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Tempe, Arizona is a college town, the home of Arizona State University. It’s also a suburb of Phoenix. I grew up in Tempe. I lived there from when I was five or six, went to ASU, and eventually moved away. I still go back and visit every year, usually in March for Spring Training & the Devour Food & Drink Festival, then again in November. As long as you don’t go during the summer, it’s pretty nice. Thanks to being a college town and a more forward-thinking area of Arizona, there’s been good craft beer in Tempe for quite some time. In recent years, even more places have sprung up. Every time I go back, there’s somewhere new to check out. Here are some of my places to drink craft beer in Tempe, including craft beer bars, breweries, taprooms, restaurants, and bottle shops.

The Best Breweries in Tempe, Arizona

Four Peaks Brewery

No list of Tempe craft beer could begin without Four Peaks. Four Peaks has been in operation in Tempe since 1996. When I was in college at Arizona State, my finance professor would hold informal “office hours” at the brewery, where anybody could stop by and have a beer with him. My first apartment in Tempe was on 8th Street, which is also home to Four Peaks. I could smell the brewery in the mornings. Whenever I smell a brewery now, I’m taken back to those times.

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Nowadays, Four Peaks is a much bigger operation, as they long ago outgrew that former ice house on 8th. In addition to the original location, the new brewery on Wilson Street also has a tasting room, where you can try beers you can’t find elsewhere. If you’re not able to make it to Tempe, but you’re passing through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, there’s a Four Peaks in Terminal 4. In 2015, the brewery was sold to AB InBev. As always, sales like that will cause debate in the craft beer community, which will be relevant to some. As for me, Four Peaks will have always been an important part of my life. You can find Four Peaks beer all over the Phoenix area and around the rest of the Southwest.

Address: 1340 E 8th St #104, Tempe, AZ 85281 (map)

The Shop Beer Company

The Shop Beer Company is one of the newer breweries in Tempe, but it has quickly become a local favorite, winning “Best New Brewery” from The New Times in 2017. The brewery started out within nearby Cartel Coffee Lab, which is a must-visit if you’re a coffee fan.

Book your hotel in Phoenix-Tempe-Scottsdale now!

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The Shop creates beers in every style – from popular NEIPAs to beers using local farm ingredients. Each week, you can find a unique infused concoction on “Randall Wednesdays”. If you like originality when it comes to beer, The Shop is the place to go.

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Address: 922 W 1st St, Tempe, AZ 85281 (map)

Huss Brewing

Huss Brewing, which has been run by husband-and-wife team Jeff and Leah Huss since 2013, is located in an industrial park in south Tempe near Priest & Elliot. When I visited, people were lining up for growler fills & pints before the doors even opened.

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The brewery has an intimate tasting room with 24 taps.

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You can find their beer in other places around Tempe & the Valley (the Koffee Kolsch is quite lovely), but the tasting room has creations you won’t find elsewhere, along with a few guest beers. Huss also has a larger taproom & restaurant in Phoenix.

Address: 1520 W Mineral Rd Suite 102, Tempe, AZ 85283 (map)

Fate Brewing Company

Fate Brewing Company started life out as Fate, then had to switch their name to McFate, but now is back to Fate. Along the way, they have made some good beer. The brewery’s main operations are in Scottsdale, just across the Tempe border, but in May 2019, the opened a taproom in Tempe on Southern Avenue.

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Address: 201 E Southern Ave #111, Tempe, AZ 85282 (map)

Pedal Haus

Pedal Haus is also located along Mill Avenue, next to the movie theater. Back in college, my friends & I used to pay for one movie there, then sneak into several others. We were such nerds that we’d plan out the whole schedule ahead of time. That doesn’t really have much to do with this bar, aside from the fact that had we been 21 & it existed at that point, we probably would have come to this brewery instead. The bike-themed brewpub mostly focuses on European-style beers & has a full food menu, with a huge patio out front.

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Address: 730 S Mill Ave #102, Tempe, AZ 85281 (map)

Hundred Mile Brewing Company

One of the newer breweries in Tempe is Hundred Mile Brewing Company. It’s located just off the 202 at Scottsdale Road.

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The brewery has a huge space with a patio and open garage doors that let air flow through. There are also many TVs for watching sports and a full food menu.

Hundred Mile Brewing Company has 5 or so of their own beers, plus another 15 or so guest taps, including Cider Corps cider.

Address: 690 N Scottsdale Rd, Tempe, AZ 85281, United States (map)

Catalyst Crafted Ales

Catalyst Crafted Ales is Tempe’s newest craft brewery. The owners formerly ran Ad Astra in Prescott.

The bar and brewery have a ton of space to grow. They have only just started brewing beer to fill their 27 taps, most of which are guest taps.

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Out front, there’s a cool covered patio area. There are also large TVs for watching sports. Food is provided by S.A.L.T (Sea and Land Tacos).

Address: 1845 E Broadway Rd suite no 106, Tempe, AZ 85282 (map)

The Best Craft Beer Bars in Tempe, Arizona

Taste of Tops

Taste of Tops is my favorite craft beer bar in Tempe. Unlike many of the other bars near ASU, the crowds are much older, so you’re not surrounded by drunken bros. It’s where people who are long past college go to hang out. In addition to having a great tap selection (30 taps, always with several hard-to-find beers), there are also fridges with hundreds of beers.

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The bar hosts small events as well, featuring everything from TV show watching to dance parties. There’s no food, but you can bring in outside food from any of the nearby takeout places. I recommend Thai Basil, which is in the same strip mall. That’s another thing about drinking in Tempe or anywhere else in the Phoenix area – you’ll find yourself drinking in far more strip malls than you ever would have expected. Just embrace it.

Address: 403 W University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281 (map)

The Hudson Eatery & Bar

The Hudson Eatery & Bar is a newer place located in a renovated older building on Apache in Tempe. Thanks to being just a bit away from downtown Tempe & ASU, it feels a bit more like a neighborhood bar.

The bar has large open windows & street art on the walls, plus TVs showing local sports.

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The Hudson’s tap list is excellent, with a nice mix of local favorites along with some rarer selections (especially a pastry stout or two). It’s also one of Tempe’s nice places for cocktails.

Along with the beer & cocktails, The Hudson also has great food – the pastrami burger is a revelation and something certainly worth returning for on its own.

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Address: 1601 E Apache Blvd, Tempe, AZ 85281 (map)

Spokes on Southern & Boulders on Broadway

Spokes on Southern & Boulders on Broadway are two separate bars, but they have the same owners. Both have great selections of craft beer (24 or 30 taps, plus cans & bottles), along with decent food. They’re spacious bars with plenty of televisions.

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Spokes on Southern also has a large outdoor patio next to a pond. Sometimes you can watch unsupervised children fall into the pond or get chased by geese. You don’t even need the televisions for entertainment!

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The two bars also host trivia nights. If you’re around in Tempe when I visit, you can have the honor of being annihilated by my trivia team at Spokes on Southern.

Address: 1470 E Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282 (map) – Spokes on Southern
Address: 530 W Broadway Rd, Tempe, AZ 85282 (map) – Boulders on Broadway

Eureka! Tempe

Over the years, I’ve made it known that I tend to be anti-chain. So, I was a bit skeptical when I first visited Eureka! Tempe, as it has many locations around the country. Still, I checked it out since it was right around the corner from my hotel.

I’m glad I did. Eureka! Tempe has 20 beer taps, almost all of which are local Arizona beers. There were just a couple of macro taps for boring people.

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I enjoyed beers from Phantom Fox, Roses on the Stairs, and O.H.S.O. The beer I had from O.H.S.O. was especially interesting to see, as it was a Mexican Mocha Te Quiero imperial stout that had been made some two years prior, showing they had access to some vintage beers.

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The beer bar also rotates selections from permanent breweries such as Wren House, Dark Sky, Walter Station, The Shop, & more.

With weekday happy hours and a great location right near Mullett Arena on the ASU campus, Eureka! Tempe is sure to become popular. It’s a great spot before or after hockey games or other ASU sports. Large garage door-style windows allow for tons of fresh air when the weather is not too hot. The service was also great.

There are a few TVs showing sports, plus a full food menu. I enjoyed the ahi poke stack. The bar also serves wine & cocktails, including spirit-free options.

If you’re going to be a chain, this is how to do it.

Address: 690 S Novus Pl Suite 173, Tempe, AZ 85281 (map)

The Best Craft Beer Bottle Shops in Tempe, Arizona

Tops

Where does the “Tops” in “Taste of Tops” come from? That would be the attached store, which has every beer, wine, or liquor that you could ever want.

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Taste of Tops is actually a bar expansion of the original liquor store, which has been the go-to place for alcohol in Tempe for as long as I can remember. If you believe in shopping at local businesses, this is where to go.

Address: 403 W University Dr # 104, Tempe, AZ 85281 (map)

Bottleshop 48

Bottleshop 48 is a bottle shop that also has a 12-tap selection of beer. The name of the bar comes from Arizona’s position as the 48th state to join the United States.

Address: 3318 S McClintock Dr, Tempe, AZ 85282 (map)

What are your favorite craft beer spots in Tempe? Let me know in the comments! For more local Arizona craft beer, check out my posts about downtown Phoenix, Mesa, Goodyear, and Avondale.

Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!

Here are some great Tempe tours & activities & other things to see & do in Tempe.

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Tempe, check out these Tempe hotels.

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