Beer festival season continues apace this weekend with at three festivals to choose from, two of which I will highlight here. One is in the north (Los Alamos) and one in the south (Cloudcroft), so they likely won’t compete for customers.

In an odd twist, I, the “Los Alamos correspondent” for this blog, am actually going to be attending the one in Cloudcroft because I heard about it first and it seemed like a good opportunity to see a part of New Mexico that I’ve never visited.

In Los Alamos, SummerFest will be happening this Saturday. As is usually the case, the event will be held at the Pajarito Mountain Lodge in the Jemez Mountains just outside of Los Alamos. The scenic setting is perfect for hiking in the morning before the festivities start in earnest. The ski lifts will be operational from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a downhill bike race will also be happening during that period. The cafe at the lodge will also be open and selling its delicious offerings such as burgers and frito pies. From 2 to 5, the band “aNiMaL PaRaDe” will be playing rock music.

For an entry fee of $25 at the door, you can get access to a variety of beers from Boxing Bear, Bathtub Row (from Los Alamos), Beer Creek, Blü Dragonfly, Bosque, Canteen, Flix Brewhouse, Hidden Mountain, Second Street, and Tumbleroot. A souvenir glass is included, as well as a pint of your favorite brew.

Stoutmeister asked for beer lists, and six of the 10 breweries responded:

• Bathtub Row: Caldera Kolsch, Witrock, Jemez Hazy IPA, Rub a Dub Dub United in a Tub (Raspberry Porter)
• Beer Creek: Get to Da Hoppa IPA, Lone Butte Lager, Pajarito Pils, Valkyrie Sahti, Rowe Mesa Red Ale (can pour), Picture Rock Porter (can pour)
• Boxing Bear: Uppercut IPA, Headlock Hazy IPA, Apple Bear Cider, Chocolate Milk Stout, ChinHook Mountain IPA
• Canteen: Exodus IPA, Citranova, High Plains Pilsner, Cherry Wheat
• Hidden Mountain: Perihelion NEIPA, Mexican Lager, Blueberry Wheat, plus a rotating tap that will feature Helles, Stout, and Blood Orange Wheat
• Second Street: African Queen Pale Ale, Rod’s Best Bitter, Agua Fria Pilsner, Monsoon Seltzer, Dragon’s Blood Sour, 2920 IPA

If any other participating breweries respond before the festival starts, we will add them. Also, do take note that Rowley Farmhouse Ales is listed on the poster as attending, but after a fire destroyed their storage trailers, they will be out of the festival game for a while.

As always, the drive up the mountain can be avoided by taking advantage of the free bus service from the Los Alamos High School parking lot. It will run every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Cloudcroft Beerfest will be running both Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. It will be held at Zenith Park, which looks to be a large grassy park right in the middle of town. The $15 entry fee gets you a commemorative glass and five tickets for beer tastings. Participating breweries include Cloudcroft Brewery, Black Cock (Roswell), Milton’s Brewery (Carlsbad), Little Toad Creek Brewery (Silver City), and Downshift Brewing (Ruidoso). As a bonus for the wine lovers, D.H. Lescombes (Deming) and Noisy Water (Ruidoso) wineries will also be there.

Four of the participating breweries have provided Stoutmeister with a beer list so far.

• Cloudcroft Brewing: Sunset Amber, Trainwreck IPA, American Lager, Blueberry Cider, Orange Honey Blossom Mead
• Downshift Brewing: Barley Pop Lager, Snowday Hazy IPA, Resignation Porter
• Little Toad Creek: Grumpy Old Troll IPA, Pendejo Porter
• Milton’s Brewing: Milton’s Traditional (Lager), Permian Pale Ale, Karlsbad Kolsch, and Milton’s Red Stapler.

There will be food trucks, live music, and other events, too:

Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

10-noon — Kids Root Beer Fest
Noon-3 — Musical Guest: Doso Dirtbags
3-6 — Musical Guest: Crossin’ The Line

Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

Noon-3 — Musical Guest: Rosewater Blues
3-6 — Musical Guest: CW Ayon

It’s being called the “first annual,” so this will hopefully be the first of many beer festivals in the years to come.

As Stoutmeister noted, Highway 82 between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft will be partially closed over the next few days due to the need to shore up the area where there was a rockslide earlier this year. Route 244 will be open, which connects Ruidoso (via Highway 70) and Cloudcroft.

I have never visited Cloudcroft, but I’m going to assume that the weather there can fluctuate wildly, much as at Pajarito in Los Alamos. Check the weather reports and be prepared!

Whichever festival you decide to attend, cheers!

— Reid