'Bacon, Blues and Brews' returns to Tucson's Brother John's

For the first time since 2018, beer, bacon and blues is sharing equal billing during the highly-anticipated resurrection of the Tucson Originals Restaurants and Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon and BBQ event “Bacon, Blues and Brews.”

There’s bacon, in a slew of bacon-inspired dishes by a handful of Tucson Originals restaurants.

The beer is from a pair of Tucson brewers — Barrio Brewing and FireTruck Brewing — and the blues are courtesy of a band with a name that reminds us of our favorite cheap wine given an inflationary price increase: 5 Buck Chuck.

The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at Brother John’s, 1801 N. Stone Ave. Tickets are $45 in advance through eventbrite.com, $55 at the door.

This is the first “Bacon, Blues and Brews” event since 2018 and the fourth since Tucson Originals launched the event in 2016, said the organization’s Vice President Matt Cable, who owns Fresco Pizzeria/Pasteria on East Speedway and is a partner in Zio Peppe on East Tanque Verde Road.

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Here’s a quick peek at what you can expect Sunday.

Bacon-inspired small plates: Our imagination is running wild, especially when we consider the lineup of restaurants and talented chefs participating. You can bet they are thinking outside the box for this one.

The participating restaurants: Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ; Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria; Dante’s Fire (helmed by the 2022 Tucson Iron Chef Kenneth Foy); Casino Del Sol; Chef Chic (with former Iron Chef Wendy Gauthier); Mama Louisa’s Italian Restaurant; Trident Grill; Fresco Pizzeria; El Rustico; Zio Peppe; and Bisbee Breakfast Club.

Ice cold craft beer: We all have our favorites from these two breweries, but it’s a safe bet that Barrio will pull out its legendary Tucson Blonde and refreshing Citrazona. We’re not sure what FireTruck will be pouring, but we’re rather fond of the firefighter-owned-and-inspired brewery’s Dunkal and their Heatwave Hefeweizen.

Live blues: Frankly, we’re a little stumped about the band. We did a Facebook and social media search and Googled the name to no avail. But with the name 5 Buck Chuck, we’re thinking they have stories to tell.

Your ticket gets you three drink tickets and all the bacon dishes you can eat.