The 2021 edition of the New Mexico IPA Challenge was reduced from four rounds to three on Monday night.

Due to a combination of low ticket sales and a possible new COVID-related lockdown for San Juan County, the third round of the competition set for November 17 at Lauter Haus Brewing in Farmington has been canceled by the New Mexico Brewers Guild.

Anyone who did purchase an advance ticket for the third round will be refunded in full by the Brewers Guild, executive director Leah Black informed us via text message.

The round appeared to be in jeopardy last week when Lauter Haus owner/head brewer Brandon Beard made a personal plea on Facebook for Farmington-area residents to buy tickets. As it was, Black wrote that the sales numbers were so low that it would have cost the Guild money to even hold the round.

Unconfirmed reports out of the Farmington area that the State of New Mexico could be enacting strict new COVID protocols also contributed to the decision to call off the round. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Department of Health are expected to make an announcement one way or the other on Wednesday, which would likely mean new restrictions would take effect by Friday.

San Juan County recorded 2,087 new cases between October 25 and Sunday, putting a huge strain on area hospitals.

The remaining rounds of the IPA Challenge — Wednesday at Icebox Brewing in Las Cruces, Saturday at Beer Creek Brewing south of Santa Fe, and November 20 at Boxing Bear’s Firestone Taproom in Albuquerque — are still scheduled to go ahead.

Stay safe out there, everyone.

— Stoutmeister