As you are all probably aware, Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, which is leading to all sorts of schedule chaos for breweries, which we will cover in a separate article this week. Since this is basically a holiday week, the new releases are scattered at best, and driving anywhere is akin to pure chaos with all the last-minute shoppers. We recommend hiding at your favorite brewery, or at the very least, grabbing some favorite beer(s) to go. You’re gonna need ’em!
New Draft:
Boese Brothers tapped Blackberry Kolsch. Bosque added Chocolate Driftwood Stout. High and Dry warms up with Chile Night Stout. La Cumbre added 3 Dog Night, a winter warmer. Lizard Tail brought back its Biscochito Beer. Marble tapped Veterano IPA, made with Yakima Chief Hops’ annual Veterans Blend, and with a portion of the proceeds going to The HunterSeven Foundation. Starr Brothers also tapped its YCH beer, War Face DIPA, and brought back the holiday stout Zombies in a Manger. Steel Bender will tap the final entry of its 4 Casks of Christmas on Friday, a Mexican hot chocolate Brickie stout. (UPDATES) Bombs Away dropped Condition Red Lager. Quarter Celtic tapped Vanilla Coffee Stout. Rio Bravo gets festive with Hot Chocolate Stout. Sidetrack added Station to Station IPA. Sunday Service Motor Company released its first beer brewed on site, No Brainer, a coffee porter. Tractor will tap Barrel-Aged Turkey Drool on Friday.
Up in Santa Fe, Rowley Farmhouse Ales added Mountain of Light Blueberry. Tumbleroot tapped Molé Stout and Raspberry Sour. Further north, Red River Brewing added Midnight Cacao Stout.
New Package:
Bow & Arrow released Deck the Mesa Walls, a Cascadian black IPA with peppermint, back on Monday, as a reminder. Harmon Lane put its Mayflower Stout in cans in addition to already being on draft. ReSource brought back its Christmas Bloody Christmas, a cranberry imperial stout, in bottles. (UPDATE) Gravity Bound rolled out cans and draft of Quick Take, the hazy that won the 2022 NM IPA Challenge. Second Street released its collaboration with Jubilation, Barrel-Aged Dubstep Donuts, in bottles.
Notable Events:
Today (Wednesday) — Boxing Bear Tramway will host a Onesie Party from 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday — Rowley Farmhouse Ales will celebrate Festivus all day with more decadent imperial stouts on tap, a white elephant gift exchange at 6 p.m., ugly sweaters are highly encouraged, and a burning of grievances.
High and Dry will play Steely Dan all day and host an Ugly Sweater Party.
Chile Line will host its own Christmas party. Check their social media for details.
Harmon Lane is hosting an Ugly Sweater Happy Hour from 4 to 8 p.m. inside Southwest Grape and Grain.
Boxing Bear Corrales will host an event called Reindeer Games from 5 to 8 p.m., with a gingerbread house contest included.
Kaktus will host the Desert Darlings’ Holiday Show at 7 p.m.
Quick News Bits:
The New Mexico Brewers Guild has found a new executive director, but mum is the word on our part until everything is 100-percent official.
Albuquerque metro area breweries
Boese Brothers Brewery — Featured seasonal: Raspberry Sour (7% ABV), is pretty self explanatory, but it’s also the only seasonal at all four BBB locations, including Desert Dogs.
Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: Anniversary IPA (6% ABV, 90 IBU), a red IPA that features the 2022 Yakima Chief Hops Veterans Blend. This year is comprised of HBC 586, Ekuanot, Idaho 7, Chinook, and Triumph hops. Well balanced hop flavor and aroma, tropical, citrus, and woody notes. YCH donates a portion of hop sales to the HunterSeven Foundation, and Bombs Away donates $1 from every beer sold to the EOD Warrior Foundation.
Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Little Tipper IPA (6.2% ABV, 45 IBU), a sessionable version of the popular Scale Tipper.
Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Dark Harvest Dunkelweizen (6.9% ABV, 14 IBU), available on draft for a limited time, this German-style wheat beer has a new recipe since the last time it was brewed as a collab.
Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Scotch Rocket (8.1% ABV), a delicious wee heavy to keep you warm this winter, available on draft and in cans.
Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Bitter Chill, a cold IPA, on tap for a limited time.
Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Pond Hopper (6.3% ABV, 24 IBU), an English ale made in collaboration with Malteurop Malting.
Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Tripel Threat, a hefty Belgian-style brew.
Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill
Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Red Corn Rye Lager (4.8% ABV, 16 IBU) is a summer lager with a nice rye bite to it.
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.
Echoes Brewery — Featured seasonal: Echoes IPA, their first beer is a hoppy, but not too hoppy, introduction to the new brewery on Gold in the old Burt’s Tiki Lounge space.
Enchanted Circle Brewing Taproom
Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Ruminator (8% ABV), a delightful doppelbock available in cans and on draft.
Flix Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Contact the theater to find out what’s available.
Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Crumbling Blues (5.7% ABV), a blueberry crumble cake inspired sour.
Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: Pumpkin Porter (6.9% ABV, 21 IBU), a darker take on a traditional pumpkin ale.
High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Rusalka’s Kiss (3.6% ABV, 20 IBU), a Polish-style grodziskie (smoked wheat beer) made in collaboration with the Worthogs homebrew club.
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 — Featured seasonal: Vienna Lager, a smooth amber lager with a touch of sweetness.
Kaktus Brewing — Featured seasonal: Helles Lager, which is pretty much the closest beer they have to being a year-round offering, because the regulars in Bernalillo demand it all the time.
La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: Gilded Age Porter (5.7% ABV, 35 IBU), a most metal porter, available in cans on draft, and we tested that metal status by consuming only this beer during the recent Wayfarer/Wake/Heretical Sect show at Sister. Hails!
La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: Copper Canyon Pale Ale (6.9% ABV), which benefits two children’s orphanages in the Copper Canyon region of Northern Mexico. It is also available at Santa Fe and Tractor.
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: Long Nosed Tripel (9.2% ABV, 30 IBU), the biggest beer on the menu.
Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: Turkish Coffee Stout (7.5% ABV), a spiced coffee stout that will keep you warm inside. 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 had another strong finish at the 2022 NMIPAC, coming in fourth.
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: Becca’s Blend, a spunky little red rye IPA.
Red Door Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hibiscus White IPA is still available on draft for a limited time.
ReSource Brewing — Featured seasonal: TBA, check with the brewery to see what is on tap at the moment.
Rio Bravo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Black Sparrow (13% ABV, 60 IBU), a rum-barrel-aged imperial stout.
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: Railyard Reaper Oatmeal Stout (5.2% ABV, 28 IBU), when the brewer tells you it’s his homage to Sleeping Dog Stout of the late Chama River, you instantly order a pint.
Sobremesa — Featured seasonal: Dos Años, a barrel-aged Baltic porter brewed for the brewpub’s recent second anniversary.
Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Therewolf, the annual Oktoberfest release, is running low on draft.
Steel Bender Brewyard — Featured seasonal: SereniTEA Now! (6.5% ABV, 10 IBU), the annual collaboration with Canteen and High and Dry benefits Agora Crisis Center.
Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: Biscochito Liquido, a winter brown ale brewed with cinnamon and anise, it hits all the right spots for the season.
Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Javi Pre-Prohibition Lager (4.9% ABV, 23 IBU), a special beer brewed in the memory of Javier “Javi” Garcia, a friend of the brewery who tragically lost his life in a bicycle accident.
Turquoise Trail Brewing — The brewery is closed at its original location, but is looking for a new home elsewhere in Albuquerque, as we covered here.
Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: The Zeus Effect (4.3% ABV, 50 IBU), a session wet-hop IPA, will have $1 donated to Special Olympics from every pint sold.
Unhinged Brewing — Welcome to the listings to this new brewery at 98th Street and Central! We wrote a short preview, so go check out the opening lineup, which includes Non-Linear IPA, Jest-a-Lager, Foolin’ Around Brown, ScRew lOose StOuT, and Off the Rails (Red IPA).
Vision City Brewstillery — Featured seasonal: Double Vision (7.1% ABV), a strong Belgian wheat, is one of several beers on tap at this new brewery/distillery, which we already previewed.
Santa Fe breweries
Beer Creek Brewing — Featured seasonal: Black Wedding, a black IPA, if you could not guess, is available for the winter months.
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: Naughty or Spiced, a winter warmer with mulling spices, nicely balanced for the holidays.
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: Adobe Igloo is back in cans and on draft for the winter months.
Second Street Brewery — Featured seasonal: Boondock Skye (4.8% ABV, 35 IBU) is a crushable session IPA that everyone needs to drink up to make room for new seasonals.
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: Owl Peak Blue Corn Lager (5.4% ABV, 14 IBU), a collaboration lager with Owl Peak Farm in La Madera.
Little Toad Creek Brewing and Distilling
Red River Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Steam Coffee Porter (6.5% ABV, 30 IBU), from the brewery: “Smooth and malty with a solid creamy head. Roasted grains are well balanced with base malts and just enough hops to offset any residual sweetness. Add in some coffee from Steam and it’s winter in a glass.”
Sierra Blanca Brewing — Featured seasonal: Peanut Butter Porter, because let’s face it, there aren’t many NM breweries using peanut butter in their beers, but it’s still a very popular adjunct.
Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Mastodon (12.6% ABV), a Belgian-style quad with flavors of banana, dried fruit, and caramel, then aged in whiskey barrels to add hints of toasted oak and rich honey, available in bottles and on draft.
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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 