PHOENIX — Beloved local chef Jose Jimenez’s legacy is being remembered by his friends and family through beer.
Nearly a month after his body was found in a canal near 7th Avenue and Dunlap Road, the "No Way Jose IPA" was crafted, brewed, and canned to honor Jimenez's memory.
His legacy is not just imprinted on the purple label that highlights his passion for cooking and cartoons. But his character is also alive in the making process of the beer, which contains exactly 36 ounces of centennial hops to honor his love for that type of hop and the number 36, said long-time friend John Alvarado.
“It’s perfect, because it’s a super clean beer, the hop shine through kind of like Jose,” Alvarado said. “Everybody loves a good clean beer, just like everybody loves Jose.”
Jose was last seen on Nov. 5 after he finished working an event as a chef for Cloth and Flame. He texted his wife Amanda at 10:19 p.m. that he was biking home, but he never made it there.
The 47-year-old's remains were found by a utility worker early the next day.
“I’ll always remember his smile, his willingness to help people, and just his genuineness,” Alvarado said. “If anybody is volunteering, I think of him. [A] full moon, I think of him.”
Jose was known to love beer, specifically IPAs. When plans were brewing to do a celebration of life, Amanda thought it would be great to do a beer in honor of her late husband. She turned to Alvarado for help.
While the idea initially was to only keg an IPA, the plan quickly evolved to create a can and label in Jose’s name and have it as a keepsake, which Alvarado said was their friend Wayne Coats' idea.
Alvarado contacted North Mountain Brewing, a place Amanda and Jose frequently visited. Owner Robert Berkner jumped on board and created the single-malt and single-hop beer with ingredients he had on hand, one of them being Jose’s favorite.
“He was a big fan of centennial, I didn’t even know,” Berkner said. “It’s got a nice West coast presentation, with a nice bitterness to it for a backbone and a whole lot of centennial hops that is basically grapefruit forward that’s going to be the primary hop flavor.”
For the label’s creation, Amanda reached out to the couple’s friend and local artist Frank Picazo. The artwork illustrates a picture of Jose taken while he was in a kitchen working but in a cartoon version, with a twist.
He’s wearing a baseball cap over a bandana and his iconic blue apron that has some of his favorite things patched to it: a Spiderman, bicycle, and his favorite number: 36.
The twists include a kitchen knife instead of an order receipt and a tray of a large green hop, in place of a prepared dish.
The artwork includes a saying Jose’s granddaughter lovingly called him, her “#1 Pop Pop,” and a big full moon.
“He always said that no matter where you were if you looked up at the moon, you would know that he was there with you, so this is just another thing that defined Jose,” Alvarado said. “The label is just Jose 100%”
The beer will be available until supplies last. It’s currently available at several Valley bars including Little Miss BBQ and Welcome Diner. Those interested in offering it at their restaurant or bar can contact North Mountain Brewery.
A portion of the sales will go to the Jimenez family, Berkner said.
Jose’s death case is still open, pending the final report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. Although it was first listed as a "death investigation," a preliminary medical report lists the cause of death as an accidental drowning, with alcohol intoxication as a contributing cause.
Amanda and Jose’s friends want the police to investigate further.
“This beer is to tell him we love him and just honor him and what he did as a person,” Alvarado said. “It’s our way to have one last drink with him, and because of its taste, it can be enjoyed by a lot of people. He would be happy.”
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.