Visiting ReSource Brewing always evokes a cozy neighborhood feel that is welcoming from the moment you walk in the door, upon which you are immediately greeted by cheerful décor and friendly staff.

The taproom was still fairly quiet early on a Monday evening when I met up with Shawn Lawson, who co-owns ReSource with his wife Stephanie, and their new brewer Mike Gruetzner. As I chatted with them and had a few beers, the clientele slowly began to pick up as both regulars and first timers settled in for a pint.

“This is all still kind of new to us,” Shawn said. “We don’t have solid past data to see how it should be.”

Nevertheless, Shawn noted the progress they have made as a brewery even over the past year.

“We’re starting to realize that we’re starting to become what we set out to be,” he said.

The biggest change from a year ago was bringing on Mike as a brewer. He previously served in a variety of duties on the staff, and began taking on more brewing duties about six months ago.

“There’s not a single brew day that we don’t walk away learning something new,” Mike said.

“He’s a smart guy, and the beer’s in competent hands,” Shawn added.

A large part of the ReSource philosophy centers around community, and they are pleased to see more people coming in for trivia and live music nights, and have plans to keep the schedule filled for those type of events over the next few months.

Over the past year, there has been an evolution of regulars as they continue to see familiar faces, while those people bring in their friends, who in turn become regulars as well. Some people come in as much as four to five times per week. And, it’s not just people who are returning customers.

It’s no secret that ReSource is also extremely dog friendly, and they are open to other animal guests as well, including cats, miniature pigs, and even a hedgehog who showed up to trivia night.

“Any night of the week is a good time to come in and have a conversation with someone they’ve never met,” Shawn said. “Talk to staff, talk to someone at the bar.”

“And, there’s a variety of different beers to choose from while you do it,” Mike said.

Although both Mike and Shawn admit the taps can get a little IPA heavy, they try to balance it out with lagers and darker beers. Over the past year, they increased their keg capacity, which has allowed them to keep going with all the favorites, while moving into more experimental territory.

As a result, they’ve been able to decrease lager times, offer more small batches, and bring on more sours, including a cherry limeade sour, a special staff birthday beer that was recently on tap.

An important aspect of the ReSource experience is the staff, which has had little turnover since the brewery’s beginning. To show their appreciation, ReSource began brewing small-batch beers for all the staff members on their birthdays.

“I’m biased, but I say we have the best staff,” Shawn said. “Stephanie and I were really adamant (about wanting) to hire people for a good fit.”

Shawn and Mike have been venturing out beyond their own walls to learn and grow their brewing knowledge. Last year, they took a trip to visit Hopsteiner, a hop grower in Yakima, Washington, for inspiration from a brewing perspective. Mike commended Hopsteiner’s “various shades of great beers,” calling it the “next wave of profile, flavor and style.”

Mike also visited La Capilla Hop Farms in Santa Fe when they were getting ready to harvest last year.

“Mike went up and picked 50 pounds of hops,” Shawn said.

“Helped pick 50 pounds,” Mike corrected.

All of these hops went directly into a 5-barrel wet hop pale ale recipe to create a “flavor that was conceptually incredible,” Shawn said.

ReSource and La Capilla have paired up again for another round in 2023, and both Shawn and Mike are excited to continue incorporating local hop flavors into their beers.

The collaborations don’t stop with hop farms. ReSource has begun to work with local artists, such as Mike Howland, to lead their Pints and Pencils art lesson and beer event. Howland has also designed merch items for the brewery.

Additionally, they are working with Ellen Gallegos of Sparrow Creative Studios to develop rotating seasonal merchandise. Looking ahead, plans are in the works to feature an art rotation in the taproom paired with a beer release, which the featured local artist helps to create.

ReSource also continues to offer Tractor Brewing cider on tap, and is working with Stargazer Kombucha based out of Santa Fe, and Vivac Winery in Embudo to provide even more non-beer options.

“We worked with (Vivac) specifically because they make delicious wine, but also because they put their wine in kegs. It doesn’t become oxidized and there is less waste. It goes good with our ethos,” Shawn said.

Brewery collabs are in the works with Sunday Service Motor Company, Harmon Lane, and Palmer, so be sure to keep an eye out for those as well.

ReSource will also continue to be a presence at off-site events. This year, Shawn’s goal is to lean more into city events such as Summerfest and Freedom Fourth, and plans to be a little more selective on which events they attend.

There is so much going on at ReSource this year, it may be difficult to keep up. Luckily, Stephanie has that covered on their social media with the most up-to-date information about what is happening at the brewery on a regular basis.

Ultimately, Shawn’s goals for 2023 are to continue on their current path, “keep (Mike) busy as shit,” and do more of the same: “More art, more charity, more dogs.”

Thanks so much to both Shawn and Mike for taking some time to talk about all that is going on at ReSource!

Cheers!

— Maureen