Changing Things Up

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

State 48 likes to keep things fresh.

In Downtown Phoenix, State 48

Brewery caters to the concert crowd from The Van Buren and Crescent Ballroom when there’s not a pandemic. The location also brews its flagship, year-round offerings, such as the Sound of Freedom IPA, Javelina Hefeweizen, Lost Dutchman Golden Ale, Copper Star Kolsch and Vortex Amber.

State 48 Lager House in Scottsdale has the chain’s biggest brewing system, a full-service restaurant, a second-level mezzanine, a dining patio and second-level patio that overlooks the McDowell Mountains.

The original location, State 48 Brewery in Surprise, features a 10-barrel system where it brews seasonal and specialty beers. It has a full kitchen as well as a wood-fired pizza oven featuring Neapolitan-style pizza. There’s a dog-friendly patio with games such as cornhole and giant Jenga and Connect 4.

At Westgate, it’s all about entertainment, where State 48 Funk House boasts 12 lanes of bowling, two pool tables and a shuffleboard table. Its 20-barrel system will eventually

Graffiti adorns the walls of State 48 Brewery’s Rock House in Norterra. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

brew sours and other mixed fermentation beers.

“We create a wonderful, good vibe and a great craft beer to keep them coming back for more,” says Greg Emmett, State 48 Rock House’s general manager. “We have excellent service.”

So, expectations were high when State 48 Rock House opened in Norterra. A stage overlooks the room that is adorned with graffiti art of a drum kit, the restaurant’s logo and a peace sign.

“I come from a background where details matter,” Emmett says. “We do it well, and the guests know that. We wanted to create a fun environment with music, burgers and beer.”

“Fun” is in the menu as well. Starters range from Disco Fries—French fries covered in beer cheese, brown ale gravy, pork carnitas, pepperoncini and green onion ($11)—to Totchos—tater tots smothered in beer cheese, pickled jalapenos, pico de gallo, bacon, black beans and green onions ($12).

Salmon salad with grilled salmon, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, carrots, feta, avocado and basil vinaigrette ($15) and roasted beet with braised red and gold beets, orange supremes, goat cheese, pistachios, arugula, basil vinaigrette and balsamic reduction ($9) are among the creative salad dishes.

Sandwiches include hot chicken with buttermilk-battered chicken breast, spicy oil,

bread and butter pickles, coleslaw, all on a brioche bun ($13.50); meatloaf melt ($13.50); beer cheesesteak ($14.50) and brisket sandwich ($14.50).

Th e entrees are the stars of the show with Southwest chicken pasta mixed with chipotle alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, bacon, red bell peppers, roasted mushrooms and grilled corn ($14.50); meatloaf smothered in Dust Devil Brown Ale gravy ($15.50); schnitzel ($16.50) and steak frites ($24.50) on the menu.

“My favorite item is the fi sh and chips,” Emmett says. Th e Lost Dutchman Golden Ale battered Alaskan cod comes with handcut fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and grilled lemon ($16.50).

Beer plays a big role in the dishes at State 48, even in the burgers. Th e State 48 burger ($14) comes with beer-battered pickles and IPAsriracha bacon. S-48 steak sauce is available as a condiment for any of the burgers or entrees.

“We want consistency across all of our locations,” Emmett says. “We focus on fresh, quality ingredients, and the majority of them are housemade. We create an ambiance, but our food is great.

“We have some great entrees—fi sh and chips, Southwest chicken pasta, grilled salmon, a variety of burgers and some great sandwiches and wraps. Anybody can fi nd

A stage for live music acts sits behind the taps at the full bar at State 48 Rockhouse.

something they want on our menu. Every location has a diverse customer base.”

Emmett says Norterra has been missing a place like State 48 Rock House.

“It’s a fun place to hang out,” he says. “It’s a craft brewery. We have live music. We put all of that together.

“We’ve received a lot of feedback from people who live 2 to 5 miles away, and they all say Norterra needed this. Th e other part that excites me is Norterra needed a place like this to draw people to the area and build it up.”

2530 Happy Valley Road, Suite 1269 Phoenix, AZ 85085 623-581-7553, state48brewery.com

By Joella Hopkins

Don’t allow yourself to get in a rut!

Summer is nearly over, and the kids are finally back in school— whether it’s still online learning or in person. Schedules for everyone have drastically changed—for kids and parents! It’s easy to put your own workout on the back burner when everybody else seems to need you and there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day. If you don’t make your fitness routine a priority right out of the gate, you may find yourself stuck in a rut that’s hard to get out of.

Good intentions are not good enough.

From working your full-time job to managing your kid’s school schedules, it’s easy for the day to get away from you without getting your workout in! It’s an endless cycle because when you don’t exercise, you have less energy, which makes it tough to feel motivated.

Even the best intentions to work out in the evening can be derailed at the end of the day when you’re exhausted. What’s a parent to do?

Here are a few tips:

You are more likely to succeed when you schedule your workout time (just like you would your kid’s soccer practice). This is an appointment that you do not cancel; it goes on your calendar and becomes a non-negotiable. This is “you” time—time to take care of yourself so you will be a better parent, spouse, employee and friend. It’s not just about your physical health— it’s about your mental health as well. You will be more patient with people, happier throughout your day and have more energy for family time.

Make your first decision in the morning a healthy one by setting your alarm early enough to get a 30- to 45-minute workout in. Switching to this schedule sets you up for good, positive decisions the rest of the day! Just like any habit, it will only take a few short weeks to get into your groove. In no time you’ll be rocking a fitter, happier lifestyle and actually look forward to your morning workouts!

It only takes a couple of hours on a weekend to prep some healthy choices for the week. Cook chicken breast or lean meats for dinner or dice it up on top of salads. Grill salmon and veggies that you can make or pack for lunch and reheat later so you’re not tempted to go out to eat and make poor choices. Boil eggs for a breakfast on the go or a great mid-day

snack. Keep plenty of fruits, raw veggies and heathy nuts on hand for snacks when you get hungry between meals.

Th ere is good news! Studies have proven that you don’t need to spend hours working out to get quality exercise. Even a quick workout before the kids start school will put you in a better mood and make your day more productive. Keep it fresh and fun so that you don’t dread your workouts. Th e best advice is for people to cross-train. Practice diff erent things so your mind doesn’t get bored. Take a kickboxing or dance class online, try strength training with weights, practice yoga or just go for a brisk walk. Th ere are plenty of on-demand and live workouts available—eosfi tness.com has plenty to choose from. Fitness is not a specifi c formula—do what you enjoy, and you will stick with it!

Joella Hopkins is the vice president of group fi tness at EOS Fitness, which has 22 high-value, low-price gyms and counting throughout the Valley. She has more than 20 years of experience in the fi tness industry. For free on-demand and live workouts, go to eosfi tness.com/athome-workouts.