BISBEE — When Dale Fountaine and Victor Winquist decided to start their own brewery in the heart of Old Bisbee, they had a modest goal.

Victor Winquist, left, and Dale Fountaine are ready to market their seven different brews in their newly opened Old Bisbee Brewing Company. The beer partners will also offer their home brewed root beer. (Ed Honda• Herald/Review)

“We want to be the best brewery in Arizona,” Fountaine said.

Located at the intersection of Review Alley and Brewery Avenue, the Old Bisbee Brewing Co. is nearly ready to open its doors. Scheduled to be on tap when the brewery and pub opens in the very near future include a Scottish red ale made with malted barley and hops grown near the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, an India pale ale made with six different hops, and an imperial stout inspired by the Irish original, Guinness.

Each of these creations are made only a few steps from where they will be served, across Review Alley in their brewery outfitted with state of the art equipment, including four 310-gallon fermentation tanks.

Fountaine and Winquist have partnered up before, when they owned and operated a winery called Fountaine’s Cellars.

As the volunteer-operated business grew, it proved so successful they were able to sell it after just a few years in 2007.

“It got to be so popular that we had to make a decision to either expand it and hire a lot of people or move on,” Winquist said.

Unlike that venture, Winquist and Fountaine said they’re in the beer business for the long hall.

“This is my idea of retirement,” Winquist said.

The idea for the brewery and pub originated with a phone call last summer, when Fountaine got the urge to do something with the building on the corner of Review Alley and Brewery Avenue.

“I called Vic up and said, you know, it’s right on Brewery Avenue, we should put a brewery in there,” he said. “I was half joking, but a couple of days later, he calls me back and said let’s do it.”

As off-the-cuff as the decision was, the two men took the preparation process very seriously, traveling to more than half a dozen states and visiting a number of breweries to learn more about the trade.

“I personally went to five states in my RV,” Fountaine said.

Winquist and his daughter, Mindy Winquist, who is also the general manager of Old Bisbee Brewing Co., traveled to the Guinness breweries in Ireland and to red ale breweries in Scotland to learn from the brew masters there.

“We went to the source,” Winquist said.

Locally or abroad, they found people more than willing to provide helpful hints and tips.

“In talking with all the brew masters, they were very forthcoming,” Winquist said. “You learn a lot.”

Father and daughter also attended brewery courses at Brewlab in Sunderland, England, to learn the skills they needed to concoct and perfect their own recipes.

Winquist, who has more than 30 years in the wine industry under his belt, said that in many ways, the two processes are the same.

“When it comes to ingredients, whether it’s cabernet grapes or barley, you start with the best,” he said.

To achieve the best flavors possible, the brewers are utilizing fresh hops from Washington State and Germany, while incorporating a mixture of freshly ground hops. Even the pH levels of the water are measured to specific needs.

“It gets pretty involved,” he said.

Expanding out and providing their suds to the various bars and restaurants in Bisbee is not out of the question, however current plans are to keep their brews close to the source.

“The only place you can get the beer is right here out of these faucets,” Fountaine said, standing at the brand new, stainless steel bar inside the tap room.

Keeping the operation small allows for greater control of the product, Winquist said.

“Our emphasis is on maintaining the quality of the beer,” he said.

While they take the brewing and quality of their beers with the utmost care and seriousness, the two are also clearly excited and enjoying themselves.

“We’re using the same business plan that we had for the winery, which is to have fun,” Fountaine said.

The Old Bisbee Brewing Co., located at 200 Review Alley, is set to open by the end of the month.