It’s back to a full slate of events today, with food pairings being the biggest theme.

There’s beer and tacos, beer and grilled cheese, beer and whiskey and food, and so on. Basically, fill your belly, fill your soul, and have some fun.

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: Two Fools and Canteen Whiskey and Beer Pairing. Where: Two Fools Tavern. When: 6-8 p.m. Cost: $25.

Details: Get three Canteen beers paired with three whiskies and three food items. Irish Red is paired with Tamdhu 10-year and whisky BBQ shredded duck. Exodus IPA is paired with Teeling and pork belly jicama taco. Dark ‘n Lusty Stout is paired with Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban and sea salt caramel truffle.

Why you should go: Well, um, gosh, that just looks ridiculous. If you love beer, whiskey, and food, then this might be pretty close to your idea of heaven.

All the other great events

What: Cask Release of Two Fools Whiskey Barrel-Aged Obey the Darkside. Where: Canteen Brewhouse. When: Noon until it runs out. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Yes, Canteen saved some of the Obey that we helped brew and put it in a barrel. Some of that barrel-aged beauty will be in a cask for us all to enjoy. Why you should go: If you don’t go early, the Crew will drink it all. We’re not kidding about this.

What: Special Tapping of Boxing Bear Sucker Punch. Where: High and Dry Brewing. When: 2-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: It can be hard to find the Bear’s big IPAs east of the Rio Grande, so take advantage of it being on tap at High and Dry. Why you should go: If you still haven’t been to High and Dry, this is as good a time as any to visit.

What: Ultimate Taco Tuesday. Where: Ponderosa Brewing. When: 3-9 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: For $15 plus tax, get four special tacos (fish, beef & green chile, carne adovada, twice-burnt stuffed) paired with four beers (Crosscut Kolsch, Ghost Train IPA, Brewers Beard Bock, Hop-Mosa 2.0). Why you should go: Tacos!

What: Beer & Grilled Cheese Pairing. Where: Tractor Nob Hill. When: 5-10 p.m. Cost: $13. Details: Once again, Tractor teams up with Cheesy Street for this delicious event. Get four mini-grilled cheeses — Yo Mama’s (classic cheddar), The Dubliner (aged Irish Dubliner cheese with Granny Smith apple slices), Uber Cheesy (German-style with grilled onions and brown mustard), New Mexico’s Favorite (cheese, green chile, bacon) — and a dessert (Raspberry Cinnamon Cheesecake), each paired with a different beer (Almanac IPA, Double Plow Oatmeal Stout, Apricot Wheat, New Mexican Lager, Berry Cider). Why you should go: It’s like the other beer and cheese events, only the cheese is all melty and gooey and wonderful.

What: Tri Tuesday Beer and Taco Pairing. Where: Canteen Taproom. When: 6-10 p.m. Cost: $13. Details: Three tacos are paired up with three 5-ounce beer pours to bring you total happiness. Why you should go: They’re leaving the identities of the beers and the style of tacos a mystery. We like mysteries.

What: Collaboration Beer Dinner with Bell’s Brewery and Steel Bender Brewyard. Where: TFK Smokehouse. When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $55. Details: Indulge in a five-course meal with six beers, three from each brewery. Bell’s Oberon opens it up, followed by Steel Bender’s Raspberry Dynamite with a Brazilian salad. Then it’s Bell’s Lager of the Lakes with smoked pork firecrackers and Steel Bender’s Ingenio with margarita shrimp tacos. Finish it off with Steel Bender’s Red Iron Red with smoked beef short ribs and Bell’s 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve with Mayan chocolate mousse. Call TFK at (505) 639-5669 for reservations. Why you should go: If you’re not hungry and thirsty just reading that, we need to have a talk.

What: Hops and Beer Talk with Tom Brewer and Matt Meier. Where: Red Door Brewing (Candelaria). When: 7-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Our own AmyO will preview this event in full later today, but basically you get the chance to sit down and listen to Red Hat Hops owner Tom Brewer and Red Door head brewer Matt Meier discuss the fledgling hop farming industry in New Mexico and what it can mean to the future of craft beer in our state. Why you should go: It’s educational and it’s free, plus you can enjoy some of Matt’s new beers, including the ESB, English IPA, and New England IPA.

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Got any questions, comments, 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