A decade ago, the suds first graced the tastebuds of Tucsonans, coming out of their small taproom on East 44th Street. In 2018, the brewery moved downtown and became a beer and sausage house, treating a whole new crowd of downtown explorers.
Today, after a tough few months of working through the ebbs and flows of owning a local brewery, Ten55 Brewing Company has officially announced that it’s discontinuing all of its operations.
Throughout the pandemic, Ten55 Brewing Company was on top of its game, ramping up its canning distribution so brewery fans could still enjoy their creations at home. Then, in order to meet the high demand and offer its beer to the masses, a larger building proved necessary.
In May 2022, Chris Squires, managing partner of Ten55 Brewing Company, and the Ten55 crew announced that it was time to move out of the downtown space they had outgrown. Over the past few months, and after a major deal didn’t come to fruition, a shift in priorities was made — a decision Squires knew and felt in his heart was the right thing to do.
“Some time ago, it became clear that our new location was not going to work out,” said Squires. “We dutifully pivoted and jumped back on the search, but shaky economic conditions and family health issues have made this search increasingly discouraging. Our goal has always been to brew world-class beer and to create a welcoming environment for people to share it in; but current market conditions mean our path back to doing so profitably is murky, at best.”
Over the years, Ten55 Brewing made it a point to stay engaged with the local community such as hosting block parties for the Tucson Gran Fondo and brewing a special El Tour IPA for the annual El Tour De Tucson. So, saying goodbye to the local beer scene is anything but easy for Squires.
“Despite the pain of this moment, I’m grateful to all of our supporters and partners for helping us chase this dream,” he said. “The relationships we’ve built will last us a lifetime, and we wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
We dare to guess that Casa Film Bar, Arizona Beer House, and the likes still have a few cans chilling out in their fridges or kegs tapped in behind the scenes. So don’t waste any time considering a cold pour of Ten55 Brewing’s beer before it’s gone.
As a fan of the brewery and a personal friend of Squires (we went to high school together), it’s sad to see Ten55 Brewing Company leave the Tucson community. Even so, we thank them for their commitment and wish them nothing but success in their future endeavors.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
