Happy Hour at Monsterland

*watching Heinekin commercial*

Daniel Craig... WHY? Did Skyfall really need that advertising revenue? Was Eon Productions really that hard up for cash because of the recession?!

Ugh, not my problem, and not my first or fourth choice of beer. Anyway. Beer Blogger here, and if there's one thing I have a soft spot for, it's local craft brews. Arizona has a LOT of local brews, so I could easily dedicate a good couple months to reviewing them all, roadtripping statewide on my free time. Which actually isn't a bad idea...but I digress. What I'm really getting at is that Monsterland has a delightfully diverse display of brews from around Arizona on tap.

But what's Monsterland? It's a Halloween-themed restaurant located on Main Street in Mesa, originally opened in 2011 as a haunted house but was converted the following spring into a theme restaurant open year-round. It's a popular spot for the spooky decor, the animatronic beasties that activate without warning, and the wait staff often dressing up in costume like they're about to go trick or treating. The food's decent, but pricier than it's really worth during regular hours, but between the hours of 3pm to 6pm Wednesday thru Friday, the appetizers are $2 cheaper and the beers a dollar off.

And that's where I come in! My sistah-from-another-mistah (and movie co-reviewer) Kat was in town, and while searching Main Street for suitable craft-y souveniers we stopped in for lunch. Thus did the beer taps flow with the following brews.

SanTan Count Hopula - Seasonal IPA. Daaaaark, a deep red with a thick head. It had an intense hoppiness, and it was nearly as rich as a stout in flavor if not in thickness. I tasted some chocolate undertones, but that might be the malt coming through. If you like IPAs then by all means give it a try, it's got a lot to offer. But honestly, the strength of the hop might put off the casual drinker. Still, clever name.

SanTan Hefeweizen Wheat - This has a spiced, perfumey bouquet, it's a cloudy orange with thick head. It's very good, with a banana citris flavor that does not even require the usual lemon garnish. It's a veritable bouquet for the senses, you can taste everything right away. It's a surprise for the average beer drinker interested in trying something new, and I definitely recommend giving it a try. Unless you don't like bananas.

Sonoran Victorian IPA - I like that name. For an IPA, this has a rather light hoppy flavor. Golden amber in color with a light frothy head, it's really a good starter for this type of beer. I'd almost say it's double hopped from the flavor, but without the higher alcohol content. It's a nice casual beer, easy on the palette but with more than enough character to merit another pint. (Really wish I could show you a picture of it, but I didn't take any and couldn't find one that I was positive would permit its use here.)

Stay tuned, I'll be posting next about several seasonals that Kat and I tried...and THIS time there'll be pictures I don't have to pull from the web!
Photo Credits: Monsterland Interior, Source: The New Times, Author: Bella.
 SanTan Count Hopula and Heifeweizen Wheat, Source: SanTan Brewing Company.