We have been following the “nanobrewery”, Ten Fifty-Five, for a while now patiently waiting to see what they brew up. Well per their Facebook page they are finishing up brewing some test batches, and have received their Certificate of Occupancy to boot.

I spoke with them on the phone and told me they are planning to run a few more test batches, and do some sample tasting events over the next month. They are shooting for a grand opening sometime shortly after the first of the year. The time is ticking on when we can start drinking the goods and I for one, am watching the clock intently.

Union Public House, the gastropub in St. Phillip's Plaza on the corner of Campbell Avenue and River Road, is holding its first beer dinner on Monday, Dec. 3. The restaurant started taking reservations today and if the event turns out to be as popular as the various other dinners the place holds, you might want to score a spot early.

The dinner will feature five courses paired with beers crafted by New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire, Trippel and many other beers. Tickets are $50 and can be reserved by calling 329-8575.

In other beer-paired dining news, keep your eye out for a series of beer dinners up at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. We went to their first beer dinner this last weekend and it was truly something to behold. Multiple chef stations overflowing with everything from fine cheeses to lamb sliders smeared with spicy harisa, and beers by Dragoon Brewing Co. to wash it all down with.

Executive Chef Ken Harvey said the resort will be holding more of the dinners in the coming months. If you like fine food and great beer you should go. That is all.

JunXion Bar, the newest drinking and entertainment establishment to move into the growing downtown scene, holds its grand opening this weekend. We received this description of the place this morning:

The JunXion Bar is a destination for everyone featuring great local live music, 20 beers on tap, over 100 vodkas, top notch customer service, fantastic cocktails, a huge wall of TVs for sports and event viewing, street side smoking patio, special events, pool and shuffleboard, and a hip, welcoming ambiance that will keep customers coming back again and again!

The grand opening starts today and runs through Sunday, Nov. 18. The bar is located on the northwest corner of Congress Street and Scott Avenue, where motorcycle shop Knucklehead Alley used to be.

If you like beer and you haven't been to Borderlands Brewing Company you are quickly becoming a minority. The microbrewery has been teeming with customers since opening its doors last year thanks in part to great live music and special events, but mainly because the beer is fresh and good.

The brewery at 119 E. Toole Ave. is closed this week and maybe next week as well as the owners move in a bunch of bigger tanks that will greatly expand the amount of beer it produces. I spoke with one of the owners Saturday and he indicated that it was sort of a quadrupling of their current brewing capacity.

I'm happy to see this happen. I like beer as much as anyone but what I'm really into are nice people who do interesting things, and the Borderlands crew is certainly that. They've turned that old warehouse into a hub of activity for the downtown area while steadily producing various beers with numerous local ingredients. Add to that the fact that the owners stay involved in the community - even brewing a beer recently that benefited a local firefighter's organization - and it all makes for one impressive outfit.

There's more on the brewery over here.

Literally nothing sounds better to me than an evening of hanging around comfortably, sipping whiskey with friends—and Hotel Congress's Whiskey Weekend, set to happen one month from now, sounds like it could be the very best thing I could possibly do with my time and money that weekend.

From HotelCongress.com:

Whatever your pleasure, Jack, Jim or Jameson, we’re tasting them, putting them in cocktails, and pairing them with fine cuisine all weekend long! This year, it’s happening December 7 & 8 as a lead in to the holidays.

We are hosting a Jack Daniels Dinner on Friday, December 7.

The dinner will feature Jack Daniels selections such as Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniels Black & Honey, Woodford Reserve, and more. Dave Steward, a representative from Brown Forman (owner of Jack Daniels) will lead guests through the enjoyable and educational tasting experience. Each course of the 4-course dinner will be paired with a whiskey sample and cocktail. All guests will receive a commemorative 375 ml bottle of Jack Daniels as a special gift for attending the dinner.

We will have live music from Hank Topless and Copper y Congress! And our Congress Whiskey Bar for all your whiskey desires!

There will be a Whiskey Grand Tasting on Saturday, December 8.

The main event of the weekend, featuring samples of over 50 premium whiskeys, food from Cup Cafe, whiskey seminars and live music from Whiskey Kiss.

That sound you just heard was me frantically blocking that weekend off from any and all other potential plans.

Tickets can be purchased here for the Jack Daniels dinner, and here for the Grand Tasting.

For more information, head out to HotelCongress.com.

The gentlemen of Dragoon Brewing Co., over at 1859 W Grant Rd #111, have decided to participate in what's becoming an annual tradition for young men around these parts: the annual celebration of facial hair and manliness known as "Movember."

Sure, it began as a reason for folks to be too lazy to shave in a group (from what I gathered from my roommates a few years ago) but it now has become an avenue of facial-hair-focused fundraising for all sorts of charitable causes, as the folks at movember.com demonstrate.

And now, Tristan, Pat and Eric of Dragoon are getting in on the fun.

From Dragoon Brewing Co.:

On November 1st, 3 members of the Dragoon team will shave their beards for the first and last time that month. On December 1st, Dragoon patrons will select the finest beard of the bunch at the first annual Novembeerd Showdown.

The Contestants:
Tristan White—Head of Sales & Marketing. Tristan will be playing for Prostate Cancer Foundation (www.pcf.org), a non-profit dedicated to funding research leading to the eventual cure for prostate cancer.

Pat Butler—Field Quality and Sales Machine. Pat’s beard has a mind of its own, and it will be growing for the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (www.sacasa.org), a community resource for education and support for those impacted by sexual assault.

Eric Greene—Head Brewer. Eric will be growing his manly mane to benefit the Rillito River Project (www.rillitoriverproject.org), the driving force behind Bat Night and other awesome educational, creative, and cultural events.

The prize:
Dragoon Brewing Company will donate $1 for every pint sold in the month of November to the charity of the winning beard grower’s choice.

This certainly seems like a reason to drink up at Dragoon this month, folks. I mean, it's beer for a good cause — that's more enough to get me in the doors.

Check out Dragoon's website for more info on "Movembeerd," their beers and their tap room hours.

I generally thought that Kickstarter was reserved for interesting art projects and awesome pens — but apparently, there are those out there who use Kickstarter to fund private business ideas. I mean, who better to act as angel investors than denizens of the internet, who consume copious quantities of both?

Thus, we have this pitch from Public Brew House and Coffee:

Tucson's Beau Hintz, a former barista with Cartel Coffee Lab, and Mike Gura, a home-brewing enthusiast, are behind the project, which they plan to open along Broadway Blvd., in the heart of downtown.

I plan on throwing some money at it, personally — after all, I'm of the opinion that downtown can never have too much good coffee or too much good beer.

But for them to get off the ground, they're going to need quite a bit of funding, and fast. The funding period ends on Nov. 14, and as of this writing they've secured only 14% of their $37,000 goal. Worth a look, folks: After all, they're offering glasses, mugs, growlers and demitasses for donors, as well as half-off espresso for life if you donate up to a certain level.

If you're interested in having a new coffee spot joining the good folks at Sparkroot and Brewd downtown, and new artisan local brews joining the likes of Borderlands and Thunder Canyon's new digs.

Check out their Kickstarter here, and their Facebook page (which features videos and regular updates) here for more info.

Umi Star, the new restaurant down at 2502 N. Campbell Ave., is now serving drinks, and we hear they're a tad on the potent side.

The owners brought in a cocktail expert from famed San Diego cocktail hotspot Craft and Commerce to create the drink menu. It's a good one, and all the fans of well-made nouveau cocktails will definitely want to check it out.

I think the only criticism I've heard about this place thus far is that they weren't serving drinks. When we ate there a few weeks back the table next to us was literally freaking out about the food, in a very good way. I was, too, but not audibly.

You can take a look at the restaurant's food and drink menus right here. Enjoy!

• Miss Peggy gave me a big kiss last year and said "love you! love you! love you!" Geez, I love her, too.

Let us speak of the unelected officials that are the backbone of any community. They are the bartenders, the street merchants and the just downright colorful folks who define where we live, and one of Tucson's finest is finally getting ready to hang it up.

From the Buffet Bar and Crockpot Facebook page:

Well folks, it's time to announce that after 30+ years of being our favorite bartender, Miss Peggy is going to hang up her church key and retire. We will miss her terribly but know that we will still see her friendly face on the other side of the bar. Stay tuned to find out more about her big party on November 11th!

I lived across the street from the Buffet when I was a cub reporter at the Arizona Daily Star and got to know Peggy quite well. She is an amazing woman, a great friend and has been like family to many of us. We love you, Peggy! Here's wishing you health and happiness in whatever life brings you next.

They had me at "special Mini Tour T-shirt with glow-in-the-dark Halloween graphics." From an e-mail earlier this week:

Through Halloween, Old Chicago guests are invited to enjoy eight specialty beers. The Tucson location will feature Coney Island Freaktoberfest, OC Blood Orange Wheat, Newcastle Werewolf, Woodchuck Seasonal Cider, Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA, Rogue Dead Guy and Wychwood Hobgoblin.

Members of the Old Chicago World Beer Tour who complete the Halloween Mini Tour by sampling all eight beers will receive the special Mini Tour T-shirt with glow-in-the-dark Halloween graphics. Anyone ages 21 and older can sign up to become a World Beer Tour member at Old Chicago.

Old Chicago is located at 2960 N. Campbell Ave. More on the restaurant over here.