Bean to Barstool Podcast | Adam Krantz of Monsoon Chocolate

Monsoon Chocolate is making bean to bar chocolate in the desert climate of Tucson, Arizona. It’s not a region we might think of as a hotspot for craft chocolate, but as founder Adam Krantz explains, the southwest has a strong historical claim to cacao, and he wanted to honor that heritage while also pushing the boundaries of flavor with unique regional ingredients like chiltepin chilis or mesquite.

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Ultimate 6er | Southern Arizona Sampler

I feel fortunate as a beer nerd to live in Southern Arizona, Tucson specifically. The beer scene here has started to gain some national attention, but still largely flies under the radar. Tucson is a legitimate beer destination with 20+ breweries, drive out a little bit further and there are additional breweries in Tombstone, Bisbee, and Sonoita. The desert is definitely not dry here, so sit back and crack open a few delicious local brews. Read More

Green Feet Brewing Company | Holly Jolly

Now that the holidays have come and gone, I’m sure many of us can look back and reminisce about some amazing food and beers we had. One of the beers that was the highlight of my holiday beer drinking, was Holly Jolly (AKA Christmas in a glass) from Green Feet Brewing Company. Green Feet has been open since the spring of 2016, so 2017 was Green Feet’s second time around brewing Holly Jolly. They somehow managed to up the ante from the 2016 batch, which was the best pecan beer I had tried.
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Ultimate 6er | Beers to Drink in the Desert

Regardless of the time of year, when you’re spending time in the desert, it is important to stay hydrated, thanks to the dry climate and low humidity. The same concept applies to drinking beers in the desert—you want a beer that is refreshing and easy-drinking, particularly in the summer months when the daily temperature can easily exceed 110°F. This is a six pack that speaks to the lighter side of the desert culture.

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National IPA Day | Southwest Regional Roundup

From the lush green landscape of eastern Texas, through the dusty Llano Estacado in the Texas Panhandles and New Mexico and into the deserts of Arizona, there’s plenty of craft beer, including an abundance of floral, aromatic, tasty IPAs. One would expect the beer to reflect a region so vast, and so diverse — and it does. Here’s a sample of what’s good in the Southwest. Happy National IPA Day!

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Borderlands Brewing Company | Sitting In A Tin Can

ABV: 9%

In this day and age you can just about find an IPA around every corner. IPAs have evolved over time, but there will always be hop heads willing to try a brewery’s latest, freshest IPA. Unfortunately, making a delicious IPA that stands out from the crowd and doing so on a consistent basis is a challenging task. Borderlands Brewing Company out of Tucson, Arizona has been a fixture of consistency in the state of Arizona and recently received national recognition for one of their IPAs. Draft Magazine was kind enough to blind taste test nearly 400 different IPAs and came out with a top 50 list. Borderlands Brewing made that list at number 48 with their Toole Avenue IPA. Riding their wave of success on their flagship IPA, they are just coming out with their first canned double IPA—Sitting In A Tin Can. Read More

Pueblo Vida Brewing Co. | Monswoon IPA

Pueblo Vida Brewing, based out of Tucson, Arizona, is quietly producing some of the highest quality IPAs in the state. Part of the intrigue and mystery surrounding this quick riser could be attributed to the fact that Pueblo Vida doesn’t currently distribute outside of Tucson, nor do they regularly can or bottle any of their beers. However, recently they’ve started releasing two special release cans each month, which have quickly grown a cult following locally and around the beer trading community. After you try one of their beers, it’s easy to see why they’re gaining popularity. One of their releases for May and arguably the best beer they’ve canned so far is Monswoon IPA.

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Dragoon Brewing Company – The DOS

Dragoon Brewing Company – The DOS Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.4%

While sampling the offerings at Dragoon Brewing Company in Tucson Arizona, I was absolutely blown away by the DOS … Read More