I've expressed lustful feelings towards products by the infographic geniuses at Pop Chart Lab before, but this giant beer poster had me reaching for my wallet in minutes. Six square feet of beer nerddom! What more could I ask for? Sure, it's a little more expensive than the black light ready beer pong poster from Spencer Gifts, but I don't think the one from Spencer is individually numbered.

We thought three new brewing operations starting up this year was impressive, but now there’s a fourth: Catalina Brewing Company.

This company is all about the bikes and the brew, and will even brew a beer for the annual 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo mountain-bike race. The cherry beer sounds awesome, too.

One note and one question:

Note: If someone starts selling bourbon paletas in town, I will buy a case. I like to drink American, after all.
Question: How early can one legitimately eat booze related frozen desserts and not be a drunk?

[HT: Laughing Squid]

If you haven't read The New York Times story giving high praise to the cocktails at Tucson's own Scott and Co., you might enjoy it.

And if you want to try those cocktails at cut-rate prices, you can do so at Scott and Co.’s new happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

Co-owner Travis Reese tells us that the cocktail menu is priced at $5 across the board during the new happy hour. Classic cocktails will cost you the same, although upgrading to finer booze could cost you a few extra bucks.

Nice mention for Ciaran Wiese and Scott and Co., an establishment that could stand to be twice as big as it is already:

SO, what’ll it be tonight? How about a Smoke Signal made with bacon-infused rye, chipotle syrup, cold-brewed coffee ice and porter? Or the Grillo Canción, an exotic and possibly deranged member of the Collins family that fuses pisco, cumin syrup, citrus and celery bitters? Or maybe a Knot Twist would hit the spot: a two-ounce riot of malty genever, smoky Scotch, smokier mezcal, absinthe, maraschino and bitters, stirred into accord and set before you like a dare?

These are just three of the strange and wonderful concoctions at Scott & Co. at 47 Scott, a 24-seat bar in Tucson that serves some of the country’s most creative cocktails. Sprung from the imagination of Ciaran Wiese, these newfangled refreshments highlight an ascendant caste of bartenders, more akin to doctoral candidates than service-industry workers, whose command over the ever-expanding canon of mixed drinks spawns not only variations on the classics but also variations on the variations.

Check out Wiese's recipe for a Bitter End on the site as well.

Berky’s Bar at 5769 E. Speedway Blvd. will reopen next month as an upscale sports bar.

Richard McClelland, who bought the place after it closed abruptly a couple years back, says he’s completely renovated the interior and added 30 big-screen televisions, more than half of which are 3-D. He says patrons will be able to check out 3-D glasses from the bar.

The bar, which will be known as RJ’s Replays, will also serve food, although the menu has yet to be finalized. McClelland hopes to have the doors open in early July.

McClelland says he completely scrubbed the biker vibe from the building — no small feat considering the bar was a biker hangout for decades — and assured all the people in the neighborhood that the new bar would be something drastically different.

“I’m shooting for a more upscale crowd. I’m not shooting for dive bar,” said McClelland. “I guess you can say that I’m shooting for the trendy, yuppie crowd, if you want to call it that.”

The beer list is about 100 names long, with 30 craft beers on tap. There will be karaoke, live music and other entertainment as well.

The ice that comes from the plastic trays in my freezer suddenly seems so inadequate. Only $205 (plus shipping) if anyone's going to buy me something for Blogger's Day (note: there is actually no gift-giving opportunity/holiday called Blogger's Day).

Apparently, Citizen Public House in Phoenix has one (albeit one made by a competitor, I believe). I just don't think I can go on living with non-spherical ice any longer.

A new local microbrewery should be up and operating on Tucson’s westside in the not-too-distant future.

Eric Greene of the new Dragoon Brewing Company said he hopes to have “beer in the tanks” by the end of the year, although he says getting all the federal and state permits through could potentially push that date back a bit.

Greene is opening the brewery with his father, Bruce Greene, and Tristan White. It will be located in a warehouse at 1859 W. Grant Road, Suite 111.

Greene — who homebrewed for years before completing an apprenticeship through the American Brewers Guild and going to work for Nimbus Brewery — said the first beers will be an “aggressively hopped” India Pale Ale and a mild “session” beer with a low-alcohol content.

Seasonal beers made with ingredients like agave nectar and mesquite-smoked malt could also show up before long.

“We really want to do seasonally appropriate beers using local ingredients,” Greene said. “We’re going to try to keep it fresh and interesting and tied to Tucson a bit.”

Greene said the operation is a production brewery and will not serve food or have a bar. It will, however, have a tasting room with regular hours.

There’s more information over here.

We covered the opening of Pulse Tucson in March, but unfortunately, the economics of the bar business haven't been kind to the ownership. They have a full schedule through Sunday, which looks to be their last night.

From their website:

Hello Everyone,

I feel it is necessary to write this letter to my friends, family and everyone who loves me.

Just over 8 weeks ago, I took possession of a bar and with tons of help from amazing people, we turned it into PULSE Tucson night club & show lounge. From the beginning, all we wanted to do was to give the community a choice of going somewhere beautiful, safe, clean and fun. I believe we achieved that! Plus, having one of the most diverse, amazing teams of employees that a man could ever ask for, we have started making a name for ourselves.

Unfortuatley, I have taken on something that I cannot sustain. With the monthly expenses being as high as they are & with some very expensive unforeseen repairs to the building, all of my working capital is now gone. This venture has nearly ruined me financially and has taken a toll on me emotionally. And, I cannot continue spending money that I do not have.

Yes, a portion of the community has been here to support us and enjoy what we have brought to them, but it is not enough and there is no more time. I wish things could have been different, but nothing in this world is guaranteed.

Having a home for all of the entertainers to come and hone their craft was an amazing thing to be able to offer. A place where ALL entertainers were welcomed and treated with respect. A place where the love just poured over everyone. A place where drag queens, drag kings, women, men, gay, lesbian, straight, bi, trans, queer, questioning & ally could all come and feel at HOME.

I know there are going to be some "haters" out there who are happy that Pulse Tucson could not make it. But, I am not defeated, I am going to come back even stronger than I was before. You cannot keep me down. I will always be here for my community...the WHOLE community.

There were 2 bar owners who made me feel completely welcomed into the bar community. They were Danny Scott from WOODY'S at 3710 N. Oracle Rd.(facebook is WOODYSTUCSON). And then Eddie Baeza from BRODY'S Tavern at 2449 N. Stone Ave. I would like to ask that the community support them, because they are friends of PULSE Tucson and friends of mine for life.

This week is our final week that PULSE Tucson will be open, so if you want to come see what we have done and support me for the last time in this location, please come have a burger, a drink and a bunch of laughs.

Always,
Larry Moore AKA Lucinda Holliday, Tucson, Arizona's Queen of Comedy

I refuse to drink Budweiser while playing "Poolball" but when there's an opportunity to mix two things I enjoy but am terrible at, I couldn't resist hanging out wherever this game would be available.