5 breweries to open in Scottsdale area in 2015

The northeast Valley will be home to five new breweries this year, filling what owners say is an untapped market and offering more options for neighborhood hangouts.

Two breweries, Two Brothers Scottsdale Taphouse and Brewery and Scottsdale Beer Company, opened in January. The others will debut in the coming months, including Fate South and Goldwater Brewing Co. in Scottsdale and O.H.S.O. Brewery in Paradise Valley.

O.H.S.O. will add another twist to the mix when it also opens a distillery for small-batch spirits in Scottsdale later this year.

The Valley has seen a proliferation of breweries open in recent years, with notable growth in the east, southeast and central corridor. Roughly 35 breweries will be operating in the Valley by the end of this quarter, said Rob Fullmer, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild.

Local owners said the next logical hotspots are the northeast and west Valley. The latest group in the Scottsdale area will help round out the craft-beer scene with more offerings, from a spacious beer garden to a dog run for patrons' pooches. Two of the openings will add to the eclectic mix in Old Town and a third will give a boost to south Scottsdale, which is seeing a resurgence of late.

The new breweries join a host of others in the city, including local mainstays Four Peaks Brewing Company and Papago Brewing Co., as well as national chains Gordon Biersch and B.J.'s Restaurant and Brewhouse.

Local owners say there's a strong sense of camaraderie among brewery owners and the new spots will add to the synergy in the Valley.

"I don't look at is as competition. I look at it as supporting each other," said Jon Lane, owner of O.H.S.O. "We want to keep it local. ... We want each other to succeed."

O.H.S.O., which has been a favorite spot in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood, will open the new Paradise Valley location in March. Patrons can expect the same neighborhood hangout vibe and dog-friendly atmosphere, along with a large patio, outdoor game space and a dog run.

The new location will have a bigger brewing system, allowing Lane more flexibility with his offerings. He plans to dedicate one tank to brews from the Arizona Society of Homebrewers, giving patrons more location options, and he wants to give a portion of sales to charity.

In early summer, Lane will open a small-batch distillery next door to his Scottsdale brewery, which opened last April. He will kick off the spot with vodka and gin but expects to expand the offerings there.

Like Lane, Fate Brewing Company owner Steve McFate is expanding in what he sees as an underserved location, south Scottsdale.

McFate opened his Shea Boulevard location in 2012 and has already outgrown the spot. For Fate South, he is transforming an old buffet-style restaurant into a neighborhood place with the same formula that has been so successful at his first venture: a range of brews on tap, rotating small-batch brews and wood-fired pizzas. The new location will be substantially larger, with a beer garden, patio and grassy area for games and socializing.

Fate South is banking on local residents and the burgeoning development in the area to draw customers. The brewery is opening across from Arizona State University's SkySong campus and SkySong Apartments. A sprawling luxury apartment complex, a gated-community from Mark Taylor, is also nearby. Another important neighbor, according to McFate: Papago Brewing Co. in the Papago Plaza Shopping Center.

McFate hopes the two breweries — with their relative proximity to Old Town — will make that area a destination for not only locals but beer enthusiasts who travel different parts of the Valley to sample what's on tap.

"It's not uncommon for there to be craft-beer districts," McFate said, pointing to established districts in San Diego and Denver. "It's certainly not a bad thing.''

Downtown Scottsdale will welcome Goldwater Brewing Co. in March near Osborn and Scottsdale roads. The brewery will feature family recipes developed over decades, with unique brews like "Desert Rose" made with cactus fruit, flowers and botanicals, said owner Greg McClelland, owner and longtime home brewer.

In June, McClelland hopes to expand into the historic building's basement, the site of an old shooting range, with an 800-square-foot barrel aging and lagering room. Plans call for scheduled tours and tastings there.

Goldwater is joined in Old Town by the Illinois-based Two Brothers Scottsdale Taphouse and Brewery, near Fifth Avenue and Scottsdale Road, which opened at the end of January.

Rounding out the northeast Valley scene is Scottsdale Beer Company, near Shea Boulevard and Loop 101, which also opened in January.

With the proliferation of breweries opening around the Valley, the market here is far from being saturated, Fullmer said.

"There are a lot of great neighborhoods and cities and towns that don't have neighborhood places," he said. "There is still a lot of room for growth."

Five new breweries come to Scottsdale area

Two Brothers Scottsdale Taphouse and Brewery

Opened in January.

Details: 4321 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-378-3001. twobrothersbrewing.com

Scottsdale Beer Company

Opened in January.

Details: 8608 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale. 480-219-1844. scottsdalebeercompany.com

O.H.S.O.

Opening in March.

Details: 10810 North Tatum Blvd, Paradise Valley. 602-900-9003. ohsobrewery.com

Micro-distillery expansion opening early summer.

Details: 15681 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. 480-948-3159. ohsodistillery.com

Fate South

Opening late April.

Details: 1312 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-994-1275. fatebrewing.com

Goldwater Brewing Co.

Opening in March

Details: 3608 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 602-320-2317. goldwaterbrewing.com