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Owners Matt Gordon, Taylor Carter and Jeremy Hilderbrand are putting the finishing touches on the space housing their Sentinel Peak Brewing Co., which will launch in what was once a Philly’s Finest sandwich shop at 4746 E. Grant Road.

The brewery will offer six types of beer, two rotating options and four regulars: a blond, a German dark lager, a Mexican-style Vienna and an India pale ale called the Haboob IPA.

Its barrel-and-a-half system will allow it to produce 45 gallons — about three kegs’ worth — of beer at a time.

“It has been a hive of activity here getting things ready,� Hilderbrand said. “The Health Department gave us the OK on Friday. We are excited that it is finally happening.�

The road to Sentinel Peak has been long and, at times, challenging for the trio, all of whom are Tucson-area firefighters.

It started with Hilderbrand.

Longing for the types of beers he had while stationed in the Army in Germany but unable to find them, he was given a home-brew kit for Christmas three years ago as a gift from his wife.

Hilderbrand experimented with different recipes that received rave reviews from colleagues and friends, including Carter and Gordon.

The trio started talking about the possibility of a nanobrewery — a brewery that produces beer on a smaller scale — in 2011.

Their original plan was to set up for special events at the former Farmer John meatpacking plant, which in recent years has been used as a haunted house and concert venue.

“It didn’t work out,� Hilderbrand said. “There wasn’t enough parking and it wasn’t financially feasible to create parking. It was nobody’s fault.�

They eventually found their current location, a 2,400-square-foot space in a shopping center anchored by a Trader Joe’s, PetSmart and Chuze Fitness.

They did a complete overhaul, knocking down a dividing wall and blowing out the ceiling. They redid the plumbing and installed a 45-foot bar made from poured concrete and tempered glass.

“The bar took about two months to complete,� Hilderbrand said. “It was rough concrete like a sidewalk. We had to keep sanding and cleaning until we got what we wanted.�

A good portion of the budget to rework the space came from a crowd funding Kickstarter campaign that Gordon, Carter and Hilderbrand launched in May. They asked for $27,500 and received nearly $36,000.

Hilderbrand said the Tucson community has been overwhelmingly supportive.

“When a total stranger is willing to back you financially, that is a huge compliment,� Hilderbrand said.

Additional support, by way of guidance, has come from other breweries in town.

Tucson has eight active breweries with a ninth, Iron John’s Brewing Co., launching in late February.

Hilderbrand said local breweries like Ten Fifty-Five Brewing, which opened last year, have been quick to offer advice when needed.

“We know those guys pretty well at this point,� said Ten Fifty-Five co-owner Chris Squires. “The entire brewing community is very tight-knit. We all kind of support each other whenever we can.�

“That was a learning curve for me,� Hilderbrand said. “In my mind, I thought it was going to be cutthroat, but it was the complete opposite. Everyone has been so great.�