24 Nov 14th-Nov 20th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | New Brews Wren House plans for cask beers, pub vibes at new PV taproom. BY SARA CROCKER C ask beers get a bad rap, says Wren House Brewing Co. co-owner Drew Pool. “In the U.S., people think it’s warm, flat beer,” he explains, “and that’s not the case.” Wren House’s third Valley brewpub is set to debut at the site of the former Paradise Valley Mall in February. There, the local brewing powerhouse plans to challenge that stigma and introduce drinkers to a style popular in the U.K. The forthcoming taproom will be “a celebration of cask ales,” Pool says, as well as a northern outpost serving Wren House’s full portfolio of beers. The award-winning brewery is one of a bevy of new eateries, bars and cafes that will open at PV, the dining, entertain- ment, housing and work hub taking shape on a 100-acre site near Cactus Road and Tatum Boulevard. Wren House has been a favorite in the Valley since opening its Phoenix bungalow brewhouse on 24th Street in 2015, with award-winning and cult-favorite sips, such as Spellbinder Hazy IPA, the playful fruited sour series Las Frescas and big seasonal brews such as the autumnal wheat wine, Pie Thief. This is the second satellite Valley location from Wren House, which opened the European-inspired beer hall and restaurant, Wren Südhalle, in Ahwatukee in August 2023. Like that location, Pool says he and the team wanted to introduce a new experience. “Every location we do, we want it to stand on its own and be its own unique thing,” Pool says. “Also, we really enjoy the different worlds of beer.” This latest location allows the team to lean into English beer styles, though it’s not completely new territory for the brewers, who won a bronze medal for Hooks and Dun, an extra special bitter, in 2023. At PV, Wren House will have a nano- brewery on site to create and condition its cask ales, which will be served from four beer engines. Cask beers are typically unfiltered and, when transferred to a cask, the yeast continues to ferment and condition the beer. Because of this, cask ales are some- times referred to as “living beers.” They’re also a little different because of how they’re served. These naturally carbonated ales are hand-pumped through a beer engine, as opposed to a traditional kegged beer that is pulled through a tap line with the aid of carbonation. Pool says the beers served on cask will rotate, highlighting the nuance the process can create in beers that may be familiar to drinkers, such as Spellbinder. “The cask nature actually adds an incredible mouthfeel to the drinking expe- rience. It’s almost like that nitro vibe without being on nitro,” Pool explains. While not ubiquitous in the U.S., he recalls visiting the Deschutes Brewery’s Public House in downtown Portland, Oregon, where he sipped a dry-hopped cask-conditioned version of the brewery’s pale ale Mirror Pond. Tasting whatever is rotating on cask “gives you an opportunity to have truly one-off experiments from the brewery,” he says. Pool also emphasizes that beers will be chilled to their traditional serving temper- ature, not served at the warmer temps people may associate with cask ales. The PV taproom will include about 20 standard taps, a large to-go selection of Wren House beers and an array of seating inside and out. Customers will be encouraged to bring in food from one of the several restaurants in the area, which include Flower Child, Blanco Tacos + Tequila, The Melt and Federal Pizza, among others. Pool describes the interior of the taproom, which is designed by House of Form, as “Arizona meets English pub.” Think rich woodwork, plaid tile patterns and near-enclosed booths, or snugs as they’re called overseas. That will be paired with Southwestern flair and fabrics adorned with desert graphics created by Lauren Thoeny, the same designer who crafts the brewery’s can art and is married to Wren House’s head brewer Preston Thoeny. The Wren House team was interested in PV not only because many members have roots there (Pool, for example, attended middle school nearby) but also because there aren’t many craft beer options in the area. “We like to go to places that are kind of underserved,” he says. “We thought the new development was a great opportunity to get back into the area.” And Pool is looking forward to intro- ducing, and hopefully converting, Arizona beer drinkers to cask ales. “It’s something new for us, something new for Arizona and something that’s going to be something super unique that we’re excited about,” he says. Wren House Brewing Co. Opens in February 12650 N. Tatum Blvd., #106 Wren House Brewing Co. took home two bronze medals at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival awards, including one for its extra special bitter, Hooks and Dun. (Courtesy of Arizona Craft Brewers Guild) Wren House Brewing Co. will open a third Valley location at PV in February, serving cask ales along with its portfolio of award-winning craft beers. (Courtesy of House of Form) ▼ Food & Drink
