We’ve been robbed.
The better-than-average monsoon we were promised failed to materialize. We haven’t even broken average, in fact. Very little rain, but all the heat, all the humidity. And the bugs, including Bisbee’s summer scourge, the dreaded vampiric biting gnats known as noseeums.
At the peak of the August heat conditions are bad enough to drive people indoors—and into the welcoming arms of a nice, cold pint brewed right here in Bisbee, Arizona. This town is blessed in so many ways, and having not one or even two but three breweries here in town really makes us special. Welcome to the final entry in our Bisbee Pub Crawl series. We started at Electric Brewing in the San Jose District, then on to Old Bisbee Brewing. For our last act we’re in the Warren District, home of the town’s newest establishment, Ballpark Brewing.
Brian Vertrees got his start brewing for Old Bisbee Brewing and struck out on his own with his brother Dan, opening Ballpark in the spring of 2024 to instant acclaim. The atmosphere is fantastic. It’s a one of a kind sports pub, the walls decorated solely in Bisbee sports memorabilia, relics and awards, photos and newspaper clippings. It’s like a local sports hall of fame, situated about halfway between the two places where so many of these memories were made: Bisbee High School and the Warren Ballpark. The Vertrees family has a long history in local education and in coaching. Brian and his father Chris have both coached Bisbee football, and with Ballpark up and running Brian is back teaching at the high school. And my youngest remembers Lindsay, “Ms. Vertrees” as his favorite teacher as a boy at Greenway Elementary.
My wife and I visited Ballpark twice this month. The first time we had to overcome our trepidation at the sight of so many cars spilling onto the street. It turned out to be a retirement party for a local Sheriff’s deputy, and the place was packed with generations of locals gathered to celebrate. We were grateful to get two seats at the bar. In the early days Ballpark regularly ran out of their stock, even tapping kegs from Tombstone Brewery to close the gap but they found their equilibrium and these days the bases are usually loaded.
So we took the flight. Now it must be said, Ballpark is the rookie on the Bisbee beer scene. Old Bisbee Brewing has years on them, Electric has decades. But you wouldn’t know better tasting these brews. The Vertrees boys have got it down. A flight comes with four five ounce pours whose names are nods to Bisbee’s sports culture. The Copper Pick Pilsner had a nice head of foam, a great floral nose and a dryish malty finish. The Ballpark Blonde has that marshmallow mouthfeel one expects from such a brew (and I’ll confess here, it’s my favorite). The Shutout Stout will do just that if one goes too hard—at 8% ABV one has to be careful. But it’s got a sweet but not too sweet flavor that is well balanced. The Puma Red IPA, named for Bisbee High School’s football team, is fantastic. It’s got everything you want in an IPA without the hops being overbearing. Everyone around us was ordering this dangerously drinkable ale.
Our second visit happened to coincide with the 2025 football season opener, so we watched the Benson Bobcats take an early lead over the beloved Bisbee Pumas game live-streamed from just down the street, Puma Red IPA’s in hand. The Pumas got their helmets handed to them that evening, but the beer named for them is a winner.
Speaking of everything you want: In addition to their menu of excellent ales (and a seltzer when available), Ballpark Brewing has the best burger in town. Perfectly proportioned, cooked “Oklahoma style” with sweet onions pressed into the patty, chopped pickles spilling out of the bun. Yes it’s a matter of opinion—there’s no accounting for taste, beauty is in the buds of the taster, etc. But I’m laying down a marker on this one. All three of Bisbee’s breweries stand out in their own way, and Ballpark’s brews, their short-and-sweet menu—and those burgers—are truly a home run.
Keith Allen Dennis is a Bisbee writer and songster. You can find his music at http://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com.