Since we received nary a complaint about the new format of Week Ahead, we are sticking with it. With that bit of news out of the way, we get back to our normal intro, which naturally focuses on the NM IPA Challenge, which starts this Saturday at Second Street Rufina. We included a just-the-facts preview inside our most recent Beer Notes, and we recapped the preliminary round as 38 IPAs were whittled down to 16 final competitors. And, of course, we have ticket links inside both those stories, but just in case, here it is one more time.
It is also National IPA Day this Thursday, so you might as well get your hop fix and start prepping those palates for the upcoming NMIPAC rounds.
Oh, and we are adding one more new segment, Quick News Bits, which features short bits of news about stuff that don’t fall under new beers or new events. Think stuff like a brewery closing for one night due to a private party, or a new charity endeavor with a beer on tap. We may not always have these little news updates every week, but for the weeks that something pops up, you will see this segment below the event listings.
New Draft:
Bombs Away recently released Short Fuse Blonde Ale with pineapple, taking the spot of H-Bomb Hefeweizen. Bosque tapped Supreme Tangerine and Blossom Bomb (Orange Blossom and Cherry Lager). Canteen added Friends and Family IPA and Petmalu IPC (India Pale Cider? We guess? EDIT: It’s an India Pale Common, as in something like a hoppy Anchor Steam.) at the brewery. Casa Vieja tapped La Luna Blonde Ale. Differential spices it up with Red Corn Rye Lager. Ex Novo added Oil Boom, a Citra pale ale made with hop oils, replacing Oh Behave (Blonde Ale). Gravity Bound tapped Subliminal Obscenity (Hazy DIPA) and Open Ruins (West Coast IPA), which comes out Friday, taking the spots of Garden Spot and Double Shuffle (Hazy DIPA). High and Dry rolled out fresh batches of Silversteed (Lager), My Grass is Blue (Fruited Sour), Marzen of Error, and Big Sleeves, Small Hands (IPA). Kaktus shook up its taps with Helles Lager, C-Thru Stout, Belgian Dubbel, Copper Lager, and Apricot Ale all replacing Formula 1 Pale Ale, Blond, Amber, ESB, and Maibock (got all that?). La Cumbre brought back Blanche de Burque (Belgian Wit), taking the spot of Tararua IPA. Lizard Tail recently added Mamba Hazy IPA. Marble recently tapped Phantasm IPA and Cool Guy Pale Ale, with the latter featuring the New Zealand-grown hop Nectaron. Rio Bravo tapped more Brewski (Helles Lager) and added C.R.E.A.M. Sidetrack just tapped Lively Lager. Sobremesa added 4th and Golden Ale, plus a Berliner Weisse. Steel Bender will tap Mother-in-Law of Dragons (Experimental Hazy IPA) on Thursday, while Who’s Brett? IPA has run its course, for now. Thirsty Eye just tapped There’s Something About That Blonde (Cherry Blonde Ale), and will bring back Dude? Dude. Dude! (Hazy DIPA), a gold medal winner at the Great New Mexico Beer Fest in June, for the aforementioned National IPA Day. (UPDATES) Downshift tapped Mic Czech Pilsner. Marble released Cascade IPA and Apricot Fuzzy Britches, a wine-barrel-aged Belgian golden ale.
Up in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row tapped Til Death Do Us Tart, and also has fresh batches of Prometheus Pilsner and Ranch School Rustic, while Mountain Lion Wheat Lager has run its course.
New Package:
Bosque will release cans of Gliterally, a strawberry-and-mango-fruited kettle sour, this Friday (UPDATE: It will be released August 12) at all locations. Gravity Bound rolled out Full Sun, its first Mexican-style lager, in cans and on draft. Rio Bravo will have a new can out for its First Friday series, but they have not revealed its identity yet. Second Street has cans and draft of Sloppy Sloth Citra Hazy IPA now available at its taprooms. (UPDATES) Boxing Bear and Starr Brothers debut their new collaboration, Herban Cowboy Hazy IPA, on Saturday in cans and on draft at all locations. Canteen rolled out Hop Bop A Loo Bop IPA in cans and on draft. Ex Novo unveiled Tie-est of Dyes, Lowest of Lows, a new West Coast IPA in cans and on draft. Rowley Farmhouse Ales brings back Elder Millennial (Brett Pale Ale) on Friday.
Notable Events:
Today (Wednesday) — Poetry & Beer is back at Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m., featuring a “battle” between the award-winning Hakim Bellamy and Damien Flores.
Friday — ABQ Artwalk is back downtown, so check the social media pages for Boese Brothers, Red Door, and Sidetrack to see what they each have planned.
That also means the First Fridays Comedy Contest is back at Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m.
Saturday — Marble will again host “Love Beer, Hate Cancer,” an (almost) all-day music event to raise money for Camp Enchantment. Bands start at 3 p.m. and will include Just Velvet, Burque Sol, Alex Maryol, DaJerney, and Toni Morgan & Got Soul.
Rio Bravo will host the fundraiser Arte de los Niños, supporting Cuidando Los Niños, from 6 to 9 p.m., with live music, multiple vendors, and raffles.
Quick News Bits:
Nexus has been flustered by the supply chain, as its supply of canned beers is down to just Oralé Mexican Lager for this week (and, naturally Oralé is also out on draft, but a new batch should be ready by Monday). Head brewer Randy King wrote to us that he expects cans of Scottish Ale, Honey Chamomile Wheat, and Imperial Cream Ale will be available again on August 12.
In much happier news, Ponderosa Brewing’s Ripsaw Red finished in a tie for third place Tuesday among American cask beers in the Michael Jackson Awards at the Great British Beer Festival. Ponderosa joins numerous other New Mexico breweries, including Canteen, La Cumbre, and Rio Bravo, in bringing home awards from London.
Albuquerque metro area breweries
Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: Hazy Chain DIPA V.14 (7% ABV, 100+ IBU), made with Ariana, Kohatu, and Talus hops.
Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Oh Hey, Pinyon Jay! (5.5% ABV, 20 IBU), a prickly pear juniper wheat ale, made in collaboration with The Drinking Horn Meadery and Audubon Central Flyway to raise awareness of the Pinyon Jay and its habitat in New Mexico. Available on draft and in cans.
Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Desert Modern (6.7% ABV), an IPA made with New Zealand hops, available in cans and on draft.
Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: I Dip, You Dip, We DIPA (8.8% ABV, 100 IBU), another massive hop bomb from the brewery that specializes in such things, this one was made with (deep breath) Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Citra, Falconers Flight 7C’s, Ekuanot, and Mosaic hops. Available on draft and in cans (taprooms only).
Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Kiwi-Mango GoGo (5.7% ABV, 8 IBU), a fruited gose, as you might have guessed.
Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Citranova (6% ABV, 26 IBU), a tangerine oatmeal lager, this summer staple is still available on draft and in cans.
Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Sharpe Dressed Man Chocolate Vanilla Stout is like two desserts in one.
Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill
Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Strawberry Blonde Ale (5.4% ABV, 19 IBU), it’s basically summer in a glass.
Downshift Brewing at Outpost 1706 — Featured seasonal: Gratitude Session IPA (4.2% ABV, 40 IBU), brewed to support local charities, right now $1 from every pint sold goes to the Shelter Fund of the Community Foundation of Lincoln County.
Enchanted Circle Brewing Taproom
Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Thiccbit (12% ABV), a pastry stout made in collaboration with Great Notion Brewing of Portland, Oregon, brewed with roasted peanuts, cocoa nibs, marshmallow, and vanilla. Available on draft (10-ounce pours only) and in cans.
Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Corner Stand, a strawberry lemon basil gose that’s perfect for all of you fruited-sour lovers out there.
Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: Ginger Beer (5% ABV), a Moscow mule-style brew, made with real ginger and back sweetened with brown sugar and lime juice.
High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Crack in the Iceberg (6.9% ABV, 50 IBU), an IPA featuring Michigan-grown hops.
Hops Brewery — Featured seasonal: Killer Bee Pale Ale (6.3% ABV, 23 IBU), this beer is made with actual honey from killer bee hives in Southern New Mexico.
JUNO Brewery
Kaktus Brewing — Featured seasonal: Formula 1 Pale Ale, because we just like the name.
La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: Lake Day Hazy DIPA (8.7% ABV), now available on draft and in cans.
La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: Astronave (6.1% ABV), a hazy pale ale brewed with Galaxy and Citra hops.
Late Shift Lager House at The Craftroom — Featured seasonal: Hop Villain (6.8% ABV, 102 IBU), a beastly IPA that is a change of sorts from the lager-dominated lineup.
Lizard Tail Brewing — Featured seasonal: Musical Highway Pale Ale (5.5% ABV, 30 IBU), is another one that just wins with its name alone.
Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: Brett Tripel (10% ABV), aged in red and white wine barrels, this is one big beast of a beer on draft only. Click on the different taprooms in the menu for the updated beer lists for each location.
Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: New Mexico Snow Storm IPA (7.2% ABV, 36 IBU), the runner-up at the 2021 New Mexico IPA Challenge requires your attention with the NMIPAC about to kick off again starting August 6.
Palmer Brewery and Cider House — Featured seasonal: 2 Robs Make a Rita, an annual collaboration with Starr Brothers Brewing.
Ponderosa Brewing Co. — Featured seasonal: Italian Pilsner, the winner of back-to-back gold medals at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival and the 2022 World Beer Cup, is available on draft and in cans.
Quarter Celtic Brewpub— Featured seasonal: Shire Fire New Zealand Pilsner, no Hobbit feet are required to enjoy this delicious lager made with hops from, well, you can guess.
Red Door Brewing — Featured seasonal: Mic Czech Pilsner (4.5% ABV, 30 IBU), at this point is almost a year-round beer, but we will still count it here, and you can take it home in cans in addition to enjoying it on draft downtown or in Clovis.
ReSource Brewing — Featured seasonal: Severe Memory Leak Tropical Sour is a rotation of small-batch sours from the ReSource Rarity series. This batch was made with almond and coconut and is truly, truly pucker-worthy.
Rio Bravo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Vienna Waits (5.5% ABV, 20 IBU) is now available in cans in addition to being on draft.
Rumor Brewing (formerly Ale Republic) — Featured seasonal: Love (4.4% ABV, 12 IBU), a smoothie sour with sweet and tart cherries.
Sidetrack Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hop Dip IPA (6.5% ABV, 100+ IBU) is billed as “a completely new take on an IPA,” so that just makes us more and more curious.
Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Foggy Monocle (6.4% ABV, 18 IBU), this oatmeal stout is a past two-time winner of the Brew Crew’s Stout Challenge that we hold every year around Super Bowl Sunday.
Steel Bender Brewyard — Featured seasonal: One for 5 IPA (7.3% ABV, 76 IBU), the annual collaboration between Steel Bender, Second Street, and Sierra Blanca is back on draft and in cans at all three breweries. Brewed with the experimental hop HBC 586, plus Mosaic, Sabro, and Citra, this West Coast IPA will see $1 per pint and 100 percent of all four-pack sales go to the Storehouse, a local food bank.
Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hazy Dayz Pale Ale was one of the most recent additions to the taps.
Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: The Dune DIPA just makes us wish they would hurry up and release part two of the latest movie adaptation of Dune.
Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Koi No Yokan (4.55% ABV, 27 IBU), a Japanese rice lager brewed with Sorachi Ace hops.
Santa Fe breweries
Beer Creek Brewing — Featured seasonal: Get to Da Hoppa is an IPA brewed entirely with New Mexico-grown hops and barley. Available in cans and on draft. If you buy the cans and go home, you must immediately watch Predator.
Chile Line Brewing — Featured seasonal: A Huevo (5% ABV, 20 IBU) is a Yerba Matte-inspired beer.
Hidden Mountain Brewing (formerly Blue Corn Brewery) — Featured seasonal: Pepino Lager, made with cucumber and lime, is a perfect pairing with the food menu.
Rowley Farmhouse Ales — Featured seasonal: Chantal (8.5% ABV, 30 IBU), this French-style saison was brewed in honor of a friend of the brewery who passed away after a battle with cancer. Available in cans and on draft.
Santa Fe Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest is back in cans and on draft, and we have no problem with this having arrived in July. If Samuel Adams can do it, so can SFBC.
Second Street Brewery — Featured seasonal: Native Land IPA (6.7% ABV), a collaboration with Bow & Arrow, this Citra-forward ale will have all of its proceeds go to Flowering Tree Permaculture at the Santa Clara Pueblo.
Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — Featured seasonal: White Rabbit Wit, the first in a series of new witbiers.
Other breweries you need to visit
Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hop Tart IPA is nearing the end of its run, so if you want it, go get it ASAP!
Little Toad Creek Brewing and Distilling
Red River Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Angry Bear Blonde, a double-strength blonde ale, goes great after hiking in the mountains.
Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Mystic Mountain Milkshake IPA (7.6% ABV, 42 IBU) is unique in that it was made without lactose, substituting vanilla instead to go with the Sabro hops.
* * * *
That’s all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact us on our Facebook page.
Keep supporting local!
— Stoutmeister
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 