Greetings Burque beer drinkers, this is E-Rock here to bring you another Monday installment of The Week Ahead in Beer. 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 Albuquerque metro area.

This is a relatively slow week for new seasonal beers in the Duke City. The biggest news is the return of the Big Lebrewski to Chama River. The Big Lebrewski is a double IPA that is a perfect accompaniment to any activity, whether you are bowling, fighting German nihilists, or just lounging around your house in a bath robe. There are a few other notable releases this week. Farside has a new batch of their Dragon’s Blood on tap. Il Vicino has a new Black IPA and Raspberry Wheat. La Cumbre is now serving a still unnamed Smoked Porter. Sandia Chile Grill now has their Red Ranger Imperial Irish Red on tap.

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 a delicious steak and potatoes with cheese, mushrooms, onions, sour cream, and bacon. I also had two pints of their sweet new Red Ranger Imperial Irish Red. I highly recommend it.

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 April 8.

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: No seasonals on tap at this time. ABP carries beers from Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande Brewing and Monk’s Brewing. Most of their beers are on tap all year long. Several times a year ABP serves up the latest creation by local brewing hero and winner of the Samuel Adams Longshot competition, Ben Miller.

Back Alley Draft House — 766-6973 (NYPD)

(Hours 4 p.m.-11 p.m. daily)

Beers: Back Alley IPA, Back Alley Belgian White, Back Alley Belgian Pale Ale, Red, Java Stout, Barley Wine. A fresh new batch of the Back Alley IPA went on tap last week. Several members of the Brew Crew had a chance to sample the Barley Wine and Java Stout at our one-year anniversary party at BADH. Both beers have bold tastes. The Java Stout compares favorably with Santa Fe’s version. If you love coffee flavor, this beer packs a ton of it.

News: BADH’s “Tower Of Sour” begins on Friday, April 26 from 5-8 p.m. featuring four NEW Belgian Sour Ales on Draft. More details to come!

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: Thurs — Underground Etiquette featuring resident DJ Beatnick and a new guest dj every week 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: Engaano Hefeweizen, Mellow Brit English Brown, Bosque’s Burning Red Rye, Boss PA. Bosque is taking $1 per pint purchased of Engaano and donating it to adoption agencies (see news entry below for details).

News: Bosque Brewing Co. is excited to announce their “Adopted” line of specialty ales! Periodically, they will release 7-barrel batches of seasonal ales and $1 of each pint sold will be donated to the ABBA Fund, an organization that extends zero-percent interest loans to families aspiring to adopt domestically and internationally. Their first Adopted Ale is the Engaano Hefeweizen.

BBC has several beers in the works including a new pale ale, a new steam, and a new beer that will benefit the NM Chapter of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Stay tuned for more details as we receive them.

Music: Mon — Joanna Michnovicz & her Flying Guitar 6-8 p.m.

Broken Bottle Brewery — 890-8777

(Mon–Fri 4 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Hoppy Birthday, Elixir (Vanilla Cream Ale), Sickle and Hammer Imperial Red, Nacho Brau. A portion of the sales of the Elixir Vanilla Cream Ale goes toward the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. As always, we at the NMDSBC are always happy to drink beer for a good cause. Hoppy Birthday was brewed in time to help celebrate BBB’s first anniversary on Saturday, April 20.

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 Thursday, B3 will host World Tavern Poker (it’s free to play and you can earn points, prizes, and a shot at the World Series of Poker).

Music: Sat — The Tricycle Tour 8-9 p.m.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — 994-9364

(Hours of operation are not yet posted.)

Beers: Alcapulco Gold Mexican Lager (4.8% ABV), Inebriator (Doppel Bock) (8+% ABV), 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), P.J.’s Amber, and an ESB. Cazuela’s recently introduced their first new beer. It’s a doppel bock with the imposing title of the Inebriator.

News: Cazuela’s should be introducing their new porter some time next week.

Chama River Brewing Company — 342-1800

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

Beers: The Big Lebrewski (Double IPA), Chamärzen, Irish Red, Nobel Session PA. The Big Lebrewski is a sweet in taste and golden in color. Märzens are Bavarian beers that are dark in color and tend to be malty and on the dry side, and Chamärzen is a great example of this subgenre. Also new to tap is Chama’s Irish Red. The Brew Crew reviewed the Irish Red as part of our mini Irish Red Challenge. You can find a review of Chama’s Irish Red here.

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: English Brown Smog, Dragon’s Blood (India Dark Ale), C Squared (Kolsch), Sunburn Irish Red, Triple Chocolate Stout, Zombie IPA, Feather Weight Ale. FBP has revamped their Triple Chocolate Stout. FPB’s popular Dragon’s Blood is a little lighter than a black IPA, but it still has the bite of a good American style IPA. I’m told the new batch has a cleaner and crisper taste. FPB’s Sunburn Irish Red is a mellow red that sits at a cool 4.8-percent ABV and 18 IBU.

News: FBP will soon be switching to a new four barrel system which will help double their output!

Events: FBP is now hosting $3 Pint Night every Monday and Thursday College Night (with a valid college ID) featuring a $7 Pizza and Pint Special, plus all night happy hour pints.

Il Vicino Brewing Canteen — 881-2737

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

Beers: Black IPA, Raspberry Wheat, Milk Chocolate Cherry Stout, Panama Joe’s (Coffee) Stout, Odin’s (Imperial) Red, Cascade Pale Ale. Over the next few days other runners up from the Canteen’s annual in-house tournament will also make their way to the coveted Malt Madness standout tap. Panama Joe’s (Coffee) Stout is on tap after making an appearance at the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest a few weeks ago. 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).

Cask: The Topaz IPA is on tap for Cask Wednesday and the Zwickelbier, an oak-aged lager made with the same hops as the Chainsaw Irish Lager, will be on cask Saturday.

Music: Tues — Russell James Pyle (Indie/ Folk) 6-9 p.m., Sun — Soul Kitchen Duo (Blues/Soul) 3-6 p.m.

La Cumbre Brewing — 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: Smoked Porter (still unnamed), Red Red Rye, Project Dank (IPA), Where in the Helles Beer, Irish Red Lager, El Dorado PA. Project Dank made its debut at Cask Fest last month and took second place in open voting. This super hoppy gem clocks in at 7.6-percent ABV. La Cumbre’s website had this to say about the Red Red Rye, “We have been asked more than enough times to brew a Red Ale and we have also been asked to brew a Rye Ale; two birds, one stone. This russet colored beauty starts with the big piney aroma of old school American C-hops with a rich caramelly malt backbone and rye’s spicy overtones. The initial flavor is caramel sweetness and a big floral onslaught of those same hops. The finish is a balanced drying bitterness with the addition of a spicy throat-coating dryness that can only come from the addition of copious amounts of rye. For the record, 26% of fermentables are from German malted rye.” (7.2% ABV, 90 IBU)

Cask: La Cumbre is offering up Malpais Stout and Elevated IPA on cask this week.

Food: The Rustic Food Truck parks at La Cumbre on Tuesday, and The Supper Truck parks there Thursday.

Music: Wed — The Roger Lewis Blues Band 7-10 p.m., Sat — The Rudy Boy Experiment 7-10 p.m.

Marble Brewery — 243-2739

(Mon–Sat 1 p.m.–midnight, Sun 1 p.m.–10:30 p.m.)

Beers: Tripel, Irish Red, Imperial Red. Marble’s website had this to say about the Irish Red, “Inspired by the malt forward, fruity ales of Ireland, this rounded, seasonal brew will have your eyes smiling.” (6.5% ABV) In addition, the website says of the Tripel, “This potent, golden, Belgian-inspired ale is brewed with Sorachi Ace hops to balance the style’s intrinsic sweetness.” (9.5% ABV, $5.50/13 oz., Growler fill add $6)

Cask: Check out Marble’s cask (a.k.a. “real” ale) selection on tap every Friday at the Downtown Pub.

News: Marble’s Double White should be back on tap some time next week.

Food: Soo Bak Foods will be at the Downtown Pub on Wednesday. Chicharroneria Don Choche will be at the Downtown Pub on Thurday and Saturday from 5 p.m.-late. The Supper Truck parks at Marble’s Downtown Pub every Saturday. The Supper Truck and Talking Fountain Kitchen will be downtown Wednesday.

Events: Join Marble Brewery on Friday at the Hotel Andaluz for an extravagant dinner paired with Marble beer. Call 505-242-9090 for more information or to make reservations.

On Saturday, Marble will be donating a portion of their profits for the day to Instituto Cervantes Albuquerque. Festival Cervantes is at 5-11 p.m on Saturday, and it showcases Flamenco dancers, music, and festivities, with Paella by The Supper Truck.

Nexus Brewery — 242-4100

(Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sun 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Oatmeal Stout, Belgian Dark Strong (10.2% ABV), Imperial Red, Imperial Cream Ale, Belgian Golden (5.8% ABV), Extra Pale Ale. Nexus is premiering their second Belgian ale this month. The Oatmeal Stout is slated to make its first appearance on tap at Nexus. Belgian Dark Strongs are loaded with malts and have a sweet taste that even a stout drinker would love.

Cask: Nexus is currently featuring their Scottish Ale on cask this week.

Events: Nexus serves up Happy Hour All Day on Tuesday featuring $3 pints. Also on Tuesday, Nexus will be hosting their comedy open mic, Young Dumb and Full of Comedy, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Sun Room. 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: Red Ranger Imperial Irish Red, Nitro Milk Stout, IPA, New Mexico Gold Rush Pilsen, SIPA (6.5% ABV, 100 IBU), Irish Red Ale (6% ABV). SCG’s Red Ranger Imperial Irish Red is comparable to a Scottish ale, but it is darker in color with a sweet-to-dry flavor profile. Sitting at 7 percent ABV, the Red Ranger is a heavy hitter, so be careful or you will poke your eye out! 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. SCG’s Nitro Milk Stout is smooth with a subtle smoked finish.

News: SCG will have an extra hoppy IPA, called the Rattlesnake IPA, on tap in about a week. SCG also has a new, sweeter batch of their Nitro Milk Stout in the works as well as a new batch of their Crystalweizen.

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: Chocolate Stout, Ox Bow Scotch, Barnstorm Ale, Goat Head Hater Doppel Bock, 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. Stoutmeister recently called the Chocolate Stout “my new addiction.” It has a drier, more mocha-style profile than the more prolific milk chocolate-style stouts at most breweries these days.

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: Dubbel Trubbel, Cherry Wheat, Hopduster IPA, Ol’ Brown Eyes, Celtic Brown, Nitro Irish Stout, Belgian IPA, Imperial Pilsner, Steam+, Hybrid IPA, Cabo Lager, Red Rye. TMBC’s website has this to say about the Belgian IPA, “This beer is absolutely delicious. Hopped and dry-hopped with Tettnanger hops and a bunch of pale malt and the Belgian yeast came together very well.” (6.83% ABV, 50 IBU, 1.068 OG) TMBC’s website also has this to say about Dubbel Trubbel, “Here’s a perfectly brewed Belgian Dubbel to close out our Belgian series of beers. Candied sugars help bring out those oh-so-distinct flavors. Cheers!” (6.0% ABV, 20 IBU, 1.060 OG)

Cask: TMBC is currently featuring Mr. Hoover’s Steam 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