It’s a project that has been in the works for quite a while as Southwest Grape and Grain has now opened Harmon Lane Brewing inside the homebrew store 3401 Candelaria Rd NE. SWG&G has always been a great place to shop for equipment, grain, yeast, etc. (along with winemaking and cheesemaking supplies), but isn’t it always more fun to shop while you have a beer in your hand?

The brewery portion has been up and running for a couple of weeks now. There is a nice seating area and a small bar on the west end inside of the store. In total, there is seating for about 20 people, but there is also a classroom that can be used for brewing education.

I stopped in for a casual visit on Sunday afternoon, so the owners were not available. But, Peter Moore, brewer for Differential Brewing, was manning the shop and the brewery. I was able to chat with him for a few minutes. Peter told me that it was a good weekend for them. In fact, three taps blew the day before. Sadly, that meant I was unable to taste the IPA or APA.

I was surprised at the number of taps, at it seems like there were close to 20 available. There were still four Harmon beers to taste, and I ended up buying a pint of their stout. There are also multiple other New Mexico beers on tap. Next up, Peter said will be some more of the APA followed by a hazy IPA. Some minor changes in aesthetics are planned as well, like softer lighting in the bar area.

Currently the brewery hours are the same as the store hours (M-W 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Th-Sa 10-7, Su 11-5). Stop by and shop, and while you are there, grab a beer.

Cheers!

— AmyO