Background
Grand Avenue Brewing Company opened in Phoenix in May 2019. John Coll a practicing real estate lawyer purchased the 1947 warehouse in 2010. It was there he began brewing as a side project. After nine years, Coll decided to take his homebrew concept and expand it into a taproom adjacent to his brew space. Coll’s goal is to create a Belgian brasserie feel to the new brewery.
Experience
We arrived on a Friday afternoon and took a spot at the bar. Grand Avenue Brewing Company is in a cool old brick building. Inside there are exposed rafters, an L shaped bar, several tables, a long table looking outside and the brewing area is within sight. We pulled up to the bar and ordered a flight. The Grand Framb was probably our favorite, just a bit tart, the Throwback IPA, I thought, was a bit malty, and the Raven, a stout aged in Cabernet barrels was pretty good. They do have a short menu of food and we tried a Schreiner sausage (locally produced) and a smoked baked potato with pulled pork on top. Both items were pretty good.
Overall we thought the place had charm. With such a new brewery, they will have some growing pains. I look forward for the beers to improve and see what types they can create. John, the owner/brewer could be a bit more engaging with the clientele.
No nearby lodging noted.
