Urgent! I need the best brewpub in Tucson

edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
edited July 2011 in Food & Drink
There are a bunch here.
I am looking for the best dark beers, food is secondary.
tks ed

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    I have put the call out
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    What kind of radius around Tuscon? Try Thunder Canyon or Nimbus Brewing.
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Nimbus, 3850 E. 44th St, Tuscon
    • Nimbus oatmeal stout
    • Bells oatmeal stout (a TT favorite. micro, not local)

    Barrio, 800 E. 16th St, Tuscon
    • Barrio Oatmeal Stout
    • Barrio Nolan's Porter
    • Barrio Harvest porter
    • Barrio Mocha Java Stout

    Thunder Canyon, 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd., Tuscon
    • Firestone Walkers Reserve Robust Porter (rumored to be very good)
    • Thunder Canyon Warhead Stout (rumored to be extremely good)
    • Thunder Canyon Blackout Stout (not so good)
    • Thunder Canyon Bourbon Barrel Peacemaker Imperial Porter (ok, don't do it if you're not a bourbon fan)

    edit: BOOM.
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    I'm guessing the best you're going to be able to do with a local micro is a Thunder Canyon Warhead Stout - they're in the Foothills mall and you can get a growler to go if you like it - don't worry about the growler price if you don't have a growler vessel already - they're refillable.

    People like the Blackout Stout, but the Warhead will knock you out.

    Half off appetizers until 7pm, and they're open until 10. Be sure to ask for the complimentary beer bread and get an order of the pub fries or nachos.

    edit: Hop on their free wifi to tell us how it is!
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    TT, are you going to start your own Boozy Travel show? I'd watch/subscribe.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Thanks guys. talked to a couple of locals and they directed me to Barrio Brewing.
    The atmosphere is funky, old warehouse along the rail tracks that they have tried to not fix up. If you order a beer while there is a train there it is only $3.
    Nolans Porter is very good. A touch of smokey flavor, not sweet but not bitter.
    The Oatmeal stout is OK, nothing special.
    The Red Cat Amber is fine.
    The Copperhead Pale is also really good.
    I didn't try the double red (9%) I had had enough for one night.
    The food isn't bad, but who really cares, we were there for the beer.

    It is Barrio beers that Gentle Ben's serves over by the campus.
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    I didn't mention Barrio because it sounded like the worst of the three according to the people I talked to. :(
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    I had a couple of locals tell me that they liked the beer at Nimbus, but that it was highly variable in quality of service, food, and even the beer.
    It worked out and I had a few good pints.
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    That's all that matters! Thunder Canyon sounds pretty great though.
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    RyanMM wrote:
    I didn't mention Barrio because it sounded like the worst of the three according to the people I talked to. :(

    Agreed - I saw the tracks on Google maps, noted the name and immediately qualified it under the other two.

    Glad you had fun though!
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Annes wrote:
    TT, are you going to start your own Boozy Travel show? I'd watch/subscribe.

    I kinda have a beer thing going on in this forum, I guess it could be a beer show?
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    I would watch a video of you drinking/judging.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    TT, make a trip to Milwaukee this summer and we will do the five brewery tour tour.
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    edcentric wrote:
    TT, make a trip to Milwaukee this summer and we will do the five brewery tour tour.

    Heh, cool. I have an 'in' with the folks in Golden, CO. Did the insider's tour - employee's bar with their experimental stuff, etc. I'll ask them if I can bring a camera next time.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    I have gotten behind the wall at A-B in StL in the old days. It is fun.

    this is what the full tour would look like.
    Milwaukee brewery tour tour. Friday, summer. Followed by 7:10pm baseball game (F)

    A) Lunch 11:30am
    Water Street Brewery
    1101 N. Water Street
    Milwaukee, WI 53202
    (414) 272-1195

    B) 1:30pm
    MillerCoors • 414-931-BEER or 800-944-LITE
    4251 W. State St., Milwaukee, WI 53208
    Summer Tours (Memorial Day to Labor Day): M-Sa 10:30-4:30 & Su 10:30-2
    Free (includes 3 beers & free postcards w/postage)
    MillerCoors' Milwaukee Brewery, one of the world's largest breweries, sits on land originally purchased by Miller founder Frederick J. Miller in 1855. Some 800 employees work round-the-clock here, producing 10 million barrels every year.

    C) 3pm
    Lakefront Brewery • 414/372-8800
    1872 Commerce St., Milwaukee, WI 53212
    Tours: M-Sa at 3PM • F at 3, 3:30 & 6-8:30PM • Sa 1-3PM (tour times vary every week. check their website.) tour capacity is 50 • reservations are not accepted
    $7 (includes 4 pours and souvenir pint glass) root beer for non-beer drinkers
    Started in 1987, the microbrewery located on the Milwaukee River has become a Milwaukee landmark. Its rich history includes partnerships with local taverns, preservation of local historical pieces, unique tours, family style dining options and most importantly, great beer.

    D) 4:30pm
    Sprecher Brewery • 414/964-2739
    701 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale, WI 53209
    Tours: F 4PM • Sa 1, 2 & 3PM • Su 12, 1 & 2PM
    M-F at 4PM (during Summer months) • no tours on holidays, additional tours on days surrounding holidays
    Reservations Required • tour capacity is 70
    $4 (includes 4 pours beer, unlimited soda, and souvenir tasting glass) $3 (Seniors)
    Free (with Military ID)
    Reserve Tasting - $15 (includes 10 pours of premier and limited edition products paired with artisian cheeses and etched tasting glass)
    reservations required • tour times vary by demand
    Sprecher Brewing Co. was founded in 1985 by Randal Sprecher, formerly a brewing supervisor at Pabst Brewing Company. Sprecher's root beer was named the Best in America by the New York Times in 2007.

    E) 6pm
    Milwaukee Brewing Co • 414/226-2337
    613 S. Second St., Milwaukee, WI 53204
    Tours: F 5 & 6PM • Sa 3,4 & 5PM
    $7 (includes samples & pint glass)
    Milwaukee Brewing Company started in 1996 in the basement of a farmhouse in Cedarburg by two Milwaukee area home brewers. With limited resources and unlimited delicious beer ideas, Milwaukee Brewing Company opened it's Milwaukee Ale House in 1997 in Milwaukee's Third Ward. Their 2nd Street Brewery opened in 2008.
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    F) TT passes out facefirst in the gutter, wakes up Monday morning surrounded by commuter pedestrians. Again.
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    When are we doing this? Can you give me a place to crash?
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Um...okay. *Digs out IC-MoTY cape*

    Friday, July 15.
    Place to crash: unknown

    And if you want...

    Followed by the Indiana Microbrewers Festival on July 16 in Indianapolis, including a tour of $10M+ of vintage racecars and modern sportscars/supercars at my work. I have Indy lodgings covered.
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Also, I love Annes.
    the_technocrat wrote:
    F) TT passes out facefirst in the gutter, wakes up Monday morning surrounded by commuter pedestrians. Again.
    Annes wrote:
    When are we doing this?
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    .. This sounds like an official IC event in the making. Annes, make it so.
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited June 2011
    Don't think there's enough time to pull it off this year, but maybe next year or perhaps the fall. When does baseball season end?
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    <3, but... lame.
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