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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER
BEERTENDERS Bartenders who really know their beer
Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!
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rcadia’s Sip Coffee & Beer Garage opened in 2015 and offers a selection of 24 rotating craft beers on tap, thanks to lifetime beer aficionado Alex Cardineau, founder and general manager. According to him, just a sampling of what’s on tap this summer includes IPAs, stouts, ales, lagers and ciders from popuar breweries, Green Flash, Dogfish Head, Ska, Ballast Point, Founders and Stone just to name a few. What do you think makes craft beer special? Craft beer is as complex as we are! While there are about 88 grape varietals that are used to cultivate wines, there are thousands of types of malts and hops and just as many ingredients available to enhance them—from chocolate to apples— meaning there are infinite possibilities, and something simple or complex for every person. How did you get your start in craft beer? Oh, it was early—and I mean very early. My family actually took me to my first brewery at age 5—and no, they didn’t let me taste. It was called the Pizza Port, WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM
and many years later, in a fun twist, they would take me back to the California brewery to celebrate my 21st birthday. Both my sisters are also insanely talented home brewers, so the passion for craft brews is truly a family affair. Given all of this, once I was actually of age, I quickly tired of drinking crap beer available just anywhere and did what most guys my age did—starting sampling Four Peaks’ craft beers in Tempe. All it took was a taste of their Kiltlifter (and maybe a Hopknot or two) to get me hooked. While I knew I always wanted to own my own business, I did realize I couldn’t just jump into opening a bar or brewery on my own. So after I graduated ASU, I cut my teeth in the business working at Handlebar and then Salut Kitchen Wine Bar at night while working in marketing and sales during the day. One day, Travis Radevski and his wife, Tida, came into the bar when I was working. We struck up a fast friendship, and before I knew it, I found myself working at his Old Town Scottsdale venue, Sip Coffee & Beer House, in 2014. Within the year, we knew we wanted to expand, and by 2015, I helped to found Sip Coffee & Beer Garage, which is in a former mechanic’s garage in the heart of Arcadia.
What is your favorite part about the beer culture in the Valley? That it is one of the fastest-growing industries in the Valley, and across Arizona for that matter. We just had a new brewery open down the street from us in Arcadia, in fact, called Helton, as well as a great new spot, Goldwater Brewery Company, open next door to our Old Town location. And we can barely keep up with all the Beer Festivals popping up! Why is Sip the perfect place for craft beer? Because you don’t have to be a “beer person” or what one might call a “beer snob” to have a good time. Our space is eclectic by design, made to help people engage with each other, either for work or play. In fact, because we are open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight, it is all too common to see folks congregate here for a work meeting that eventually transitions into a great happy hour—or even dinner—on most nights of the week. We are also unique in that we give our guests the chance to peruse our beers, not simply order from a menu. And then there is the sheer number of our beer offerings, including ciders and fruit beers. Right now, we have beers from Founders, New
Belgium, Grand Canyon, Goldwater, Maui, Lefthand, Knee Deep, Odell, Wanderlust, Upslope and many more. What is your favorite part of the beer culture? I love that beer has stood the test of time. At one point, in fact, when water was too dangerous to drink, it was beer that saved the day, providing refreshment—and fun—well before television, the internet or Facebook. What is your favorite beer at the moment? I am really into the Sour Beer movement right now and of course IPAs, but I don’t think I could ever pick just one.
Sip Coffee & Beer Garage 3620 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 85018 602.900.5188 facebook.com/ sipcoffeeandbeergarage