Ready for the Baja Beer Festival? Here are 8 beers I’m looking forward to trying

What: 3rd Annual 2018 Baja Beer Festvial

When: April 7, 2018 from 2-6 pm, with VIP entry beginning at 1

Where: 222 S 5th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 (Armory Park)

Purchase tickets by clicking here

I’d be lying if I said I remembered the first beer festival I ever went to.

I know it wasn’t in my early 20s, and I can assure you I didn’t fully appreciate it as I would today.  You see, I did not really get into beer until my mid-to-late 20s, and only now have I really been able to fully immerse myself in the beer culture.

From seeking out amazing beverages and meeting people who enjoy them as much as I do to even taking part in some brew days and now writing about it, it’s nothing but a blast.

But while I don’t remember my first ever beer festival, nowadays, I certainly look forward to trying new ones. One of them is this Saturday in Tucson, and I have to say, I can’t wait to check it out.

The way I see the Baja Beer Festival, it is a great location and promises to offer a number of beers that I am looking forward to sampling. So with that in mind, here are the ones I am most looking forward to.

Orpheus – Dragoon

Anyone who read my Strong Beer Festival preview (if you did, thanks, if not, shame on you) knows I have a great affinity for boozy beers. At 11.4 percent this clocks in as the booziest of the festival. I missed it at Strong Beer, but I will not make that mistake again.

Las Frescas – Point of Interest – Wren House

The thing about Wren House is if they make a beer, it’s probably really, really good. I very much enjoyed their Las Frescas – early Bird, and I’d guess POI is every bit as delicious.

Benthos – Pueblo Vida

If you are reading this you probably know of the glory that is Pueblo Vida. Had this brewery existed while I was going to school in Tucson from 2002 to 2006, I bet I would have really gotten into beer sooner. At any rate,  Benthos is a NE IPA that should have a bit of a fruity edge, which is never a bad thing in an IPA.

Chango Malo Coconut Stout – Prison Hill Brewing Company

One of the best parts about beer festivals is you have the opportunity to sample from breweries you have never heard of. Prison Hill, which is from Yuma, is one of those for me. As of now none of my friends on Untappd have tried this one (I’m theAdamGreen there if you want to add me), and it absolutely had me at “coconut stout.”

Serrano Seduction – Dillinger Brewing Company

The first time I tried Dillinger Brewing Company was at a bacon and beer festival in Tucson last year. If you’ve never been to one of those, I highly recommend them. As for this beer, few styles intrigue me more than the ones that bring a little heat. I’m not going to say they are my favorites, because they are not. But I believe that’s because I have yet to find one that makes me go “wow,” and this one will get its shot.

Deep in the Green – Grand Canyon Brewing Company

At 8.5 percent, this Imperial IPA will pack a bit of an ABV wallop to go along with that its many hops will provide. As a brewery, Grand Canyon has always been a bit hit-or-miss with me, but I’m optimistic about this beer being one that will be easy to enjoy.

Luxero – Borderlands Brewing Company

Borderlands is bringing two different beers to this festival. One of them, Toole Avenue, is absolutely a must-try if you have yet to enjoy it. The other, Luxero, has zero Untappd checkins at the moment of me writing this. Is it really that new? Special for the festival? A blonde ale, I am looking forward to being one of the first to try it.

Bett’s Brown Ale – Ten Fifty-Five Brewing

In my opinions, brown ales are one of the most underserved and underappreciated styles of beers. Most are decent, and the ones that are good are really good. Therefore, any chance I have to try a new one will not be wasted.

Adam Green