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Scottsdale man’s brewery giving back before it opens
BY KRISTINE CANNON
Progress Staff Writer
Afarmhouse-inspired, philanthropic brewery named after reigning punk-rock trio of the late ‘90s and early aughts, Blink-182, right here in the Valley?
It exists.
Well, almost.
Roses by the Stairs Brewing, founded by central Scottsdale resident and engineer Jordan Ham, will be located in a 7,000 square-foot warehouse space on McDowell Road and near 5th Avenue in Phoenix.
The space was once occupied by Easley’s Fun Shop, a storied, 72-year-old costume store that closed its doors for good in 2018.
Inside, the brewery will do more than serve craft beers; Ham plans to give a portion of his revenues directly to sustainability and educational charities, too.
“I wanted to make a business that made the world a better place,” Ham said.
He isn’t waiting until early next year, when the brewery is expected to open, to make his �irst charitable move.
Roses by the Stairs is one of the more the 700 breweries taking part in the Black Is Beautiful Initiative, started by Weathered Souls Brewing in Texas.
The Black Is Beautiful Initiative is a nationwide effort where breweries donate 100 percent of a special, stoutbased beer’s proceeds to local foundations that support police reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.
“I started the brewery with the focus on the environment, my employees and the community,” said Ham. “Our community includes everyone, and for many years, part of that community has
Scottsdale resident Jordan Ham is the owner of Roses by the Stairs, a new brewery slated to open early next year in Phoenix. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
not been treated fairly.
“For this time to be different, everyone needs to step up and take action; and this program provides us with the opportunity to support the Black Lives Matter cause. We’re here to be part of the movement.”
Because Roses by the Stairs is under construction, Ham and his head brewer, William Hampton, partnered with Tucson-based Dillinger Brewing Company.
The Black Is Beautiful Initiative offers an Imperial Stout recipe created by Weathered Souls Brewing Company, but participating brewers can add their own twist to the beer.
Ham said he’s hoping to partner with black-owned coffee shop A.T. Oasis Coffee & Tea Shop in Phoenix.
Owned by Aisha and Abdul Tedros, A.T. Oasis serves Ethiopian coffee and teas from east Africa and Morocco, among other unique imports.
“hey said they’d be more than happy to work together. So, now I just need to convince everyone that we need to put coffee in the beer,” Ham said.
“Even if we don’t use it in this beer, we will de�initely work together in the future,” he added.
The other Arizona breweries taking part in the Black Is Beautiful Initiative, also include the Beer Research Institute (B.R.I.) in Mesa.
“We’re involved in this project because it’s the right thing to do,” said Matt Trethewey, B.R.I. owner and cofounder. “We need to band together as humans and denounce racism in all its forms.”
B.R.I. will donate proceeds to the Arizona Chapter of the ACLU.
“I can’t think of a better cause to make a donation to than an organization that supports and defends the rights we have as humans that are outlined in the U.S. Constitution,” Trethewey said.
Ham plans to donate 1 percent of revenues to sustainability charities and another 1 percent to local educational charities.
“If I just wanted to make beer, I could home-brew. But opening this brewery allows us to make a real impact in the world,” Ham said. “We’re not going to make money in the �irst year, but we’re still going to donate to charities and give back.”
Roses by the Stars will focus on sour, mixed fermentations, barrel aged and spontaneous fermented beers.
“I’m going to try and do some sours, more wild yeast, more experimentaltype stuff,” Ham said.
What will set the brewery apart, though, is its focus on sourcing and using local ingredients.
Ham hopes to head the Four Peaks area to harvest saguaro �lowers and prickly pear, freeze what he harvests and use the wild ingredients when they start brewing.
“Buying local is so important,” Ham said. “To me, beer is more of what it actually tastes like. If you can sit back and know 1 percent of your money has gone to support the environment, and maybe another 5 percent has gone to buy your child’s teachers’ chalk or pens, that beer is going to taste pretty good.”
As for name of the brewery, they’re lyrics pulled straight from track eight of Blink-182’s ‘99 album, “Enema of the State.”
“The song [“All the Small Things”] ends with ‘my little windmill.’ That was my second choice,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted [the name] to be something a little unique, a little quirky.”
Keep an eye on Roses by the Stairs’ Instagram — @rosesbythestairsbrewing — for updates on when their Black Is Beautiful beer launches.
