19 Oct 31st-NOv 6th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | ‘Champion’ of Arizona Beer Remembering SanTan founder Anthony Canecchia. BY SARA CROCKER A nthony Canecchia, the founder of SanTan Brewing Co., has died. The Chandler brewery announced Canecchia’s death via social media on Oct. 14. SanTan did not disclose Canecchia’s cause of death. He died on Oct. 12 at the age of 51. Canecchia went from a homebrewer in the mid-1990s to leading the state’s largest independently-owned craft brewery and distillery. But, Alejandro Fontes, SanTan’s head of sales, says that growth wasn’t the founder’s ultimate goal. “It was trying to be the best and that was putting quality first above all else,” he says. Following SanTan’s announcement, friends, peers and neighbors in the tight- knit brewing and downtown Chandler communities expressed their sadness and shock, along with memories and apprecia- tion for Canecchia and his pioneering work in Arizona’s craft beer and spirits industries. “We are greatly saddened at the loss of Anthony Canecchia and extend our best wishes to his family and SanTan Brewing,” Arizona Craft Brewers Guild Executive Director Andrew Bauman said in an email. “Anthony was a trailblazer in Arizona beer; the entire beer community mourns his passing.” From homebrewer to head of the largest local beer company After making his first batch of homebrew, Canecchia told Phoenix New Times in a 2016 interview he decided to drop out from the University of Arizona, where he was studying archaeology to pursue beer- making. In 1996, he began his professional brewing career at Tempe’s Four Peaks Brewing Co. Canecchia founded SanTan in 2007. The brewery became known for its IPAs such as Juicy Jack, and subsequent Jack spin-offs, and seasonal offerings including the wheat beer Mr. Pineapple and Winter Warmer, a holiday strong ale. SanTan is the largest locally owned brewery in Arizona, producing more than 37,000 barrels of beer in 2023. The company includes its flagship location and adjacent Spirit House Cocktails and Kitchen in downtown Chandler, an outpost in Sky Harbor International Airport’s Terminal 3 and a Chandler events space and production facility, SanTan Gardens. The award-winning brewer also built a reputation for its sustainability efforts, from recapturing carbon dioxide emitted from its beers’ fermentation process to diverting its spent grains from landfills to feed animals. Most recently, Fontes says Canecchia invested in brewing equipment that would cut back on the amount of water the brewery uses to make its beers. “He wanted to get ahead of that and make sure water conservation was a part of everything we’re doing moving forward,” Fontes says. In 2015, Canecchia launched SanTan Spirits. Fontes called the distillery the founder’s “passion project.” The company says SanTan Spirits is likewise the state’s largest distiller, making vodka, whiskeys and ready-to-drink cocktails that include bottled espresso martinis and flavored vodka sodas sold under the brand name Sunsplash. Beyond the company’s growth, Fontes says Canecchia took pride in seeing members of the team grow, either at SanTan or branching out with new endeavors. In the last few years, Canecchia offered not only advice but also extra brew space for smaller makers as well. “He doesn’t want to just see SanTan succeed, he wants to see Arizona beer and spirits succeed, and he was caring enough to try and make that happen any way he could,” Fontes says. For his part, Fontes started as a busser at SanTan’s brewpub in 2012. He would often see the owner in the brewpub and sat down with him for Fontes’ final interview to join the sales team. Canecchia chided Fontes for wearing a tie, saying it’d likely be the last time he would do so at the brewery. “The man had a huge sense of humor,” Fontes says, describing Canecchia as a caring, goofy geek who he bonded with over a shared love of comic books but who also had a deep commitment to his work. “Anthony was a pretty fierce guy in all the right ways. He did things with intensity and passion,” Fontes says. Tributes shared by brewers, Chandler community Since the news was shared online, there has been an outpouring of tributes from fellow brewers and Chandler community members on social media. “Anthony worked tirelessly to grow craft beer in our state and created a busi- ness employing scores of Arizonans throughout his career,” a post from the Brewers Guild said. “We wish the best to SanTan and the Canecchia family in this time of grief.” Crescent Crown Distributing — one of the country’s largest alcohol distributors, which teamed up with SanTan during the pandemic to make and get hand sanitizer to health care facilities and the city of Chandler — called Canecchia a “visionary who poured his heart and soul into SanTan.” “His passion for crafting exceptional brews and spirits (and) creating a welcoming space brought so many people together and left a lasting impact on everyone who walked through their doors,” Crescent Crown’s post on social media said. “His legacy lives on in every glass raised and every smile shared.” Megan Greenwood, the founder of Greenwood Brewing, wrote in a post on social media that the Arizona brewing industry lost a “champion” and an “icon” with Canecchia’s passing. “Anthony built a community, a culture and one of the best crews out there. I am proud to have been able to work with him for the past few years, I’m honored to have received some of his guidance and I will continue to cheer on what he’s built and honoring his legacy,” she shared. Other breweries from around the Valley mourned the loss of one of the titans in their industry. “His passion and vision have left a lasting mark on the Arizona craft beer community,” Phoenix Beer Co. wrote. Downtown Chandler neighbors, including the team from restaurant Hidden House, shared their condolences. “His impact will be felt for years to come, and the industry won’t be the same without him,” they posted. For Fontes, reading through comments like these has been comforting. “(Canecchia) touched a lot of people’s lives in one way or another,” he says. “You start to get a sense of how big his impact was, even as quietly as he did it.” Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Fontes says Canecchia was passionate about the nonprofits Chandler Compadres and St. Joseph the Worker. But, perhaps the best tribute is to raise a pint. “The best way to honor him is to keep supporting local businesses, not just us, but everybody in the craft brewing scene,” Fontes says. Friends and fellow brewers shared tributes, calling Canecchia a “champion,” “visionary” and “icon” of Arizona beer. (Photo by SanTan Brewing Co.) Canecchia founded SanTan in 2007 and grew it into the largest locally owned brewery in Arizona. (Photo by SanTan Brewing Co.) ▼ Food & Drink
