Tap That AZ - The Arizona Craft Beer Podcast

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

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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: [email protected]

Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizonas own Fayuca - http://www.fayuca-music.com/

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: [email protected]

Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizonas own Fayuca - http://www.fayuca-music.com/

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: [email protected]

Intro/Outro music is "La Negra Tomasa" by Arizonas own Fayuca - http://www.fayuca-music.com/