When thinking of beer, its not often that the first thing that comes to mind is spice.
However, Tucson cuisine sometimes inspires the local breweries, leading Iron Johns Brewery to make their signature green chili ale for the second time. Made with mesquite smoked Anaheim chiles, this beer is complimented on the sweet side with apple cider added in the fermentation process which gives us the beer’s name: Fire & Flavor.
The beer lives up to its name, delivering a smokey aroma that stings the nostrils with its spiciness. When the beer hits the tongue, the first flavor is of a pilsner malt that is quickly replaced with the sourness of apples. The beer finishes of with the fire flaring up at the end to shock your taste buds and leave the lingering sting of chili’s in the back of your throat. The hefty 7 percent alcohol content work with the Anaheims to leave a resonating warmth in your chest.
If you’re into truly tasting beers and taking time tasting the whole glass, there’s few breweries in Tucson that can compare to Iron John's. They come out with two new beers every week, with new ones being premiered on every Thursday.
Often times, if you don’t get there in a timely manner those beers may be gone forever. In stock right now are 15 beers ranging from Rye IPA’s, to coffee saisons, to sours aged in sauvignon blanc casks. However, for brew enthusiasts, if you miss out on this batch of Fire & Flavor a new one will be out on Sept. 10. Pick up a bottle at Iron John's bottle shop, 245 S. Plumer Ave #27.
