Experience before you go............
Our buddy Kurt from Naperville is staying with us for a long weekend because his son Colin and our son Jake are Aurora University freshman and are in Tucson for Spring Break. Jake on our dime and Colin who made the Aurora University Baseball Team is down here with the team (28 young men strong). The team is competing in the Tucson Invitational Games (TIG) at the Kino Sports Complex. Third game Colin started in left field and went 2-3, 3 RBI's with a 2 run shot over the left/center wall.....380 feet!! Not bad for a 18 year old freshman competing with the big boys!
Kurt is one of the HoppinBreweryTour.com platinum members and wanted to experience a brewery tour first hand....can't argue with that! I pull up Iron John's online and read up on them a little and we make the executive decision and Iron John's it is. Kurt was coming from the baseball tourney so we decided to meet there. Now I've mentioned before that some of these breweries are very easy to find and others, not so much. Well Iron John's was on the not so much side. It's not like we couldn't find the building or anything but when I was right in front looking at the address and the front door, I still didn't think it was a brewery. But after the front sign selfie, we entered the front door and this is when I realized the pure genius, down deep simplicity coupled with Miguel's big smile.......you knew you were in a special place!
Did the Hoppin Brewery Tour introduction, handed Miguel a promotion card, we talked a little bit and I asked if we could have a tour. This is where it gets good......Miguel leads us to the early production room where raw grain and malt are ground called Milling, next step is Mash Tun where sugars are extracted from the grain and malt and that liquid from the Mash, now called Wort is boiled. The boiled Wort is quickly cooled through a series of cooling lines to a temperature suitable for the yeast to start working its magic. Now get this, all this is done in repurposed Pima County Jail soup kettles......coolest thing in a brewery I've ever seen!
The Wort moves to the Fermenting Tanks where the yeast consumes more of the sugars and makes carbon dioxide, flavors and of course alcohol and then to the Brite Tanks where the beer is cold conditioned and carbonated and straight to a glass for your enjoyment! Miguel also showed us the collection of whiskey/bourbon barrel filled with small batch aging beer. The barrel adds layers of oak, vanilla and bourbon notes without overwhelming the underlying beer and like anything the longer it's in the barrel the better the taste. (Pics of future beers board & whiskey barrels & barrel label)
Time to taste some brews!! Kat, Kurt and I sit around a small table in the front entry area and I got to do it......boom, Hoppin Brewery Tour strikes again...don't you luv it!! Between the three of us, a couple flights and a 10 oz'er we manage to taste almost all Iron John's had that day. A special batch called Hardy Times - Del Bac Barrel Aged Barley Wine (12.0%, 86 IBU) rich, unctuous, alcoholic delight with tastes of dates rolled in dark sugars and soaked in brandy and made for their 3rd Anniversary Celebration, . We also tried Nirvana - cask aged Belgium Strong Dark (8.5%), Nardo - Black IPA (7.5 %, 115 IBU) with bittersweet chocolate, tangy sourness of rye with dry bite of special roast. Had to try the Dragon Lady - Irish Red Ale (7.0%, 50 IBU) the lady was made with British Pale malt, clover honey, torrified wheat and flacked oats for a smooth, toasted cereal character that lingers pleasantly into a light bitter finish....as described on their website.
Now at the 4 stool bar sits Mike. Actually learned his name as he was heading out the door to leave, but Mike, Miguel and I talked the whole time as if we were high school buds. Come to find out that Mike is part of a family owned Mexican restaurant which is right around the corner, as my stomach starts to growl.........hmmmmm? In walks a group of 8-10 people, I look outside to see if a tour bus just stopped. Nope, just neighborhood folks in for a brew with a couple newbies. Now once these newbies taste the Iron John's refined brews they will in turn bring some of their friends to try the beers.....the small, hard to find brewery marketing plan - word of mouth! And since Iron John's is celebrating their 3rd Anniversary I'm thinking this plan has been working.
My stomach growls again and we decide that Mikes' restaurant, Lerua's is the place we need to be. We say our good byes to Miguel and wish him and Iron John's fresh hops and active yeast in the future. Three years and running strong means they're doing a lot of things right. So stop by Iron John's for truly a one of a kind beer tasting experience and tell Miguel, Clyde sent you!
Until next time and remember.........
Go get'cha one!!
