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