he says.
Many of the improvements revolve around using heat exchangers that can quickly lower or raise temperatures and capture steam that would normally be emitted outside.
“It’s the responsible thing to do for the environment. It’s hot enough out here,” Osborne says. They have also walled off the kettles used to brew to keep that heat in one area.
The brewers will now use glycol as well as water to chill hot wort – the warm liquid base of beer, which must be cooled after boiling before it's ready for fermentation.
“It should cut our water usage in half,” Osborne says.
And, the brewery will also add a centrifuge to filter its beer once it's finished fermenting. That means they'll yield about 7% more beer from every batch, which over time means pulling on fewer resources.
“It’s nice to have a little more elbow room and have a bigger brewing facility with more capacity,” says Pedal Haus founder Julian Wright, who upon seeing the brewhouse up and running recalled, “it made me feel like we’re a real brewery and not just a brewpub bootstrapping.”
The move allowed Pedal Haus to double the amount of beer it can make and manage the thirst of its growing taproom empire that includes locations in Tempe, Chandler and downtown Phoenix. The company also has forthcoming locations in Phoenix Sky Harbor'sTerminal 4, downtown Mesa and at the Chandler brewing facility.
In addition to giving Pedal Haus more room to brew, Osborne says the new facility has allowed them to implement more eco-friendly approaches.
“Sustainability, bicycles and dogs are our things – we give a shit about that,” he says.
Pedal Haus Brewery's brew team, from left, Derek "Doc" Osborne, Jon Chaney, Derek Hanson and Tim Caggiano.
Sara Crocker
A look inside Pedal Haus’ new brewhouse
The move provided the opportunity to map out an automated facility that uses less water and energy through creating a more efficient brewing process.Many of the improvements revolve around using heat exchangers that can quickly lower or raise temperatures and capture steam that would normally be emitted outside.
“It’s the responsible thing to do for the environment. It’s hot enough out here,” Osborne says. They have also walled off the kettles used to brew to keep that heat in one area.
The brewers will now use glycol as well as water to chill hot wort – the warm liquid base of beer, which must be cooled after boiling before it's ready for fermentation.
“It should cut our water usage in half,” Osborne says.
And, the brewery will also add a centrifuge to filter its beer once it's finished fermenting. That means they'll yield about 7% more beer from every batch, which over time means pulling on fewer resources.
Expect more barrel-aged and sour beers
With the move to a new facility, Pedal Haus now has the room to expand its offerings. There's lab space to cultivate yeast strains and a room for barrel-aging beers and foeders – the oversized, ovular oak barrels are used to age beer – particularly lambics and sours. Though Pedal Haus has primarily brewed kettle sours, Osborne says they’ll start to expand their sour offerings.For now, the Chandler brewhouse, near Warner Road and Nevada Street, will be a working brewhouse. But, Osborne has plans to offer tours in the future and to open a tasting room in an airy space at the front of the building. However, that will likely come to fruition in 2025.
“I miss all the people,” Osborne says. “I’m counting on the tasting room here doing a lot of our specialties, really motivating [our team] to play with R&D, play with new flavors … just try things out and let people taste it.”
A rendering of the Pedal Haus Brewery at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The bar, located in Terminal 4, is slated to open later this summer.
Fork & Dagger Hospitality
Renovating, growing taprooms
In Tempe, Pedal Haus will debut its spruced-up space with a party on Friday, Aug. 25. Thanks to the relocation of the brewing equipment, the brewpub will have about 50 additional seats and a stage for weekly live music. As the designated away-game watch party for Arizona State University football, Pedal Haus has added TVs and a new Sun Devil mural, too.A specialty oat pale ale brewed in collaboration with The Shop Beer Co. will be released at the event.
In about a year’s time, Pedal Haus will grow from three taphouses to five, with the addition of a beer bar in Sky Harbor slated to open later this summer and a taproom in downtown Mesa housed in a renovated former auto body shop. A 5,000-square-foot dog-friendly patio, live music stage, an array of flatscreens for game watching, fire pit cabanas and yard games will be among the amenities.
The Mesa Pedal Haus won’t have a kitchen, but the team has recently acquired a food trailer to serve the downtown spot and is targeting September 2024 to open.
Wright describes the seven-year-old brewery’s approach to growth as “slow and steady.”
“We don’t want to get too far over our skis,” he says. “The beer landscape is everchanging. We want to make sure we’re having fun along the way.”
Pedal Haus Brewery
214 E. Roosevelt St.
730 S. Mill Ave., #102, Tempe
Coming soon:
95 W. Boston St., Chandler
Coming soon:
3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.
201 W. Main St., Mesa
