It takes a lot of grit and guts to open a new business, as any number of our brewery owners here in New Mexico will explain. It takes a ton of nerve, belief in your company, and faith in your teams to open an extension of that business in a new market without the benefit of the good ol’ tried-and-true model and numbers. Ask any brewery that has put up a taproom miles from home. Well, you can imagine what more it takes to try accomplishing any of this during the current global pandemic.

Bosque Brewing is coming to Santa Fe.

You may have seen the familiar Bosque leaf, having fallen silently on Alcaldesa Street. During the past year, Bosque Brewing has been hard at work behind the scenes with the goal of bringing the same excellent experience we’ve all come to expect from their Albuquerque, Bernalillo, and Las Cruces public houses to Santa Fe’s Railyard district. And now, they’re close to opening their doors. Really close. They’re just waiting on their capacity ordinance from the fire marshal, according to Jess Griego, chief experience officer/owner at Bosque Brewing.

UPDATE: Per a text that Stoutmeister received after this story was initially published, the opening has been pushed to next week. Expect a formal announcement soon.

I reached out to Mrs. Griego via email this past weekend to dig up a few details on the new taproom to give you, my Santa Fe friends and readers, an idea of what you can expect from the freshest taps to hit the tracks since the Violet Crown Cinema pulled into station.

DSBC: When did Bosque first acquire the location?

Griego: This location has been in the works since early 2019.

DSBC: How long did the build-out take?

Griego: The build-out took a bit longer than usual because 2020, but we have been slowly chipping away at the space and after all is said and done, it will have taken around nine months.

DSBC: Why did Bosque choose this particular location?

Griego: We have been excited to join the Santa Fe community for sometime now. The Rail Yards in particular has a lot of synergy for us, and we look forward to being one of many new tenants on Market Street.

DSBC: What’s the total capacity?

Griego: We are currently waiting on the final capacity from the fire marshal.

DSBC: How many taps will the bar have?

Griego: 20

DSBC: And what will Bosque be serving in terms of beer, seltzer, cider, etc?

Griego: We will have our eight usual year-round offerings, as well as five-to-six rotating specialties. This includes Beyond the Trees Cider and a rotating hard seltzer tap.

DSBC: What’s the food situation? Full kitchen? To-go food?

Griego: We will be opening for beer service only to start. We plan to open the kitchen as soon as we can, however given the nature of our current situation, we are proceeding cautiously and taking things one step at a time.

DSBC: And to-go beer/package?

Griego: Absolutely!

DSBC: What’s the patio seating situation?

Griego: We have extended the patio to maximize seating. Even with the extended patio there are only 10 tables, so we recommend making a reservation to guarantee your seat!

DSBC: What does opening look like right now with Covid-19 rules in effect? 

Griego: As I mentioned above, we are taking things one step at a time. The lease was signed and the investments into the building were made pre-COVID, so the show must go on. This is obviously not how we envisioned our entry into Santa Fe going down, however we are making the best of it and will continue rolling with the punches as we have with our other locations. Which, I would like to acknowledge, has been difficult for all of our co-workers across New Mexico, and we sincerely appreciate everyone’s hard work and patience navigating the changing restrictions while also keeping their coworkers and customers’ safety the top priority.  

We will be open inside at 25-percent capacity, and will have the 10 patio tables outside. We will continue to limit beers (two) and reservation times in order to allow everyone to enjoy the new space without long wait times. We understand that these new standards at Bosque have not been the most fun, and hope that as we come out on the other end of this, we can dial them back appropriately. We are all craving a sense of normalcy and appreciate everyone’s understanding as we dial in new operations to accommodate the current restrictions.

DSBC: What’s one last thing you want Santa Fe to know about Bosque’s and Santa Fe’s newest taproom?

Griego: We are excited to officially join the Santa Fe craft beer community and look forward to many years of good friends, adventurous beer, and enhancing the New Mexico story together. Cheers!

* * * *

I’ll be honest. I had to scratch my head when I tried to imagine the location. I thought there was only a set of stairs right across from Violet Crown Theater’s northern entrance. But, lo and behold, Bosque seems to have slipped into the perfect spot. It is a moderate, yet modern space, which, even with the current health orders in effect, is sure to play host to a fun and safe time out with a handful of your socially responsible friends. As the reporting journalist for Dark Side Brew Crew’s Santa Fe Chapter, I couldn’t be more excited to have a longtime favorite ABQ brewery set up shop in our town — and hopefully sometime this week! We’ll be sure to keep you informed. Until next time, my friends. To the success of Bosque’s new and future endeavors, and to your health, cheers!

— Luke

For more info on NM’s craft brewery scene mixed with unfiltered Untappd reviews, follow me on Twitter @SantaFeCraftBro