Inside the Fox Brewpub brewery with Tim Mason, new brew master, and Jim Phalan, owner. The Fox currently brews nine of their own beers onsite with plans to expand to 12 soon.
The Fox Brewpub welcomes new brew master, Tim Mason, and new head chef, Tim Goodman, to the 10-year old English-style restaurant, with plans to bring new beer and food to the community staple.
Mason said he was introduced to brewing by a friend while living in Colorado in the early 1990s, which happened to be when the craft brewing scene was exploding. A starving artist banjo maker, he fell in love with the craft, quickly making a name for himself as a brewer and winning multiple awards for his beers. He spent 17 years brewing on the island of St. Croix before coming to Nevada to work for Jim Phalan, owner of the Fox Brewpub, when he owned High Sierra Brewing Company.
“Brewing is a part of who I am,” Mason said. “I love brewing in the same place where the beers are being served. It’s fun to compare my beers next to another one. I couldn’t be happier to be part of the Fox family and coming full circle to work with Jim again.”
Phalan, along with the help of Mason, completed a custom brewing installation in January of this year and began brewing in February. The Fox currently brews nine beers on site with plans to expand to 12 soon. The latest brew is a brown ale called Naughty Boo Boo.
“I’ve wanted to brew beer at the Fox for quite a while, so this was a great way to kick off our 10th anniversary,” said Phalan. “I really enjoyed working with Tim at High Sierra Brewing Company, and to have our veteran, award-winning brew master back with us full time is exciting. He runs a tight ship and while he is all about consistency he will also provide us with fun, new brews.”
In addition to brewing beer onsite, the Fox has brought on a new head chef to lead the kitchen.
Growing up in Arizona, Goodman said he started as a dishwasher when he was 13 and quickly worked his way up the food line to food prep to line cook to chef, using his native Tohono O’odham tribe roots and grandmother’s influence in his dishes.
“Most of my time in Arizona was spent working for the Arizona Country Club, Top Golf Scottsdale and the Graduate Hotel in Tempe,” Goodman said. “My grandmother encouraged me to leave the reservation to continue learning, and I’m proud to say I’m a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu program.”
Goodman will bring a quality driven menu, Phalan said, incorporating foods from his family farm like Mesquite beans, cacti and legumes.
“I want to perfect our customer favorites and core items, then bring in new, made from scratch dishes as well as pair certain items with our brews,” Goodman said. “I learned everything I know from my grandmother, who not only had a green thumb in the garden, but was an excellent cook herself. I want to build on her legacy and make her proud.”
After a decade in the restaurant’s current location, which happens to be the longest running hotel in Nevada, Phalan said the new menu and new brews will create the food/drink marriage he has been dreaming of.
“I want my food, beer and the building to be synonymous with each other,” Phalan said. “After a decade of highs and lows, adding these experts to the Fox family will push our customer service, food and brews to the next level. I’m excited, now more than ever, for what the next 10 years holds.”
For information on the Fox Brewpub, its menu and brews, visit foxbrewpub.com.