Many Tucson brewers and breweries come from modest beginnings in backyards or spare rooms as homebrewers. Here are some of their stories:
Jeremy Hilderbrand, Sentinel Peak Brewing Co.: “Early on in my homebrewing days I accidentally overcarbed the bottles I had beer conditioning in. The result was one (loud) explosion as one of the bottles burst, the bottle cap hit the ceiling so hard it actually dented the drywall. My wife and daughters got a pretty big laugh out of it as I was cleaning up glass and beer that had spilled out. The dent is still there. It’s called the ‘Dent of Shame.’ ”
Chris Squires, Ten Fifty-Five Brewing Co.: “I was in my early 20s and my mom bought me a Mr. Beer Kit for Christmas, so I brewed several batches with that, and I was not very good at it. They were solidly mediocre. There was nothing wrong with the kit,” Squires said. He later went down to Brew your Own Brew, 2564 N. Campbell Ave., and says he stepped up his game, incorporating better techniques and ingredients like fresh hops. “I did that for a few years, then dragged my buddy J.P. (Vyborny) into it with me. He turned out to be much better at it than me, and kind of took that ball and ran with it.” Vyborny is now head brewer at Ten Fifty-Five, which he and Squires co-founded in 2013.
Allan Conger, 1912 Brewing: His wife, Alicia, bought him a homebrewing kit in 2004. “She didn’t complain when I got it, but when I blew up my first porter in our brand-new closet, she kicked me out into the garage.” Conger says. “Little did she know I’d take over the whole thing.” Just over a decade later, Allan and Alicia opened 1912 Brewing, 2045 N. Forbes Blvd., on July 4.
John Adkisson, Iron John’s Brewing: “The typical homebrew horror stories often involve aggressive volcano-like fermentations that spew foamy, beery goo across the stove or the floor or, in my case, blow peach splatter across the wall and ceiling of the kitchen.” Adkisson wrote in an email. “The homebrewer learns that fermentation is a thing of wonder to be respected and understood; failure to do so often requires a sponge and an apology. The results of repeated efforts and attention can be well worth it when your gathered friends and family take that first sip with a smirk on their face and expectations of swill, only to go momentarily silent and utter, ‘Dude, this is good!’ In that moment of brief glory you can bask in the realization that you have created something of real value. This is the moment that all brewers long for and what keeps us brewing.”
