Some weeks it can be hard to pick a single thing to focus on here in the intro. This week, the dilemma was more what don’t we focus on, and leave out, and subsequently feel really bad about doing that. Ah, to heck with it, let us sum up a very event-heavy week with some great causes set to benefit. First up, Bosque’s Trivia for a Cause will focus on Women’s History Month tonight (Wednesday) at the Nob Hill Taproom. The finite details on are on their Facebook page, but the most important thing here is that all proceeds will benefit the New Mexico Chapter of the Pink Boots Society. That all kicks off at 6 p.m., and you can register online here. Thursday marks Opening Day in baseball (yes, yes, we know that technically the two Dodgers-Padres games played in South Korea count towards the standings, but were you awake to watch those? No? Neither were we), and both Canteen and Sobremesa will have hot dogs and discounted beers at the ready, starting early at 11 a.m. for both brewpubs. Ex Novo will follow on Friday with their own food and beer specials, plus wiffle ball (!) at The Corral (UPDATE: Ex Novo had to postpone the beer release and waffle ball until April 5). Saturday is a big one, kicking off with Run with Joy, an annual 5K and half-marathon at Canteen. This fun run kicks off at 8 a.m., with full details on the Canteen Facebook page. It is in memory of two dearly departed friends of the brewery, Lawrence Joy and Mike Thrall, with proceeds going to the Thrall family. Head to this link to register. Finally, Rio Bravo will be hosting a Women’s Festival starting at noon. There will be guest speakers from various organizations, multiple vendors, food and beer specials, live music and more. Proceeds will benefit the Barrett Foundation and the Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico. Admission is free.

Oh, and there is also the Cask Festival at Sidetrack on Saturday, but that one has sold out. If you did get tickets, we will do our best to get a list of all the casks and share that in a separate story. If you missed out, our condolences.

New Draft:

Boese Brothers quietly tapped their spring seasonal, Zeus Juice IPA. Bosque spices things up with Jalapeno Salt Money. Casa Vieja tapped Faralito Old Ale in honor of their departing brewer (more on that soon). Marble tapped Ryetalian Pilsner. Rio Bravo recently added Hoppy Accidents, a double-dry-hopped cold IPA. Sidetrack and their friends, Adobe Disco, will release a collaboration beer, Disco After Dark, this Friday, with the exact style details still TBA. Starr Brothers has a new hazy IPA that is Too Hop to Handle. (UPDATES) Bombs Away tapped S.A.F. Blackberry & Key Lime. Canteen will tap Gose All Night, a strawberry basil gose, on Friday. Marble added Pina de Pedro, a pina colada inspired ale. Quarter Celtic brought back Dark Pedro.

Up in Santa Fe, Tumbleroot gets busy this week with Zest Intentions, a citrus wheat ale, Root Down Brown, and they went ahead and put Molé Stout on nitro. (UPDATE) Down south, Truth or Consequences Brewing tapped Apricot Saison.

New Package:

Ex Novo will bring back Farm League West Coast IPA in cans and on draft this Friday (UPDATE) actually that release is pushed back to April 5, but Milagro Oscuro is back in cans (12 ounce) and on draft this Friday. La Cumbre will roll out the new Primal Fluorescence, a hazy DIPA, in cans and on draft this Friday. (UPDATES) Boxing Bear brought back Sucker Punch DIPA in cans and on draft. Sidetrack has canned Mild Davis for the first time.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — The latest Trivia for a Cause at Bosque Nob Hill is highlighted in the intro.

Tractor Wells Park invites everyone to Get Spooky in March with a Halloween-themed night of live performances, costumes, vendors, and more, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday — As mentioned in the intro, Canteen and Sobremesa are celebrating baseball’s Opening Day, starting at 11 a.m.

Bow & Arrow brings back Kolsch Service, this time with live music, starting at 6 p.m.

Saturday — As started above, Canteen hosts Run with Joy at 8 a.m., and Rio Bravo’s Women’s Festival follows at noon.

Marble combines everyone’s love of beer and pizza with Sips & Slices at the downtown location. The brewery and Papa Cano’s Wood-Fired Pizza have come up with a pairing of four slices with four 7-ounce beer pours for $25. This runs from 3 to 4 p.m., with three different sessions. Two sessions have tickets left and can be purchased here.

Quick News Bits:

High and Dry is the first brewery to announce that they will be closed Sunday for Easter. If others follow, we will update this post or do a whole separate article. (UPDATES) All Boese Brothers locations, The Craftroom, Hops, La Reforma, both Nexus locations, and both Turtle Mountain locations will also be closed Sunday.

The first medals of 2024 have been handed out at the Best of Craft Beer Awards annual competition, with three New Mexico breweries winning one apiece. Ex Novo and Flix both won medals in the Scottish Ales category, with the former earning silver for Sons of Scotland and the latter taking bronze for ABQ 10 Day. Steel Bender also snagged a bronze for Sparkfitter Amber in the English Ales category. Congrats to all three breweries!

Truth or Consequences Brewing will be open for business even with the movie Eddington filming in the area over the next few weeks. Recent Academy Award winner Emma Stone leads the cast.

The New Mexico Brewers Guild officially announced their next event, Fete de la Funk. It will be held at Rowley Farmhouse Ales on April 13 from noon to 4 p.m. You can already buy tickets here and check out the lineup of breweries. We will have more on this event as we get closer to the date.

We promised everyone an update on the beer menu at the Craft Corner at Isotopes Park, and lo and behold, we remembered to snap a photo while grabbing a pint before New Mexico United kicked off its season with a 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh. Remember, these beers are always subject to change between now and the Isotopes’ home opener on Friday, or the next United game on April 6.

• Bosque Brewing: Riverwalker IPA, Mr. Melon Gose to Work
• Boxing Bear Brewing: Chocolate Milk Stout
• De La Vega (Pecan Grill and Brewery): Pecan Beer
• Ponderosa: Blood Orange Wit, Italian Pilsner
• Rio Bravo: Summer Honey, Freak Juice IPA
• Sandia Hard Cider: Black Cherry, Pineapple
• Santa Fe: 7K IPA, NMX Standard, Social Hour
• Sierra Blanca: Alien Amber, Hard Tea
• Steel Bender: Raspberry Dynamite, Compa Blue Corn Lager

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery  — Featured seasonal: Irish Red (5.2% ABV), described by the brewery as “a classic red ale with caramel and toasted malt flavors.”

Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: SNAFU Stout (5.2% ABV, 30 IBU), a chewy oatmeal stout.

Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Bosque Festbier (5.8% ABV, 25 IBU), a German-style lager perfect for warmer March days, now available in cans and on draft.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Desert Punch Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (4.2%), a pair of sours in cans and on draft, Vol. 1 is fruited, Vol. 2 is dry hopped.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Bulldog English IPA (6.1% ABV), go back to the roots of the style with this hoppy ale, available in cans and on draft.

Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Irish Red (5.4% ABV, 25 IBU), one of those awesome recurring seasonals that deserves all the love, now available in cans and on draft.

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Cry of the Blackbirds Imperial Stout (8.6% ABV, 55 IBU), a very metal behemoth of a beer.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Banana Nut Brown (4.7% ABV, 27 IBU), brewed with Belgian yeast, it is pretty much exactly what it reads like.

Echoes Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery to see what’s currently on tap.

Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: A Star is Bjorn (8.7% ABV), a delightful Baltic porter, available in cans and on draft.

Flix Brewhouse  — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery to see what’s currently on tap.

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Quickening Moon (7.6% ABV, 24 IBU), a lovely Scottish wee heavy, and luckily for you, there need not be only one.

Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Strawberry Shortcake (6.2% ABV), a flavorful sour made with … well, you can guess.

Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: Alebenezer, a seasonal barleywine that you need to help drink up as winter fades away.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Casual Car Fire (5.3% ABV), a grapefruit sour with an epic name.

Hops Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

JUNO Brewery — Featured seasonal: Vienna Lager, a smooth amber lager with a touch of sweetness.

Kaktus Brewing — Featured seasonal: Winter Scotch Ale, described by the brewery as being”with notes of molasses, toffee and banana bread this beer is designed to keep you warm and happy through the long winter nights. Medium bodied with a gentle sweetness.”

Kilt Check Brewing — Featured seasonal: Way of the Samurai, a Japanese rice lager that will become a staple at the brewery.

La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: La Negra Reserve (13% ABV, 70 IBU), a beautiful beast of a barrel-aged imperial stout, now available in bottles and on tap.

La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: Bomba de Malta (8.3% ABV), another big old malt bomb of a Scotch ale.

Late Shift Lager House at The Craftroom — Featured seasonal: Hop Villain (6.8% ABV, 102 IBU), a beastly IPA that is a change of sorts from the lager-dominated lineup.

Lava Rock Brewing — The brewery is relocating to Moriarty.

Lizard Tail Brewing — Featured seasonal: Biscochito Brown (6.4% ABV, 25 IBU), a beer whose name is pretty self-explanatory.

Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: Dark Lager (5% ABV), a beer that is exactly as described, but packed with flavor and available in cans and on draft.

Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: Albuquerque Kirk (5.1% ABV, 14 IBU), described by the brewery thusly: “This witbier is lightly spiced with orange zest and a pinch of coriander. New Zealand’s Pacific Jade Hops add a second layer of citrus, herbs and light spice.  Also, please feel even better drinking this beer knowing that some of the proceeds will benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society.”

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — Featured seasonal: Cockness Monster (14% ABV), a monstrous Scotch ale aged in whiskey barrels for two years.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — Featured seasonal: Italian Pilsner, the winner of back-to-back gold medals at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival and the 2022 World Beer Cup, is available on draft and in cans.

Quarter Celtic Brewpub— Featured seasonal: Capri-derhosen (5.3% ABV, 23 IBU), a past gold medal winner at the World Beer Cup, this tasty German-style red lager is back on tap.

Red Door Brewing — Featured seasonal: Wagoner’s Porter (7.2% ABV, 36 IBU), a tasty American-style porter that recently joined the draft lineup.

Rio Bravo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Welcome to the Show (6.7% ABV, 34 IBU), a no-frills American stout that packs a tasty punch.

Rumor Brewing (formerly Ale Republic) — Featured seasonal: Desert Monk (6.8% ABV, 21 IBU), a Belgian-style dubbel.

Sidetrack Brewing — Featured seasonal: Shinobi (5.3% ABV, 15 IBU), a crispy Japanese-style rice lager that also boasts an awesome can design.

Sobremesa — Featured seasonal: Face the Day Breakfast Stout (7.65% ABV, 40 IBU), a coffee-infused stout to wake you up after the long drive to the Westside (we kid, we kid).

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Foggy Monocle (6.1% ABV, 17 IBU), an excellent oatmeal stout that has twice won the Crew’s Stout Challenge.

Steel Bender Brewyard — Featured seasonal: Double Berry Blast (10.4% ABV), one of the anniversary beers, this “liquid pie filling” has a blend of marionberry and boysenberry packed into a powerful brew that is available in cans and on draft.

Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: Double Black IPA (8.5% ABV), a perfect winter ale.

Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: RIGor Mortis, an imperial coffee stout collaboration with Rust is Gold Coffee.

The 377 Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Turkey Drool (8.4% ABV), which is our favorite annual seasonal release from the brewery, and yes, we will declare that publicly.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Old Oku Barleywine (9.2% ABV, 25 IBU), part of the 25 Years of Beers throwback line, this is an old recipe re-imagined.

Unhinged Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated seasonal list.

Vision City Brewstillery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated seasonal list.

Santa Fe breweries

Beer Creek Brewing — Featured seasonal: Diablo Bock (7.7% ABV, 25 IBU), a hybrid of a dunkel bock and a doppelbock, it’s devilishly delicious.

Chile Line Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated seasonal list.

Hidden Mountain Brewing — Featured seasonal: De Péche Mood, a peach wheat ale with a tremendous name.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — Featured seasonal: Thibadeux (5% ABV, 50 IBU), a collaboration kvass with Beer Creek.

Santa Fe Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Starter Fluid (9.5% ABV), a hazy DIPA with a kick, now available in cans and on draft.

Second Street Brewery — Featured seasonal: Southpaw Sour (4.2% ABV), an apricot kettle sour, now available in cans and on draft.

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — Featured seasonal: Molé Stout (9.2% ABV), the seasonal beer with a lovely kick of spice is back on draft and in bottles. Oh, they put some on nitro now, too.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Mild & Lazy (4% ABV), a lovely English mild ale, perfect for slow sipping on the patio.

Downshift Brewing — Featured seasonal: Gratitude Pale Ale (5.4% ABV, 40 IBU), brewed to support local charities, right now $1 from every pint sold goes to Food4Kids.

Little Toad Creek Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Red River Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Cacao Fuego Chocolate Green Chile Stout. (6.5% ABV, 30 IBU), described by the brewery thusly, “Our oatmeal stout with a kick! Made with Hatch green chile and organic cacao nibs, it has an earthy start and a chocolate finish, It’s sure to warm you up on these cool evenings.”

Sierra Blanca Brewing  — Featured seasonal: Whiskey Stout is back for another seasonal run in bottles and on draft.

Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Soakinator Doppelbock (9.4% ABV), described by the brewery as “a rich, malty, strong German lager. Sweet malt flavors dominate, including toast, dark fruit, & luscious caramel/honey. Stored cold (“lagered”) for more than a month, this coppery-brown elixir was known by the monks of the 17th century as “liquid bread”, as its nourishing qualities helped them through the long cold days of fasting during Lent.”

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That’s all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact us on our Facebook page.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister