Author’s note: This post got a bit big, so I split it in two. For the Northern New Mexico beers, see above; this half covers the breweries that are all located in towns and cities south of the ABQ metro area.

Socorro Springs Brewing: Now technically none of the in-house beers here are made in Socorro; they’re actually made at Eddyline Brewing in Colorado. Quite frankly, we don’t care, they’re still good. E-Rock and I had the opportunity to dine here and enjoy their pale ale and IPA last year. The food is gourmet-quality and the beers were solid entries in those styles. Do take note of the fact that, like almost everything else in Socorro, the Springs closes pretty early, usually around 10 p.m. If for any reason you have to go visit New Mexico Tech or are just tired of always stopping at the fast food joints just off I-25, stop here instead. They currently have an amber and a porter on tap in addition to the styles we had.

The Wellhead (Artesia): The lone oasis in microbrewery-deprived Southeast New Mexico, this is high on our list of breweries to visit this summer. The plan, such as it is, would be to visit here first, then trek up to Roswell to catch some Invaders minor-league baseball action (seriously, check out the awesome fluorescent-green uniforms!). They currently have Crude Oil Stout on tap, with Roustabout Porter taking its spot on the docket in the summer. We have not had the pleasure of trying any Wellhead beers at ABQ-area beer festivals; maybe they will stop by Blues & Brews at the end of ABQ Beer Week on May 27 to give us even more incentive to visit Artesia later this summer.

High Desert Brewing (Las Cruces): Even though it’s a college town, Las Cruces only has one microbrewery to serve its thirsty masses. The good news is High Desert is more than up to that challenge. They currently have 11 styles on tap, and E-Rock and I swear there were even more than that when we visited last summer. That was our first trek to catch Pecos League baseball action, with an extended lunch/tasting at High Desert preceding the Las Cruces Vaqueros vs. Alpine Cowboys game. We do not need much incentive to go back down I-25 as almost every beer we tried was of excellent quality. Trust us, Lobo fans, there really is something good about Las Cruces. Even you diehard cherry-and-silver types should stop by High Desert. Just leave Louie at home.

Mimbres Valley Brewing (Deming): I have done the Tucson-to-Albuquerque (and vice versa) drive more times than I can count in my life. Deming is usually the place to stop for a quick fast-food bite and/or a fill-up at a gas station, as it is the de facto midpoint of the drive between my college town and my hometown. To heck with fast food, this is going to be my new stop going to and from the Old Pueblo. Located in the heart of Deming, just south of I-10 on Gold Ave., the Mimbres Valley crew usually brews up a mix of traditional styles as well as some burly, hyper-flavored new styles that I will probably have to skip if I want to keep driving. The Pancho Villa Stout has popped up at beer festivals in ABQ in the past, while I look forward to trying the Rusty Nail Scottish Ale if it’s still on tap in mid-March.

If we missed any breweries throughout the state, please let us know. New breweries are popping up all the time, and even the almighty Google has yet to catch all of them.

The next time you feel like a road trip, but don’t feel like you have the time or money to leave the state, drop in at one of these breweries instead. Just don’t forget to tell them who sent you.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister