(Edited on April 4, 2017 to update opening date and operating hours)
East Tucson is finally getting a brewery.
BlackRock Brewers, which will be located at 1664 S. Research Loop, Ste 200., is scheduled to open at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 6.
“We almost didn’t find a space out here,” said Tony Williams, co-founder and president of BlackRock.
Tucson’s lack of an eastside brewery was a primarily reason for the choice of location, Williams said.
Co-founders Tony Williams and Chuck Boyer started out home brewing. The two decided to open their own brewery about four-and-a-half years ago. BlackRock was able to move forward thanks to a Kickstarter campaign and private funding through shares.
Gene Sandoval, who has experience as a brewmaster for Tucson-based home brewing company Mr. Beer, is joining BlackRock as the head brewer.
The five core beers planned are a cream ale, pale ale, IPA, vanilla porter, and amber ale. Seasonal beers will include styles such as a strong Scottish ale, Irish red, Oktoberfest, and wheat beer for summer.
Four to six taps will be initially available, along with additional taps for guest breweries.
“The ‘foreign exchange’ program will allow people to have other local beers from places like Dragoon without having to drive all the way over there,” Williams said. “Our philosophy is to work with local businesses as much as possible. I think Tucson has a great small business economy.”
Only beer will be available at the start, but BlackRock plans to feature food trucks eventually.
The interior is still in the works, but “we’re doing the industrial farmhouse look,” Williams said. Board games will be available, while occasional live acoustic music will spruce up the vibe.
Operating hours will start out as 4 – 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, noon – 8 p.m. Saturdays and expand as needed.
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Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
