A new brewery for South Salt Lake's fun zone

A brewery is the latest addition to the fast-growing entertainment district amid the warehouses of South Salt Lake.

Driving the news: Chappell Brewing hosts its grand opening at noon Friday, with two beers on tap.

• The brewery is at 2285 S. Main St., behind the Old Cuss Cafe, in a small and improbably attractive strip mall with patios, a courtyard and murals.

Why it matters: The brewery is part of a larger transformation of the once-industrial area west of State Street into South Salt Lake's "creative industries zone."

• Bars are playing a leading role in the neighborhood, which is sometimes referred to as Brewery Row or Distillery Row.

Zoom in: Chappell is one of seven breweries and distilleries within about a half-mile of each other between 2100 South and 2700 South.

• A few other restaurants and entertainment venues like Pat's BBQ, The Commonwealth Room and Bonwood Bowl are in the area.

Details: Chappell will be Salt Lake's smallest brewery, owner Tim Chappell told Axios, and plans to offer two to five beers at a time.

• Playground, a hazy pale ale, will modify seasonally as Chappell experiments with different hop crops and brewing techniques.
• Brawndo The Thirst Mutilator — à la Idiocracy — is a clean blonde ale, light enough "you can pound a few pints," Tim Chappell said.
• Chappell hopes to start selling cans of high-point beer next fall or winter.

The big picture: South Salt Lake has been redeveloping the corridor between State and 300 West since about 2017, with artisan studios, sports shops and apartments popping up between storage units, auto garages and industrial supply stores.

• The annual Mural Fest has added a lot of color, with dozens of paintings making the neighborhood Utah's "largest collection of street art," per its website.

• It's also getting less car-centric, with TRAX S-line and FrontRunner stops and bike lanes on West Temple.

Erin's thought bubble: If you haven't been to the neighborhood recently, the fun-time vibes are palpable — and spring is a great time for a pub crawl.

Yes, but: As summer temperatures rise, the lack of shade could be a problem for those west-facing bar patios.

• The city's plan calls for more streetside trees, but it doesn't look like much has been planted — though Chappell said landscaping is the next item on his to-do list.