Some Crew members have been very busy the past few weeks while some have been MIA. I have been one of those MIA. Between work, tending to a sick girlfriend, and even a death in my extended family, I’ve been keeping to myself mostly while neglecting my duties as a writer for this blog. Well, I believe the sun has risen once again and it is time to crank out some overdue material.

This marks our first Easter edition of Beer Weekend, which probably won’t differ too much from our normal update. But, like any holiday, this is a day to spend with loved ones and friends, and instead of hunting for those strangely colored eggs, hunt for miniatures.

Shilling: This post marks the completion of my first homebrewing experience. In two weeks time the final product will be ready and I’m sure another BBQ will follow with the Crew and various other hooligans. As promised, the Broken Bottle Brewery interview will be written and posted (after a battle of various interferences). For some of you downtown folks, a few of us will be present at the Chama River Taproom pre-gaming for Black Dahlia Murder’s show at Sunshine Theater on Saturday night. Come on out and have a pint with us!

Cryptogrind: To put it simply, my weekend shall consist of biking, friends, grilling and metal. Shilling and I will be downtown Saturday night for the Black Dahlia Murder/Nile show at the Sunshine Theater … which means a stop at the Chama River Taproom. Find us if you’re out and about, or come get your beer and metal fix with us!

E-Rock: As mentioned in many previous posts, I am a musician and my busiest weekend for shows is always the first weekend of the month. However, I can always find time for some good local brews. After my own show on Friday I will head to a show at Launchpad benefiting a friend of mine who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. In addition to supporting a good cause and enjoying great music, I will be researching an upcoming post detailing the availability of local craft beers in the downtown bar scene. I will also spend this weekend checking out Il Vicino’s anniversary celebration Saturday afternoon and bringing a six pack of Marble Oatmeal Stout to a giant Easter party in Barelas.

Stoutmeister: After I got back from Taos, before the snow even showed up, my throat got sore in that oh-so-special way that made me know I was coming down with my first cold of 2012. Oh, the joy of sniffling, coughing, aching, and worst of all, not being able to drink beer all week (UPDATE! I felt good enough this afternoon to finally open the growler of Blue Heron’s La Llorona Scottish Ale that sat sadly in my fridge, untouched all week). I hope to head over to the one-year anniversary party at Il Vicino Canteen on Saturday, which runs from noon to 5 p.m. and will feature both the Sasquatch Scotch and the Passtout on cask. Beyond that I plan to watch a lot of opening week baseball, some of the final hockey games of the regular season (as an aside, Cryptogrind and I are about to go to war as it’s now official, my Penguins vs. his Flyers in the first round) and yeah, some EPL games.

Franz Solo: He just got back from a well-earned vacation that included a stop at the Pagosa Springs Brewery! Look for a review soon.

Cheers!

– The NMDSBC