It’s June in Bisbee. The sun has taken a mercifully cool spring and snapped it over its knee like a twig. It’s time to find some shade and pair it with a nice cold beer.
Bisbee has it covered. In a more perfect world, one brewery ought to be a basic requirement for a town of 5,000 people. Two would be a real blessing. Bisbee, the Town too Big for its Britches, has three. Welcome to the Bisbee Pub Crawl, our three-part tour of these precious establishments, each with their own unique features and brews.
It is fitting that Bisbee should have three breweries, since the modern Arizona brewing trend was born here. And the birthplace, Electric Brewing, is our first stop.
An electrician and homebrewer named “Electric” Dave Harvan rolled into town in a Volkswagen microbus in 1978. He learned the art of homebrewing from a neighbor and was soon keeping himself and friends abuzz with his concoctions. Little did he realize his hobby would turn him into a lobbyist for a season, for Dave successfully petitioned the Arizona legislature to change the law to allow establishment of what were then called “microbreweries.” Within a year, he founded Electric Brewing in a neighborhood called South Bisbee. That neighborhood, built on mining company land, was later demolished, but not before Dave established a brewpub in Bisbee’s San Jose district which still brews and pours nearly 40 years later.
Electric Brewing Blog
Electric Brewing Blog
Electric Brewing Blog
Electric Dave did some time in the 90s for smuggling the Devil’s Lettuce from across the line, which presented…a bit of a setback for Arizona’s First Microbrewery. But upon his release into the wild Dave was back in the saddle, brimming with stories from captivity and ready to get back to his passion. The heat of the desert made Dave’s Electric Lager a challenge to brew, since lagers need cold temperatures to develop properly. But his operation, now moved to the pub in San Jose, was up to the task. The lager, along with Industrial Pale Ale and OK Ale, were the main products of Electric Brewing, available at Bisbee’s many watering holes and beyond. Often one could also encounter the brewmaster himself at one of these establishments, ever ready to tell a good story over a round of his own suds.
Electric Brewing shut down in 2013, but was soon purchased by an entrepreneuring couple who re-opened it as Beast Brewing. This operation lasted a few years, but when Beast shuttered in 2016 this jewel again began collecting dust.
That is, until the fall of 2020. Joe and Natalie Fredrickson returned with their son Winston to Bisbee to get the brewery brewing again, this time under the original name. Joe actually worked for Dave’s operation in the early 90s, making them successors worthy of the name. They celebrate five years of operation this August.
But here in the dry heat of June, I stopped in for a flight. The typical flight comes with four tastings. I went with the Edison Amber, Cerveza Electrica, Thunderstruck Porter and Watts Next IPA. I am pleased to report time, trial and error have been kind to the Fredricksons. Joe says “I’ve tried hard over the years to make a bad beer, and one of these days I know I’ll succeed.” Today’s flight is Electric Brewing in top form. The Cerveza Electrica is perfect for this hundred degree day.
A Porter in June is out of season for most, given the heat just outside the pub’s glass door. But there’s something about Thunderstruck—it’s got a slight rye flavor that had me going back for another taste. I asked about that peculiar flavor and learned this Baltic style Porter has elements in common with a Schwarzbier. It’s not rye so much as good old roasty-toasty malt. All of Electric Brewing’s offerings are worthwhile, but if you decide to stop in for a flight or a pint, I’d recommend the Thunderstruck Porter.
Each of Bisbee’s breweries have features that distinguish them from their peers. Besides the historical titles, Electric Brewing also has its “sodawerks” division making tasty non-alcoholic beverages. They’re currently pouring a pineapple kombucha. They make a mean barleywine called Black Cat and an Imperial Stout called 1898.
Electric Brewing is also unique for their regular Sunday live music offerings, their Friday karaoke and crafting circle events. They’ve also got a great view of Naco, the San Jose Peak on the other side of the Mexican border. The June heat pairs well with Electric Brewing’s offerings. And so does the turquoise blue and Dreamsicle orange Arizona/Mexican sunset over the border wall, lit up like a string of white Christmas lights each night.
Keith Allen Dennis is a Bisbee writer and songster. You can find his music at http://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com.