I have never been a big fan of SunUp's beers. I usually prefer amber or brown ales but there is something a little off about their amber. So, I did not really ever make it a point to visit their brewery before. Then I saw that last week, for AZ beer week, they were doing something kind of fun. Beer floats. That's right, they had paired four of their beers with different flavors of gelato: cream ale with strawberry gelato, pale ale with blood orange sorbet, amber with sea salt caramel gelato and vanilla porter with tahitian vanilla gelato. Some were better than others but it made for a fun experience. I just love the fact that there are so many breweries in town now and they each have their own vibe but yet they are all part of the local craft beer community.
The brewery itself was very homey and comfortable. It was decorated with a lot of wood paneling that was probably left over from the seventies but it gave it sort of a cozy country lodge feel. They have a nice inner courtyard with a secluded patio even though they are on a major street in the middle of downtown. There is a larger separate room where it seems most people who are eating a meal get a table, but the main bar area is pretty small. Most of the people there seemed to be regulars and it was an eclectic mix of ages and personalities. The bartender (who was also the hostess and the server) was very friendly and that also contribuited to the warm and fuzzy feeling we got while sitting at the bar.
Though I don't go that often, I will probably return to SunUp. Firstly because I have discovered that their porter is actually pretty good, and secondly because it just seems like a cool place to hang out. The main thing that kept them from another star was the awful smell in the ladies room. My hubby said it was even worse in the mens. Gross. I hope it is not a permanent thing.