Thread: Tempe, AZ. Viking Hotbed!

Sarah Muench
The Arizona Republic

Going to church. Exercising. Sleeping in.

Sunday morning rituals differ.

But for a pocket of Minnesota Vikings fans in Tempe, it's covering yourself from head to toe in purple, sometimes donning a Viking helmet and drinking pints of beer while erupting in cheers.

You can hear a rumbling "Ooooh" on the brink of a touchdown coming from Four Peaks Brewery, where more than 50 Vikings fans gather weekly to cheer on their beloved team.

"It's very home away from home," said Derek Grimme, 28, a Minneapolis native who lives in Tempe. "It's a family. I expect to see the same people every season. We've been through the good times and the bad times."

Grimme, who totes a Viking horn for touchdowns, and his friends, all considered VIP customers, have been coming to Four Peaks, 1340 E. Eighth St., every Sunday during football season for nearly eight years.

In Minnesota, the Vikings are the No. 1 watched team in the state, and at Four Peaks they're the bar's favorite.

Young and old watch on 11 TVs in the bar while they enjoy a "Valhalla Viking Breakfast" menu.

Most of the bar's owners hail from Minnesota and opened up the brewery in 1996 with plans to make it a home for transplanted Vikings fans, said Randy Schultz, Four Peaks owner.

Schultz said he started cooking brats on the patio when the bar opened. Then as the fan base grew, he introduced the breakfast with discounted drinks.

"I think it's more of a fan appreciation thing for us, and it's superfun, and we're committed to it," he said.

But the bar isn't just for Vikings on Sundays. Many fantasy football buffs and customers go to enjoy the games and discounted brew.

Awesome!!! Sounds like the next best thing to being at the game!!!

That is awesome!! I am one of those transplants and had no idea this place existed!!! Cant wait to check it out!!

I wish I had a place like this to go. I don't even have Sunday Ticket so I've got to watch an amazing one game this year. But I have listened to every game on the computer that I haven't seen on TV.

I will need to come down and have a beer!

well if it wasn't for arizona all our old people would stay here and that would be sad. cool thing is that more people cheer for us in arizona when we play them than they cheer for the cardinals.

A diplomat from PP.O should extend an "olive branch" to the owners and their patrons to inform them of PP.O .....

Also, wouldn't it be cool to make a "pilgrimage" to that establishment one sunday with a bunch of PP.Oer's in tow when a game is on ...

Here is their website:

http://www.fourpeaks.com/

I wrote them and told them to check out the post. Nothing more.

Just got an e-mail back from "Four Peaks." Here's their reply:

John,

Thanks for the post!!!!!!!! We Love it….. What is PP.O? We’re curious.

Thanks again, Josh