CHEERS TO THAT! Eau Claire will welcome its first and only self-pour taproom in the new year, and with it comes another accolade: home of the largest self-pour taproom in the Midwest. (Photo via iPourIt)

The next big thing is preparing to hit the streets of downtown Eau Claire, and it’ll be the biggest of its kind in the whole state. Scratch that, the whole Midwest!  The Chippewa Valley’s only self-pour taproom, The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen, will offer a whopping 72 taps.

Aiming for a late March 2024 opening, The Phoenix is putting down its roots on the first floor of the Graham Riverside building (402 Graham Ave.), which is currently getting some major TLC: entirely new flooring, a kitchen, two glass garage doors to open up to the outside, and more. The new space will clock in at about 4,200 square feet with indoor seating for up to 130 individuals and maximum capacity of nearly 200.

The Phoenix’s owners, Brad and Bre Hansen, also hope to see its waterfront patio – a sprawling 4,000-square-foot patio at that – open to patrons around June, with patio tap options to follow.

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Patrons can expect offerings beyond just beer and bar food, including ciders, seltzers, kombucha, wine, and cocktails.

It’s a huge addition, both physically and in terms of its tourism appeal for Eau Claire, which has the opportunity to turn into quite the beer and wine destination considering The Phoenix’s upcoming opening not far from 2 Roots Art & Wine Gallery, which offers more than 100 by-the-glass wines and is on track to curating one of the country’s largest wine lists.

But the Hansens didn’t start out with the goal of opening the Midwest’s largest self-pour taproom – they started out as a couple of beer lovers from the Appleton area.

The Hansens made the move to our side of the state in 2019; Bre received undergraduate and master's degrees at UW-Eau Claire. Both Bre and Brad have full-time jobs as well, so The Phoenix is a true passion project, three years in the works.

“We knew there was a gap for things like this on the waterfront, and we’re from a side of the state where self-pour taprooms are a thing – we were surprised there wasn’t one here,” Brad said. “But even finding a place on the water in Eau Claire was a hard ask, so something this big with the option of a patio felt like a pipe dream.”

Their pipe dream turned into reality when the Graham Riverside building space popped up as an option to renovate, and that’s when the pedal hit the metal for their business plan.

Graham Riverside building. (Photo by McKenna Scherer)

Patrons can expect offerings beyond just beer and bar food, including ciders, seltzers, kombucha, wine, and cocktails. The Phoenix will also utilize Untappd, an app to read and leave brew reviews (and in the future, its own custom app just for The Phoenix patrons).

The duo traveled to and met with numerous self-pour taproom operators, many of whom offered around 50 taps. The No. 1 thing these taproom operators told them was they wished they had more options. So the Hansens went bigger, thinking closer to 60 taps, which would make The Phoenix the largest self-pour taproom in Wisconsin (the current largest is Geneva Tap House with 50). Then they realized if they kicked it up just a bit more, they could be the largest self-pour taproom in the Midwest – the current largest has 60 taps, Brad said. So, 72 taps were locked in.

So, how will this self-pour taproom work? The Phoenix will welcome each patron inside and scan their driver’s license, giving them a scannable wristband that will serve as the “tab,” held with a credit or debit card. Patrons can then walk up to the self-pour tap wall, which will use the iPourIt system.

“Then you can go and physically tap your wrist on whichever tap you want, and a tablet screen will show you a description of the drink and the ABV. A light will blink green so you know it’s active and can pour,” Brad explained. “We really researched the technologies available for self-pour because we wanted it to be seamless and user-friendly, especially for people who haven’t been to a self-pour taproom before.”

Pours will be paid for by the ounce – prices will vary depending on beverage type; craft beer will be in the range of $0.45-$0.50/oz. and domestic beer will be around $0.25/oz. – with a cap at 40 ounces. If someone wants to continue drinking after 40 oz., a staff member will be alerted to check in on the guest for approval of more drinks or not.

Flights will also be offered, holding four to six glasses of varying sizes and shapes. As a pay-by-the-ounce system, patrons will be able to try as much or as little of a beverage as they'd like.

Brad said the full-scale kitchen will be serving “elevated” appetizers and entrees unlike what is served nearby, though The Phoenix is keeping exact details on its brews and food under wraps for the time being.

The Hansens said they hope The Phoenix becomes a space for all, with non-alcoholic options available alongside the alcoholic drinks, as well as outdoor patio games, a robust food menu, and even a rentable room fit for groups of about 24.

The Phoenix will be open seven days a week, opening daily for lunch service at 11am. Sunday-Wednesday they’ll close at 10pm. Thursday-Saturday they’ll close at midnight.

An iPourIt system in use at Dirty Dog Taphaus in New Glarus. (Photo via Facebook)

Stay up to date on The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen’s updates on Facebook, Instagram, and its website. The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen will open at 402 Graham Ave., Eau Claire, on the first floor.