Central Phoenix to be home to new brewery, tap room

PHOENIX — Central Phoenix will soon be home to another craft brewery and tap room.

Westward Brewing Company is getting ready to open its doors near 24th and Oak streets. Head Brewer Preston Thoeny said he expects to begin operations with six beers on tap and the brewery will feature beers created with many local ingredients.

“We try to get a lot of stuff locally,” he said. “We’re trying to get as much grain locally as we can and we working on trying to get some hops produced for a few IPAs (Indian Pale Ales) here in Arizona.”

Creating unique flavors of beers is also part of Westward Brewing Company’s business plan, according to Thoeny.

“We take a lot of food recipes we like and try and turn them into beers,” he said. “Things that we think are conducive to alcohol, like German Chocolate Cake, is one of our favorite beers we’re making.”

He and two other co-founders, Drew Pool and Bill Hammond, have been working to repurpose a roughly 100-year-old home into a tap room, complete with a bar and seating area.

Behind the home is a separate building where the brewing process will take place.

Theony expects to brew 10 barrels of beer once or twice a week and said he has room for growth.