The first public round of the 2023 New Mexico IPA Challenge will take place in a new space Saturday afternoon.

The Drinkery, Bosque Brewing’s first kitchen-free location, will host a bevy of hopheads on the southern side of Santa Fe. Located at 4980 Promenade Blvd., it is just off Cerrillos. Turn at any of Las Soleras Dr., Entrada Norte, or Wellness Way, and it is on the east side of the main road.

There is a Dion’s next door that will bring food to your table, but unless you are starving (and please, never go to an NMIPAC round without eating first), you should wait until after judging as it could affect your palate.

Tickets are still available here, and we recommend you get them in advance, lest they sell out before you get to the door. The round will run from 2 to 5 p.m.

For those new to the NMIPAC, you will receive a tray of 16 numbered IPA samples. The identities of the beers are kept secret until after the votes are tallied. Our best advice is to smell the aroma from each and every one first (go in whatever order you would like). Jot it down, and then move on to taste them. Again, go in any order. I personally like to taste the hazy IPAs first, and then the clear West Coast IPAs. Or, go even numbered, or odd numbered, or a straight one to 16, or a reverse 16 to one. There is no wrong way to do it.

Remember, this is the best IPA in your opinion. Don’t feel obligated to try to guess your favorite brewery’s entry, or go with the trend that you think people want. You’re going to get a full pint of the one you choose, so make sure it’s one you can drink an entire pint of, or else you’ll be stuck trying to down 16 ounces of something you would normally not order at a taproom.

As a reminder, here are the 16 breweries whose IPAs advanced from the private judging round, where the brewers themselves narrowed the field.

• Bosque Brewing
• Bow & Arrow Brewing
• Canteen Brewhouse
• Ex Novo Brewing
• Flix Brewhouse
• Hidden Mountain Brewing
• Icebox Brewing
• Marble Brewery
• Quarter Celtic Brewpub
• Rio Bravo Brewing
• Santa Fe Brewing
• Second Street Brewery
• Sidetrack Brewing
• Sobremesa Restaurant and Brewery
• Steel Bender Brewyard
• Three Rivers Brewery

And, please remember, this is all for fun. It’s not an overly serious competition. It’s the biggest annual fundraiser for the New Mexico Brewers Guild. Some breweries throw the kitchen sink at creating a special IPA to try to grab that trophy. Other breweries are just happy to support the Guild and often just enter one of their regular IPAs. Again, there’s nothing wrong with any approach, so take it easy with those critical comments.

We will have live coverage from the event, including the final vote totals, so keep an eye on our social media.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister