Growing up in a small town in Ohio my experience with beer was nothing like what I have available to me now. To me drinking craft beer meant drinking Killians. That was some off-the-wall behavior back in my day. Pulling into the traditional annual summer Steve Miller Band concert at Starlake Amphitheater my friends and I proudly displayed our coolers full of Natty Light and Buttweiser. Jesus, how did we ever make it out of life alive?!?! Now granted, there is a proper time and place for every beer and what exemplifies a classic tune like "Take the Money & Run" quite like an ice cold Natty Light? Your not rocking out to that with a $15 bottle of Firestone Walker Parabola Imperial Stout. You ever try to beer bong barley wine? Of course you haven't because if you did you wouldn't be alive to read this. Nothing flows through a funnel and tube quite like Busch Light.
Fast forward to late 2007. I had made the 2000 mile trek from my hometown to the big city of Phoenix. New place, fresh start.....let's try a new beer! The local Sprouts had Shiner Bock on sale and it looked cool so what the hell?!?! And I liked it. I knew my days of drinking low grade carbonated urine water were officially over. From there things took off. Within a few months I was an adventure in a new land. And then I had my first true Arizona-brewed beer: Railhead Red from Beaver Street Brewery in Flagstaff (now Red Ale from Lumberyard). I was in love. From that day I have been all about Arizona made beer. Lucky for me the numbers of breweries has doubled since then and no end in sight for that growth. I am excited to see where this journey takes us.
However, I have always wondered how a local brewery around my hometown would go over. Would the locals accept it or soak their torches in MGD and burn the place to the ground? Well, in 2015 three brave souls opened up Birdfish Brewing Company in the small town of Columbiana, Ohio to test that theory out. And it has treated them well. These 3 crazy dudes really do some whacky stuff too. I had a dill pickle gose when I was there and it was surprisingly fantastic. They love to push the envelope and really mix things up.
In this episode I sit with 2 of the 3 owners. I talk with them about the challenges and joys of opening a microbrewery in a place where the craft beer culture barely even existed as well as how their existence is making some positive waves in the local community. I know this is an ARIZONA craft beverage podcast but I think you'll enjoy and appreciate what these guys are doing. And enjoy the Irish background music; I was lucky enough to beer there on St. Patty's Day to enjoy their Irish beers which were phenomenal.
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizona's own Fayuca
Want to show your support and help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!
In this episode I get to hang out with Brian Helton. His focus is not to make some crazy concoction or off-the-wall thing but rather to make solid beer. And be able to consistently make it awesome. Time and time again. Well, so far so good Brian.
As of this writing Helton Brewing Company has been opened for just around 1 year and from what they are doing over there they are going to open for a long time. A beautiful brewery and tasting room along with a brand new beer garden make this place on 22nd Street and Indian School a must visit. Oh yeah, they make some awesome waffles and stuff too. Bacon cheddar waffles which are totally my style.
This Saturday May 20th, 2017 Helton is celebrating their 1 year anniversary with a grand old shindig. They are tapping a new Double IPA, will have live music, great food, and lots of other exciting stuff. And of course I'll be there so now you HAVE to come. See you there! Or if you are reading this and listening to the episode at a later date, well you sure did miss one hell of a party. You totally missed out and should regret it forever.
Big thanks to Alexxis Grant for taking all the pictures for this episode. You can follow her photography Instagram page at @timelesspresent
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizona's own Fayuca
Want to show your support and help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!
So apparently people from the Czech Republic drink more beer per capita than any other country in the world. IN. THE. WORLD. Wow, that came out of nowhere. In fact they have claimed that title for 23 years in a row! Czechs drink 142 liters (equal to about 300 pints) per person which makes us Americans look like little girls at a mere 75 liters per person. And apparently it's cheaper to get a beer in the Czech Republic than it is to get a bottle of water so at least they have their priorities straight. On an unrelated note I will be moving to the Czech Republic next week.
Dubina Brewing Company opened in 2013 behind a strong and proud family history of great beer making. In this episode I sit down with Jared Dubina to talk about how his grandfather was a huge influence on his passion to open his own brewery. We talk about how sometimes a little critical feedback can really light your fire to perfect your craft and how local businesses influence and contribute to so much of what they do on a daily basis. Enjoy the show!
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizona's own Fayuca
Want to show your support and help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!
Me: "I'll do #'s 1, 6, 7, 8, and......"
Dude at Crooked Tooth, without hesitation: "3!"
Me: "Huh?"
Dude at Crooked Tooth: "If you like those 4 you'll love #3"
Me: "Well alright, alright"
That was my first interaction with Ben Vernon from Crooked Tooth Brewing Company in Tucson. And you know? #3 was my favorite. I knew right then that Ben was a cool dude who truly cared and knew a lot about beer and how to make his guests feel welcome. In this episode I sit down with Ben and talk about the challenges/joys of transforming an old service shop into a fantastic brewery and whatnot.
A little while back I took a trip down to Tombstone to visit Matt Brown at Tombstone Brewing Company which was a great place making great beer. But I also had a secondary objective that day: get back to Tucson ASAP and grab chimichanga at the place that apparently invented it and just an awesome Mexican food joint in general. The story about the chimichanga is great. But they had me at “fried burrito”. I had even skipped 2nd breakfast to make room for this legendary treasure. So we made the trip back to Tucson and walked into El Charro at around 2:30. “The wait is about 45 minutes”. My heart sank which is probably preferable to what that chimichanga would have done to my heart had we possessed the patience to wait that long. But 45 minutes was much too long for me to wait in my fragile state so we decided to go with Plan B: take the 0.3 mile walk to Borderlands Brewing Company to come up with Plan B.
Borderlands Brewing Company was a really awesome place too. Located in an old brick warehouse right by the railroad tracks this place has character for days and some marvelous beers. The bartender was cool as hell and when we expressed a desire to check another brewery without hesitation she said "Crooked Tooth. You gotta check them out. Cool people making great beer". It was decided: Crooked Tooth would be the next stop. Another 0.3 mile walk (by the way, I was burning WAY more calories than was necessary at this point) and we were there. On the journey over we noticed hoards of people stumbling around the streets and realized we were right in the middle of a pub crawl. Lots of people wandering aimlessly trying to find the next place to find a great craft beer? I can relate to that.
We came around the corner and there is was: another great Tucson brewery in a brick building that looked like it had been there for a hundred years. As soon as we walked in I knew I was going to love this place. Right when you walk in there is an old payphone with vines on it sitting beside an old safe filled with board games. And the place was beautiful inside. Exposed brick everywhere and the huge wooden tables were heavy duty as could be. The place just had a cool vibe to it. And then I saw what they were serving flight tastings in: wooden skateboards with 5 holes in them to hold the tasting glasses. Heck yes! That when I first met Ben (see beginning of this article). I knew right then I had to cool this dude on the show. And he was totally down. Plus their beer is the real deal. Especially the It's Always Sunny in Amarillo (and such a great name).
A few weeks later I was back in Tucson with mics in hand to record this episode. It was on a Saturday before they opened for the day during a "Pints and Poses" thing they do where people come in for an hour of yoga and then have a pint, all for $5. Yoga is just one of the events they are known for. Don’t forget about speed dating, live music, stand up comedy, the list goes on. So in the background of the episode you'll hear the Zenful music of the yoga in the background as Ben tells me the story of Crooked Tooth Brewing Company thus creating "Ben The Beer Zen Master". Has a nice ring to it. Enjoy the show. And go have a beer there. Today.
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizona's own Fayuca
Want to show your support and help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!
On the corner of 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard sits a little gem called.....well, 32 Shea. Established in 2011 this place has been changing the face of the neighborhood as well as proving how creativity and hard can break down any barriers of how you view your local espresso bar/café/lounge/drive-thru/Zen space. In this episode I sit down with owner Rebecca Golden to talk about how her vision and determination have turned this Up-Uptown* neighborhood spot into more than just another place to get a chai latte. Or a craft beer. Or bacon-cheddar waffles. Or a glass of wine. Or a Nutella Espresso Martini. Or braised short ribs. You get the point. Seriously, all of that stuff is available there at one time or another during the day. This place rocks.
My wife Jackie and I initially came across 32 Shea one day when we were going to take an early morning trip to Flagstaff. Using trusty ol’ Yelp I found this new place close to the highway that allegedly had some pretty awesome coffee options. We found the place in an unassuming parking lot in front of a strip mall and proceeded through the drive-thru. We looked at the menu, pulled up to the window, and began to place our order when the girl at the window said “just so you know our specialty coffee today is a pistachio Nutella latte”. I saw the pure joy on Jackie’s face and I could tell that she was hooked. And then she actually TASTED it. I immediately heard the classic love song emanating from Jackie’s brain ("Just the 2 of us. We can make it if we try. Just the 2 of us. You and I!"). And my vanilla latte had enough kick into it to allow Jackie and I to solve all the world’s problems during our 2 hour drive. I knew at that point that I would (happily) be spending lots of money there over the next few years.
Since then 32 Shea has expanded in multiple ways. For starters they are open for 15 hours a day six days out of the week which means you could spend all day there and:
Get a fantastic coffee or tea made with local beans and tea leaves
Happy hour runs from 6am until 6pm!!!
They also cater
They have expanded the quaint physical structure into an amazing patio with a Buddhist statue fountain as the centerpiece. This fountain really pulls it all together and creates the ambience that perfectly matches the energy of this place. Trees also fill the patio which create the perfect oasis. Between the trees and the fountain you have no idea you are literally 50 feet from the busy traffic of 32nd Street.
Next time you are around 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard stop by no matter what time of day it is and I bet you find something you like.
* Up-Uptown is a Copyright of Rebecca Golden
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizona's own Fayuca
Want to show your support and help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!
Though somewhat of a NKOTB (new kid on the block for you non-90’s kids) Tombstone Brewing Company is raising quite a ruckus in the Arizona craft beer scene. From their bang-up Double IPA to the rumors amuck regarding their barrel-aging program owner Matt Brown and brewer Weedy Weidenthal are fetchin' to change the game. In this episode I sit down with Matt and shoot the crap about Tombstone and beer.
My journey to the "Town Too Tough To Die" began just like any Old West adventure begins: wrasslin' the young 'uns into the wagon with enough provisions to make the 2 hour journey to our midway oasis, The Old Pueblo (also known as Tucson). We left the homestead right on time so I was grinnin' like a weasel in a hen house. But that only lasted a short time. 20 minutes into the journey the smooth air ride suspension of the wagon sailing over the bumpy highway caused my oldest young un' to fill a burlap sack (Whole Foods reusable grocery bag) with her breakfast. This led to detour #1 of the trip (throwing that away at the nearest Quick Trip ASAP ) soon to be followed by detour #2 (stopping at CVS for another "burlap sack" in case it happens again). Back on the road again. All was good again. Until the youngest of the young 'uns decided that a potty break was a non-negotiable 5 minutes from our desert oasis (my wife's grandparents house). Low and behold 2.5 hours later we reached our first destination.
In Old Pueblo I transferred my gear from my wagon to the lifted-suspension wagon of my buddy Max, an ace-high chap, who would be my escort through hostile territory (we passed at least 3 Safeways) along with his gal Kelsey who would take over as our designated wagon master so that Max and I could get all roostered up. And off we went albeit a little behind schedule. But damn it, I was makin' it to Tombstone come hell of high water.
The trip down was estimated to be 75 minutes and it truly did feel like a trip in the Old West including the group of 4 fellas we passed by who I'm pretty sure were smoking 6 cigarettes atween the 4 of em. The hills truly do have eyes.
We finally pulled into town a quarter to high noon but owner Matt Brown was much obliged to sit down, bend an elbow and jaw about his place. The next day was their big grand opening and his day was surely filled with a heap of "how do you do's" and what not but he was steadfast on making the time to talk with me. I was, and still am, truly grateful that he made the time to still record the show with me despite my delayed arrival. I got to wet my whistle with an array of brews including a few that weren't being served until the next day at the grand opening party. I definitely hit paydirt with the Double IPA and Black Lager but all were fantastic. The Scotch Ale that was aged in Islay barrels was granny-slappin' good in particular.
A huge thanks to Matt for being such a great host and thanks to Weedy for making such amazing beer. Next trip down there I plan on being on a looser time schedule so I'll have all the time in the world to drink all of their beer. I mean it. ALL of their beer.
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizona's own Fayuca
Want to show your support and help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!
In the episode Alex and I talk about the Press coffee philosophy "from seed to cup" which means they value the quality of the coffee in every single step of the process from the time it’s a tiny lil seedling until the moment we devour it like the savages that we are. Each stop of the coffee process leaves the potential to lose quality that can never be regained. And Press ensures that this does not happen. And we thank them for that.
In this episode I sit down with Dave Arnce and Jason Calhoon from The Shop Beer Co. in Tempe.
The Shop Beer Co. started off as side project within Cartel Coffee Lab a few years ago. Today these dudes are making some really awesome craft beers including 2 of my favorite Arizona beers: F.I.T.Y.M. Double IPA (listen to the show for the acronym explanation) and DPA (Desert Pale Ale). And don’t forgot about any of their beers that feature any type of coffee. Remember these guys came from an amazing coffee company so their coffee game is legit including their own line of cold brew coffee (Sidekick Cold Brew). I am normally not a fan of nitro beers but their Nitro Coffee Brown blew me away. On Wednesdays they do what they call “Randall Wednesdays” which basically means they take one of their flagship beers and using a contraption called The Randall they infuse it with pretty much whatever they want. They have done this with crazy stuff like Girl Scout Cookies, tequila-soaked oak chips, or chai spices. I haven’t been there for a “Randall Wednesday” but it’s on my list.
The brewery/taproom is located in a renovated house that was the home of a former Tempe mayor. The place is located in pretty much a residential area which really gives it that neighborhood feel which is great because that’s what the guys are going for. Between the taproom and the actual brewery lies the beautiful beer garden. On the patio lies a large picnic table but you go down a few steps and there are tables and stools in abundance. The guys told me that they get live music going on there during the week. The outside space is great with lots of room but small enough to get a real community feel when the place is busy. A place where you can’t help but talk to all your new friends around you (especially after a couple of F.I.T.Y.M.’s.). However, the real highlight of the beer garden is the amazing graffiti-style artwork that covers a huge wall that runs the entire length of the west end of the beer garden. A giant animated beer wandering about complete with the classic hobo bindle and some sort of wasps nests and an array of colors. I’m not exactly sure what the heck it is but I know that it’s awesome and that’s all that matters. And you know the coolest part? Dave is the artist behind the amazing work! The big building in the back is the brewery and you can even get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes action through the glass.
You hungry? Well, The Shop Beer Co. doesn’t technically serve food but there is a food truck that is permanently stationed there and it is awesome. Craig from Fire & Foraged is always coming up with awesome food. The menu continually changes with whatever fresh ingredients Craig can get. I had the BLAT (BLT with avocado) and it was unreal. I know, BLT, pretty simple but Craig did something special to that thing because it was the best BLT I’ve ever had. On any given day your choices can range from beer brats and chili cheese fries to the unconventional brewery food of grilled quail or catfish. Eat there. You will not be disappointed.
The bottom line is that The Shop Beer Co. is run by some awesome dudes who are into more than just making great beer. They want to create a place where people from the neighborhood can come to and call their own. A place where people actually talk to each other and make new friends. And they are off to a great start.
In this episode I sit down with Ryan and Krystina Whitten from 8-Bit Aleworks in Avondale.
A trip to 8-Bit Aleworks is a deliberate trip. Nestled in a business park a few hundred feet east of the shores of the Aqua Fria "River" in Avondale this is not a brewery that you happen to just come across. And that’s just fine by owners Ryan and Krystina Whitten. In fact at one point they even changed their name from 8-Bit Brewery to 8-Bit Aleworks to eliminate any possible confusion with what they do: make fantastic beer. You want food? Great! Bring in whatever you want. I'm sure that they'll have a beer that pairs beautifully with what you are eating. Even if its not a perfect pairing I guarantee you that its still going to be a tasty beer.
With 8-Bit Aleworks you get an amazing craft beer experience surrounded by images and sounds from the glory days of video games. The main wall in the tap house is a large depiction of one of the most memorable images of many of our childhoods: the game level on Super Mario Bros. including a man-eating plant and hammer-throwing turtle. I got a flight to try all the beers and the flight holder was actually a green plastic tube in homage to the Super Mario Bros. games. Great touch! These guys even got a write-up in Game Informer magazine!
You can even play some of these games via a choice of a couple of arcade games or console games. In the background you hear...wait, is that Metallica? In the style of classic Nintendo music? Yes it is! A subtle yet amazing detail.
Did I mention that Ryan makes fantastic beer?
In this episode I got to hang out Ray Del Muro from Refresh Glass. The company is redefining how we look at glass recycling in Arizona. Refresh Glass is on a mission to rescue 10 million wine bottles across the state of Arizona. At the time of this recording they were less than 3 thousand bottles away from their first million. You can track it on their website Refreshglass.com. Here's the catch: they don't just recycle the bottles, they make them into things like drink glasses and planters. Really awesome stuff. And a Ray is a really interesting dude.
Enjoy the show!
Official Website: http://www.tapthataz.com/
Instagram: @tapthat_az
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tapthataz/
E-mail: eric@tapthataz.com
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizonas own Fayuca - http://www.fayuca-music.com/
Want to show your support help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!In this episode I sit down with Matt Frosch from Peoria Artisan Brewery. We met at the actual brewery located in Peoria. They also have a tap room, which was the original location, in Litchfield Park. Matt was a great host giving me a tour of their process and was just a very down to Earth guy.
Peoria Artisan Brewery does some great things with beer and I had the pleasure of trying some of their holiday seasonal beers. The Cranberry Gose was great. I have never found a sour beer that I like but this one changed it all for me. They also having some great flagship beers including the Haboob Black IPA and the Savannah Marie IPA. I even got to try my first straight-from-the-tap beer and it was way better than I expected. Oh yea, their food is amazing too. So much so that I made sure we set up the interview on a Sunday so I could get the shrimp & grits off of the brunch menu. Amazing.
Enjoy the show!
Official Website: http://www.tapthataz.com/
Instagram: @tapthat_az
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tapthataz/
E-mail: eric@tapthataz.com
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizonas own Fayuca - http://www.fayuca-music.com/
Want to show your support help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!In this first episode I sit down with Michael Marquess from Mother Road Brewing Co.
Mother Road Brewing Co. has long been my favorite brewery in all the land so it’s only fitting to feature them in the very first episode. Mother Road Brewing Co. is located on the original Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona. Located in an old laundry building the brewery embodies the hardworking mentality of those traveling across the old Route 66 in search of the American Dream.
When I arrived for the interview I was greeted by owner Michael Marquess and tap room host Cedar. I began with a pint of their 5th Anniversary Ale, an amazing strong Double IPA. Michael then took me on a tour of their brewing facility. I absolutely love local craft beer but know nothing about how it’s made. But now I do. Kind of. Not really. But it was cool to see how it all goes down. Lots of science and whatnot.
Something I really love about Mother Road Brewing Co. is the local feeling. Being a little off the beaten path it’s not a place that people just happen to stumble upon. People come here with a purpose. Over the years that I have been going there I have always noticed a good blend of newcomers wanting to check out this highly rated brewery as well as a steady flow of locals but on this visit the local presence was more obvious to me. I got there right when they opened up and so did many of their loyal customers. Donning Mother Road Brewery Co. hats, t-shirts, and hoodies I thought that some of them were actually employees. Nope, just the local people who love the brewery and its beer who were there to get their Saturday growlers filled up before the place got jumping. That says a lot about the place.
The next time you are in Flagstaff be sure to take a detour onto old Route 66 and check out what Mother Road Brewing Co. has to offer. Whether it’s the fantastic beer or the great staff you are sure to be pleased. In the meantime enjoy the show!
Official Website: http://www.tapthataz.com/
Instagram: @tapthat_az
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tapthataz/
E-mail: eric@tapthataz.com
Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizonas own Fayuca - http://www.fayuca-music.com/
Want to show your support help this show grow? Simply click here, give the show a rating and share some feedback!