Roses By the Stairs Brewing–Romantic, Funky Farmhouse Beers
| Location | 509 W McDowell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85003 |
| Phone Number | (415) 527-8206 |
| Hours | M-Th 3pm-10pm, F 3pm-midnight, Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 10am-8pm |
| Website | https://www.rosesbythestairsbrewing.com/ |
Early this year, we heard rumors of a new brewery opening in downtown Phoenix. Named Roses By the Stairs Brewing, I was intrigued by the romantic-sounding moniker.
I wasn’t too surprised to learn they were planning on serving beers that I consider very romantic. Romantic –as in idealistic and visionary.
Although they don’t exactly advertise it, I was surprised when I figured out that they took their name from a popular early 2000s era song…
“Late night, come home
Work sucks, I know
She left me roses by the stairs
Surprises let me know she cares…“
BLINK-182 ALL THE SMALL THINGS
So, the phrase is indeed used in a romantic context. Even if it is sung by a suburban punk jumping around in his tighty-whities.
The lyric is actually perfect for this brewery. They make romantic, surprising beers that let their patrons know they care.
The Place
Opened in May of 2022, the taproom sits on the south side of W. McDowell Road between 5th and 7th Avenues. It was home to Easley’s Fun Shop for nearly 80 years. Now the 4,200 square foot space has been completely repurposed to hold a 10-barrel brewing facility, bar and open seating area.
The day we visited was relatively cool for early October. The tap room had the garage doors up and fresh air flowed in from the patio area. At one end of the space, there is a bar with 8-10 bar stools. Across the back, stainless steel brewing equipment gleams as several small cultures fermenting vessels stand waiting nearby.
The balance of the open room is taken up by about 8 tables, a few 2-seat barrel tables and a few deep seating-style pieces of furniture.
For you sports fans, there are two huge TVs over the tap area. It was nice to see several old-school wooden puzzle-type games and board games available for patrons to enjoy while quaffing.
The decor is a very low-key industrial warehouse style mixed with your friend’s mom’s basement rec room. I’ve read that the owner, Jordan Ham, made some of the furnishings and that there is a focus on recycling materials.
The patio has 3 tables and 12 bar stools around the perimeter. While there is some shade available, this area is probably best saved for mild weather.
During our visit, there were more than a few dogs inside the taproom. So not only is the patio dog-friendly, the inside is, too. Not everyone loves sharing indoor space with sometimes exuberant, sometimes, er… leaky canines but if you’re a dog fanatic, you’ll love it.
The Beer
Roses By the Stairs Brewing states that their beers “explore the boundaries of what it means to be a farmhouse style beer.” In case you’re not familiar with farmhouse ale, it is a traditional European style made by farmers at home, using grain they grew themselves.
Farmhouse-style beer encompasses a wide variety of styles but a popular one is Saison beer originally associated with Belgium. Most Saisons have ABV in the 5-8% range and have low to moderate bitterness.
I remember tasting my first Saison beer and being blown away by its dry yet thirst-quenching complexity. A hallmark of the style is a marked yeasty character. They may also have qualities of tartness, fruitiness and/or spiciness.
Their head brewer, Robert Rosemann, has worked at San Tan Brewing, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., Tombstone Brewing and Cerebral Brewing in Denver. And now he’s cranking out some amazing and creative brews for RBTS.
They have 16 taps and were serving 13 of their own beers and 3 outside brews when we stopped in.
Don’t let the unusual style names scare you away. We found most of these unique beers to be super lively, fresh and delicious.
And never fear, they also have plenty, plenty, plenty of IPAs to make the masses happy! Their IPAs were solid and true-to-style while each one still had its own distinguishing characteristics.
Beer Reviews
| Beer-ABV/IBU | Notes |
|---|---|
| Carry Me Home hazy IPA 6.7% | Appearance-med orange, very hazy Aroma-tropical fruit, dank Taste-tropical fruit, not juicy, ++bitter Mouthfeel-light to medium body, med carbonation Overall-tropical while having a strong backbone of bitterness |
| Daybreaker (w/honey) triple IPA 11.6% | A-med to dark gold, sl hazy A-citrus T-alcohol, candied mango, moderate bitterness M-med body, med carbonation O-wow, boozy! triple IPA lovers will be happy |
| Farm to Barn spiced/herb beer (foeder fermented Saison) 7%, 35 | A-light to med gold, v sl hazy A-ginger, honey, T-prominent ginger but not overdone, malty sweetness, carrots? M-fluffy medium body with med to high carbonation O-fun, punchy and unique without being cloying |
| Fun(k) Shop hoppy Brett pale ale 5.5% | A-med to light gold, very slight haze A-earthy, funky, parmesan cheese in a good way with some hay T-malty without sweetness, funky, light tang, dry M-medium body and carbonation O-tasty, very unique |
| JoJo farmhouse ale 5.5%, 35 | A-med to light gold, clear A-orange, coriander, T-sl sweet with orange juice, sl banana, coriander, low bitterness M-light to med body, low to med carbonation O-lively, fun, amazing! *a favorite of the day |
| Python West Coast double IPA 8%, 65 | A-med to light gold, v sl hazy, ++bubbles A-citrus, spruce T-piney, restrained citrus M-med body, med to high carbonation O-classic WC DIPA *a favorite of the day |
| Trail Beer Saison 4.3%, 20 | A-light gold, slightly hazy A-watermelon, grassy T-top note melon, crisp, dry M-light, high carbonation O-brings Kolsch style to mind, very refreshing |
| Turn the Lights Off American stout 6.5% | A-dark ruby brown, sl hazy A-dark chocolate, freshly ground coffee beans T-fruity dark chocolate, espresso M-med body, med to high carbonation O- fresh, tasty coffee stout |
Overall Impression
Roses By the Stairs Brewing has their taproom situated in a great location for tourists and locals alike. The space is low-key and comfortable enough to hang out for a few hours.
The beer selection is more adventurous than most of the other places around town. These people are not afraid to take a chance with a foeder (like a big wooden barrel) fermented Saison because they’ve always got a few solid IPAs to fall back on.
I loved it and would go back just to taste their next creative brew. But if you just want to chill with a classic West Coast IPA, you’ll be a happy camper at this downtown Phoenix craft beer spot.
Additional Details
A few more details to help you plan your trip to Roses By the Stairs Brewing…
- Smallish free/private parking lot
- Very dog friendly-indoors and outdoors!
- Free wi-fi
- No food made in-house but you can order from nearby restaurants to eat in the taproom
- Cool old-school games to play at your table
- Make it a beer crawl with Throne Brewing & Pizza Kitchen Downtown Phoenix about half a mile away, about a 10-minute walk. Arizona Wilderness Brewing DTPHX and Greenwood Brewing are also a short 1.1 mile drive or bike ride away.
Map
Sources
- The Beer Connoisseur. (2022, August 25). Roses By The Stairs Is Phoenix’s Newest Brewery. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://beerconnoisseur.com/news/roses-stairs-phoenixs-newest-brewery
- Cannon, K. (2020, June 21). Scottsdale man’s brewery giving back before it opens. scottsdale.org. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.scottsdale.org/food_and_drinks/scottsdale-man-s-brewery-giving-back-before-it-opens/article_0646b06e-b269-11ea-be75-df335f036cd4.html
- Frigerio, J. (2020, September 9). Meet Roses By The Stairs Brewing: “Scrappy,” experimental brewery to open in Phoenix. ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.abc15.com/entertainment/events/meet-roses-by-the-stairs-brewing-scrappy-experimental-brewery-to-open-in-phoenix
- Paradiso, J. A. (2021, March 1). What Exactly Is a Saison? •. Hop Culture. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.hopculture.com/what-is-a-saison-farmhouse-ale/
- Yee, N. (2022, August 2). First Sip: From Fun Shop to Farmhouse Brewery, Here’s What to Try at Roses By the Stairs. Phoenix New Times. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/try-craft-beers-at-roses-by-the-stairs-brewery-phoenix-13778112
