Greetings Burque beer lovers, this is E-Rock here to bring you a special Tuesday installment of The Week Ahead in Beer. I spent last week in Saint Lucia in the Bahamas at my sister’s wedding, so I didn’t get back into Albuquerque until last night. As a result, I had to push back The Week Ahead in Beer by one day. Sorry for the inconvenience. As always, this column is hand-crafted to keep you up to date on all of the seasonal beers, music, and events served up in and around the Duke City.
If you haven’t been to the Il Vicino Canteen in a while, this is the time to go. The Canteen has four new beers on tap this week including Mosaic IPA, Irish Red, Chainsaw Irish Lager, and CRAP (Classic Real American Pilsner). If that weren’t enough, the Canteen will be hosting their first Cask Fest this Saturday from noon-5 p.m. Tickets for Cask Fest are $15, and they are sold at the Il Vicino Canteen. They are only selling 300 tickets, so get yours now. There are a few other beers making their way to taps around town this week. Chama River has brought back their Nobel Session Ale this week. Il Vicino Canteen’s the Donker is finally making it to taps this week alongside a new batch of the Oaked Rye. Marble has a new batch of their Imperial Red on tap this week. Sandia Chile Grill has new batches of their Crystalweizen and IPA on tap. They also have their Milk Stout now on nitro. Tractor is introducing their new Goat Head Hater Doppel Bock this week. Turtle Mountain is now serving a new batch of their Honey Wheat.
I would like to give a special thanks to Sandia Chile Grill for hosting me as I created this week’s column and for supplying me with delicious beer and tacos as I typed.
That is just a small sample of what is going on in and around the 505. Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of March 3.

To break down each “capsule,” I listed the brewery (with Web page linked), its phone number (all are area code 505, for out-of-state readers) and hours of operation. Under “Beers” are the new or seasonal beers on tap for this week. And for those breweries that play host to musicians, I made sure to list who’s on the week’s set list.
ABQ Brew Pub — 884-1116
(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–midnight)
Beers: Winter Saison, Monk’s Tripel Ale. ABP is now carrying Monk’s Tripel Ale. This heavy-hitting ale was reviewed by our very own Cryptogrind back in early January.
Back Alley Draft House — 766-6973 (NYPD)
(Hours 4 p.m.-11 p.m. daily)
Beers: Back Alley Belgian White, Goat Head Java Stout, Goat Head Barley Wine. Several members of the Brew Crew had a chance to sample Goat Head’s Barley Wine and Java Stout at our one-year anniversary party at BADH. Both beers had bold tastes that we have come to expect from Goat Head. If you are a fan of Marble beers, then you need to sample some of Goat Head’s beers, which have plenty of hops in recent hits like the Imperial Red. The Java Stout compares favorably with Santa Fe’s version. If you love coffee flavor, this beer packs a ton of it.
News: BADH will be open every day starting at 4 p.m. Also, celebrate Dollar off Tuesdays on your favorite beers. Industry people always get a dollar off; show your server certificate or some other proof that you work in the crazy restaurant/bar industry. (Kitchen peeps TOO!)
Music: Mon — Underground Etiquette featuring resident DJ Beatnick and Guest DJ Ian Evan 9 p.m.
Bosque Brewing Company — 750-7596
(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun noon-8 p.m.)
Beers: Mellow Brit English Brown, Bosque’s Burning Red Rye, Brown, Greybeard Imperial Stout, Boss PA.
News: BBC has a set regular beer menu, so from now on I will only post their seasonal beer menu. Sometime before Beer Week I will have a Beer Listing page that has separate categories for regular, seasonal, and cask. BBC is now featuring live bands as part of their new Monday Music night. Stoutmeister named the Greybeard Imperial Stout as his favorite imperial seasonal to come out in the month of February. He called it “a welcome departure from all the barrel-aged imperial stouts that have crowded the market.”
Music: Mon — Shane Wallin Music 6-8 p.m.
Broken Bottle Brewery — 890-8777
(Mon–Fri 4 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)
Beers: Sol Rosenberg Ale, Glugg Porter, End of Days Tripel, Cracked Cork BarleyWine. B3’s website had this to say about their Glugg Porter, “Typically, the ingredients for glug are red wine, sugar, spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and bitter orange, but we said ‘let’s make it with beer!’ A perfect spiced winter porter while we wait for Spring to come.” (5% ABV)
News: B3 has David Hasselheff (Hefeweizen) and the beloved Nacho Brau heading to taps once one of their other beers is tapped, so drink up.
Events: B3 has $3 beers every Tuesday from open to close. On Wednesday, B3 will be hosting their open mic from 8-10 p.m., with signups starting at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, B3 will be showing the new episode of The Walking Dead.
Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — 994-9364
(Hours of operation are not yet posted.)
Beers: Chupacabra IPA (7.2% ABV), Cerveza Por Mis Cavallios Oatmeal Stout (5.5% ABV), Tomazula Brown (5.2% ABV), Tierra del Fuego Cream Ale (5.0% ABV), Alcapulco Gold Mexican Lager (4.8% ABV), and an ESB. Franz Solo and I gave high marks to Cerveza Por Mis Cavallios Oatmeal Stout during the NMDSBC’s Battle of the Beers II competition on Super Bowl Sunday.
Chama River Brewing Company — 342-1800
(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)
Beers: Nobel Session PA, Rye PA, Big Head Imperial Ale, Cascade PA. The Cascade Pale Ales takes up where the Centennial, Cascade, and Chinook Pale Ales left off. For those who don’t know, Cascade, Simcoe, Centennial, and Chinook are hops varieties with different flavor profiles. Chama River often brews pale ales based on a single hop variety. Simcoe hops are best known for adding especially bitter aromas and flavors to pale ales.
Farside Brew Pub — 918-2337
(Mon–Thurs 4 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 3 p.m.–11 p.m., Sun 4–8 p.m.)
Beers: C Squared (Kolsch), Cow Tipper Cream Stout, Anni-Oaky Imperial IPA, Torn Kilt, Zombie IPA, Double Headed Zombie, English Brown Smog, Feather Weight Ale. The Farside Brew Pub recently had their two-year anniversary. To celebrate, the folks at FBP brewed up one barrel of Anni-Oaky Imperial IPA. I’m told that Anni-Oaky was meant to be brewed in a limited quantity and it will not be brewed again until this time next year, so grab a pint while you can.
Events: FBP is now hosting Monday Madness featuring all day happy hour pints and Thursday College Night (with a valid college ID) featuring a $7 Pizza and Pint Special, plus all night happy hour pints. FBP will be hosting their biweekly open mic on Tuesday with signups starting at 7 p.m. FBP will be showing the new episode of The Walking Dead on Sunday.
Il Vicino Brewing Canteen — 881-2737
(Sun–Thurs noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight)
Beers: Mosaic IPA, Irish Red, Chainsaw Irish Lager, CRAP (Classic Real American Pilsner), The Donker (Belgian Dark Strong), Odin’s Imperial Red, Dark American Lager. A few weeks ago I posted that Odin’s Imperial Red and the Donker were on tap at the Canteen. I was wrong. It turns out that they were only available as part of a Mug club member tasting. As of this week, both the Donker and Odin’s Imperial Red are on tap. Odin’s Imperial Red is a beer fit for the Norse god, made with five pounds of Simcoe hops per barrel (10.25% ABV, 100+ IBU). The Donker (10% ABV, 23 IBU) is a Belgian Strong Dark that was brewed with dark candy sugar. The Brew Crew had an opportunity to sample both beers, and we can say that they were worth the wait.
Cask: The Il Vicino Canteen has different beers on cask on Wednesday and Saturday. The cask schedule is not up as of today, but I am assured that lots of tasty beers will be on cask. They usually do an IPA on cask on Wednesday and a specialty beer on Saturday.
News: The Canteen will be hosting their first Cask Fest this Saturday from noon-5 p.m. Tickets for Cask Fest are $15, and they are sold at the Canteen and online via the New Mexico Brewers Guild. They are only selling 300 tickets, so get yours now.
Music: Tues — Cynical Bird 6-9 p.m., Sun — Surf Lords 3-6 p.m.
La Cumbre Brewing — 872-0225
(Open every day at noon)
Beers: Munchner Dunkel, El Dorado PA, Whirlpool Pale Ale, Noche de Paz, Potter’s PA (Belgian-style pale ale), Hot Shots Rauch (Rauchbier). La Cumbre’s website had this to say about the El Dorado Pale Ale, “The new proprietary hop from Brewers Supply group was only released in 2012 and is already being widely heralded by many in the craft brewing industry. It displays a number of the more complex aromatics found in many of the newer Pacific Northwest hops without any of the garlic and cattiness that has been so prevalent. We kept a simple but firm malt backbone to let the subtle wood, earth, blueberry and lychee qualities of this hop play center stage.” (6.3 ABV, 55 IBU) LC’s website also described the Noche de Paz, “Tarting with our rich British ale malt, we blended in six different caramel and chocolate malts as well as a touch of corn to make this richly malty beer, just lightly balanced with a kiss of English hops. The finish is lightly sweet with a plethora of rich caramel and biscuit.” (7.9% ABV, 20 IBU)
Cask: La Cumbre will be featuring the Malpais Stout on cask this week.
Music: Wed — The Tumbleweeds 6-9 p.m., Sat — Reviva 7-10 p.m.
Marble Brewery — 243-2739
(Mon–Sat 1 p.m.–midnight, Sun 1 p.m.–10:30 p.m.)
Beers: Imperial Red, Killa Bee, Stands with a Fist, Abbey Darkness, India Wheat Ale. Marble’s website had this to say about the Killa Bee, “Not a display of hop bitterness, rather, a subtle showcase of the power of the flower. Hops and Honey play to the finish! Who will win?” (8.5% ABV, $5/Pint) In addition, the website says of Stands with a Fist, “A super clean palate leads the way for German malts and American hops to finish dry and assertive. This beer stands with a fist.” (8.0% ABV, $5/Pint) Stoutmeister had this beer, both on cask and C02, when he interviewed brewer Josh Trujillo last week, and he highly recommends grabbing a pint while it is available.
Cask: Check out Marble’s cask (a.k.a. “real” ale) selection on tap every Friday at the Downtown Pub. This week, they will be featuring the Marble Red on cask.
Food: On Tuesday from 4-late at Marble’s Downtown Pub The Chile Pod’s special will be 3 crunchy tacos with a side of beans and a home made brownie. On Wednesday from 3-10 p.m. at the Downtown Pub, Dia de los Takos is having a Going Away Party! DDTL will be giving away 1000 takos (1 per person), Next 2 the Tracks is playing from 6-9 p.m. and Soo Bak Foods will be parked patio-side.
Events: The Supper Truck parks at Marble’s Downtown Pub every Saturday.
Music: Wed — Next 2 the Tracks 6-9 p.m.
Nexus Brewery — 242-4100
(Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sun 11 a.m.–midnight)
Beers: Imperial Red, Extra Pale, Chocolate Porter, Imperial Cream Stout, Barley Wine. For all you cask fans out there, the Imperial Red is making a return appearance on cask. The Crew scarfed down chicken & waffles a couple of weeks ago, and just about all of us had at least one pint of the Imperial Red, which was excellent.
Cask: Nexus will have their Imperial Red on tap starting on Wednesday.
Events: Nexus serves up Happy Hour All Day on Tuesday featuring $3 pints. They also have Ladies Night on Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. featuring $3 pints for the ladies.
Sandia Chile Grill — 798-1970
(Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–6 p.m.)
Beers: Nitro Milk Stout, IPA, Crystalweizen, New Mexico Gold Rush Pilsen (almost out), Smoked Porter, IPA (6.5% ABV, 100 IBU), Irish Red Ale (6% ABV). The IPA will be on tap by the end of the week. SCG’s New Mexico Gold Rush Pilsen recently took first place at the New Mexico Cup competition. This is one crisp and tasty beer that is not to be missed. Grab a pint soon, before it’s gone.
News: SCG will have their Amber back on tap next week, and they will have an extra hoppy IPA, called the Rattlesnake IPA, on tap in about twenty days. It’s called the Rattlesnake IPA because it will bite you on the ass, and it’s so good your friend will want to help.
At Sandia Chile Grill you can enjoy great New Mexican food with your beer such as their $10 double chicken enchilada and beer special served with beans, potatoes, chile, and a 16-ounce beer.
Tractor Brewing Company — 433-5654 (Nob Hill Tap Room)
(The tap room opens most days around 3 p.m. and stays open as late as 2 a.m.; it opens earlier on weekends)
Beers: Goat Head Hater Doppel Bock, Pilsner #15, Wild Wheat Belgian, Duchess (Imperial) Pale Ale, Tractor Hard Cider. Tractor had a post on their Facebook page that had this to say about the Goat Head Hater Doppel Bock, “a doppelbock is a German style bock (lager) that was traditionally brewed in the late fall, lagered (stored in the cellar) over the winter and served in late winter or early spring. We adhere to this tradition here at Tractor; this doppelbock was brewed in November and has been lagering until now.” The Tractor Hard Cider is sweeter than their usual cider.
Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — 994-9497
(Kitchen hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.)
Beers: Honey Wheat, White Knight (Belgian), Ol’ Brown Eyes, Yardsale Amber, Irish Coffee Stout, TMBC IPA, Triple Play PA, Hybrid IPA, Cabo Lager, Red Rye. TMBC’s web site has this to say about Ol’ Brown Eyes, “This brown ale has a slight roastiness from the black & C-60 malts and is surprisingly smooth & balanced with a touch of Galena & Mt. Hood hops.” (5.4% ABV, 20 IBU, 1.052 OG)
Cask: TMBC is currently featuring the Hybid IPA on cask.
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That’s all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact us on our Facebook page.
Cheers!
— E-Rock