Dark Side Brew Crew

September 2016
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Gaining a fresh perspective at year one of a new beer fest

Alibi on Tap is the newest beer festival to pop up in Albuquerque.

Beer festival “season” is in full swing, and it is easy to get overwhelmed and suffer from fest overload. And yet, Albuquerque welcomed another festival to the late summer/fall lineup back on Saturday. The new Alibi on Tap at the Albuquerque Rail Yards featured some new breweries in attendance, so I really didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity. Plus, although I know there is much contention surrounding brew fests held at the Rail Yards, I personally love the venue as an event space.

Because we took the noon Rail Runner train from Los Ranchos, we had about four hours of time to kill before the festival started. First, we trekked over to the open house for the New Mexico Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society. This event was conveniently located near Bow & Arrow, so of course we stopped in for a pint. We had one of their seasonal beers, and it was fantastic, perhaps my favorite of all the beers I have tried at Bow & Arrow. It was Bury My Heart Belgian Pale Ale, number four in a four-part pale ale series. This day was already starting off well.

We still had some time before the event, so prior to walking over to the Rail Yards, we headed over to Duel on Central. While enjoying a goblet of Fantin (apparently there was an unintentional Belgian Pale Ale theme for the day), we were approached by a visitor from Las Vegas, Nevada. It was his first trip to Albuquerque and he was in town for a week-long convention at the Hyatt. He asked for advice about things to do nearby. We told him about Alibi on Tap and he seemed interested.

It was one of the more relaxed festivals in recent memory.

The weather was absolutely perfect, so there was no overheating (this can be an issue in that space). I enjoyed the reasonable entry fee and the limited amount of sampling tickets with a longer time to sample. The older I get, the more I tend to shy away from the free-for-all mentality at some beer fests. If attendees were so inclined it was possible to purchase additional samples as well as full pints of their favorite beers.

Because it was a new event, and I think perhaps because there are so many festivals this time of year, the crowd was particularly manageable. We arrived near the beginning and did not have to wait in any lines for entry or sampling. I was most interested in sampling the offerings from the two newest vendors, Palmer and Dialogue. It was both surprising and promising that Dialogue was in attendance on their opening weekend.

Sure enough, about 30 minutes after we arrived at the festival, we spotted “Vegas Bill.” We spent our entire remaining time there showing him around the different vendors and explaining the breweries and beers to him. It was actually quite a refreshing experience, because he had no prior knowledge, so there was no, “Them again? Been there, done that” attitude or preconceived notions. We were able to gain new perspective, as well, through his eyes and he really seemed to appreciate the experience. We left feeling quite proud of our stint as unofficial beer ambassadors.

Those of us lucky enough to be part of the first 100 tickets sold received a 32-ounce growler to “fill with your favorite beer.” You did have to purchase the actual beer to fill it, which was not explained in the promos, but it was sold at a reasonable price. If the indicator for our favorites was what we chose for our two growler fills, here were our choices — Pumpkin Pi from Pi Brewing, and Motorbrreath Smoked Porter from Starr Brothers.

Enjoy fest season, everyone! And, please, remember to take advantage of alternative transportation.

Cheers!

— AmyO

Beer Notes: A closing, a festival, awards, and more

Posted: September 23, 2016 by cjax33 in Beer Notes

Farewell to Chili Line, we hardly knew ye.

As we stated on Facebook, this is a newsy Friday. Here is everything that would otherwise have slipped through the cracks.

A brewery comes to an end

The short-lived Chili Line Brewing announced on Friday that they are closing up shop inside Pizzeria De Lino.

This was posted on the Facebook page of the six-month-old brewery.

Well it was fun but it looks like Lino is pulling on the plug in the brewery. It wasn’t being in enough capital to cover expenses. See you on the flip side.
Ps. 2bbl brew house (qualifies as a 3bbl system) and 2 fermenters for sale call me at (505)500-7903 all other inquiries call Lino. (505)577-5353. And if there are any brew jobs available keep me posted.

It is always a shame when a brewery, no matter how big or small, closes its doors. We wish Alexander, the brewer, good luck in his next endeavor. Look for more on this story early next week.

A new festival debuts

The Alibi on Tap is set for Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. at the ABQ Rail Yards. A combination of beer/wine/spirits sampling, plus live music and burlesque (!), this fest will have sampling (up to 10), plus pints for sale and growler fills.

Naturally, we did our best to make sure all the beer lists were as complete as possible. Here is what we received as of Friday afternoon (if any late updates arrive, they will be posted). UPDATED: We added Duel and Starr Brothers’ lists.

Bow & Arrow: Crossed Arrows (Scotch Ale), Sun Dagger (Saison)
Boxing Bear: Body Czech Bo Pils, Ambear, Uppercut IPA, La Flama Blanca, Apple Bear Cider
Dialogue: Belgian IPA, Belgian Dark Strong, two more TBD
Duel: Monomyth, Bad Amber, Fantin, Whistler
Left Turn/Palmer: MWA, Palmer’s Pale Ale, Guero (Belgian Wit)
Pi: Pumpkin Pi (saison), Discordia IPA, Pineapple Express, Scotty Doesn’t Know
Quarter Celtic: Mor-buck IPA, Dusk’s Early Night, Knotted Blonde, MacLomas Stout
Rio Bravo: TBD
Santa Fe: TBD
Sidetrack: TBD
Starr Brothers: Red Zepplin, Thunderr Ale, Motorbrreath, Electric Sun
Turtle Mountain: Raspberry Stout, Honeymoon RIOT!, two more TBD

You can still find tickets online for $15 apiece, or it will be $20 at the door.

First awards

Enchanted Circle Brewing, up in Angel Fire, picked up their first award since opening earlier this year. The Taos Chile Challenge, held at the Taos Country Club last weekend, had a “Battle of the Micro Breweries” event. Enchanted Circle took home the people’s choice award out of 10 breweries in attendance. Comanche Creek was second and Taos Mesa came in third. Hmm, looks like there could be a little friendly rivalry developing in Northern New Mexico.

Congrats to Enchanted Circle. We look forward to finally trying their beer at the upcoming New Mexico Brew Fest on Oct. 1.

Sampler tray

Palmer Brewery and Cider House will have a grand opening on Nov. 5. Brewer Rob Palmer said he hopes to have multiple beers on tap. Right now he has his MWA (Malt With Attitude), Pale Ale, and Guero (Belgian Wit) available. There is also a Scotch Ale aging in barrels in the back that should be ready.
The proliferation of Oktoberfest/Marzen beers around town continues, much to our collective delight. The most unique of the bunch is the Council Fire, a smoked marzen, at Bow & Arrow. Definitely worth trying just to see how different it is. The sweeter German malts and smoked elements work in wonderful balance.
For a more traditional version, try the Oktoberfest at Bosque (it is on tap at Nob Hill and will be shortly at the main brewery). Or, try the variations at Red Door or Tractor. Of course, picking up a six-pack of the Santa Fe classic variant is worth your time, too. Hey, in our humble opinion, Oktoberfest > Pumpkin Beer. It’s not even that close.
We have received confirmation that Bare Bones Brewing is the operation looking to move into Cedar Crest near Ale Republic. BBB has not applied for a state license yet, but it is under construction, according to its neighbors at the Greenside Cafe. Those folks will keep us updated on the project from what they see, while we keep refreshing the state website.

That is all from us this week. If you have any updates or news, please contact us via social media or at nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Bosque cans are coming sooner than expected

Posted: September 23, 2016 by cjax33 in Beer-to-go, News
Tags: Bosque Brewing

We cannot wait to get a six-pack of this malty behemoth.

Bosque Brewing’s Bernalillo packaging facility is still a ways from opening, yet Bosque six-pack cans will be on shelves by mid-October.

Wait, what?

To clear up any confusion about what is going on, the command staff at Bosque invited me over for beers and a big old information download on Thursday afternoon. Bosque is teaming up with Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. in Denver to begin canning three flagship beers — Bosque IPA, Bosque Lager, Scotia Scotch Ale.

“That’s really been a lot of what’s sparked this,” said director of operations Jotham Michnovicz. “We know we need to be in the market. We want to be on shelves. There’s been some delays with Bernalillo, and this gives us the opportunity to get to market a lot faster than waiting around for things to finish up.”

Bosque also posted a blog post to help fill in some gaps, but they wanted to go into further detail about the decision to do contract brewing. Not only will this get Bosque cans on the shelves faster, it will also better prepare them for what they will need at the Bernalillo facility once construction ramps up.

“That’s definitely one of the great things about this is we can really dial in our production at Bernalillo,” Jotham said, “get that pristine and then once you move into package, we’ve already had a chance to see what the market is doing with our beer at that time. We’ll base our decisions on what equipment to buy right away, all that stuff.”

“We can even test out the demand, and decide what kind of canning line we need,” said managing director Gabe Jensen. “Do we start off with this little tiny thing or do we need something bigger? We have the numbers to back up why.”

The Crew had heard a rumor last week that this was coming, but even we did not realize how quickly the process is moving along.

“The first beers are fermenting (in Denver) right now,” Jotham said. “The artwork has gone through all of its revisions, so we’re in the process of printing all of our labels. We should have finished product sometime in October, probably mid-October.”

Head brewer John Bullard made sure to do his homework about letting someone else handle his beer.

“Gabe and John already flew out to Denver, because we were super skeptical about using a third party in the beginning,” Jotham said. “John doesn’t want anybody touching his beer. Once they flew out there and met the president (Matt Osterman) and vice president of brewing operations (Robert Kuntz), it was very clear that these guys were committed to a super-high quality product with state of the art technology. They got to taste a bunch of the beers and they were all excellent.”

“And (they were) committed to doing it our way, which shocked them, blew them away,” Gabe added. “‘Did you do the math right on those hops?’ ‘Yes, we did, and that’s what we want.’ We’ve been doing this for a while.”

The equipment at Sleeping Giant impressed John.

“That’s the thing about doing this, our entire ability to be profitable through this is that state-of-the-art equipment that nobody in this state has,” John said. “Really nice stuff. That’s what leads to the quality of the cans.”

Porch beer!

Bosque will still turn a profit even without doing the canning themselves. They have an initial order for 600 barrels worth of beer.

“Yeah, this is not a play to grab shelf space,” Gabe said. “We wouldn’t do it if we couldn’t make money off of it, just to be honest. Like you said, the market is getting crowded and more crowded all the time. That’s what plays into this, getting some shelf space before Jackalope is finished.”

Gabe said they still expect to hear some criticism.

“There’s going to be some backlash,” he said. “I’m guessing there will be some people who hem and haw, snicker. ‘Oh, that’s not their beer anymore.’ We just encourage them to try it because John’s spent hours on the found, with Robert, their VP of brewing operations.”

“That guy’s legit,” John added. “He came from Coors, so he knows how to do production and efficiency. It’s kind of his specialty.”

There are other breweries in New Mexico that do not package in-house. Probably the most notable example is Abbey Brewing, which packages all of the Monks beers at Sierra Blanca in Moriarty. Pecan Grill also packages its flagship Pecan Ale at SB.

“Outside of this market it’s done all over the place,” Gabe said. “This is a pretty typical thing, it has been for a long time. We just felt we should be up front about it. … For us, this is what we’re doing and why. If you try to hide it, then it must not be legitimate.”

Once Bernalillo is up and running — and the good news is they just received a key permit from the Department of Transportation to begin interior construction — then Bosque will handle all of its own packaging.

“We have every intention of taking this back, as well, when things kick off at Bernalillo,” John said. “That’s when we’ll be able to evaluate what equipment we’ll need.”

It will no longer be called Riverwalker, but it will still be the same delicious recipe.

In another note, the IPA will officially change from Riverwalker to Bosque IPA starting today.

“We’re changing Riverwalker to Bosque IPA, due to trademark,” Jotham said. “We probably could have gotten a trademark on it, but we won an award under Bosque IPA this year. It got the bronze at the World Beer Cup. We entered Bosque IPA into GABF as well. That win kind of solidified the change for us.”

Whatever it is called, it figures to fly off the shelves in October.

All of us in the Crew look forward to grabbing a six-pack or two or three and taking Bosque beer home. Those should look good in our beer fridges next to all of those Jet Black Winter bombers we have been saving.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

The Week Ahead in Beer: Help our mountain rescue teams at Marble

Posted: September 21, 2016 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer

Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s six breweries and one down in Socorro and one in Los Alamos also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

One of the best charity events that Marble puts on every year is back this Saturday. The annual Mountain Rescue Brew Fest runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the brewery. The event raises money for the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council to buy the equipment they need to save lives. There will be three rounds of silent auctions and a raffle that does not require you to be present to win. There will be commemorative T-shirts and pint glasses, plus lots of live music (see the Marble entry below for the band lineup) and food trucks all day and night. Check the event page on Facebook for a full list of the businesses who have donated the prizes for the auction and raffle. It’s a good cause to support, and plenty of fun for all involved.

Another big event for the weekend is the Alibi on Tap at the ABQ Rail Yards on Saturday. There will be 10 breweries present, plus distilleries and cideries. We will have more on this event later in the week. If you want to buy a ticket in advance, click here.

On the new beer front this week, there are quite a few new options to check out. Acequia made its long-awaited return to Bosque late last week, and Lil’ Tipper is back as well. Speaking of hops, Sucker Punch DIPA returns to Boxing Bear. Canteen covered all the bases between funky with Honey Sage Saison, malty with Grundy Thunder, and hoppy with Hop Baller IPA, plus spicy with Sichler Lager on nitro. La Cumbre brings back their Oktoberfest beer, VMO #3. Lizard Tail’s popular Biscochito Brown returns as well. A fresh batch of Imperial Red is at two Marble locations. Resistance is futile when Assimilation White IPA debuts at Nexus today (Wednesday). Pi has its own take on Pumpkin Pi, plus Burque Lite is back and a dark sour, Manhattan Project debuts. Red Door’s new Oktoberfest is available at both locations. Tractor is feeling the season with Traktoberfest and Jack the Sipper. Turtle Mountain rolled out some fresh Bien Tu Helles Bock, plus Honeymoon RIOT!, their wet-hop IPA.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn’s Oktoberfest returns Thursday. Second Street just brought back Golden Ale.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of September 19.

To break down each “capsule,” I listed the brewery (with Web page linked), its phone number and hours of operation. Under “Beers” are the new or seasonal beers on tap for this week.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Albuquerque Brewing Co. — (505) 797-1842

(Mon–Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun noon-8 p.m.)

Beers: High Plains Drafter Blonde, Duke’s Pale Ale, Off the Richter Imperial Red, Dunkelweizen, Tom’s Green Chile Amber Ale, English Oatmeal Stout (nitro only). ABC has updated their permanent lineup with the blonde, pale ale, imperial red, and dunkel. The special amber is on tap for a limited time. They will also have a nitro tap upon which they always hope to have a darker beer.

Live Music: Thursday—Roger Lewis All-Star Jam, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events: Monday—Game Night, with blonde pints for $2.50

Happy Hour/Discounts: Monday–Saturday, 3 to 6 p.m.; Sunday, all day

Ale Republic — (505) 281-2828

(Mon–Thurs 2–10 p.m., Fri–Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Blonde Ale. In case you missed their opening in Cedar Crest, we covered it a short while back. Check their website and Facebook page for constant updates on all the goings on at the only brewery in the East Mountains.

Alien Brew Pub — (505) 884-1116

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Call the number above for details on any small-batch beers currently available. They change frequently. The rest of the lineup is from the Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande family of beers.

Back Alley Draft House — (505) 766-8590

(Sun–Weds 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thurs–Sat 4 p.m. to midnight)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Sundays are Service Nights at Back Alley, with $2 off all beers for service industry workers. Bring your server’s ID and you will be rewarded. All beers are $1 off on Tuesdays.

Bistronomy B2B/Lobo Beast 101 — (505) 262-2222 (B2B), (505) 247-2116 (Lobo)

(B2B: Mon–Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-9:30 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.; Lobo: daily 4 p.m. to close)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

The Blue Grasshopper — (505) 896-8579

(Noon to 11 p.m. most days, call for more info)

Beers: Belgian Pale Ale. They also have a Dunkel and a Rye beer in the fermenters.

Live Music: Bands perform from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday. Click the link for the schedule.

Boese Brothers Brewery — (505) 382-7060

(Hours: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–midnight, Fri 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat noon–2 a.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Patriot Porter, La Onza White Ale, Dr. Strangehop XPA, Duke City Lager, Sour Strangehop, Clockwork Orange DIPA, Oktoberfest. The Sour Strangehop is also for sale in bombers at the brewery and at Jubilation.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese will have a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with $3 pints. You can also get $3 pints all day Tuesday and $6 growler fills all day Wednesday.

Bosque Brewing Company — (505) 750-7596 (main brewery), (505) 508-5967 (Nob Hill Public House), (575) 571-4626 (Las Cruces Taproom)

(Main brewery on San Mateo: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun noon-8 p.m.; Nob Hill: Mon–Weds 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Thurs 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun noon-11 p.m.; Las Cruces: Sun–Thurs noon-11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: El Dorado S.M.A.S.H., 8 Days of Wheat, Just Goofin’, Pale Oak, Rushing Rapids Red, Acequia Wet-Hop IPA, Lil’ Tipper. Just Goofin’ (6.5% ABV, 89 IBU) is a delectable black IPA that the Crew enjoyed before the recent Black Sabbath concert, while Rushing Rapids (9.6% ABV, 72 IBU) is a hefty, but wonderful imperial.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bosque has a happy hour running from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day on Sunday. Look for special menu items and get $1 off your favorite pints.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — (505) 247-9800

(Mon-Weds 3–10 p.m., Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Flint & Grit (British Mild), Sun Dagger (Saison), Crossed Arrows (Scotch Ale), Hoka Hey (IPA), Jemez Field Notes Lager, Desert Standard Hop Session, Wildorado Unfiltered Wild Rice Pale Ale, Bury My Heart (Belgian Pale Ale), Wayward Arrow Hefeweizen, Council Fire Imperial “Smoke”toberfest. The most recent additions are the Council Fire, Wildorado, Bury My Heart, and the Desert Standard Hop Session.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

(Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)

Beers: Centennial S.M.A.S.H., Sucker Punch DIPA, Featherweight Session IPA, Bearcat Altbier, New MexiKolsch, Pineapple Kolsch, The Red Glove, Strawberry Wheat, Baltic Bear Porter (bombers only). The New MexiKolsch (4.8% ABV, 20 IBU) is back by popular demand. Also returning for another run is The Red Glove (7.2% ABV, 100 IBU), a powerful double red.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Every day at lunchtime (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), for just $10 you can get a pint and a panini of your choice.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8-10 p.m.

Live Music: Thursday—Eli Berry, 6-8 p.m.

Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery (formerly Distillery 365) — (505) 221-6281

(Mon-Thu 3-9 p.m., Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.)

Beers: Otero ESB, Lone Pine Pilsner, Sancho Saison. New names, same (good) beers.

Live Music (main location): TBA

Weekly Events (main location): Today (Wednesday)—Cards Against Humanity hosted by 10 Drink Minimum, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday—All hours beers $2 a pint

Canteen Brewhouse — (505) 881-2737 (brewery), (505) 200-2344 (taproom)

(Brewery: Sun–Thurs noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Taproom: Open daily 3–10 p.m.)

Beers: Panama Joe Coffee Stout, Cheeky Codswallop ESB, Grapefruit Exodus IPA, Honey Sage Saison, Grundy Thunder, Hop Baller IPA, Sichler Lager (on nitro). The Sichler is a special lager made with red and green chiles. The Grundy Thunder is a brown porter.

Live Music: TBA

News: The Canteen taproom at Tramway and Cloudview is now open. They have all the regular beers and four seasonal taps, plus crowlers and a cooler with six-packs of Exodus and Dougie Style Amber for sale. There is a full menu, too, including flatbread pizzas.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — (505) 994-9364

(Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Papacabra (Double IPA), Acapulco Gold (Mexican Lager), Chupacabra IPA, Piedra del Fuego Stoned Cream Ale, Beer for My Horses (Oatmeal Stout). These are the regular house beers. Call the number above for an updated seasonal list.

Chama River Brewing Company — (505) 342-1800

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: The Lighter Fare, Heavy Cream, Diabhal’s River, Smokey the Brown. These are special batches of Heavy Cream and The Lighter Fare (ESB), both of which were brewed for the competition at the upcoming Great American Beer Festival. Diabhal’s is a collaboration Belgian strong ale made with Quarter Celtic.

News: Chama now has a rotating nitro tap. Call to see what is available this week.

The Firkin Brewhouse — (505) 881-0702

(Mon closed, Tues-Thurs 3-9 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Burque Vanilla Nut Brown, Blackout Stout, Ombibulous IPA, Prohibition Mash Ale, Olympic Gold Ale.

News: We went to Firkin recently and found out they are still open. Note the new hours above.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

(Bernalillo hours Mon-Thu 2-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30-10 p.m., Sun 11:30-9 p.m.)

Beers: Stout, Dunkelweizen, London Porter, Roggen Rye, Basil Lager, Brown Suit, Rocky Raccoon IPA, Wet Hop Amber, Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. A whole bunch of old favorites like London Porter and Basil Lager are back, plus newcomers like Brown Suit, Rocky Raccoon, and Wet Hop Amber.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Thursday—The Desert Darlings, 7 to 9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Bernalillo): Sunday—Brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Kaktus has several new weekday specials in Bernalillo, including $3 pints on Monday, $9 growlers on Tuesday, $6 bison nachos on Wednesday, and $8 Frito pie and beer on Thursday.

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: Arrogant Bastard, Dunkel Jefe, Monzon Wet-Hop Pale Ale, Siberian Silk, VMO #3. The Monzon is available on tap and in bombers. Welcome back, Siberian Silk, a delightful Baltic porter. The VMO #3 is a delicious Oktoberfest-style marzen.

Live Music: Saturday—The Cali Shaw Band, 6-9 p.m.

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

(Mon–Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-7 p.m.)

Beers: Biscochito Brown. Call the brewery for the rest of the seasonal list.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Lizard Tail’s happy hour runs seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m. You get $1 off food, flights, and pints.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.; Thursday—Karaoke, 8-11 p.m.

Marble Brewery — (505) 243-2739 (downtown), (505) 508-4638 (Westside), (505) 323-4030 (Heights)

(Downtown: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.; Westside: Mon–Thurs noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.; Heights: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.)

Beers: Dang Pale Ale, Imperial Red (Westside and Heights), Hop Fudge Sunday (Downtown only). As for Hop Fudge (4.5% ABV), that is a nitro stout lightly seasoned with Chinook hops and fermented with cherries and cacao nibs. Dessert beer!

Live Music (downtown): Today (Wednesday)—Spiritual Rez, 7-10 p.m.; Thursday—Joe Bananas, 7-10 p.m.; Friday—Merican Slang featuring Daddy Long Loin, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Mountain Rescue Brew Fest: Eileen & The Cross Country Band, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., The Tumbleweeds, 12:30-1:45 p.m., Eileen & The In-Betweens, 2-3:15 p.m., Sage & Jared’s Happy Gland Band, 3:30-4:45 p.m., Le Chat Lunatique, 5-6:15 p.m., Clark Libbey & The Last Takes, 6:30-7:45 p.m., Willy J & The Story Tellers, 8-9:15 p.m., DJ Matty B, 9:30-11 p.m.

Live Music (West Side): Friday—Sloan Armitage, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Funk Tractor, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Saturday—Lone Pinon, 8-11 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown): Thursday—Brewery tours, 5:30 p.m.

Nexus Brewery — (505) 242-4100 (brewery), (505) 226-1055 (Silver Taproom)

(Brewery: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Silver Taproom: Mon–Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Bird of Prey IPA, Kaylynn’s Altbier, Assimilation White IPA, 2015 Barleywine (Silver taproom only), Salted Caramel Stout (Silver taproom only). Assimilation debuts at both locations today (Wednesday).

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Monday–Friday, $5 appetizers, 3-5 p.m.

Weekly Events (Silver Taproom): Saturday—a live DJ will perform

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — (505) 508-0508

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: Scotch Ale, MWA (Malt With Attitude). Palmer still has not had a full-on grand opening, but they are brewing over away in the building they share with sister company Left Turn Distilling. The Scotch Ale went on tap recently. The MWA is nearly out.

Pi Brewing — (505) 890-9463

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Discordia IPA, U Down w/ BVP?, Amber’s Amber, 40 to 5, Scotty Doesn’t Know, Pumpkin Pi, Manhattan Project, Burque Lite. Debuting this week are the Pumpkin Pi (6.6% ABV), a seasoned saison, and the Manhattan Project (8.4% ABV), a dark sour aged on sweet and tart cherries.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

(Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: Enkel Biter Belgian Wheat, Azacca Pale Ale, Preacher’s Daughter, Alt the Hoople, Manzano Milk Stout, Cascadian Pilsner. The Preacher’s Daughter is for sale on tap and in bombers, both at the brewery and at Jubilation.

Quarter Celtic Brewpub — (505) 503-1387

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Beers: Pedro O’Flanagan’s Mexican Lager, Dusk’s Early Light, You Reek of Pale Ale, Vienna Lager, #GFF, Diabhal’s River, MacLomas Stout. GFF stands for Grapefruit Forver, so you can guess what they added to this IPA. The Diabhal’s (11% ABV, 30 IBU) is a massive Belgian golden strong that is not for the faint of heart.

Red Door Brewing — (505) 633-6675 (brewery), (505) 990-3029 (downtown taproom)

(Brewery hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. to midnight, Sat 7 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Downtown taproom hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Vanilla Cream Ale, Blackberry Hefeweizen, Nieuwe Bruin, Oktoberfest, Downtown Pale Ale (downtown taproom only). The Nieuwe (6.7% ABV, 20 IBU) is a variation on an Oud Bruin, a tart and sour dark beer. The Oktoberfest is the most recent addition.

Weekly Events: Saturday—Beer and Breakfast, 7-10 a.m.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company — (505) 900-3909

(Mon–Thu noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Rio Bravo Amber, Weizen, Randy’s Shandy, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Black Angus Stout, Randy’s Red Ale, Duke City Pilsner, Old Town Porter (regular and barrel aged), Barley Wine (regular and barrel aged), Winterfest Marzen, Level 3 IPA. Rio Bravo will be celebrating its one-year anniversary this Friday. It runs all day and will feature live music, food specials, the release of a new Oktoberfest beer, and prize drawings, including a getaway weekend to Purgatory Ski Area.

Live Music: Today (Wednesday)—Shane Wallin, 7 p.m.; Thursday—Jill Cohn, 5 p.m.; Friday—Le Chat Lunatique, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday—Smoke & Honey, 7 p.m.

Other Events: Today (Wednesday)—IMA Kickoff Event, 5:30 p.m.

Sandia Chile Grill — (505) 798-1970

(Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–6 p.m.)

Beers: Call the brewery for an updated list.

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 288-6468

(Mon–Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Pub Ale, Railhead Red, Switchgear IPA, Dark Engine Stout, Shoofly Wheat, Cascade Pale Ale. The Cascade recently replaced the Zoso S.M.A.S.H.

Cask: Pub Ale and Stout, with cocoa nibs added, will be in the firkins all week.

Starr Brothers Brewing — (505) 492-2752

(Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day)

Beers: Starrstruck IPA, Double Live Jonzo, LampShade Porter, L.A. Woman, Rosin Dubh. Rosin Dubh is a delicious Irish dry stout.

Weekly Events: Saturday—Premier League Viewing Party, 8 a.m.

Tractor Brewing Company — (505) 433-5654 (Nob Hill), (505) 243-6752 (Wells Park)

(Nob Hill: Sun–Weds noon–midnight, Thurs noon–2 a.m., Fri–Sat noon–2 a.m.; Wells Park: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–close, Fri–Sun 1 p.m.–midnight)

Beers: Berry Cider, Traktoberfest, Jack the Sipper, Javi Lager, Maibock, Grapefruit Wheat, Cerveza Mexican Lager, Summer En Blanc Belgian Witbier, Barrel-Aged Barley Wine (Wells Park only), Kolsch, Tupac Cali Red, Nitro Coffee Stout (Wells Park only), Ebony & Ivory Pale Stout, Hillario DIPA, Dank Johnson DIPA, You’re Fired DIPA (Nob Hill only). Tractor’s take on a Kolsch is a bit different, but still tasty. They dry hopped it with Mosaic, giving it a different aroma. The annual pumpkin favorite, Jack the Sipper, returns to both locations today.

Live Music (Wells Park): Thursday—pLoud Music Presents: Roger Jameson and the Jaded Heart Band, 8 p.m.; Saturday—Homegirls Records, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Solos on the Hill: Dave Martinez, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Setting the Tone: Sloan Armitage, 5 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Friday—Art Fight, 7 p.m.; Saturday—The Rail Yards Market, 1 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Mondays on the Mic, 6 p.m.; Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Monday—Tractor Tune Up, 7:30 p.m., ABQ Pens & Pints, 8 p.m.

Also, every first Monday of the month at both Tractor locations is Beer for a Better Burque night. For every pint you buy $1 can go to one of four charities that have partnered with Tractor. You can also opt to purchase a special growler with the logo of your favorite charity.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Tractor now has a late happy hour from 9 p.m. to midnight on Mondays with $2 classic beers and $3 seasonals.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — (505) 994-9497

(Kitchen hours: Mon–Tues 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Wed–Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Reminder: TMBC closes early when business dictates. Please call.)

Beers: Jac’s Elope Raspberry Pale Ale, Oktoberfest, Bien Tu Helles Bock, Honeymoon RIOT!. The Honeymoon is TMBC’s take on a wet-hop IPA. This batch of the Bock is the same one they sent to GABF for competition.

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Chaparral IPL, Pope Porter, Wet Hop American Strong Ale, Oktoberfest. The Chaparral, an India Pale Lager, is now available. The Oktoberfest debuts Thursday.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

(Mon–Sat 4–10:30 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.)

Beers: Lager, Jefeweizen, sIPApapu, Pineapple sIPApapu, India Pale Lager, PG IPA, Smoked Wheat Porter, Stout. Chili Line specializes in smoked beers, and trust us, we had their smoked IPA, and it is very, very different than what you are used to (and not necessarily in a bad way). They also have rotating specialty beers in addition to the core lineup, which we have added here in the Pineapple sIPApapu and the IPL. They also have four guest taps, including a cider.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Buy two beers and a pizza and get another pizza free.

Duel Brewing Company — (505) 474-5301

(Brewery: Mon–Sat open at 11 a.m., Sun open at 1 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–midnight; Fri–Sun noon–midnight)

Beers: Bad Amber, Fiction (IPA), Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Grunewald (Imperial Porter), Monomyth (Belgian DIPA), Duchamp (Farmhouse Witbier), Whistler (Belgian Blonde), Naomf (Barrel-Aged Sour Amber), Study Series: Camus (Summer Ale). One of the most recent additions here is the aptly named Monomyth, which checks in at 9-percent ABV and 90 IBUs. In addition to those beers, you can also get sample pours of Goya ’14, Rye Goya ’14, and Tableux ’16, or a Cezanne flight featuring Origine ’15, Magnifique ’16, and Denouement ’15 and ’16.

Events (ABQ taproom): Today (Wednesday)—The Sugar Happy Hour, 6 p.m.; Thursday—Drink & Draw, 7 p.m.; Friday—Silver String Band Hosted Jam, 8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 4-6 p.m. (discounts for all draft beer), Growler Saturdays ($3 off growler fills).

Happy Hour/Discounts (ABQ taproom): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 5-7 p.m.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — (505) 428-0719

(Open all week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Notorious BdG. Say hello to Santa Fe’s newest brewery, which opened this month. They have some guest taps, plus their first offering, “a malt-forward biere de garde that was fermented solely with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis var. Drei,” as described on their Facebook page. The kitchen is in full swing, too. Head on over!

Santa Fe Brewing Company — (505) 424-3333

(Main taproom: Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 2-8 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Oktoberfest, Autonomous Collective DIPA, Sunset Limited, Idaho?! IPA, Estate-grown Neo-1 Wet-hop Pale Ale. Oktoberfest is back on tap and in six-packs. Get some, it’s a wonderful batch this year. The Neo-1 is not from The Matrix, it is instead brewed with the hops from the same SFBC hop farm where the Crew went camping this summer.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off growler refills in the tasting room on Mondays. $2 pint Tuesdays at the Eldorado Taphouse. On Wednesday, there is a $2 pint special in the tasting room. On Thursday, there will be $1 off growler refills at the Eldorado Taphouse.

Second Street Brewery — (505) 989-3278 (Railyard), (505) 982-3030 (original location)

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Kolsch, IPA, Cream Stout, International Steam Pale Ale, XX Extra Special Bitter, Golden Ale, Otowi Wet-Hopped Pale Ale, Atalaya Altbier. The Atalaya benefits a local search and rescue organization. The Otowi will be available for a limited time.

Live Music (Original location): Thursday—Patio Series: Welsh & Watt, 6 p.m.; Friday—Alpha Cats, 6 p.m.; Saturday—Bill Hearne Trio, 6 p.m.

Live Music (Railyard): Friday—Stella, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Greg Butera Band, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Patio Series: Lone Pinon, noon

Other Events (Original location): Thursday—Cask & Curry featuring Rail Runner Pale Ale

Weekly Events (Railyard): Thursday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.

News: Second Street is moving ever closer to opening their third location, which will feature a taproom and a full production facility.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — (505) 500-8381

(Mon–Weds 2–10 p.m., Thurs 2–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Little Boy GFB, Mild at Heart, Caldera Sundown Hoppy Wheat, Northern English Browne, White Room Cream. Another big tap turnover recently went down in Los Alamos, with Caldera, Northern English, and White Room making their debuts.

Weekly Events: Thursday—Open mic, 6 p.m.

Twisted Chile Brewing — (575) 835-2949

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun noon-8 p.m.)

Beers: Zia Pilsner, 790 IPA, Hose Co. 1 Red Lager, Venom IPA, KC’s Irish Stout, McFadden’s Scotch, English Porter, El Camino ReAle Summer Pale, Love Potion Peach, Schwarzbar Black Lager, Oktoberfest. Got a chance to try the Oktoberfest while passing through Socorro recently. It is a solid example of the style, just sweet enough without going overboard.

Live Music: TBA

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Open mic, 6:30-9 p.m.

* * * *

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

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Dialogue aims to join discussion of top breweries in ABQ

Posted: September 20, 2016 by cjax33 in New Brewery Preview
Tags: Dialogue Brewing

If you’re gonna go all out on the sculpture garden, seriously, go ALL OUT.

The pictures have been hard to miss on social media. Metal sculptures soaring into the Albuquerque sky, all coming from the page belonging to a forthcoming brewery. It has been a rather different way to promote a new entry into the local scene, but in a way, it has worked, getting the attention of the Crew and many other folks.

Now, finally, we will all get to see if the beer is just as unique as the decor as Dialogue Brewing is aiming for a grand opening this Saturday. After my baseball-related trip to El Paso last week, I stopped in at Dialogue after surviving a surprise hailstorm on I-25 in Valencia County. (September is a weird month to find your car sliding on the road, people.) Eliot Salgado, one of the owners, and head brewer Ian Graham greeted me inside after I passed through the sculpture garden rising up at the northwest corner of 1st Street and Kinley Ave., five blocks north of Marble.

High ceilings are a brewer’s friend.

“This is a warehouse that was built in the 20s,” Eliot said. “We were able to take this beautiful place and repurpose it for a whole new century and a whole new thing. The beer for us … it’s super important that the beer is on par or hopefully better than what we have (in Albuquerque). But, we wanted to create a space that matches that.”

The beer is the responsibility of Ian, who comes to Dialogue from Greenport Harbor Brewing on Long Island.

“I was the lead brewer of a 30-barrel production facility out in New York,” Ian said. “We had that, (and) we had a pilot system, basically the original brewery that was a 15-barrel brewhouse. I do all of our flagship beers and seasonals on the bigger system and then pretty much had carte blanche to do whatever I wanted on the 15-barrel. It was a good experience.”

Dialogue’s new 7-barrel brewhouse.

Ian will be working with a 7-barrel system, utilizing 7- and 14-barrel fermenters. He said they could eventually add 21-barrel fermenters, but three brews per day on the brewhouse would be the max for a batch.

“Right now we have in the tanks a Vienna lager, a Munich Helles, a Berliner Weisse, a lychee mandarin American wheat, a Belgian dark strong with cherries, and a Belgian citrus IPA,” Ian said, with the future plan to have the Vienna and the IPA as the two flagship beers, though that will be determined by what the customer ultimately demands.

Certainly, it cannot hurt to have some beers outside the usual stuff, particularly considering the location of Dialogue.

“I’m not too worried about the saturation, even down here,” Eliot said. “We’re sandwiched between Marble and Rio Bravo. Tractor is nearby, Bow & Arrow is close by. But, there’s still a big world of Blue Moon and Dos Equis drinkers that we’re all going after. That’s who I’m targeting, and I’m targeting people that want kind of a different experience with the whole thing. So many guys around have done a great job building really nice taprooms. We’re just trying to build something else. How can we marry these different worlds of art and brewing?”

There are already six beers fermenting here.

Ian had his IPA at Greenport on tap over at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, so he had plenty of experience brewing up a popular style. Now he gets to branch out a lot more with the support of Eliot and the partners.

“One-hundred percent, they’re incredibly (supportive),” Ian said. “With the wheat, I was originally going to do a blueberry wheat, something that I’ve done before. One of the partners said, no, let’s do something different. I’d rather the needle be pushed rather than have safe beer. No one is going to accuse us for going safe for what we have.”

Ian’s willingness to think outside the box was what drew the ownership to hiring him.

“That was our big thing, too,” Eliot said. “We actually brought Ian out here in March to meet him, because we’d spoken on the phone, had some Skype interviews, but we wanted to get to know him. We took him around Albuquerque. We make great IPAs here, fantastic IPAs. Can Ian make a great IPA? Absolutely. Could we compete with everyone else in town? I don’t doubt it, but that’s one type of beer. There’s a whole giant world of beer out there, let’s do that, let’s have some fun.”

We’ve never seen a more unique outdoor seating arrangement than this one.

Part of that fun starts outside.

“We built what we feel is a world-class sculpture garden which you can see for free and enjoy what will be world-class beer here in Albuquerque,” Eliot said, noting that construction is continuing even past the opening date. “The (surround) sound is something we’re going to start working on. We’re going to have 18 speakers on the patio. We’ll be able to move sound around the patio and just do a projection night and have sound move around the patio when you’re seated out there.

“How do you push the needle forward, not only in beer, but in atmosphere and creativity? You’re garnering these new customers that are looking for more than (the usual).”

That means being a part of the brewing community as a whole, pushing that envelope and even bringing in customers from outside the state.

“It’s something that we want Albuquerque to be proud of and people that visit Albuquerque will then go home and say you’ve got to see what’s happening there,” Eliot said. “It’s different, it’s amazing.”

The drop-down draft tower was just installed last week. There will be another on the patio.

There will be some charcuterie plates available in house, Eliot said, plus they hope to have a rotation of food trucks parked outdoors. They also hope to have live music and some art shows as well, though with a fairly cool twist.

“We want to do artist series even, where we have artists come in and show their stuff,” Eliot said. “We want to meet them two months before, have lunch and hang out, (and) Ian gets to meet them. Then what we’d like to do is brew a beer that goes with the show. Now the artist can convey their message to Ian, and Ian can take that and show what that can be (as a beer). How do we take that to the next level? Everybody is showing their art in a brewery.”

Ian said he is looking forward to going above and beyond.

“We live in an age where it’s not enough to make good beer anymore,” Ian said. “There are companies out there like La Cumbre and Bosque that are just crushing it. They’re amazing. What (else) can you do to add to people’s experience? Another thing we want to do, for brewery tours, once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. Here’s a metal pot where we’re going to cook stuff! … So, what we want to do is more of a food pairing and interactive. We’re going to have tables back here and have cheese and meat pairings with our beer while we talk over stuff. People get to sit, eat, and drink while doing it.”

It will all help increase the beer knowledge of the people visiting Dialogue, knowledge that they can take other breweries as well.

That’s a cool sign above the door, even though the sign says don’t enter through it (for now).

Any new brewery that acknowledges the community as a whole, and its own responsibility to live up to the standards of the breweries that came before it, well, that is a pretty good way to start off. We look forward to trying the beer later this week and welcoming Dialogue to the scene.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Rowley Farmhouse Ales gives Santa Fe another great beer option

Posted: September 19, 2016 by Luke in Brewery Reviews
Tags: Rowley Farmhouse Ales

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When I first heard about a new brewery opening in Santa Fe, it was just a small rumor overheard at a bar between buzzed beer fans. I didn’t know who was opening the brewery or what kind of brewery it was going to be, and man, now that I think back on it, neither did those guys at the bar. But, the prospect of another brewery in Santa Fe, and this small town inching its way closer to the status of say, Bend, Oregon, was pretty exciting.

Soon, word got out, and it was more than just a rumor. The word was that this new brewery was going to be focused on mixed-fermentation and bottle-conditioned beer. It wasn’t long before the internet was abuzz. Over Twitter and Facebook, the shrill shriek of sours rang out from among many of those that tend to, shall we say, over-simplify their understandings of the industry. They were right, partially. Yes, a brewery was opening in Santa Fe. Yes, there would be sours, but there would also be salt and fruit and funk and much more in between.

It was about that time when a name popped up. A familiar name — John Rowley. Among many in the industry and home-brew community, Rowley was already well known and respected. I mean, despite the fact that the man wasn’t a professional brewer (yet), it’s very hard to deny that he makes good beer. Rowley might not be the kind of guy (and, hell, he might be) to have a trophy or ribbon wall in his house, but he certainly could if he wanted to with the many brewing competitions he’s excelled in. With his considerable experience and skill, he was exactly the kind of home brewer that you want to open up a brewery.

Rowley’s first handle is up!

I sat down with Rowley a little over a year ago and we talked the details of the new brewery plans, back when it was Sub Rosa Cellars, and back when it was to be the fifth brewery in Santa Fe. The name has since changed — and another brewery opened before it — but the idea never did. During that conversation, there were a few promises made. We were promised food. We were promised a well-curated guest beer list. And, we were promised the brewery would be “about having a good time and having a good experience for everyone,” as Rowley said back then.

Recently, I spent some time at the fully armed and operational Rowley Farmhouse Ales to get the full story. I attended the industry soft opening, and I’ve gone back a couple times to try more of the full menu, and other beers. After all, I wanted to see if Rowley’s new place delivered on those promises he made.

Food

It was only as they got closer to opening that Rowley publicly revealed that Jeff Kaplan was one of his partners and the chef. This was only because Kaplan still had a very good gig making very good food elsewhere at the time. I won’t go too far into that, but having tasted several of their dishes now, I can attest that a brewery really benefits from the chops of a solid chef.

Cheese plate from Cheesemongers of Santa Fe

The menu leans towards the gastropub style, with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and terms like aioli here and Wagyu there. The great thing about the menu at RFA is that it’s varied enough to suit any mood, whether you’re starving or just need something delicious to pair with your beer. The food ranges from brewery fan favorites to something more suitable to the skills of an iron chef. The menu isn’t huge, but you’d be hard pressed not to find something that would pique your interest.

The popover was delicious.

If you’re looking for something to warm up your palate, you could order the spicy nut bowl, cheese plate, popover, or Korean-style chicken wings. On the lighter, leafier side, you could get a fresh farmer’s market salad, or roasted Brussels sprouts. For a little comfort food, you could try the À la Minute New England Clam Chowder, or the Braised Flat Iron Poutine with Lone Mountain Wagyu beef. You can even grab current brewery favorites such as the Mac ‘n Cheese baked with mozzarella, parmesan, and bleu cheese, or the Waffles with fried chicken, or if you prefer crispy braised Kyzer Farms pork belly.

Duck Mi? Duck You!

If you’re just looking for a sandwich to go with your beer, you’ll be plenty satisfied with the BLT with green chile aioli, the “Duck Mì, Duck you!” sandwich, the Warm Prosciutto Pear Sandwich, or even the sirloin burger, made with Zoe’s bacon and melted cheddar cheese, locally sourced from the Old Wind Mill Dairy. On the more upscale end, you could try the marrow and mushroom bruschetta or the farmer’s market risotto.

Risotto, anyone?

For the soft opening, I took my gal, and we had the popover, risotto, and Duck Mì sandwich. All of the vegetables were fresh, the risotto was creamy, and the duck was very flavorful and tender. The popover was light and fluffy, and the gruyere sauce was so incredible, I still dream about it.

On a separate trip, the cheese plate from Cheesemongers of Santa Fe had a good selection of quality cheeses and charcuterie, and the sirloin burger with green chile was, to quote my friend/coworker, “Bomb.” I’ll certainly be back to see what else Chef Kaplan has in store for us. My lady has already asked for a second date at RFA.

Curated Beer List

Nice array, guys!

The list of beers was fun and creative, representing a nice variation of styles. The tap list is always changing, or at least I never saw the same list the three times I was there. There were IPAs, saisons, goses, brown ales, red ales, Scotch ales, lambics, sours, and pilsners from breweries like Evil Twin, Firestone Walker, Deschutes, Avery, Odell, Founders, Upslope, and Anderson Valley. The local list was short, but I wasn’t at all disappointed by that. Aside from Marble Red, I’ve seen La Cumbre’s Monzón Wet-hop Pale Ale and even Santa Fe Brewing’s Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Java Stout (where the hell did they get that keg?).

And, of course, Rowley had at least one of their beers on tap, the Notorious BdG, a dark Bière de Garde, with a smooth body and a nice funky tartness to it. “It’s a pretty malty Bière de Garde,” Rowley said. “It’s on the edge of the style in terms of color. It’s got a lot of malt. I think it has eight different malts in it. It’s meant to be malt-forward, very little IBUs. Twenty-two IBUs, I think. I fermented it with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Drie strain, which is the Drie Fonteinen culture. We called it the Notorious BdG because a buddy of mine in Atlanta had a homebrew called that, and so we wanted to give him props because he couldn’t be here tonight. So, it’s kind of a fun beer, definitely not an IPA. That’s not our focus, but we’ll do some IPAs.”

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Notorious BdG on tap!

It bodes well, if that’s the quality of mixed fermentation that Rowley has been talking about. As for the list, only a super beer geek could look at it and say, “I’ve tried all those before.” But, even for them, with Rowley’s understanding of what a curated beer list means, that super beer geek will be happy to revisit at least one of those beers, because it’s a good one, and probably hard to get in New Mexico. The rest of us will be excited for the latest permutation of the list.

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A great Gose from Anderson Valley, one of two that day.

I asked Rowley about how close they were to brewing there at the facility, which had the equipment, but seemed a little more like storage at the time being. Rowley said, “I still feel like there’s a lot to do. We’re not really close to brewing here yet. We’re actually going to start brewing on a 1-barrel system here. And, we’ll brew on that for a little while. It’s actually getting prepared right now. That’s what we’re going to be brewing on for the next few batches. I think we can start brewing on that in about three-to-four weeks. We’ve got basically everything in place; it’s just a matter of getting everything hooked up.”

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Happy customers!

Overall experience

All in all, it’s truly a great new place to grab a beer and have a meal. Whether you’re there to try something new or different, or just enjoy something you already like in a very comfortable space, Rowley Farmhouse Ales is my new pick in town to do just that. The ambiance works so well. While the taproom is a little small, it doesn’t feel cramped at the rail. The outdoor beer garden has plenty of room for serious beer contemplation or just kicking back and having dinner in a quiet, serene setting in the middle of town.

The outdoor patio is great!

Shade!

The beer list is certainly a reason to come in to see what John and the guys are drinking, or what they’ve just brewed, but if you don’t order food, you’re seriously doing yourself a disservice. The food is of a quality that suggests it was absolutely not an afterthought. The wait staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and are happy to help if you’re having trouble deciding on any menu item, be it a pilsner or poutine. And, say hello to our pal, Kimmie, while you’re there!

True, the brewhouse hadn’t quite been finished by the soft opening, but you can absolutely see all the hard work that Rowley and company have put into the whole establishment. There’s a lot of love (and probably sweat) that went into that space, and you can almost feel the will and passion emanating from the walls. The whole crew is very proud of what they’ve accomplished. And, they should be.

RFA is a great place to bring a group of beer geeks, business partners, or a date, even if he/she is ‘not that into’ craft beer. Now, if your date is not into good food, then you’ve got bigger problems, my friend. I think it would be very hard to go to Rowley Farmhouse Ales and not enjoy yourself. They have, indeed, kept their promise of creating the kind of space that’s all about having a good time and a good experience for everyone. I’ll certainly be back.

Cheers!

— Luke

Ain’t that pretty?

Lukemon

For more #craftbeer news, @Untappd check-ins, and @nmdarksidebc info, follow me on Twitter @SantaFeCraftBro!

Rejoice for the Jubilation growler station is now operational

Posted: September 16, 2016 by cjax33 in Beer-to-go, News
Tags: Jubilation

Come get your growlers filled at Jubilation!

After the not-so-good news from Thursday, we figured you could all use something positive to start the weekend. How does the Jubilation growler station sound? Good, but is it enough? Oh, wait until you see the beer list.

First, this is how it works. You can bring your own growler in, but please, make sure it is 100-percent clean first. Or, you can purchase a Jubilation growler ($5.99 for 32-ounce, $7.99 for 64-ounce). Then, all you have to do is pick the beer. Good luck with that part. Jubilation beer guru Adam Auden told us his goal is to have specialty beers on tap that are not available in six-packs or bombers in our market right now. From time to time, they will feature a local brewery’s beer, so keep an eye out.

They have growlers if you do not have your own.

Finally, the beers. The first price listed is for a 32-ounce fill. The second is for a 64-ounce fill.

Abita Oktoberfest $6.99 / $12.99
Ballast Point Pescodero Pils $8.99 / $16.99
Lagunitas Born Again Yesterday $9.99 / $18.99
New Belgium Hop Kitchen Bretta IPA $10.99 / $20.99
Upslope Grapefruit Pale $11.99 / $22.99
Sierra Nevada Six Rights DIPA $16.99 / $32.99
Founders Mango Magnifico $18.99 / $35.99
Founders KBS $25.99 (32oz only)
Coming soon: Founders Imperial Stout $15.99 / $29.99

That is a beautiful combination of hoppy and malty beers, from light to dark and everything in between. Good luck figuring out which one you want!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

La Cumbre’s Erway speaks out against new alcohol tax proposal

Posted: September 15, 2016 by cjax33 in Beer and Government, News
Tags: La Cumbre Brewing

The bills have passed! Thank you, Governor Martinez and everyone who works in this building!

The State of New Mexico may be on the verge of severely damaging our craft brewing industry.

The State of New Mexico is at it again. Certain legislators want to raise the taxes on alcohol to help balance the budget. While we would all like to see them actually pull off a balanced budget, this sort of move would be disastrous to our breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

La Cumbre owner Jeff Erway shared his letter to the editor, which he sent to the Albuquerque Journal after the editorial staff there (which is way more conservative than you might otherwise know for a newspaper) said it was in favor of the tax. Jeff did not know if the Journal would actually publish his letter, so he shared it with us as well. We have reprinted it here in full, because Jeff can describe just what a terrible idea this tax increase is far better than we ever could.

Read this carefully, let us know what you think, and if you agree with Jeff, it might be time to start contacting your state representative and telling him/her to vote no should this bill come up in the legislative session in early 2017.

Dear Editor,

I was alarmed today to read of your support on raising taxes on all alcohol in our state. Currently, the excise tax on wine is $1.70/bottle, $6.06/bottle on spirits, and $.41/gallon on beer. That makes us #5, #21, and #12 respectively on those taxes in the country in a state whose GDP per capita ranks #39, and whose economy ranks #48 overall. *

Enacting the proposed $.25/drink tax would bring the tax on a bottle of wine to $2.95, the tax on a bottle of spirits to $12.06 (that’s double what it currently is) and the tax on a gallon of beer to $3.08/gallon. To put that into perspective, you are supporting raising the state tax on wine to the 2nd highest in the country, liquor taxes to the 4th highest rate in the land, and beer to the very highest rate in the country, 2.5x the current holder of that title, Tennessee.**

Let’s keep in perspective that breweries, wineries, distilleries and their respective wholesalers and retailers already pay corporate income tax at both the State and National level. The owners and employees of these businesses pay payroll taxes and capital gains taxes at both the State and National level. The retailers already pay a state and local sales tax on all sales. And the producers and wholesalers already pay Excise taxes at both the State and National level.

Might I also add that the craft breweries, craft wineries and craft distilleries are some of the only sectors for job growth in this State? In the past 6 years, since my brewery opened, breweries have added over 3,400 jobs and over $127,000,000 in wages/year to the State’s economy. Economic impact to the state will clear $450,000,000 in 2016. ***

You cannot tax state businesses into prosperity.

Despite what MADD would have you believe, this is simply a neo-prohibitionist proposal that is aimed at limiting peoples access to alcohol, and it will hurt the State’s breweries, wineries and distilleries most by making their products more expensive to the end consumer. You will take a local product that is viewed as an affordable luxury and make it unaffordable to our already cash strapped residents. Instead of supporting local businesses, the consumer will be economically forced to support the very largest of producers who can afford to keep their prices and margins at rock bottom. As has been shown time and time again, this will not change the consumption of the heaviest drinkers, just which alcohol is purchased and therefore where that alcohol was produced. According to a study by Willard Manning et. Al in 1995, moderate drinkers are far and away the most guided by the price of alcohol and will simply choose to not drink when prices become absorbent.

This proposal is a job killer to the 3 very industries that are actually currently growing in NM. It is a shot in the foot of the State’s economy and employment.

I would in no way ask our state to cut funding to schools, health nor public safety, and I personally would not be completely opposed to a consumption tax proposal. That being said, the number of pet projects that are going on around the state that have not been ear-marked for cuts is somewhat appalling and yet your editorial board sees it fit to raise that taxes on the few industries that are working.

I wonder how the Journal and its employees would feel if the state proposed a rise on taxes for print advertising. The journal is taxed at a far lower level than the liquor industry is. No, definitely a better idea to raise taxes on the only industries that are adding jobs. We definitely don’t want anyone getting the idea that NM’s economy has any ray of hope left in it.

Yours truly,

Jeffrey S. Erway, Founder and President

La Cumbre Brewing Co.

*businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/state-economy-ranking-july-2015-2015-7/#1-north-dakota-555555555555555551

**taxfoundation.org
http://taxfoundation.org/blog/how-high-are-wine-taxes-your-state
http://taxfoundation.org/blog/map-spirits-excise-tax-rates-state-2014

***Estimates based on 2014 Economic Impact Study. https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics/economic-impact-data/

* * * * *

Thank you to Jeff for sharing this. Clearly, craft beer is threatened in New Mexico. Now is the time to stand up and say no to this tax increase.

The Crew will keep you all updated as this story continues to develop.

— Stoutmeister

The Week Ahead in Beer: It’s getting crowded in here, again

Posted: September 14, 2016 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Remember at the start of the year when all those new breweries opened and we had to trim a lot of this here column? Yeah, well, it is happening again. In the last few weeks, either new places have opened (Ale Republic, Rowley Farmhouse Ales) or we have gone ahead and belatedly added them (Chili Line, now Palmer Brewery) after finally making contact online. Soon, Dialogue Brewing will open (Sept. 24, to be exact), and then Drafty Kilt will follow. Throw in the pending arrival of Flix Brewhouse in December and Steel Bender Brewyard in January, and yeah, this feature is getting long again. Do not expect any big changes (yet), but once again I will be working to streamline a lot of the entries, particularly in terms of weekly events. The ones that are repeated every week will be reduced in explanation. We encourage you to visit breweries’ websites and/or social media sites to learn more. Our focus is first and foremost on the beer, but we will keep listing the bare bones info on local music and other live entertainment. At least for now.

Some events we wanted to highlight here (more details below), but Friday marks Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day at Quarter Celtic, with beer and food specials. Friday and Saturday will be the two-day celebration of Red Door’s second anniversary. Saturday will mark the second go-around for Boese Brothers’ popular Oktoberfest celebration.

On the new beer front this week, there are quite a few new options to check out. Blue Grasshopper has kicked up a fresh batch of Belgian Pale Ale. Boese Brothers’ popular Oktoberfest returns this Saturday. A new black IPA, Just Goofin’, and a new imperial red, Rushing Rapids Red, are rolling out at Bosque along with Pale Oak. Kaktus has a sizeable lineup turnover (see their entry below). Bow & Arrow is feeling the season with the Council Fire Imperial “Smoke”toberfest. Siberian Silk snuck up on us last weekend at La Cumbre. Marble and Bosque have a collaboration called Mavericks on Parade, while Marble alone is releasing the decadent-sounding Hop Fudge Sunday on nitro. Quarter Celtic will finally unveil McLomas Stout on Friday. Starr Brothers hopes you Don’t Fear the RIPA, a red IPA. Turtle Mountain has Oktoberfest on tap and Bien Tu Helles Bock on deck.

Up in Santa Fe, Second Street has unleashed Atalaya Amber and Wet-Hopped Otowi Pale Ale. Down in Socorro, Twisted Chile just put their Oktoberfest on tap.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of September 12.

To break down each “capsule,” I listed the brewery (with Web page linked), its phone number and hours of operation. Under “Beers” are the new or seasonal beers on tap for this week.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Albuquerque Brewing Co. — (505) 797-1842

(Mon–Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun noon-8 p.m.)

Live Music: Friday—Atomic Balm, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Rudy Boy Experiment, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events: Monday—Game Night, with blonde pints for $2.50

Happy Hour/Discounts: Monday–Saturday, 3 to 6 p.m.; Sunday, all day

Ale Republic — (505) 281-2828

(Mon–Thurs 2–10 p.m., Fri–Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Welcome to the listings, Ale Republic! In case you missed their opening in Cedar Crest, we covered it a short while back. We were remiss in getting them into the listings here, but at last, here they are. Check their website and Facebook page for constant updates on all the goings on at the only brewery in the East Mountains.

Alien Brew Pub — (505) 884-1116

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Call the number above for details on any small-batch beers currently available. They change frequently. The rest of the lineup is from the Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande family of beers.

Back Alley Draft House — (505) 766-8590

(Sun–Weds 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thurs–Sat 4 p.m. to midnight)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

Bistronomy B2B/Lobo Beast 101 — (505) 262-2222 (B2B), (505) 247-2116 (Lobo)

(B2B: Mon–Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-9:30 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.; Lobo: daily 4 p.m. to close)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

The Blue Grasshopper — (505) 896-8579

(Noon to 11 p.m. most days, call for more info)

Beers: Belgian Pale Ale. They also have a Dunkel and a Rye beer in the fermenters.

Live Music: Bands perform from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday. Click the link for the schedule.

Boese Brothers Brewery — (505) 382-7060

(Hours: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–midnight, Fri 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat noon–2 a.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Patriot Porter, La Onza White Ale, Dr. Strangehop XPA, Duke City Lager, Sour Strangehop, Clockwork Orange DIPA. The Sour Strangehop is also for sale in bombers at the brewery and at Jubilation. Oktoberfest returns Saturday.

Events: The Oktoberfest celebration kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. There will be one-liter boots of marzen for $15, plus Grain Station will be present serving German food on the patio. There will be a cornhole tournament starting at 4. There will be a live polka band in the afternoon and a DJ at night.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese will have a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with $3 pints. You can also get $3 pints all day Tuesday and $6 growler fills all day Wednesday.

Bosque Brewing Company — (505) 750-7596 (main brewery), (505) 508-5967 (Nob Hill Public House), (575) 571-4626 (Las Cruces Taproom)

Beers: El Dorado S.M.A.S.H., In Memory of Cyp, 8 Days of Wheat, Just Goofin’, Pale Oak, Rushing Rapids Red (Nob Hill only), Mavericks on Parade (San Mateo only). The new Mavericks (5.5% ABV, 12 IBU) is Elephants on Parade aged in Marble’s chardonnay barrels with a healthy dose of brettanomyces thrown in. Just Goofin’ (6.5% ABV, 89 IBU) is a delectable black IPA that the Crew enjoyed before last Friday’s Black Sabbath concert, while Rushing Rapids (9.6% ABV, 72 IBU) is a hefty, but wonderful imperial.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bosque has a happy hour running from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day on Sunday. Look for special menu items and get $1 off your favorite pints.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — (505) 247-9800

(Mon-Weds 3–10 p.m., Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Flint & Grit (British Mild), Sun Dagger (Saison), Crossed Arrows (Scotch Ale), Hoka Hey (IPA), Jemez Field Notes Lager, Desert Standard Hop Session, Wildorado Unfiltered Wild Rice Pale Ale, Bury My Heart (Belgian Pale Ale), Wayward Arrow Hefeweizen, Council Fire Imperial “Smoke”toberfest. The most recent additions are the Wildorado, Bury My Heart, and the Desert Standard Hop Session. The Council Fire debuts Thursday.

Events: Saturday—Horn & Husk Beer Dinner, $55 per person, 6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

(Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)

Beers: Centennial S.M.A.S.H., Kerfuffle English IPA, Featherweight Session IPA, Bearcat Altbier, New MexiKolsch, Pineapple Kolsch, The Red Glove, Strawberry Wheat, Baltic Bear Porter (bombers only). The New MexiKolsch (4.8% ABV, 20 IBU) is back by popular demand. Also returning for another run is The Red Glove (7.2% ABV, 100 IBU), a powerful double red.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Every day at lunchtime (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), for just $10 you can get a pint and a panini of your choice.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8-10 p.m.

Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery (formerly Distillery 365) — (505) 221-6281

(Mon-Thu 3-9 p.m., Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.)

Beers: Otero ESB, Lone Pine Pilsner, Sancho Saison. New names, same (good) beers.

Live Music (main location): TBA

Canteen Brewhouse — (505) 881-2737 (brewery), (505) 200-2344 (taproom)

(Brewery: Sun–Thurs noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Taproom: Open daily 3–10 p.m.)

Beers: Mongrel DIPA, Panama Joe Coffee Stout, Cheeky Codswallop ESB, Tail Waggin’ IPA, Grapefruit Exodus IPA, Irish Red, Exodus IPA (on nitro). Welcome back to one of our all-time favorites, Panama Joe! Beware, this batch will wake you up.

Live Music: Thursday—Todd Tijerina, 6 to 9 p.m.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — (505) 994-9364

(Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Chama River Brewing Company — (505) 342-1800

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

News: Chama now has a rotating nitro tap. Call to see what is available this week.

The Firkin Brewhouse — (505) 881-0702

(Mon closed, Tues-Thurs 3-9 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Burque Vanilla Nut Brown, Blackout Stout, Ombibulous IPA, Prohibition Mash Ale, Olympic Gold Ale.

News: We went to Firkin recently and found out they are still open. Note the new hours above.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

(Bernalillo hours Mon-Thu 2-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30-10 p.m., Sun 11:30-9 p.m.)

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Thursday—The Desert Darlings, 7 to 9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Bernalillo): Sunday—Brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Kaktus has several new weekday specials in Bernalillo, including $3 pints on Monday, $9 growlers on Tuesday, $6 bison nachos on Wednesday, and $8 Frito pie and beer on Thursday.

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: Arrogant Bastard, Dunkel Jefe, Monzon Wet-Hop Pale Ale, Siberian Silk. The Monzon is available on tap and in bombers. Welcome back, Siberian Silk, a delightful Baltic porter. You can still find State Fair Cream Ale in cans all around town.

Live Music: TBA

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

(Mon–Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-7 p.m.)

Beers: Call the brewery for an updated list.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Lizard Tail’s happy hour runs seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m. You get $1 off food, flights, and pints.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.; Thursday—Karaoke, 8-11 p.m.

Marble Brewery — (505) 243-2739 (downtown), (505) 508-4638 (Westside), (505) 323-4030 (Heights)

Beers: Dang Pale Ale, Double IPA, Mavericks on Parade (Downtown only), Hop Fudge Sunday (Downtown and Heights). We covered the collaboration brew, Mavericks on Parade, in Bosque’s entry above. As for Hop Fudge (4.5% ABV), that is a nitro stout lightly seasoned with Chinook hops and fermented with cherries and cacao nibs. Dessert beer!

Live Music (downtown): Thursday—Thieves of Sunrise, 7 to 10 p.m.; Friday—Cosmic Mesa, 8 to 11 p.m.; Saturday—Hello Dollface, 8 to 11 p.m.

Live Music (West Side): Friday—Cowboys and Indian, 8 to 11 p.m.; Saturday—Last Call Band, 8 to 11 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Friday—Ziatron, 8 to 11 p.m.; Saturday—Garry Blackchild, 8 to 11 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown): Thursday—Brewery tours, 5:30 p.m.

Nexus Brewery — (505) 242-4100 (brewery), (505) 226-1055 (Silver Taproom)

(Brewery: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Silver Taproom: Mon–Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Salted Caramel Stout, Bird of Prey IPA, Kaylynn’s Altbier, Wrath of Kolsch (Silver taproom only). We are downright shocked that you all have yet to drink up the Salted Caramel Stout. Shocked! Welcome back to the Bird of Prey and Altbier.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Monday–Friday, $5 appetizers, 3-5 p.m.

Weekly Events (Silver Taproom): Saturday—a live DJ will perform

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — (505) 508-0508

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Pi Brewing — (505) 890-9463

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Discordia IPA, U Down w/ BVP?, Pineapple Express, Amber’s Amber, Zinister Dichotomy, Cardinal Sin Red, 40 to 5, Scotty Doesn’t Know. The Zinister (6.3% ABV) is a potent red sour. The 40 to 5 is an American pale wheat ale.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

(Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Quarter Celtic Brewpub — (505) 503-1387

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Beers: Pedro O’Flanagan’s Mexican Lager, Dusk’s Early Light, You Reek of Pale Ale, Vienna Lager, #GFF, Diabhal’s River. GFF stands for Grapefruit Forver, so you can guess what they added to this IPA. The Diabhal’s (11% ABV, 30 IBU) is a massive Belgian golden strong that is not for the faint of heart. This is what happens when you put Brady McKeown and Chama River’s Andrew Krosche together on the same brewhouse for a collaboration.

Events: This Friday celebrate Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day with the release of McLomas Stout, plus a Celtic Combo Platter and a special dessert. It runs all day.

Red Door Brewing — (505) 633-6675 (brewery), (505) 990-3029 (downtown taproom)

Beers: Vanilla Cream Ale, Downtown Pale Ale, Blackberry Hefeweizen, Nieuwe Bruin. The Downtown Pale Ale (5.6% ABV, 37 IBU) was brewed in honor of the new downtown taproom, but fear not, it is available at both locations. The Nieuwe (6.7% ABV, 20 IBU) is a variation on an Oud Bruin, a tart and sour dark beer.

Events: Friday and Saturday—Second Anniversary Celebration, with Russell James Pyle performing Friday, plus commemorative pint glass giveaway with any beer purchase starting at 5 p.m. Saturday will feature a free drawing for prizes for every pint purchased, need not be present to win.

Weekly Events: Saturday—Beer and Breakfast, 7-10 a.m.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company — (505) 900-3909

(Mon–Thu noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Live Music: Friday—Eryn Bent, 7 p.m.

Other Events: Saturday—Attack of the Cafe Racers, 3 p.m.

Sandia Chile Grill — (505) 798-1970

(Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–6 p.m.)

Beers: Call the brewery for an updated list.

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 288-6468

(Mon–Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Pub Ale, Railhead Red, Switchgear IPA, Dark Engine Stout, Shoofly Wheat, Cascade Pale Ale. The Cascade replaced the Zoso S.M.A.S.H.

Cask: Pub Ale and Stout, with cocoa nibs added, will be in the firkins all week.

Starr Brothers Brewing — (505) 492-2752

(Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day)

Beers: Starrstruck IPA, Double Live Jonzo, LampShade Porter, L.A. Woman, Rosin Dubh, Don’t Fear the RIPA. Rosin Dubh is a delicious Irish dry stout. Don’t Fear the RIPA is a red IPA, with some prominent piney Northwest hops.

Weekly Events: Saturday—Premier League Viewing Party, 8 a.m.

Tractor Brewing Company — (505) 433-5654 (Nob Hill), (505) 243-6752 (Wells Park)

(Nob Hill: Sun–Weds noon–midnight, Thurs noon–2 a.m., Fri–Sat noon–2 a.m.; Wells Park: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–close, Fri–Sun 1 p.m.–midnight)

Beers: Berry Cider, Maibock, Grapefruit Wheat, Cerveza New Mexico Lager, Summer En Blanc Belgian Witbier, Barrel-Aged Barley Wine (Wells Park only), Kolsch, Tupac Cali Red, Nitro Coffee Stout (Wells Park only), Ebony & Ivory Pale Stout, Hillario DIPA, Dank Johnson DIPA, You’re Fired DIPA. Tractor’s take on a Kolsch is a bit different, but still tasty. They dry hopped it with Mosaic, giving it a different aroma.

Live Music (Wells Park): Thursday—Thirsty Thursday: Lorin Walker Madsen, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Solos on the Hill: Todd Tijerina, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Setting the Tone: Russell James Pyle, 5 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Today (Wednesday)—Art Fusion for a Cause, 6-9 p.m.; Thursday—Fail Night III, 5:30-8 p.m.; Saturday—Danger Carnival: Dinosaur Jungle, 7 p.m.; Sunday—I’ll Drink to That: Umbrella Week Edition, 4 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Mondays on the Mic, 6 p.m.; Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Monday—Tractor Tune Up, 7:30 p.m., ABQ Pens & Pints, 8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Tractor now has a late happy hour from 9 p.m. to midnight on Mondays with $2 classic beers and $3 seasonals.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — (505) 994-9497

(Kitchen hours: Mon–Tues 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Wed–Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Reminder: TMBC closes early when business dictates. Please call.)

Beers: McSmack, Blueberry Yum Yum, Jac’s Elope Raspberry Pale Ale, Oktoberfest. The McSmack is a Scottish ale, in case you could not guess by the name. When the Yum Yum runs out, Bien Tu Helles Bock will return to tap.

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Ginger Plum Saison, Chaparral IPL, Pope Porter, Wet Hop American Strong Ale. The Chaparral, an India Pale Lager, is now available. The Strong Ale will not last long.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

(Mon–Sat 4–10:30 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m.)

Happy Hour/Discounts: Buy two beers and a pizza and get another pizza free.

Duel Brewing Company — (505) 474-5301

(Brewery: Mon–Sat open at 11 a.m., Sun open at 1 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–midnight; Fri–Sun noon–midnight)

UPDATED >>> Beers: Bad Amber, Fiction (IPA), Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Grunewald (Imperial Porter), Monomyth (Belgian DIPA), Duchamp (Farmhouse Witbier), Whistler (Belgian Blonde), Naomf (Barrel-Aged Sour Amber), Study Series: Camus (Summer Ale). One of the most recent additions here is the aptly named Monomyth, which checks in at 9-percent ABV and 90 IBUs. In addition to those beers, you can also get sample pours of Goya ’14, Rye Goya ’14, and Tableux ’16, or a Cezanne flight featuring Origine ’15, Magnifique ’16, and Denouement ’15 and ’16.

Events (ABQ taproom): Thursday—Drink & Draw featuring Cloudface, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Enchanted PopUp Presents: ArtBeats, 5 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 4-6 p.m. (discounts for all draft beer), Growler Saturdays ($3 off growler fills).

Happy Hour/Discounts (ABQ taproom): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 5-7 p.m.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — (505) 428-0719

(Open all week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Santa Fe Brewing Company — (505) 424-3333

(Main taproom: Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 2-8 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Second Street Brewery — (505) 989-3278 (Railyard), (505) 982-3030 (original location)

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Kolsch, IPA, Cream Stout, Trebuchet DIPA, Rod’s Best Bitter, International Steam Pale Ale, XX Extra Special Bitter, Golden Ale, British Mild. The new one here is the XX Extra Special Bitter, which just sounds delightful. Get some Trebuchet, a silver medal winner at the World Beer Cup, before the supply runs out.

Live Music (Original location): Thursday—Patio Series: Welsh & Watt, 6 p.m.; Friday—Busy McCarroll, 6 p.m.; Saturday—Swing Soleil, 6 p.m.

Live Music (Railyard): Friday—Shiners Club, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Ryan Little and the String Masters, 7 p.m.; Sunday—AHA Festival, noon

Weekly Events (Railyard): Thursday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.

News: Second Street is moving ever closer to opening their third location, which will feature a taproom and a full production facility.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — (505) 500-8381

(Mon–Weds 2–10 p.m., Thurs 2–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Weekly Events: Thursday—Open mic, 6 p.m.

Twisted Chile Brewing — (575) 835-2949

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun noon-8 p.m.)

Beers: Zia Pilsner, 790 IPA, Hose Co. 1 Red Lager, Venom IPA, KC’s Irish Stout, McFadden’s Scotch, English Porter, El Camino ReAle Summer Pale, Love Potion Peach, Schwarzbar Black Lager. The most recent addition is the English Porter. Before that came old favorite Schwarzbar and the new Love Potion, a peach wheat.

Live Music: TBA

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Open mic, 6:30-9 p.m.

* * * *

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

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Finish line finally in sight for Drafty Kilt Brewing

Posted: September 13, 2016 by cjax33 in New Brewery Preview
Tags: Drafty Kilt Brewing

It has been a long road for Drafty Kilt, but opening day is not too far away.

Plenty of breweries have stories about how difficult it was just to get their doors open. Mike Campbell might just take the unfortunate prize for top story in that regard.

The former brewer at Cazuela’s and Tractor has been trying to open Drafty Kilt Brewing since April 2015. The end of the process is finally in sight, but to say it has not been easy would be the ultimate understatement.

“We’ve had every snag you can think of,” Mike said. “The federal government was just a trip. We submitted and they tell you right on your website and on your (entry), if it hasn’t been this many days, don’t contact us yet. So, two months go by and then they tell us there’s a woman in California with the same name as my wife and with the last four (digits) of a social security number (who) likes to rob banks, prove that’s not you. And, by the way, go to the back of the line after you’re done.

“Then a couple months went by and they told us again that they just approved a brewery … well, they said we’re doing you a favor and letting you know that we’re approving an OffKilter Brewing Company in Indiana. You’re going to have to change your name. So, that’s where we went to Drafty Kilt.

“And then, time goes by, I start calling again and finally somebody calls back and says the rep that was doing your stuff died and your paperwork slipped through the cracks. Sorry about that! After that, then it went through. I was much more happy with the performance of my federal government.”

One of the three fermenters that will soon have beer inside.

Now that the majority of the paperwork has gone through, Drafty Kilt is moving ever closer to opening.

“We can brew this weekend,” Mike said. “Then we’ll go back in there and start dealing with all that (taproom setup). If I can get three beers in the fermenters, we’ve got three weeks to play around get the bar set up. There’s all sorts of stupid things I still have to do. We have to get the wireless, get the TV, the cable. The list just keeps going on an on.”

This will be the fifth brewery that Mike has run, though it is a bit different from Rio Bravo (1990s version), Tractor, Cazuela’s, and one in Memphis.

“Even though I’ve put together four breweries, this is the first one that has all been my decisions, my money,” he said. “It’s been real easy to tell some of the previous people that I need this and voila, it appears.”

The brewery is located at 4814 Hardware Dr., a street just west of San Mateo. It is between McLeod and Lumber, a street that would only be familiar to anyone who has ever gone to Movies 8 to see a second-run flick for $1.

Drafty Kilt has come about thanks in large part to a generous family member.

“My mother-in-law inherited some money,” Mike said. “For tax purposes, she’s purchased a few houses and stuff to reinvest the money. She pretty much said she knows I don’t have a retirement plan and she doesn’t drink, but she has heard the accolades and knows that I can make good beer. She’s loving it, making curtains for the windows, loves the bar.”

The former La Cumbre brewhouse is ready to start making beer again.

Drafty Kilt purchased the 15-barrel brewhouse that La Cumbre started with in 2011. It fills up a good portion of the brewing area, with three fermenters and a cold room also present. Mike and his staff dug their own trench drains, converting a former office/industrial space into a functional brewery.

The front of the brewery, which faces west, will feature a no-frills taproom.

“Just kind of a soft and warm, not dark, not bright, just a safe space to drink some beer,” Mike said. “Once again, we were kind of thrown from OffKilter, because that kind of fit with my personality. Where with Drafty Kilt we actually need to have some Scottish stuff in here. I’ve got some old wooden golf clubs.”

Still, the cost of renting the building and not being able to do anything with it for almost a year did put a dent in one part of the budget.

“We’re going to have to, not scrimp, but not be as ornate we would like the bar to be, the taproom,” Mike said. “The beer we’re not going to scrimp on, but I think we’re going to need to get (creative). We bought these chairs cheap. We still need to find some bar stools. But, we’ve got to get open and get some income, because I’ve been hemorrhaging money, especially the long (delay). Just the extra time of renting this place, I’ve already renewed my city licenses for another year.”

One item that may adorn the walls would tell of the struggles of just getting open.

“We were talking the other day of making a mirror with the logo, putting ‘open 2015’ crossed out, ‘spring of 2016’ X’ed out, ‘summer of 2016’ X’ed out,” Mike said. “I like to kind of say that I just don’t see when they say there will come a time when we will look back on this and laugh. I spent $100,000 here, people.”

The kegs are just waiting to be filled.

Drafty Kilt can now focus on the beer, with plans already drawn up for the first three that will go on tap.

“I’ll start with three beers and we’ll have to work our way from that,” Mike said. “I’m not sure I’m a fan of guest beers, especially when I’m first opening. It would help to have other beers, but I’d rather not.

“I’m going to make my stoned cream ale, same as over at Cazuela’s, we’ll just have to find a different name for it (than Piedra del Fuego). That’s just an easy-going, calibration beer just to let me see how the brewhouse works. And, then an IPA and a Scottish, a wee beastie.

“Scottish ales are great because you can make four of them with the same type of ingredients, just different proportions. 60 shilling, 90 shilling, 120 shilling, Scotch ale, wee heavy, peat is good. God bless the man who invented peat malt.”

Mike won a medal at the World Beer Cup in 2014 for his oatmeal stout, Beer For My Horses. Expect to see a new version of that beer in the near future as well.

Drafty Kilt will keep the focus internal to start, though eventually they could sell kegs to bars and restaurants.

“ I’m going to go off-site (eventually), but I don’t have much room for expansion,” Mike said. “But, I can certainly sell some beer. Actually, two (distributors) are willing to take me on, knowing what I’ve done in the past. I’ll have no problem. The biggest problem I could see would be getting spread too thin, going too many places and then running out.”

We wish Mike nothing but good luck from here on out. When Drafty Kilt is ready to open their doors after such a long, long wait, the Crew will be there to raise a pint in celebration.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

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