Richter Aleworks in Peoria–Sweet Neighborhood Sipping Spot
| Location | 8279 W Lake Pleasant Pkwy, Ste 109, Peoria, AZ |
| Phone Number | 602-908-6553 |
| Hours | M-CLOSED, T-Th 3-8 pm, F, Sat 12-10 pm, Sun 12-6 pm |
| Website | https://richteraleworks.com/ |
Located in the Fletcher Heights Marketplace in Peoria, AZ, Richter Aleworks’ taproom opened in 2016. In Phoenix craft brewery patois, this brewery sits among the elders.
Owners Brandon and April Richter got interested in craft beer after a trip to Europe. They came home, engaged in some serious brewing education and staked their claim on a piece of the Peoria beer scene.
We recently took a field trip to the northwest Valley recently and stopped in to check out the bevvies.
The Place
The taproom is situated in a large-ish end space of a strip mall on the corner of W. Beardsley Rd. and W. Lake Pleasant Parkway. There is plenty of free parking in the lot in front (not shaded, though).
They have a small shaded space sectioned off on the sidewalk in front of the taproom that acts as a makeshift patio. There were maybe half a dozen or so tables on the patio.
The L-shaped interior of the taproom is flanked by large plate glass windows on the front and a long bar across the back. Most of the 10 indoor tables seat 6 or more people and there are about a dozen bar stools.
The decor is understated with touches of auto-repair paraphernalia as seen on the tap handles. There were a couple of big-screen TVs over the taps but we didn’t see any board games, yard games or other forms of entertainment.
Although we had no problems ordering beer, there was only one server working on a weekend day. I can see how it could turn into a problem if the place got very busy.
The music on the sound system featured the likes of Clash, Guns-n-Roses and other 80s alt-rock played at a reasonable volume to allow conversation.
The overall vibe is comfortable but the focus is obviously on the beer.
The Beer
The day we visited, Richter Aleworks was serving only their own beers and seltzers from 13 taps. The bartender told us they don’t have any “flagship” beers, every beer is a one-off.
That means if you stop in a few times a month, you’ll always have a few new surprises waiting for you! During our visit, the menu board showed about half IPAs and a mix of pilsner, ESB, weissbier and pale ales.
Beer Reviews
| Beer-ABV/IBU | Notes |
|---|---|
| 4 on the Floor IPA 6.9%/60 | Appearance: light amber, clear Aroma: orange candy, pine Taste: malty, dank, slight metallic flavor, a little flabby Mouthfeel: med body, med carbonation Overall: unusual malty IPA, leans more toward low notes, won’t appeal to everyone |
| Blasphemi Cold IPA 5.4%/40 | A: gold, clear, effervescent A: pineapple, low hops T: juicy pineapple, lemon, clean M: soft, tiny bubbles O: easy drinking, soft IPA, lower bitterness than expected; the hops are a bit lost here |
| Gearbox Pale Ale 5.9%/32 | A; deep gold to light amber, clear A: caramel, biscuits, malty T: caramel, biscuits, malty, moderate bitterness, fairly dry M: light body, high carbonation O: very nice pale ale, lighter than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale; *a favorite of the day |
| Get Bent Umlaut Weissbier 4.8%/22 | Appearance: gold, sl. hazy Aroma: wheat, sl herbal, biscuit Taste: wheat, lemon, mod. bitter, sl sweet finish Mouthfeel: light-med, high carbonation Overall: a good weissbier, *a favorite of the day |
| Last Orders ESB (Extra Special Bitter) 6.9%/27 | A: medium brown/amber, hazy A: nutty, chocolate, caramel (Snickers bar!), cherry cola T: warm grain, cherry cola, M: med heavy body, smooth, tiny bubbles O: amazing aroma, good for consuming in large quantities |
| Schnitzengiggle German Pilsner 5.2%/24 | A: gold, clear A: honey, floral, bread T: mod. bitterness, pretty dry, missing mid palate M: light body, med to high carbonation O: decent pilsner but lacking complexity |
| Through the Never Hazy IPA 4.8%/57 | A: deep gold, sl. hazy A: marked pine and hay, slight citrus, AMAZING hop aroma!!! T: high bitterness, grapefruit, a little malt M: light body, low carbonation O: Aroma of an imperial with the physicality of a session beer |
| Vulgar Display of Hops Double IPA 7.8%/62 | A: med gold, clear A: orange, cheese/feet T: funky, off flavors at the forefront M: medium body, low to med carbonation O: significant off flavors, did not finish drinking |
Overall Impression
Richter Aleworks is a cool neighborhood spot that offers an ever-changing variety of craft beer. With seating for more than 60 people in the taproom, you could stage your after-work liquid therapy there with the whole gang.
Although they offer small pizzas and snacks, we didn’t try any on our visit. Food trucks are available on certain days of the week, too.
Additional Details
A few more facts to inform your planning…
- They offer a couple of fruity seltzers (piña colada was tasty!)
- Growlers and cans available to take home
- Different food trucks are hosted on Fridays
- They occasionally offer live music
- Combine it with Peoria Artisan Brewery and Throne Brewing to make a very decent beer crawl.
Map
Sources
- Hoppy Craftsmen. (2017, May 31). Richter Aleworks – Meet Your Heroes, Naming Woes, Beer Trends | Hoppy Craftsmen Craft Beer Podcast [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIA_VQH7lEI
- Kellie Hwang, The Arizona Republic. (2016, December 9). New brewery alert: Richter Aleworks opens in Peoria, 12/9. Arizona Republic. https://eu.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/dining/2016/12/09/richter-aleworks-brewery-opens-peoria/95164898/
