A popular brewery is making the trek to downtown Tucson and you’ll soon be able to enjoy one of their beers in one of the most picturesque buildings in all of downtown.
The Dillinger Brewing Company has built up a solid following, despite having a small, almost garage-like location at 3895 North Oracle. If you’ve ever gone to find the location, chances are you had to drive around the shopping complex one or two times before figuring out where to go. Thankfully, that will no longer be a problem, as the new location is right in the heart of downtown.
Dillinger Brewing Company, named for the infamous John Dillinger (who was arrested at Hotel Congress), is set to open a brand new taproom at 402 E. Ninth Street starting this Friday, May 21. If the address sounds familiar it is because it is the Coronado Hotel, perched right on the corner of the street and is a gateway between 4th Avenue and Downtown. Previously, The Coronet had occupied the restaurant space for the past five years but has since gone out of business.
The exterior of the space mostly remains the same. You still have the cast iron fencing around the patio area, which helps separate the restaurant from those passing by (there are also several trees growing within the patio area, which helps provide natural shade). However, inside is where you’ll see most of the changes.
There is a black and white drawn mural of Dillinger overlooking the bar as if an oversized version of the man has nestled against the wall and is watching everyone who enters the taproom. This is combined with a rustic, Southwestern vibe that meets 1920s tile work. The splash of an almost Tiffany’s Blue on the floor and chairs adds just enough pop without taking over the room.
Currently, there are no plans to move the original brewing location. All beers will still be made at the North Oracle location. The new location will simply make the beers more accessible to the general public and to visitors of the city, who would likely not make it out to the small brewing location.
There will be 12 beers on tap, all of which are brewed by Dillinger Brewing Company. Additionally, you will find wine, cold brew coffee, Kombucha, and ciders. You will find some unique offerings here though that you won’t find at the regular brewery. This includes some barrel-aged beers, as the brewery is planning on taking advantage of the expansive basement for barrel-aging some of its beers in order to offer a wider, more robust selection of craft beer.
If you want to head out, grab a beer, and check out the new location, the taproom will be open from 3 PM until 10 PM on Tuesday through Thursday, noon until 11 PM on Saturday, and noon until 8 PM on Sunday. There are plans to have several events take place at the taproom. The popular “Geeks Who Drink” trivia nights is one activity that is already penciled in for every Wednesday. Other activities and events are in the works, although they are still in the early stages of planning.
The return of the popular patio space will be refreshing for individuals looking to grab a drink around 4th Avenue, and if you’ve been wanting to grab a beer from Dillinger but haven’t made it out to the Oracle location this will make it even easier (especially with parking right along the street and near Tucson High School and the football field). For additional updates on events at the location, make sure to follow Dillinger on Facebook.