Hotel Congress is hosting the Seventh Annual Born & Brewed local beer battle from 7 – 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 15.
Watch as participating breweries battle it out for the title of Tucson’s Best Flagship Beer, Best Specialty Beer, and People’s Choice.
Tucson Homebrew Club will be taking care of the judging this year, but your opinion matters for the People’s Choice award. That means you get to taste all of the beers.
General Admission is $35 and VIP Admission is $75 per person. Tickets are available at hotelcongress.com.
Each ticket includes beer tastings and a commemorative glass, but different food menus and other perks are included in the VIP admission.
General Admission
Includes one beer tasting from each competing brewery, a commemorative tasting glass, and a plate of food from Cup Cafe.
Menu (choice of)
- German Sausage with Braised Cabbage on a Pretzel Bun
- BBQ Jackfruit Sliders
Sides
- Kaese spaetzle
- German potato salad
- Smoked mixed nuts
- Pickled vegetable medley
VIP Admission
Includes everything you get with the General Admission ticket plus early bird access at 6 p.m., Dragoon VIP Lounge access, an exclusive tasting of Dragoon Brewing’s Pank Dank, VIP beer mug, and the VIP food menu from Cup Cafe.
Menu (all)
- Carving Station with Dragoon Stronghold Session Brined Pork Loin
- German Sausage Kabob
- BBQ Jackfruit Sliders
Sides
- Roasted beet salad
- Obatzda (Dragoon Ojo Blanco and cheese spread)
- Kartoffelkoesse potato dumplings stuffed with Dragoon Golden Ale soaked peaches
- German potato salad
- Braised red cabbage
- Smoked mixed nuts
- Pickled vegetable medley
2018 Born & Brewed Breweries
Last year’s winners are returning for another round.
Borderlands Brewing took home the Judge’s and People’s Choice awards, Crooked Tooth Brewing was honored with the Best Specialty Beer award, and the Best Flagship Beer went to Copper Mine Brewing.
- 1912 Brewing Company
- Barrio Brewing Company
- Black Rock Brewers
- Borderlands Brewing Company
- Catalina Brewing Company
- Copper Mine Brewing Company
- Crooked Tooth Brewing Company
- Dillinger Brewing Company
- Green Feet Brewing
- Harbottle Brewing Company
- Public Brewhouse
- Sentinel Peak Brewing Company
- Ten55 Brewing & Sausage House
- Thunder Canyon Brewstillery
Hotel Congress is located at 311 E. Congress St. For more information, call (520) 622-8848 or visit hotelcongress.com to grab your tickets.
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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.















