ABQ Beer Week: Day Three brings out the ridiculous indulgence times 10

Posted: May 26, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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Set yourself free on Day Three as Nexus turns 7, Marble brunches with the brewers, and more!

Anyone else get wiped out by the 21 and Over event at Sister last night? There were so many good beers, it took a big bite out of us. Nevertheless, we push forward for more!
Nexus’ anniversary may loom as the dominant even today, but there are 10 total events, the most of any day this Beer Week, so take your pick and properly pace yourselves.

Featured Event

Every day we will pick what we consider the biggest, most interesting, most unique event. This does not mean you should go to only this event and ignore the rest. All of them deserve your attention, but realistically, you can probably only attend a few. So we will make our daily pick, and you can either jump on it, or declare the Crew is foolish (we kinda are) and pick your own.

What: Nexus’ Seventh Anniversary Party. Where: Nexus Brewery. When: 11 a.m. to close. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Ken’s red chile ribs will be available, along with music from Racine Creole. Enjoy some pints of the Notorious BUN (Big Ugly Nasty) IPA and Beam Me Up Scotty and celebrate seven years of one of our all-time favorite brewpubs!

Why you should go: Really? You need a reason? Besides the delicious, delicious food? And the amazing beers? There is no hope for you if you say no. Not enough parking? Uber/Lyft. Too long for a table? Snack before you get there (the smell of the food will instantly make you hungry again). Anything else? We will smack you upside the head. Seriously, we will. NOW FEAST.

All the other great events

What: Brewer’s Brunch. Where: Marble Westside. When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: $25. Details: Join brewmasters Ted Rice and Josh Trujillo for this edition of the brunch, where patrons get to enjoy a full meal from Ohana Hut paired with Marble beers, and learn all about Marble beers and the process by which they’re created from the brewers themselves. Why you should go: For once, let someone else besides me (Stoutmeister) tell you about a key chapter in the beer history of New Mexico, plus beer and food come with it.

What: Pedals and Pints with Oompa Lupulin DIPA Release. Where: Canteen Brewhouse. When: Noon-11 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Ride your bike to the brewery and get discounts on the beer, including the new Oompa Lupulin. Why you should go: With all the beer dinners and food pairings fattening you up, take a day to get some exercise while still trying some delicious beers.

What: Double Beer Release and Food Pairing with Malaguena’s. Where: High and Dry Brewing. When: Noon. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy two new beers, The Sun Never Sweats (Thai Wheat Ale) and Smell the Glove (Rye Ale), paired with shrimp skewers with curry cocktail sauce and BBQ brisket burnt ends, respectively, until the supply runs out. Why you should go: That does sound like a darn tasty way to enjoy the afternoon on High and Dry’s wonderful patio.

What: Cider-day Night Fever. Where: Tractor Nob Hill. When: 1-11 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy some of the finest ciders from Tractor plus guests Boxing Bear, Black Mesa Winery, Palmer, and Red Door, plus DJ Dave 12 will be spinning classic disco hits starting at 8 p.m. Why you should go: Drink lots of cider, then dance off the added pounds at the end of the night.

What: Pig Roast and Marble Special Keg Tapping. Where: Freight House (Bernalillo). When: 1 p.m. Cost: $15.99. Details: Feast upon some fresh roasted pig from the matanza pit while enjoying some delicious Marble IPA-X. Why you should go: Meat. Hops. It’s all a growing boy (or girl) needs.

What: Bell’s Brewery Tasting. Where: Albertsons Enchanted Hills (Rio Rancho). When: 3-5 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Try some of Bell’s finest packaged beers for free, then buy your favorites and take them home. Why you should go: It always seems like the beer tastings are in Albuquerque, so go get ‘em Rio Rancho residents.

What: Beer Dinner with Bosque and Upslope. Where: M’tucci’s Italian Market and Pizzeria. When: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Cost: $75 ($55 for brewery industry employees). Details: A five-course meal, with each dish paired with one beer apiece from Bosque and Upslope. Call (505) 639-4819 for reservations. Why you should go: Yeah, it is expensive, but the menu sure looks delicious. Click on the M’tucci’s Facebook page to see what’s being served.

What: Beer-rita Release and Selena Covers. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 8-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Casey Mraz and Amanda Machon (Red Light Cameras) will be singing the late pop singer’s biggest hits, plus Tractor releases its first Beer-rita. Why you should go: Two talented musicians plus a new beer? What more do you want?

What: DJ Graemater with Afro Beats. Where: Nexus Silver Taproom. When: 8:30 p.m.-Midnight. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Get your dancing shoes on and enjoy the anniversary beers, Beam Me Up Scotty and Notorious BUN IPA, all while staying close to home on the west side (should you live that way). Why you should go: The west side is lacking in places to enjoy music and beer, so live it up.

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Got any questions, comments, complaints? Send them to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com, or leave them here on our site, on Facebook, on Twitter (@nmdarksidebc), or on Instagram.

Enjoy yourselves out there, but please, do it responsibly.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

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ABQ Beer Week: Get your Blues & Brews beer lists here

Posted: May 25, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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We always recommend you get to Blues & Brews early to avoid the long lines. It’s worth the extra cost.

The biggest event of ABQ Beer Week always falls during the first weekend. As always, we did our best to round up who is pouring what beers for the ABQ Blues & Brews this Sunday at Sandia Casino.

If you do not have a ticket yet, get one now, because it can sell out long before you get to the door. We highly recommend an early admission ticket, which gets you inside from 2-3 p.m., a nice hour in which you can take your time trying your top beer targets. General admission gets you in at 3 p.m., and the entire festival lasts until 6. It is unlimited sampling, but you cannot buy pints of your favorite (that is the trade-off).

As various delays have led to the 2018 event program not being posted online, we did our best to learn what each New Mexico brewery will be bringing. All told, there are more than 70 breweries, cideries, and distilleries represented. The Dukes of Ale will have their booth as well, and it is a must-visit to try some of the best homebrews in the state, plus you can vote for your favorite.

See? This is what it’s like once the general admission ticket holders flood into the venue.

When other breweries update us with their lists, we will post them here. We can confirm that after initially committing to attending, Ponderosa has withdrawn.

  • Bathtub Row: Hoppenheimer IPA, Mexican Lager, California Common, Hoppy Amber Lager, Oatmeal Stout
  • Bosque: Bosque Lager, Bosque IPA, Scotia Scotch Ale, Elephants on Parade
  • Broken Trail: Pepe the Mule
  • Canteen: Laid Back Lager, Exodus IPA, Dougie Style Amber, Raspberry Wheat
  • Duel: Duchamp (Sour Wit), Monomyth (DIPA), Titian (Golden Strong), Dark Ryder (Dark Strong), Grunewald (Imperial Porter)
  • Enchanted Circle: Head’n Home Helles Lager, Summer Seasonal Lemon Shandy, Red River Red, Nice Day IPA, Barrel-Aged Belgian Quad
  • Eske’s: Maibock, Czech Dark Lager, 575.org Pale Ale, Taos Green Chile Ale
  • Hops: Hop Hill IPA, Chica (Extra Pale Ale), Dad Joke (Kentucky Common)
  • Kilt Check: Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, McRojo or No? Red Ale
  • Lava Rock: Vanilla Nut Brown, 2220 Wheat IPA
  • Marble: Cholo Stout, Double IPA, Double White, Imperial Red, Passionate Gose
  • Nexus: TBA
  • Quarter Celtic: Mor-Buck IPA, Pedro O’Flannigan’s Mexican Lager, Crimson Lass Irish Red, MacLomas Irish Dry Stout
  • Rio Bravo: Level 3 DIPA, Blueberry Mint Gose, Imperial Kolsch, Blurred Lines NEIPA; cans of NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red, La Luz Lager
  • Santa Fe: Reluctant IPA, Segal SMASH (Pale Ale), Twisted Root, 7K IPA
  • Sierra Blanca: Cherry Wheat, Elcitmos IPA, Alien Amber, Cranberry Sour; bottles of Green Chile Cerveza, Bone Chiller Brown, Desert Pilsner
  • Steel Bender: Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, Steel Bender Lager, Raspberry Dynamite, Ingenio
  • Tractor: New Mexican Lager, Mustachio Milk Stout, Farmer’s Tan Red Ale, Delicious Red Hard Apple Cider, Almanac IPA, seasonals TBA
  • Tumbleroot: Citra Pale Ale, Maibock, Honey Hibiscus Wheat, Dortmunder

Your best bet to get to Sandia is via Lyft or Uber, or heck, just get a room and crash for the night. Only, try not to wipe out your life savings on blackjack after the festival.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Day Two goes big because it knows no other way

Posted: May 25, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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It’s a fairly mellow Friday … oh, wait, no it’s not, mainly because of one bonkers tapping after another.

That was still a lot of beer on Thursday, but we gotta admit that we like limiting the number of events to 10 or less per day. It keeps us more focused, cuts down on our Lyft/Uber expenses, and so on.

There are only six events today. Each one is a little different, yet we cannot take our eyes off one particular downtown gathering.

Featured Event

Every day we will pick what we consider the biggest, most interesting, most unique event. This does not mean you should go to only this event and ignore the rest. All of them deserve your attention, but realistically, you can probably only attend a few. So we will make our daily pick, and you can either jump on it, or declare the Crew is foolish (we kinda are) and pick your own.

What: 21 and Over. Where: Sister. When: 5-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Eight breweries that have been around for 21 or more years are coming to Sister, each with a rare beer (or two) for this special event. Feeling light? There’s Four Peaks’ Green Tea Lager or Sierra Nevada’s Kolsch German-Style Ale. Feeling hoppy? Rogue’s Combat Wombat could be your ticket, or perhaps Bell’s Double Two Hearted. Feel like puckering up? Odell’s ’16 Meddler or New Belgium’s Clutch Sour Stout could whet your whistle. Feeling malty? There’s a choice between Left Hand’s Chai Milk Stout Nitro, Firestone Walker’s ’17 Helldorado, and Bell’s 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve.

Why you should go: There are not your regular beers on the shelves at liquor and grocery stores across town. There’s a little something for everyone here. We can’t think of a better way to kick off your weekend.

All the other great events

What: Beam Me Up Scotty Release. Where: Nexus Brewery. When: All day. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Just in time for the anniversary party, this Scottish Wee Heavy returns to taps with a burly, malty base and a slight peaty/smoky kick. Why you should go: Get some now before the place gets packed for the anniversary party, which you should still attend, but this will give you time to truly enjoy this beer slowly without anyone eyeing your table.

What: Bosque Tasting. Where: Jubilation. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Rather than just bring beers to taste, Bosque is teaming up with Carnivore Popcorn. Try some Bosque Lager with Hollypeno popcorn, Elephants on Parade with Sour Apple popcorn, Bosque IPA with Garlic Rosemary popcorn, and Scotia Scotch Ale with Cinnamon Caramel Espresso popcorn. Why you should go: If you did not get simultaneously hungry and thirsty reading those details, go see a doctor, now.

What: Founders KBS ’17/18 Vertical. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 5-7 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Remember when the Crew did our latest ridiculous review of this classic barrel-aged stout? Well, now you can do your own version by trying the 2017 and 2018 versions side-by-side. Why you should go: You get to grab some delicious food while trying a couple of big beers. Hey, you gotta eat dinner at some point, right?

What: ABQ Trolley Company’s The Hopper—A hop-on, hop-off brew cruise. Where: Red Door Downtown, Duel Downtown, Marble Downtown, Rio Bravo. When: 6:30-11 p.m. Cost: $25. Details: Hop on the trolley, hop off at a brewery, enjoy a pint, and repeat. With trolleys running every 30 minutes or so, there will be stops at Red Door’s downtown taproom, Duel’s taproom, Marble, and Rio Bravo. Why you should go: Feel like a pub crawl? Worried about your car? Leave it at home and leave the driving to these good folks.

What: Beer Release & Folk Covers of Radiohead. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: A slew of local musicians will be covering the band, while Tractor releases its next entry in the Beer for a Better Burque (BBB) series, Peach Chinook Common with gold glitter, which will benefit Equality New Mexico. Why you should go: Radiohead might be not our thing, but maybe it’s yours. Also, you gotta admit to be curious about an actual glitter beer.

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Got any questions, comments, complaints? Send them to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com, or leave them here on our site, on Facebook, on Twitter (@nmdarksidebc), or on Instagram.

Enjoy yourselves out there, but please, do it responsibly.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Day One fun begins with sours, cheese, collaborations and more

Posted: May 24, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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Day One will see the return of Beer, Cheese & More at Marble, Sour Hour at Tractor, and more!

All right, people, it’s go time! Again!

Make sure you have your Lyft and/or Uber accounts up to date, and then start checking off the events you can’t miss. The Crew will be here for you every day with info on every single event.

Look for one or more of us at Nexus, Steel Bender, Marble, and (hopefully) Tractor Wells Park today. We’re going all-out to start this year’s series of events!

Featured Event

Every day we will pick what we consider the biggest, most interesting, most unique event. This does not mean you should go to only this event and ignore the rest. All of them deserve your attention, but realistically, you can probably only attend a few. So we will make our daily pick, and you can either jump on it, or declare the Crew is foolish (we kinda are) and pick your own.

What: Beer, Cheese & More. Where: Marble Brewery Downtown. When: 5-8 p.m. Cost: $25.

Details: A tray of five specialty cheeses from Whole Foods Market, plus other delicious munchies, are paired up with five Marble beers — BBBerry Gose, Tickle Factory, Chillsner, Red Ale, and Cholo Stout. Get your tickets at the taproom ASAP before they run out.

Why you should go: This is always a fun event to challenge your palate with some truly terrific pairings. Aren’t you just curious as to what cheese could stand up to the gold-medal-winning Cholo Stout? Also, The High Desert Playboys will provide the music starting at 7 p.m.

All the other great events

What: Homegrown Pils Collaboration Release and Food Pairing. Where: Steel Bender Brewyard. When: All day. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The Homegrown Pils is back, this time made with a new malt from the Colorado Malting Company. To celebrate, it will be paired with a special turkey sausage dish. Why you should go: Delicious food and beer always go together.

What: Nexus Notorious BUN (Big Ugly Nasty) IPA Release. Where: Nexus Brewery. When: All day. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Owner Ken Carson wanted new brewer Randy King to create a heck of an IPA. So, he did. Why you should go: Enjoy this new hop bomb before the joint gets packed for the anniversary party on Saturday and Sunday.

What: Boxing Bear and Rio Bravo Sampling. Where: Jubilation. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Before stocking up for the weekend on beers, make sure to stop by this double brewery tasting, featuring Boxing Bear’s Chocolate Milk Stout, Red Glove, Sucker Punch DIPA, Barrel-Aged Standing 8 Stout, and Coffee Chocolate Stout, plus Rio Bravo’s NM Pinon Coffee Porter and Snakebite IPA. Why you should go: That’s a whole lot of different beers to try and enjoy, plus, they might make your shopping decisions easier.

What: Beer Walk, Run or Crawl. Where: Rio Bravo, Dialogue, Tractor Wells Park, and Bow & Arrow. When: 4-7 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: This fundraising event starts and ends at Rio Bravo, with stops at the other three breweries. Get a commemorative T-shirt and $1 off pints at all locations. Wrap it up with a concert at Rio Bravo. Why you should go: With all of the food events going on, you can use the exercise.

What: Sour Hour with Rowley Farmhouse Ales. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 5-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The good dudes from RFA in Santa Fe are bringing five sours down for your sampling pleasure, including three new Ab Initios made with blueberry and pomegranate, merlot grapes, and methley plums. Why you should go: Pucker up for this rare and wonderful chance to try some RFA beers without having to drive 60 miles.

What: Canteen Social Capital Beer Release. Where: Canteen Taproom. When: 5-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: This batch of Social Capital was made with pink guava, kaffir leaf, and dry-hopped with Citra. Why you should go: Get funky in the Foothills, all while chilling out far, far away from the rest of the madness.

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Got any questions, comments, or complaints? Send them to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com, or leave them here on our site, on Facebook, on Twitter (@nmdarksidebc), or on Instagram.

Enjoy yourselves out there, but please, do it responsibly.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Steel Bender gets in on the fun this year

Posted: May 23, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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Steel Bender is diving head-first into ABQ Beer Week.

When ABQ Beer Week rolled around last year, Steel Bender Brewyard had only been open for a couple months. Knowing that it was better to ease into things, the owners waited until this year to go full-bore into the annual madness. To follow up on our stories on all the events going on at Tractor Brewing and Marble Brewery, I sat down with Steel Bender’s Shelby Chant to go over what she and the staff have planned out.

Thursday

The brewery is bringing back a favorite seasonal with a new twist and a food pairing.

“We are opening Beer Week on Thursday with the Homegrown Pils Collaboration Release,” Shelby said. “We’ve already released our Homegrown Pils, which did really, really well, it’s a great beer, but we brought down the guys from Colorado Malting and used a malt that’s never been used in America. We got to do that, so that is going to be a phenomenal beer. We’re doing the release of that that day, along with a food pairing. Our new chef is doing a turkey sausage with leek, apple, green chile, roasted peppers, et cetera.”

The beer and the pairing will be available from open (11 a.m.) to close, so long as the food lasts.

Two other non-Beer-Week-related goings on for Steel Bender that day will involve a charity and an off-site tap takeover. Thursday is Red Nose Day, so $1 from every pint sold of Red Iron Red will go to the charity. Meanwhile, up in Santa Fe, Steel Bender will be doing a tap takeover at Violet Crown Cinema, including the release of a new beer, Kettle Run: A Solo Hop Sour made with Wakatu hops. That was made, naturally, for the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Sunday

Steel Bender will be among the many breweries in attendance at ABQ Blues & Brews at Sandia Casino from 2 to 6 p.m.

Monday

The patio should be packed on Memorial Day.

Bring your appetite if you do not have a prior engagement for Memorial Day.

“Probably what will be our biggest event, at least that’s the plan, is the Memorial Day Bender Smoke-out,” Shelby said. “What we’ve been doing is we’ve purchased two smokers — we have two more coming but they may not be here in time for Memorial Day — but we are really playing around with doing a lot of smoked meats. Our whole thing when we opened this place and put that patio back there was we want you to feel like you’re at a backyard neighborhood barbecue when you’re out on our patio. All of our chefs kept begging for us to get smokers and we finally did it.”

Brace yourselves for delicious offerings of smoked spare ribs, smoked brisket, and smoked pulled pork. Shelby said Steel Bender has been running test batches of each over the past several weeks, and they have sold out every time. Side dishes will include coleslaw, salads, beans, french fries, mac-n-cheese, Hawaiian bread dinner rolls, and more, most of which will be made in house.

The band Royal Hills will provide the music from 1 to 3 p.m.

As the meats have sold out quickly in the past, Shelby said she recommends people show up as close to the doors opening at 11 a.m. as possible.

Tuesday

This one happens off-site, but Steel Bender is joining forces for a beer dinner of epic proportions.

“Tuesday is our beer dinner with TFK Smokehouse combined with Bell’s Brewery,” Shelby said. “They’re doing a five-course menu. We’re taking three beers, the (Raspberry) Dynamite, the Ingenio, and the Red. I think we’ve got three and they’ve got an opening and then they’ve got two more on the menu. They opened that up about two weeks ago; they capped it at about 40 people. That’ll be a lot of fun. The menu looks phenomenal.”

The menu has been revealed on Facebook. Bell’s Oberon will be the welcoming beer, while Raspberry Dynamite is paired with a Brazilian salad, Bell’s Lager of the Lakes is paired with Smoked Pork Firecrackers, Ingenio is paired with Margarita Shrimp Tacos, Red Iron Red is paired with Smoked Beef Short Ribs, and Bell’s 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve is paired with Mayan Chocolate Mousse.

Interested? RSVP with TFK Smokehouse at (505) 639-5668. The cost is $55 per person.

Clearly, if anyone thought that they were getting out of Beer Week with a slimmer waist, you are sadly mistaken.

Thursday, May 31

Steel Bender and Flix Brewhouse have teamed up on a beer for a special movie screening.

Steel Bender and Flix Brewhouse are teaming up with a special beer release to coincide with the screening of Beerfest, a ludicrous comedy from the Broken Lizard gang that was filmed in Albuquerque.

“This whole thing started out with (us asking) ‘wouldn’t it be cool to do something for a cult movie release?’ They’re able to get those rights to do those screenings,” Shelby said. “We’re hoping that this is successful and this becomes a regular Beer Week event for us and we keep going through different movies.”

The movie starts at 7 p.m., with tickets now available online at the Flix website. For an hour prior to the screening, there will be games and other fun activities in the main lobby.

“Also, in combination with that, Flix came out here and we did a collaboration brew, Schnitz and Giggles, it’s a Dortmunder lager,” Shelby said. “It will be released up there and it will be released down here the same day.”

Friday, June 1

Sales rep extraordinaire Adam Auden will be taking some of Steel Bender’s finest beers across town.

“We’re doing a Wild and Sour Tasting at Jubilation,” Shelby said. “That’s also with Cascade, Rowley (Farmhouse Ales) and then some other Favorite Brands (breweries) will be there apparently as well.”

The tasting will last from 4 to 6 p.m. and is free.

Saturday, June 2

Meanwhile, on the west side of the Rio Grande, Steel Bender will be joining forces with one of our favorite restaurants.

“We are doing a tap takeover at M’tucci’s Market and Pizzeria,” Shelby said. “Adam is finalizing what beers to take over there, but for sure all three bottles. We still have Ingenio available right now, but we held back from of The Judy and Bullet’s Reserve. We’ll have all three bottles there and whatever other stainless (steel kegs of) sours that we’ve got ready to take over there. (It’s) going to be mostly charcuterie pairings and it will be going on all day.”

In addition, Steel Bender will be one of the breweries in attendance at the Mini Lager Fest hosted by Ponderosa Brewing. We are working on getting full information from Ponderosa about this event, which begins at noon and costs $20 per person. Look for that preview as we get closer to the event.

Sunday, June 3

May the skies be clear and the winds be calm to finish Beer Week.

The Steel Bender staff is hoping to catch a little luck with the weather for the final event.

“We hope this one goes better than our last-day anniversary event,” Shelby said. “Our anniversary for four-and-a-half days went really, really well, then we got nailed with that really bad wind. We had all the sours out there. We’re hoping the weather holds.”

This event has been dubbed “Le Cask Lunatique,” as it will combine the tapping of six specialty casks with a performance by the local jazz legends, Le Chat Lunatique. The band will perform from 1 to 3 p.m., but the casks will be tapped before that. So what’s in the casks?

  • Cider with Cascade hops and raw sugar
  • Cider with maple syrup and cinnamon sticks
  • The Village Wit with pure honey and grapefruit
  • Sparkfitter Amber with molasses and ginger
  • Brickie Stout with raspberry puree
  • Kettle Run with agave and both the zest and juice of 12 limes

“The plan right now is we want to put them out on the bar on the patio,” Shelby said. “We actually have to build something for this. Then Jason, our chef, is going to do, he thinks right now, some sausage specialty pairings.”

After all is said and done, Shelby said she and her husband Ethan have one plan.

“And then we’re all taking a vacation until the Lavender Festival (on July 7),” she said.

That sounds like a great idea. A big thanks to Shelby for the interview, lunch, and that crowler of Brickie (a belated birthday present).

Beer Week starts tomorrow. For those about to drink, we salute you.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

The Week Ahead in Beer: Boxing Bear throws a block party

Posted: May 23, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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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, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

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

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

First up, a programing note. All ABQ Beer Week events at breweries will be listed with our daily previews, which begin Thursday. For this week and next, this feature will only focus on events that are not affiliated with ABW, though we will include the new beer releases here.

OK, with that out of the way, we would like to highlight Boxing Bear’s Block Party, which runs this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The brewery is bringing together local artists and vendors for a relaxed celebration of our community. Vendors will include High Desert Flameworks, Fat City Confections, Bosque Azul Pottery, Urban Hotdog Company, and CCR Corn Roasters. Boxing Bear will also be releasing its Black and Blue Sour Fruited Tart. D’Santi Nava and other musicians will also be on hand. This is not a 21-and-over event, so bring the family along.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque got all sneaky and released a fresh batch of Scale Tipper this week, plus the charity IPA, Spacelion. Boxing Bear also has Blood Orange Pale Ale. Canteen will release Oompa Lupulin DIPA on Saturday and a barrel-aged version of Obey the Darkside Stout on Tuesday (we will have more on those in our Beer Week daily previews). Dialogue gets quirky with Men Who Stare at Goats Maibock. Marble wants to transport you to some place tropical with Pina Colada. Nexus will release Big Ugly Nasty (BUN) IPA on Thursday and Beam Me Up Scotty returns Friday. Ponderosa is almost out of Hefeweizen, which means it will be time to put Tart Cherry Chocolate Porter on tap. Red Door has ESB ready to roll on Friday. Rio Bravo has a bevy of new beers including Hella Fine Pils, Blurred Lines (New England-style IPA), Sandia SMASH Watermelon Sour, and Old Firestone Pale Ale. Steel Bender brings back Homegrown Pils on Thursday. Tractor is feeling summery with Break Pointe Pale Ale.

Up in Santa Fe, Duel unveils Project 10, a Biere de Mars, on Friday.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of May 21.

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

Ale Republic — (505) 281-2828

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

Beers: Brune, Bernalillo Weisse, Best Coast IPA, Parasol, Red Mountain, Double Trouble, Sombra Stout. The Bernalillo Weisse is a tremendous name. The most recent additions are Parasol, Red Mountain (IPA), Double Trouble, and Sombra Stout.

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.

Bistronomy B2B — (505) 262-2222

(Mon–Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-9:30 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

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: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

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: La Onza White Ale, Dr. Strangehop XPA, Duke City Lager, Washington’s Hatchet, Cascade Grenade, Super Kreak, TruBlu Pilsner, Zeus Juice White IPA. The current seasonals include the Super Kreak, TruBlu, and Cascade Grenade. Zeus Juice White IPA has also returned on tap and in bottles.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese has 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.

Bombs Away Beer Company — (505) 554-3204

(Hours: Mon–Sat noon–10 p.m., Sun noon–8 p.m.)

Beers: BABC IPA, Willie Pete Wit, Low Order Porter, Operation Single Hop, Proximity Pilsner, Actuator IPA, Hazy Chain DIPA, Imperial Session IPA, High Speed Low Drag Lager, The RED Ale, Wild Card, Spring Lager, Arsenal Amber Ale, Claymore Scotch Ale, K98 Kolsch, Kristallweizen. The most recent additions are the K98 and Kristallweizen, plus the Hazy Chain is fresh. Before that came the Claymore, Spring Lager, and Arsenal.

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: Driftwood Oatmeal Stout, Hellapeno Lime Gose, Spacelion IPA, Scale Tipper IPA. The Spacelion is a charity beer meant to raise funds for the family of a Bosque staff member in Las Cruces. Scale Tipper is back for a limited time, but alas, only on draft.

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 3 p.m.-midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: (House) Sun Dagger (Saison), True Aim (Scotch Ale), Denim Tux Lager, Nomadico IPA, Savage Times Sour IPA, Visionland Amber Ale; (Seasonal) Thirsty Land: Foraged Series (Grisette), Saison de Blanc, Roam Free DIPA, Cake Bandit, Desert Rambler Hefeweizen, Thief of Time (Barleywine), Rancho Bizarro (Sour red Ale). Bottles of Dark Mesa, a barrel-aged quad with brett, are still on sale at the brewery, but the supply is limited. Bottles of Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison are available, but it is no longer on tap. Cake Bandit, an imperial German chocolate cake stout, is a decadent treat available for a limited time. There are a limited number of bottles available of the Rancho Bizarro, the most recent addition on tap.

Events: Saturday—Beats & Brews CPR Training, 4-6 p.m., $50 per person

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: Featherweight Session IPA, Sucker Punch DIPA, New Mexikolsch, Strong Arm Strong Pale Ale, Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout, Common Ground, Schwarzbier, Blood Orange Pale Ale. The most recent additions are Blood Orange Pale Ale, Common Ground, a California common, and Schwarzbier. Chocolate Milk Stout is back on the nitro tap. Black and Blue returns Saturday (see the intro above).

Events: Saturday—Block Party, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

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

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.

Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery — (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, Pepe the Mule, Double Black, Raspberry Kolsch. OK, fine, Pepe the Mule counts as a beer, even though it is basically a Moscow Mule, but it was made with beer. Double Black and Raspberry Kolsch are the most recent additions.

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: Irish Red, Marzen, Exodus IPA, Helles Lager, Falconer’s Arm Pale Ale, Blood Orange Wheat, Laid Back Lager, PassGo Pale Ale. Welcome back Blood Orange Wheat and Falconer’s Arm, two returning favorites. The PassGo is new, a combination of passionfruit and mango. Oompa Lupulin DIPA is due out Saturday, followed by barrel-aged Obey the Darkside on Tuesday.

Live Music (Brewery): Thursday—The Deal, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—The Tumbleweeds, 4-7 p.m.

Live Music (Taproom): Saturday—Alex Maryol, 5-8 p.m.

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.

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Mon-Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds 4-11 p.m., Thurs-Sun noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Sour Raspberry, 505 Lager, Micro Hands Session IPA, Munich Dunkel, Stormy (Belgian Blonde), Jeff Wenzel Fights Fires Saison, King Salmon Lager, Men Who Stare at Goats Maibock. The new saison is named for Jeff Wenzel, Dialogue’s assistant brewer, since it’s his first recipe. The King Salmon Lager was made with Chinook hops (get it?). The Men Who Stare at Goats is nowhere near as weird as its namesake movie. We hope.

Live Music: Friday—Well Hung Heart, 8 p.m.-midnight

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Game Night, 7 p.m.

Flix Brewhouse — (505) 445-8500

(Open daily 11 a.m.-midnight)

Beers: Nebulas New England IPA, Dr. Brownstone, Stuntman Light Lager, Say It Loud Coffee Stout, OASIS Passionfruit Belgian Blonde, Hazeas Corpus Hazy IPA. The OASIS and Hazeas Corpus are the most recent additions. Enjoy them with Avengers: Infinity War if you can bring yourself to go back and see it again after that ending.

High and Dry Brewing — (505) 433-5591

(Mon closed, Tues-Thurs 2-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Liberty Crate IPA, Zest Out, Humble Affair Stout, Black Hole’s Son (Porter), Constable Reggie (Tart Amber), Swipe White (Tart Wheat), Mestia #3 (Table Sour). It has been a busy month-plus for the new brewery at 529 Adams St. NE, just south of Lomas. The Zest Out is an orange coffee beer made in collaboration with Steel Bender. This batch of Humble Affair Stout is the delicious coffee stout we were promised.

Hops Brewery — (505) 369-1378

(Sun-Thurs noon-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Dad Joke (California Common), Tipsy Cow (Milk Stout), Warm Scottish Nights, An Irish Tan (English Bitter), Honey Wheat, Chica (Pale Ale), Hop Hill IPA. Hops has started out with these seven beers on tap, but they also have 31 more guest taps, just in case you don’t find one to your liking.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

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

Beers: Helles Lager, Puddle Stomper IPA, Doppelbock, California Common, Pub Ale, Blond Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Irish Red, Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. The most recent additions include the Pub Ale, Blond Ale, Oatmeal Stout, and Irish Red.

Live Music: Friday—Scott Steel, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday—Eli Berry, 6:30 p.m.; Sunday—Blues Jam Sesh, 3 p.m.

Weekly Events: Sunday—The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

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

Kellys Brew Pub — (505) 262-2739

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

Beers: (house) Apricot Ale, American Lager, IPA, Lobo Red Ale, Session IPA, Sleeping Dog Stout, 35 N Coffee Porter, Common; (seasonal) German Pilsner, Capspackler DIPA, Dortmunder, Oak-Aged Natalia. The lineup got a bit of a makeover, with American Lager and Common joining the regulars, bumping out the Blonde. The Natalia was originally made at Chama River and dear lord it was dark decadence in a glass. Get some quick before it runs out!

Live Music: Every Wednesday 6-9 p.m. and Sunday 3-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Thursday Pint night $1 off pints.

Kilt Check Brewing (formerly Drafty Kilt) — (505) 881-0234

(Sun 11 a.m–10 p.m., Mon closed, Tues–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Outlamber Amber, Obliviscaris Oatmeal Stout. The Obliviscaris is back, having replaced the Covfefe Hefe, and boy does it taste good, as we proved with a fourth-place finish at our Stout Challenge. Take note, Kilt Check is now closed on Mondays.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off pints and 20-ounce pours, Mon-Fri, 3-6 p.m.; “Just Because We Love You Club,” happy hour prices at all times for teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and military with ID; Growler Fill Days on Thu and Sun, $2 off new growlers, $1 off refills

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: Citra SMASH IPA, Common Eileen, Mystery Fruit Saison 3000, South Peak Pilsner, Snafued Hazy IPA. There are cans of South Peak available for a limited time. Snafued made a positive debut at Blazin’ Brewfest last weekend.

Lava Rock Brewing — (505) 836-1022

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

Beers: All guest taps for now. Welcome to the listings, Lava Rock! We just wanted everyone to know that the kitchen is up and running and some unique guest taps from other local breweries are available now at 2220 Unser Blvd. NW. When the house beers appear, we will let everyone know.

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

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

Beers: Contact 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)

(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: Cholo Stout, Rita!, Pilsner Anejo, Imperial Red, Kentucky Juleps, Fog Lite, Nitro Madera, 111 Farmhouse Ale, Pina Colada, Session White (Downtown and Heights only), Chocolate Pinky (Heights only), IPA-X (Heights and Westside only), Tickle Factory (Westside only), BBBerry Gose (Westside only), My Lil’ Jabroni (Westside only), Passionate Gose (Westside only), Marble Pale Ale (Westside only), From the Wood Saison (Westside only), Smoked Helles (Westside only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. The most recent addition is Pina Colada, and before that were IPA-X, Pilsner Anejo, Fog Lite, and Kentucky Juleps. Bottles of 111 Farmhouse are available. Remember that Cholo Stout, Double IPA, and Imperial Red are now available in six-packs!

Live Music (Downtown): Thursday—High Desert Playboys, 7-10 p.m.; Friday—Last to Know, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Groove Session, 8-11 p.m.; Monday—Memorial Day Fest with Gershom Brothers, 3-4 p.m., Stan Kee and Step In, 4:15-5:15 p.m., Sol De La Noche, 5:30-6:30 p.m., The Dirty Shades, 6:45-8:30 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Friday—The Fabulous Martini Tones, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—Cynical Bird, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—String Dinner, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Keith Sanchez, 8-11 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown): Saturday—Brewery tours, 2 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: Lemon Wheat Ale. The seasonal list is down to the Lemon Wheat, but two more are coming this week in time for ABQ Beer Week and the anniversary party. Big Ugly Nasty IPA debuts Thursday, followed by Beam Me Up Scotty on Friday.

News: The Silver taproom no longer has weekly music, but it does have an abbreviated menu to keep folks plenty happy.

Events: Saturday and Sunday—Seventh Anniversary Party, all day

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

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

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Pool Session Pale Ale, Cockness Monster (Scotch Ale), Switch Stance Stout. Palmer shares a building with Left Turn Distilling on Girard south of Candelaria. Stop by for some Cockness Monster or Switch Stance and make sure to wish Rob Palmer himself congratulations on becoming a married man.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

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

Beers: Hefeweizen, Triple IPA, Hop-Mosa 2.0, Blood Orange Witbier, Brewer’s Beard Bock. The Brewer’s Beard is the most recent addition, and before that came the Blood Orange Witbier and Hop-Mosa 2.0, a New England-style DIPA. Next up is Tart Cherry Chocolate Porter, which will replace Hefeweizen when it runs out soon.

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: Dark Pedro, Test Batch #2 DIPA, Saiorse Hefe, Baltic Porter, All Rye’t All Rye’t All Rye’t, Berliner Weisse. The most recent additions are the All Rye’t and Berliner Weisse. One of QC’s four regular beers, Pedro O’Flannigan, won a bronze medal at the World Beer Cup.

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.; Wyoming 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: New England IPA, English IPA, Blackberry Hefeweizen. The New England IPA is the first recipe from new head brewer Matt Meier, and Franz Solo declares it to be a new favorite seasonal in town. The next two seasonals to go on tap were English IPA and Blackberry Hefeweizen. An ESB is due out Friday.

Weekly Events (Brewery): Monday—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown Taproom): Today (Wednesday)—Paint it Black Open Mic Comedy, 7-9 p.m.; Thursday—Art at the Bar, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Sunday—Parents’ Day Out, noon-3 p.m.; Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7-9 p.m.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company — (505) 900-3909

(Mon noon–10 p.m., Tues–Thu noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–1 a.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Rio Bravo Amber, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Barrel-Aged Barley Wine, Vanilla Porter, NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Level 3 DIPA, Lemongrass Wit, Blueberry Gose, Imperial Kolsch, Marzen, Barrel-Aged Grab ‘Em By the Putin (Russian Imperial Stout), Hella Fine Pils, Blurred Lines (New England-style IPA), Sandia SMASH Watermelon Sour, Old Firestone Pale Ale, Cherry Wheat. There are two barrel-aged beers on tap in the Barley Wine and Putin. A slew of new beers have gone on tap of late, including Hella Fine Pils, Blurred Lines, Sandia SMASH, Old Firestone, and Cherry Wheat.

Live Music: Thursday—Joseph General, 8 p.m.; Friday—Valerie James Duo, 6:30 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Loungy Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.; Friday—Headliners Comedy presents Friday Night Fools ($5 cover, event only), 9:30 p.m.; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo; Family Funday, 2-5 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Happy hour Monday-Friday, 2-6 p.m., $1 off pints

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 832-7183

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

Beers: Co-Mo IPA, Buzz Bomb, Guera American Blonde Ale, Pilsner, Pinebox Pale Ale, Pub Ale. The Co-Mo and Buzz Bomb are the most recent additions.

Cask: The Co-Mo and Pub Ale are in the firkins.

Events: Thursday—Movie Night with Pulp Fiction, 8:15-10:45 p.m.

Starr Brothers Brewing — (505) 492-2752

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

Beers: Starrstruck IPA, L.A. Woman (Blonde), Red Zepplin, Lampshade Porter, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Phantom Limb Black Rye IPA, Don’t Fear the RIPA, Bloodshot, Dos Cabrones, Plaid Boy Boogie. The most recent additions are Dos Cabrones, a Mexican lager, and Plaid Boy Boogie, a Scottish Red. Next up is Them Boyzz, a boysenberry wheat.

Steel Bender Brewyard — (505) 433-3537

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

Beers: (house) Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, Sparkfitter Amber, Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch, Blue Bullet Stout, Steel Bender Lager, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Out to Pasture (Saison), Zest Out, The Goose is Loose, Yogi Beera. The most recent additions are the Goose (Berliner Weisse), Yogi Beera (Brett Saison), and Zest Out, an orange coffee beer made in collaboration with Humble Coffee and High & Dry Brewing. There are still bottles of Ingenio for sale, but the supply of The Judy and Bullet Reserve has run out. Homegrown Pils returns Thursday.

The 377 Brewery — (505) 934-0795

(Open noon-11 p.m. most days)

Beers: (house) 377 IPA, Dieterhosen Hefe, El CuCuy (DIPA), Fat Brown Guy (Porter), Red Horse NM Lager, Schwarzbier, Berliner Weisse, Naked Ale (Pale); (seasonals) Loonies Lime Saison, Short Wee Heavy, Milk Stout, Peach Wheat, Kolsch, Scottish Ale, Say Juan Saison, Skin Walker Triple IPA, Plum Cherry Sour, Imperial Cream Ale, BBA (Barrel-Aged Dark Lager). A trio of new additions hit taps recently with Plum Cherry Sour, Imperial Cream Ale, and BBA, which is made with coffee, cocoa, and vanilla.

Weekly Events: Sunday—Open Mic/Jam Session, 5 p.m.

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

(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; Four Hills: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m.)

Beers: Gose, Tupac Cali Red Ale, Boot Girl IPA, Explora G&T Cider, Coloring Night, Apricot Wheat, Thai Basil Mint Cider, Break Pointe Pale Ale, Oud Bruin (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Belgo American Pale Ale (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Pete’s Porter (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Cascara Cider (Four Hills only). All proceeds from the G&T Cider go to the Explora Science Center. Break Pointe, The Boot Girl, Coloring Night, a fruited wheat, plus Apricot Wheat and Thai Basil Mint Cider are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Wells Park): Thursday—Beth Lee and The Break Ups, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Sloan Armitage, 8:30 p.m.

Live Music (Four Hills): Saturday—Paul Hunton, 7 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Today (Wednesday)—Triple Coloring Night, 3 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Super Tractor Gamers Night, 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Writing Wednesdays, 5 p.m.; Monday—Tractor Tune Up, 7:30 p.m.

Weekly Events (Four Hills): Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Tractor now has a late happy hour from 9 p.m. to midnight on Mondays with $2.25 classic beers and $3.25 seasonals. 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.

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: Trivial Monstrosity IPA, Snakedriver Dry Irish Stout, Triple Play Pale Ale, Rainbow in the Dunkel, Taurisian Monstrosity. The most recent additions are Rainbow in the Dunkel and Taurisian Monstrosity, which replaced Bocky Mountain High. The Trivial Monstrosity is the latest in the series of rotating specialty IPAs.

Cask: Tuesday—TBA

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Australian Pale Ale, Katabatic Kolsch, Black Thought IPA, Santa Fe Especial. The Santa Fe Especial is a Mexican-style amber.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

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

Beers: El Jefe (Rauchweizen), Antonio Bandito (Dunkelweizen), Llorona Lager, La Bamba (Rauchbier), Stara Baba (Oak Smoked Polish Gratzer), Jacona Stout, P.G. (Pinche Guey) IPA. The Jacona and P.G. are the most recent additions.

Live Music: Every night at 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Reverse happy hour after 9 p.m. includes $1 off pints, $6 appetizers, $10 entrees and pizzas.

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, Whistler (Blonde), Manikin (Small Scottish), Small Stout, Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Sans Titre (Sour Blonde), Fiction (IPA), Monomyth (DIPA), Titian, Dark Ryder, Grunewald, Goya. There has been a big tap turnover with the return of Whistler, Manikin, Sans Titre, Monomyth, and the new Small Stout. The Titian, Dark Ryder, Grunewald, and Goya (13.3% ABV) are available on tap and in bombers. Project 10, a Biere de Mars, makes its debut this Friday.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Today (Wednesday)—Wikki Wednesday with Cloudface, 7 p.m.; Thursday—RJ Perez, 8 p.m.; Saturday—Turn the Tempo, 9 p.m.; Monday—Sub-Assembly! Electric Underground Night, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (ABQ taproom): Tuesday—Bike-In Brew, 7 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: Fields of Rye, Agent Scully – Season One, Episode Six (IPA), Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Petit Blanche, Saison du Sarlacc First Order (Imperial Saison), Fields of Rye Spring ’18, Kaffeeklatsch, Tea for Two (Saison), One at a Time – Galaxy, Sketches of Simplicity (Farmhouse Pilsner). The Agent Scully is a series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. Episode Six is the most recent iteration. The new Kaffeeklatsch is a mixed fermentation coffee Berliner Weisse. The RFA staff has taken a Belgian-style dubbel and aged it in Saint Croix rum barrels with an addition of Santa Rosa Plums, calling it Mixed Dubbels Curling.

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: Hipster Union IPA, Lustgarten Lager, Imperial Pastry-Free Porter, Twisted Root, Schneeball Imperial Pilsner. The most recent additions are Schneeball and Twisted Root, the latter a blonde ale with ginger and lemongrass. You can also find Twisted Root and Lustgarten in six-pack cans.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Saturday—Ryan Demond, 6 p.m.

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, 2920 IPA, Agua Fria Pilsner, Rufina Amber, IPA 5000, Boneshaker Bitter, Crystal Persuasion IPA, Nova Pale Ale, Dragon’s Blood Sour. The benefits of having two brewhouses are now apparent as Second Street is loaded with more beers than ever. The Rufina Amber, IPA 5000, Boneshaker, Crystal Persuasion, Nova, and Dragon’s Blood are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Original location): TBA

Live Music (Railyard): TBA

Live Music (Rufina): Sunday—Lone Pinon, 7 p.m.

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

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: Hoppenheimer IPA, Wit Rock, Pennsylvania Swanky, Dunkel Bock, Flat Cap Brown, Little Bird Blonde, Lichtenhainer. With a new brewer in place, BRB shakes up the lineup. Old favorites Hoppenheimer, Wit Rock, and Little Bird are joined by some fascinating newcomers in the Dunkel Bock, Flat Cap, and Lichtenhainer, a sour ale.

Picacho Peak Brewing — (575) 680-6394

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

Beers: Picacho Lite, Keller Hefeweizen, Twisted Windmill IPA, Old Crawley, 575 Scotsman, Irish Xtra Stout, I Heart Porter, Smooth and Stout. Welcome to the listings, Picacho Peak! For the first time in a long, long time we have a Las Cruces brewery in here. Make sure to check it out the next time you are down south. This Thursday, a limited amount of Seco Simcoe American Pale Ale, brewed by a homebrewer friend of Picacho Peak on National Homebrew Day, will be tapped.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

(Mon–Thurs 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri –Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.)

Beers: Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA, Elcitmos IPA. Elcitmos is the newest addition to the seasonal lineup, and if you could not guess by the name, it features Eldorado, Citra, and Mosaic hops. Cherry Wheat is available in bottles and won a gold medal at GABF in 2017.

Live Music: Friday—Resonance, 6 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

ABQ Beer Week: Marble rolls out more bountiful events

Posted: May 22, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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Beer, Cheese & More will be back at the downtown taproom this Thursday.

In order to help everyone plan out how to handle ABQ Beer Week, the Crew is once again visiting with the breweries hosting multiple events prior to everything kicking off this Thursday. After catching up with Tractor Brewing, the next stop was Marble Brewery, where I visited with marketing and events coordinator Geraldine Lucero on a sunny afternoon on the patio.

Thursday

Beer, Cheese & More returns to the downtown taproom after various construction projects bumped it to the outlying locations in recent years. This is a hugely popular event, so if you have not gone to the taproom and bought your ticket ($25) yet, you could be out of luck. It runs from 5 to 8 p.m.

“Tickets have already started to sell at the taproom,” Geraldine said. “Albuquerque is such a last-minute town, at times we’re just like what are you guys waiting for, but (people) always come through. It’s one of our most popular events.”

Five Marble beers will be paired with five different cheeses selected by the experts at Whole Foods Market, along with some additional charcuterie items.

“The beers that we’re featuring on that menu are going to be the (BBBerry) Gose, Tickle Factory, Chillsner, our classic Red, and Cholo Stout,” Geraldine said. “So five 5-ounce pours paired with five 1-ounce portions of cheese and other accoutrements. All the good stuff.”

The Marble staff has already had fun working with Whole Foods on getting those beers and cheeses properly paired.

“Cassidy (Hurford) is the cheese specialist there and she’s such a huge help every year,” Geraldine said. “I give her tasting notes and samples of the beer, then she hooks us up with a bunch of cheese samples. She, Josh (Trujillo), and I and Greg Dupy ate a bunch of cheese (last week) and locked down our pairings.”

In case anyone ever wondered, yes, working at Marble can be a really good thing.

Saturday

Marble is hosting another Brewer’s Brunch at the Westside taproom starting at 11 a.m., and this one will feature the man himself, Ted Rice.

“We have a special lineup of brewers for this one,” Geraldine said. “Ted, Josh, and Jeff Priddy are all going to be there. It’s a really fun way for patrons to have a sit-down meal with the people behind the beautiful beer that we make. It’s really cool to make the connection with the brewers, especially Ted, people will get to hear his stories. He has such a cool story, the story of Marble and where it came from. Then Josh obviously, too, his story here. And, Jeff Priddy is just a delight to be around.”

This is another fairly exclusive event, so get those tickets ASAP.

“Seating is extremely limited for this,” she said. “We’re only selling 20 tickets at the taproom (for) $25. Ohana Hut is going to be catering it, so it’s going to be an Asian-inspired brunch. We’re excited about that, too. The $25 gets you the meal and two 10-ounce pours. There will be suggested beers when the menu is finalized.”

Marble will also be sending a special keg of IPA-X to the Freight House in Bernalillo as part of its annual pig roast from 1 to 4 p.m. That event costs $15.99 at the door.

Sunday

Just like almost everyone else around town, Marble will pouring beers at ABQ Blues & Brews at Sandia Casino at 1:30 p.m.

Monday

Another annual tradition continues as Marble will host its Memorial Day Festival downtown from 3 to 8 p.m.

The bands scheduled are Gershom Brothers (3-4 p.m.), Stan Kee and Step In (4:15-5:15), Sol De La Noche (5:30-6:30), and The Dirty Shades (6:45-8:30). Kitsune will be the food truck.

There will be an added incentive for folks to attend if they leave their vehicles at home.

“We’re doing something kind of cool this year,” Geraldine said. “We’re encouraging patrons to cycle to Marble. If you ride your bike, you receive Brew Club discounts while you’re here. We’ll also have the guys from Bike Works on hand from 3 to 7 doing free bike consults on the patio.”

Wednesday

To the Heights Taproom for some M’tucci’s east of the Rio Grande!

It can be hard for traffic-phobic residents of the Northeast Heights to make their way across the Rio Grande to indulge themselves at M’tucci’s. Well, for a change, M’tucci’s is coming east with a special series of pairings at the Heights Taproom from 5 to 8 p.m.

“This one I’m really excited about,” Geraldine said. “The guys from M’tucci’s and Josh and I all sat down last week. They brought a bunch of different charcuterie, cheeses, meats, chutneys, picked fruits, anything I could think of, with a bunch of bread. Then we’re just trying different bruschetta and beer. I loved that.”

The beer lineup will be Session White, Amber, Kentucky Julep, and Rita. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased at the Heights Taproom.

“It’ll be something pretty different, because we’ve worked with them (before) on different events,” she said. “They did the pairing for our Cuvee Rouge last year and just nailed it. They’re huge beer geeks over there, too, and food nerds, too. That’s exactly who you want to work with. They make my job easier.”

If there is anyone out there who is not jealous of Geraldine’s job, raise your hand. OK, now put it down, because you’re lying. You’re so jealous, just like the rest of us.

Thursday, May 31

Head to the Westside Taproom for a night that is all about the beer. Marble will tap into its archives for Cherry Brune, From the Wood Saison, Quad, and 2017 Reserve Ale, Geraldine said. The beers will start pouring at 5 p.m., and there will not be a huge amount of any of them, so get over there as fast as you can.

Sunday, June 3

For the first time, Marble is teaming up with Hotel Chaco for a special brunch tap takeover at the Level 5 restaurant up on the fifth floor from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s going to be four taps,” Geraldine said. “Xavi (Romero) will confirm the styles soon. This will be a fun event that will start at brunch. If you haven’t been to Hotel Chaco Level 5 lounge, go check it out. They have the most beautiful view.”

If anyone is wondering where Hotel Chaco is, it is the swanky new joint right behind Hotel Albuquerque, at the intersection of Bellamah and 20th Street.

That covers all of the Marbleous events this week. A big thanks to Geraldine for the info and Josh for the pint of IPA-X.

See many of you at Beer, Cheese & More on Thursday.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Tractor plows ahead with nearly an event per day

Posted: May 21, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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Sticking with tradition, this will be one of the headquarters for ABQ Beer Week events in 2018.

Tractor Brewing is at it again. Just like in past years, the brewery and its taprooms are gearing up for a slew of events encompassing almost every day of ABQ Beer Week, which kicks off this Thursday.

To make sure we did not overlook any events, I sat down with Tractor’s ringmaster, Jeremy Kinter, to get the lowdown on what his brewery has planned this time around.

“As far as events we have consecutively, this is by far our busiest time of the year,” he said.

It is also a chance to show just how far Tractor, and craft brewing as a whole, have come in Albuquerque over the years.

“It’s evolved into a celebration of ABQ craft beer, but it’s (also) a celebration of how we’ve grown as a craft beer community,” Jeremy said. “And to really showcase to people around Albuquerque what we have to offer around here. And not just ourselves, as you can see, we like to team up with other people and other breweries as well.”

Thursday

It all kicks off with a little bit of collaboration at Wells Park.The Sour Hour with Rowley Farmhouse Ales is back, starting at 5 p.m. The Santa Fe-based RFA is bringing three new beers, along with two of its classic sour offerings.

“They are doing the Ab Initio Blueberry Pomegranate, the Ab Initio Merlot Grape, and (Ab Initio) Methley Plums as well,” Jeremy said. “We’re doing their Germophile and Saison du Sarlacc as well. Those are the five we’re going to have on tap.”

There will also be a touring band from Austin, Beth Lee and the Break Ups, performing from 8 to 10 p.m. after the Sour Hour officially ends.

In addition to Tractor hosting that event, there is also the Beer Walk, Run and Crawl, which will take participants on a Wells Park course that includes Tractor, Bow & Arrow, Rio Bravo, and Dialogue. It will start (and end) at Rio Bravo beginning at 4 p.m. The event benefits Behind the Badge, which helps first responders deal with on-the-job trauma. Participants receive a free commemorative T-shirt and $1 off your first pint at each brewery.

Friday

We expect plenty of big crowds at Wells Park during Beer Week.

Local musicians will gather at Wells Park to sing folk covers of Radiohead songs at 8 p.m., including Casey Mraz, Paul Hunton, Jacob Chavez, Los Metamorfos, and Still Closed For Repairs. There will also be a special beer release as part of Tractor’s ongoing Beer for a Better Burque (BBB) campaign.

“It is our glitter beer, Peach Chinook Common with gold glitter,” Jeremy said. “It’s our BBB beer for Equality New Mexico. Every dollar for every pint sold goes to that charity.”

Saturday

There are two events scheduled for two locations. Wells Park will host Covers of Selena, featuring Casey Mraz and Red Light Cameras’ Amanda Machon performing the late singer’s greatest hits from 8 to 10 p.m. There will be a beer release as well.

“The next day we’re doing our beer-rita release,” Jeremy said. “We don’t have a name for it, but it’s going to be a beer-rita.”

Over at Nob Hill, Cider-Day Night Fever returns, featuring Tractor’s ciders and some guest taps.

“There will be ciders from Boxing Bear, Red Door, Sandia Hard Cider, Black Mesa Winery and I think that’s it,” Jeremy said.

The ciders will be on tap as early as 1 p.m., but at 8 p.m., DJ Dave 12 will start spinning up some disco for all you mad dancing fools.

Sunday

Tractor, like just about everyone else, will be at ABQ Blues & Brews at Sandia Casino. We will have more on that big event later this week.

Monday

Head to the Four Hills taproom on Memorial Day.

Tractor Four Hills invites everyone to come by on Memorial Day evening, chill out, and Paint Your Own Stein. The good folks from Kiln It! are the hosts, and they will provide all the supplies from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $35 per person, and it does come with your first pint of beer on the house. RSVP by calling (505) 433-8969.

Tuesday, May 29

The annual Beer & Cheese Pairing is moving from Wells Park to Nob Hill this year, which makes sense considering WP is no longer hosting food trucks. Starting at 5 p.m., Cheesy Street will be offering up four grilled cheeses that are paired with different Tractor beers for just $13. Get there early before the supply runs out!

Wednesday, May 30

In the mood for a treat? Then trek back up to Four Hills for a special pairing between Tractor and Rebel Donut. This one runs from 3 to 7 p.m.

“That’s going to be such a good one, too, I’m excited for that one,” Jeremy said with a wide smile, perhaps knowing that a good chunk of the Crew will be missing it (we are headed to Denver for Insomnium), thus leaving more donuts for everyone else.

Over in Nob Hill, there will be a special Star Wars-themed beer crawl that starts at 7 p.m. at the Bosque Public House, eventually winding its way to the Tractor taproom after stops at Kellys and Hops Brewery. There will be trivia, special prizes, and $1 off your first pint at each location. Costumes are not required, but highly encouraged.

Thursday, May 31

Everyone is aiming to take this trophy from the Babes in Brewland.

Man, have we really been participating in Battle of the Beer Geeks for five years now? Apparently so, as round five kicks off at 5 p.m. at Wells Park. Five teams of local craft beer enthusiasts, including the Crew, are going head-to-head once again. For $10, get a tray of all five beers and then vote for your favorite.

The Babes in Brewland have been dominating this friendly competition since the Crew won the opener in 2014. To keep it from being solely a popularity contest, there will be a change to the voting this year.

“It’s 50 percent popular vote and 50 percent judging panel,” Jeremy said.

After the votes are tabulated and a winner is named, Eddie Brewer and The Manic Episodes will perform at 8 p.m.

Friday, June 1

Fans of the First Friday Comedy Contest need not fret, for it will still take place at Wells Park at 8 p.m. The theme of the evening will be beer jokes, because of course.

Saturday, June 2

Get those dancing shoes back on for 90s Beer Prom at Wells Park. Starting at 8 p.m., the theme is Under the Sea, so dress appropriately and you might even be crowned Prom King or Queen. The cost is $25 per person, and it benefits TEDxABQ.

“I’m really excited,” Jeremy said. “We always fill up, but this year we have a really good variety of different things. Incorporating Beer Prom, and also doing the folk covers of Radiohead and the covers of Selena, it’s going to be a really great year.”

Sunday, June 3

Jeremy sleeps in. No, really, that is for the events, so he and his capable second-in-command, Valerie Osbourn, both get to rest and relax and maybe even take some vacation time. By the end of ABQ Beer Week, they will have earned it.

Thanks to Jeremy for taking the time to chat before it all goes to plaid.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Rare beers set for Sister’s 21 and Over event

Posted: May 18, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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A slew of specialty brews will be arriving at Sister a week from today.

When just glancing at the name, the 21 and Over event at Sister sounds kind of odd. After all, of course one has to be 21 and over to go drink beer at the downtown bar next Friday, May 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. What the title actually refers to, however, is the age of the breweries involved. Only breweries that have been around 21 years or more are participating, and rather than bring us the same old stuff, each is bringing a wildly different and unique offering. This is one of those ABQ Beer Week events that demanded a little more detail in a separate preview, so without further ado …

Bell’s Brewery: 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve. This is the only keg to come to New Mexico. If anyone had the barrel-aged Cherry Stout before, you know how good this classic beer can be. This reserve batch checks in at 9-percent ABV.

Firestone Walker: ’17 Helldorado. This blonde barleywine comes from the California brewery that just cleaned up at the World Beer Cup, with four medals including three golds. This batch checks in at 12.8-percent ABV, so you might want to leave the car at home and take an Uber/Lyft/taxi.

Four Peaks: Green Tea Lager. The June seasonal release from the Tempe, Arizona brewery arrives a few days early. Much lighter (5.2% ABV) than the rest of the lineup, this was brewed with green tea (natch) and a heap of Chinook hops.

Left Hand: Chai Milk Stout Nitro. By now, everyone but the lactose-intolerant has probably tried Left Hand’s classic Milk Stout, either CO2 or nitro. This version has a whole lot of Chai spice added to the mix, for a creamy-yet-zesty brew that checks in at a sessionable 5-percent ABV.

New Belgium: Clutch Sour Stout. Pucker up for this offering from Fort Collins, Colorado. Originally brewed back in 2011, this Lips of Faith Series beer checks in at 9-percent ABV. It is described as “an iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove.”

Odell: ‘16 Meddler. An aged Oud Bruin, this is a big (8.6% ABV) sour. Made with lacto and other wild yeasts, it is not for the faint of palate.

Rogue: Combat Wombat. This might be the most bonkers beer of the bunch, and that’s saying something. Described as a Northeast-style IPA made with grapefruit and blood orange, this is the citrus haze bomb you’ve been craving. The Australian hops are present throughout this 7.2-percent ABV ale.

Sierra Nevada: Kolsch German-Style Ale. Only available in variety packs, this is Sierra Nevada’s interpretation of the classic light German beer. They added a little wheat malt to give it a bit of an American character as well. At only 5-percent ABV, this is the best beer to start your evening.

We will see many of you at Sister next Friday.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Beer Notes: 30 breweries to vie for NM IPA Challenge trophy this July

Posted: May 17, 2018 by cjax33 in Beer Notes
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Can anyone pry the trophy from Justin Hamilton’s hands this summer?

There was just enough news piling up to require a short notebook this week. The NM Brewers Guild released the list of 30 participating breweries in this summer’s NM IPA Challenge. We also have news on some of the new breweries coming to our state, plus a couple notes on American Craft Beer Week.

Thirty breweries will enter, only one will leave (with the trophy)

With more than 70 operational breweries in New Mexico, the annual IPA Challenge cannot possibly accommodate everyone in the state. There are 30 spots available for the preliminary round, so the Guild simply offered them up on a first-come, first-served basis this week (save for the defending champion, which always gets an automatic bid).

The NMIPAC will start off with the preliminary round July 14 in Albuquerque, followed by rounds in Taos on July 18, Santa Fe on July 21, and then back to Albuquerque on July 28. The host breweries have not been named yet.

Here are the preliminary round participants, with past championships in parentheses for those that have won.

  1. Blue Corn (2013)
  2. Bombs Away (first time participant)
  3. Bosque (2014, 2015)
  4. Bow & Arrow
  5. Boxing Bear (2016, 2017)
  6. Canteen (2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
  7. Cloudcroft (first time participant)
  8. Duel
  9. Flix Brewhouse
  10. High Desert
  11. Kaktus
  12. Kellys
  13. La Cumbre
  14. Little Toad Creek
  15. Marble
  16. Nexus
  17. Ponderosa
  18. Quarter Celtic
  19. Red Door
  20. Red River (first time participant)
  21. Rio Bravo
  22. Roosevelt
  23. Santa Fe
  24. Second Street
  25. Sidetrack
  26. Starr Brothers
  27. Taos Mesa
  28. Three Rivers
  29. Toltec (first time participant)
  30. Tractor

For those wondering about the missing years, Chama River (R.I.P.) won in 2006 and 2008, while Turtle Mountain won in 2009, but is not participating this year.

Other notable breweries not participating include Abbey, Bathtub Row, Boese Brothers, Cazuela’s, Desert Valley, Dialogue, Enchanted Circle, Milton’s, Picacho Peak, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Sierra Blanca, Spotted Dog, Steel Bender, and Tumbleroot.

When the host breweries have been named, we will let everyone know.

American Craft Beer Week is back

In case you missed it, and if you don’t check into Untappd, you have probably have, but American Craft Beer Week is happening right now. There aren’t really any local events going on around New Mexico, mostly because a good chunk of the state’s breweries are gearing up for ABQ Beer Week, which starts a week from today.

The main goal of ACBW this year is to get people to seek out breweries that have adopted the Independent Craft Beer logo. You can find the list of New Mexico breweries by going here and searching by our state. Most of the craft breweries here have adopted the logo.

If you would like to have a little more fun, you can always print out the ACBW bingo card. For those who enjoyed running all over town for the Beer Passport last month, this one might be for you.

New brewery updates

Grants has a local brewery again as Elkins Brewing is now open.

There have not been too many additions to our list, but there is some news on openings.

  • Well now, after months of being a total mystery, Elkins Brewing in Grants has a Facebook page. Not only that, but it has either opened or is awfully close to opening. Located at the Lavaland RV Park off Exit 85 of Interstate 40, Elkins is right by the entrance to El Malpais National Monument. Per the Facebook page, Elkins was scheduled to open Tuesday, but there is no official confirmation that it did open. The plan was to have an American IPA, English IPA, Blond Ale, Rye Ale, Gose, and Imperial Stout on tap. One or more of us from the Crew will head out there soon enough to check it out. Welcome to the scene, Elkins!
  • Another brewery now in possession of an active small brewer license is Bonito Valley Brewing in Lincoln. So when will this small-town brewery open? Bonito Valley has announced that its grand opening weekend will be August 3-5. If you are not heading up to Denver for the LA Galaxy-Colorado Rapids game that weekend like some of our friends (the power of Zlatan compels them), then this might make for a nice alternative trip if you need to get out of ABQ.
  • A restaurant in Las Vegas, B3-BBQ, Burgers & Beer, has a pending small brewer license, which give that town its first local craft since New Mexico Craft Brewing closed down years ago (and was later reborn down here in ABQ as Desert Valley).
  • It sure looks like Red River Brewing will be open this weekend (we await an official notice), but even if it’s not, head to town for the Bacon & Brews festival this Saturday. Brandenburg Park will host the event from noon to 5 p.m. Participating breweries will include Abbey, Comanche Creek, Enchanted Circle, Red River, Santa Fe, and from all the way down in Ruidoso, Lost Hiker. There will also be wine, games, music, and more.

That is all from us for now. If you know of any news we have missed about breweries in New Mexico, please contact us via social media or at nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

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