There is something fitting about Greenwood Brewing’s next chapter taking shape in Downtown Chandler, just over a mile from the garage where the whole journey started. Before the beer garden on Roosevelt Row, before Greenwood beers landed on shelves and tap lists across Arizona, and before a partnership with the Phoenix Mercury, there was Megan Greenwood homebrewing in Chandler with an idea of what her brewery could someday become. Turns out, that idea would change quite a bit.
“When I started Greenwood, I was one of one,” Greenwood says. “I really didn’t realize how much having a team and a community around this business would change and impact my life.” Today, she considers building that team as one of Greenwood’s greatest accomplishments.
Head Brewer Brad Williams is someone Greenwood calls “an artist and a true craft brewer,” crediting him with pushing the brewery to experiment, expand its offerings, and keep quality and freshness at the forefront. Taproom lead Jemaun Gardner has helped transform the guest experience through his genuine investment in Greenwood’s customers and community.
That community now extends well beyond the Downtown Phoenix taproom, with Greenwood beer available at hundreds of restaurants, bars and retailers across Arizona. But growth hasn’t always looked the way Greenwood originally imagined.
Early on, the goal was big distribution. Greenwood envisioned building the next Michelob Ultra of craft beer, with production and wholesale driving the business. As the industry and its customers changed, so did that vision. “I realized I needed to build the business for today,” Greenwood says. “Not for the 55-page business plan sitting on my hard drive.”
The shift toward experience is at the heart of Greenwood’s upcoming Downtown Chandler location. Sitting directly across from Chandler Park, the new taproom is both a homecoming and a chance to apply lessons learned from Roosevelt Row. Greenwood describes the goal for Chandler simply: make it an easy “yes.” Food, non-beer options, TVs for the game and a comfortable outdoor experience will give more people a reason to stay awhile.
Community has opened other doors, too. Greenwood’s partnership with the Phoenix Mercury came after years of persistence, but Greenwood is quick to credit Hensley Beverage Company for helping make the connection. The result is a fitting relationship between a woman-owned Arizona brewery and one of the Valley’s most recognizable women’s sports organizations.
For your first Greenwood beer, start with Harvest Diem Spiced Ale, an original homebrew recipe served with a honey, sugar and cinnamon rim. Or go with Rosemary IPA, an OG Greenwood beer that remains delicate, intentional and incredibly food-friendly. Both are approachable, memorable and a pretty good representation of where Greenwood wants its beer program to go.
Apparently, Chandler is only the beginning what is to come. Greenwood says a larger evolution of the brand will start revealing itself over the next year. Then she left one more hint about what’s ahead. “Stay tuned for a third location announcement soon.” Not bad for something that started with a homebrew kit in a Chandler garage.
written by: steven larson
photographed by: luke irvin
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