Tucson boasts a diverse range of breweries, each providing distinctive flavors, unique atmospheres, and an all-around enjoyable experience. Over in Marana, there are enough suds coming out of Button Brew House to keep you coming back for more and more — and people have done just that for six years now.
With that being said, the brewery is prepping to celebrate its sixth anniversary from noon – 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 16. It’s a special year for husband and wife owners Erika and Todd Button, too, who have continued to overcome the obstacles created by the 2020 pandemic.
Just like so many other business owners in town, the Buttons kept on truckin’.
In 2001, Todd and Erika met while working for a printing company in Marina, California — he was her boss. They remained friends over the years and Erika even scored an invite to Todd’s wedding in 2005. They referred to each other as “Christmas card friends.” Over the next eight years, they’d stay in touch one way or another until their lives aligned.
“Fast forward to 2009, I came out to Elgin to do illustrations for a client’s medical book,” said Erika, who now creates all of the artwork for Button Brew House’s cans. “We hung out and at this point, we’re in our 30s and it was totally different. He was a punk kid at 24,” she laughed.
They both have their own versions of their journey to romance, but one thing’s for sure: they share a lot of love for each other, for beer, and for the community in Marana and beyond.
“Giving back to the community is my favorite thing about running the brewery,” said Erika. We’ve always given back to non-profits. We like to showcase local artists, we have a space for original songwriters, and there’s even been metal artists and photographers’ work here on display in the taproom.”
The sense of community stretches even farther than the brewery, too, and the Buttons value the friendships they’ve made throughout Tucson’s beer scene.
“The brewing community is really supportive of each other,” said Todd, mentioning his close relationship with neighboring breweries like 1912 Brewing Company. “We all support each other and if one of us is missing some grain or anything else, we can go to each other’s location to get it.”
When it comes to brewing, Todd strives to be as different and creative as possible. He gathers a lot of inspiration by tasting beer made by other breweries. As a matter of fact, Todd worked in taprooms like Tucson Hop Shop and Arizona Beer House while brewing beer at home before he and Erika opened Button Brew House in 2017.
“I’d work three days here and three days there,” said Todd. “I was a taste tester. I would get to try 20 to 30 different beers each week — beers I’ve never had before. I’d pay attention to the way they were created and the way they’re interpreted by other brewers. I came up with a lot of recipes during that time and thought about what I could potentially do.”
Fun Times at the Brewery
There’s also a lot of entertainment happening in the taproom every week.
On Fridays, they host trivia or Cards Against Humanity, one Saturday a month they host Drag Queen Bingo and Cards Against The Queen, food trucks pull up on Friday and Saturday every week, and there is a 4,000-square-foot beer garden that anyone can rent out. They’ve hosted special dinners, celebrations of life, and even weddings out in that space.
If you’re hungry, they offer slices of pepperoni pizza and hot wings from the nearby Monsoons Tap & Grill.
Sixth Anniversary
Now, let’s talk about Button Brew House’s sixth-anniversary party.
On Saturday, September 16 from noon – 9 p.m., they’re taking over the parking lot with live performances, games, and plenty of beer. The Happy Hive Market will be set up on-site as well with more than 20 local vendors like Irene’s Ice Cream, Carbs & Coffee, and Paus Pan Dulce.
Check out the full schedule so you can plan accordingly.
- Noon: Food from 420 Taco; Waterslide will be open
- 1:30 p.m.: Original live music by Deanna Cross
- 2 p.m.: The Happy Hive Market
- 4 p.m.: Original live music by Standard Deviance, Destroy All Humans, Saguraonaut, and Not Sorry
- 4 p.m.: Food from Muncheez
- 8 p.m.: Performance by Cirque Roots
For more information, follow Button Brew House on Facebook.
Oktoberfest at Button Brew House
The annual Oktoberfest event is one of the brewery’s biggest events of the year and proceeds benefit Project Insight — a non-profit organization that provides home care services to those with special needs.
On Saturday, September 30, more than 15 local and regional Arizona beverage producers will be on hand in Button Brew House’s parking lot, serving beer, wine, cider, and spirits. Plus, there’s food from 420 Taco and live music from Paul Opecenskty and Berggoetz Band.
General Admission Tickets are $40 per person and include a collectible Oktoberfest glass and four pours. VIP Tickets were $60 per person (they recently sold out) and included access to the VIP area beginning at noon, a pretzel necklace, three months of the Tucson Foodie Insider membership, and everything else included in General Admission.
For tickets and to check out the full list of participating breweries, visit eventbrite.com.
Button Brew House is located at 6800 N. Camino Martin #160. For more information, visit buttonbrewhouse.com. Button Brew House is also a Tucson Foodie Restaurant Partner.
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.
