If you go to Mill Avenue often enough, you may notice there are two bicycle themed bars in the district. The first is the Handlebar, centered between Sixth and Seventh streets with El Hefe, Fat Tuesday and Zipps. The other is Pedal Haus Brewery, located a stone's throw from Handlebar.
Although both bars have something to do with beer and bicycles, it's Pedal Haus Brewery that stands out the most. From freshly brewed, in-house craft beer to decent pub food, a dog-friendly patio to lawn games, this restaurant has it all.
With a name like "Pedal Haus," proprietor and general manager Julian Wright said he combined two things he's passionate about.
"Europe and riding bikes," Wright said. "I also live in a very bike friendly area (Tempe) and we specialize in European-style beers like German lagers and Belgian Tripels."
Wright is also a local restaurateur behind other Mill Avenue staples such as La Bocca Pizzeria, Gringo Star Street Bar and, unsurprisingly, the Handlebar.
Having founded the Handlebar in 2012, he said the similarities between the two are quite apparent. But as far as atmosphere, the two are certainly different. The Handlebar is smaller and low key, better for outings with a two or three friends after class, or to start off a barhopping night on Mill.
With a very large interior and patio, Pedal Haus Brewery is ideal for big events with a large group of people. The patio includes a European-style beer garden and an enormous fire pit for colder night. There's also beer pong, cornhole and ladderball to keep you occupied as you sip your beer. You can even bring your dog, as the patio is pet-friendly and even has food bowls near the tables.
All this is nice and all, but with a place with "brewery" in the name, it's the beer that matters. Wright said opening a brewery was the result of what started in the Handlebar. Although the original bike-themed features plenty of local craft beer, Wright wanted to create some of his own.
"Pedal Haus was really just a natural progression into actually making the beer," he said. "It started out as a small side project to serve our own beer at Handlebar but grew into a life of its own."
Variety is the spice of life -- which is why a good beer selection is so important. #beer #pedalhaus pic.twitter.com/plhxkgi4Yk
— Pedal Haus Brewery (@PedalHausBeer) December 29, 2015
The brewery is served by locally renowned master brewer Derek Osborne. The on-tap menu consists of German and Belgian staples, including wheat beer, pilsner and an amber-colored brew called Bernsteinfarbenes Weizen, or "bernie" for short.
The draft list also has an Indian pale ale, a known favorite among beer enthusiasts. Wright said it was the most popular.
Thankfully, Pedal Haus won't empty your wallet. The prices of fresh brewed pints range from $5 to $6. The food isn't bad either, offering typical pub favorites such as burgers, brats and pretzels.
Related Links:
5 Tempe bike shops that'll get your gears going
Five ways to save your bike from theft on campus
Reach the reporter at idickins@asu.edu or follow @sailormouthed92 on Twitter.
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