Back in 2020, with the State Fair canceled, Rio Bravo decided to still give folks a little taste of the midway with some fair-inspired food specials. It was a big hit, and even though the actual fair returned to Expo New Mexico the following year, Rio Bravo kept its own event going every fall. This year’s fair food list at the brewery includes turkey legs, funnel cakes, donut burgers, ribbon fries, roasted corn, other fried goodies, and more. The best part? No entry fee! You can just enjoy the food with some Rio Bravo beer, either in the spacious air-conditioned interior, or out back in the also-spacious beer garden. The specials will be available all day day Saturday and Sunday.
We would also like to take note of the newest Maui fundraiser, as Ex Novo has designated a portion of the proceeds from can and draft sales of the new Hawaii 5-0-5 Coconut Porter to go to charities helping fire recovery in Lahaina. The beer is available at the brewery now, so make sure to order a pint and/or grab a four-pack to go.
New Draft:
Boese Brothers has tapped its Oktoberfest lager. La Cumbre added The Angry Belgian. Marble tapped its Pumpkin Ale, which is not to be confused with Pumpkin Noir. Quarter Celtic added Vienna Lager, which once won a gold medal at the 2020 Brussels Beer Challenge. Thirsty Eye wins beer name of the week with its new rice lager, Crispy Koi. (UPDATES) Bombs Away released V.18 of Hazy Chain IPA, made with Zappa, Calista, Chinook, Ariana, and Citra hops. Gravity Bound added Coastal Comfort, a new West Coast IPA. Marble tapped Eastside Amber Ale. Rio Bravo rolled out Hop, Honor & Lager, a new hoppy lager. Sidetrack added a Fresh Hop IPA. Starr Brothers tapped Therewolf, a tasty Oktoberfest lager and a wonderful Young Frankenstein reference. Steel Bender will release its fresh-hop IPA, I Goat You Babe, made with Cascade fresh hops from Billy Goat Hop Farm, on Friday.
(UPDATE) Up in Santa Fe, Rowley Farmhouse Ales tapped Petite Moro, a version of Petite Blanche aged on blood oranges. Tumbleroot brought back Golden Bear IPA.
New Package:
Bow & Arrow will release its Oktoberfest lager in cans and on draft this Friday. Boxing Bear released OktoBEARfest in cans and on draft. (UPDATES) Harmon Lane rolled out Honey-do Session IPA in cans and on tap. Second Street has a double release with Southern Hemisphere Pilsner and Southern Hemisphere 2920 IPA, with both in cans and on tap. Steel Bender has a fresh batch of Teddy Roe’s Policy Wheat in cans and on draft.
Notable Events:
Friday — ArtWalk is back at Boese Brothers, Red Door, Sidetrack, and the rest of downtown from 5 to 9 p.m. Check the breweries’ social media pages for details on what they each have planned.
If downtown is too crowded, head to Tractor Wells Park for the First Fridays Comedy Contest at 8 p.m.
Unhinged is hosting the new Summer’s End Vendor Market, which they plan to make a recurring event, this Friday and Saturday.
Saturday — See our intro for details on the State Fair Food Takeover at Rio Bravo, which runs all day and again on Sunday.
Sunday — Rowley Farmhouse Ales is throwing a seventh anniversary party. Luke has a full preview coming soon.
Monday — Beer for a Better Burque (BBB) is back at Tractor Wells Park, Nob Hill, and Westside from 2 to 10 p.m. For every pint sold, $1 will be donated to Barking Chance Animal Rescue.
Quick News Bits:
Thirsty Eye provided this bit of good news: “Citrus Buzz takes silver at the 2023 National Honey Board Beer Competition in the wheat beer category!” It is the brewery’s first competition medal.
JUNO provided us with a quick update on the forthcoming Edgewood taproom. Interior construction is mostly finished, and the patio is being built now. They are aiming for a soft opening in the early fall.
We got a tip that Travel Bug, a bookstore and cafe in Santa Fe, now has their small brewhouse up and running and at least one of their own beers on tap. We’ll have a full story soon.
Albuquerque metro area breweries
Boese Brothers Brewery — Featured seasonal: Imperial Porter (7.2% ABV), this big boy has been on tap for a while, so help drink it up so a new beer can appear.
Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: The R.E.D. Ale (5.5% ABV, 20 IBU), an Irish-style red served on nitro.
Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Moon Cannon Double Hazy IPA (8.5% ABV, 100 IBU), now available in cans, but is almost out on draft.
Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Rad Vista (5% ABV), a single-hop (Hallertau Blanc) pilsner available in cans and on draft.
Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Polly’s Run Pale Ale (4.3% ABV, 20 IBU), a refreshing pale available in only cans now, benefiting The Race to Cure Pancreatic Cancer.
Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Lauter to Prevail (5% ABV, 17 IBU), a new helles lager to help beat the lingering heat.
Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Low & Slow Pale Ale (5.5% ABV, 35 IBU), this tasty beer is available in cans and on draft, benefiting the Turtle Survival Alliance.
Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Tripel Threat, a hefty Belgian-style brew.
Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill
Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Guava Wheat Ale (4.2% ABV, 21 IBU), the name says it all for this perfect summer brew.
Downshift Brewing at Outpost 1706 — Featured seasonal: Gratitude Pale Ale (5.4% ABV, 40 IBU), brewed to support local charities, right now $1 from every pint sold goes to Gratitud(ENMU), the local college in the Ruidoso area.
Echoes Brewery — Featured seasonal: Echoes IPA has now been joined by the one of the other core beers, a coconut coffee stout. A pilsner and an American pale ale are on deck.
Enchanted Circle Brewing Taproom
Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Dusty Spur (5.1% ABV), an American pilsner brewed as the official beer of the NM State Fair, available in cans and on draft.
Flix Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Speed Juice (6.6% ABV), a red IPA.
Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Tropical Guru (6.2% ABV, 45 IBU), the first new beer since the opening trio at this new brewery is a delicious, balanced tropical stout.
Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Garden Spot (4.8% ABV), the cucumber-basil gose is back for another run, and as we wrote above, it’s finally been canned.
Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: O’Danny Boy Irish Red (6.5% ABV) is still available on draft and in cans.
High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: ALT + 127880 (5.3% ABV, 30 IBU), an altbier with quite the name.
Hops Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.
JUNO Brewery — Featured seasonal: Vienna Lager, a smooth amber lager with a touch of sweetness.
Kaktus Brewing — Featured seasonal: Sovereign Shores IPA, which has one of those names that make us curious as to its origin/meaning.
Kilt Check Brewing — There are rumors that the brewery will be staying open, but we await the official word.
La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: Azulito Blue Corn Lager (4.8% ABV, 16 IBU), a perfect sessionable lager to help get through the rest of summer, available in cans and on draft.
La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: Bomba de Malta (8.3% ABV), another big old malt bomb of a Scotch ale.
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.
Lava Rock Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.
Lizard Tail Brewing — Featured seasonal: Desert Dunes Pilsner (5.5% ABV, 35 IBU), a perfect beer to beat the heat.
Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: Marblefest (5% ABV), a delicious German-inspired lager, now available in cans and on draft.
Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: Festbier! (5.8% ABV, 21 IBU), is described by the brewery as “in the style of German tradition, this bier is toasty, slightly sweet with bread dough and cereal notes. The medium malt body takes the forefront and will leave your stein in need of a refill.”
Palmer Brewery and Cider House — Featured seasonal: Cockness Monster (13% ABV), a monstrous Scotch ale aged in whiskey barrels.
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: Birra Al Gusto Di Birra, a collaboration Italian pilsner made with Palmer Brewery, it recently won gold at the North American Brewers Association’s International Beer Awards.
Red Door Brewing — Featured seasonal: Wagoner’s Porter (7.2% ABV, 36 IBU), a tasty American-style porter that recently joined the draft lineup.
ReSource Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery to find out what’s on tap, as it changes frequently.
Rio Bravo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Black Sparrow (13% ABV, 60 IBU), a rum-barrel-aged imperial stout.
Rumor Brewing (formerly Ale Republic) — Featured seasonal: Desert Monk (6.8% ABV, 21 IBU), a Belgian-style dubbel.
Sidetrack Brewing — Featured seasonal: Mild Davis (5.2% ABV, 20 IBU), a beer as cool as its name implies, perfect for slow-sipping on the patio at night.
Sobremesa — Featured seasonal: Dominator, a German-style doppelbock.
Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Don’t Fear the RIPA (7.4% ABV, 90 IBU), a big and flavorful red IPA.
Steel Bender Brewyard — Featured seasonal: Big E DIPA (8.4% ABV, 80 IBU), a hop beast made with Citra, Columbus, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin hops.
Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: HWY 47 Double Honey Blonde (5.9% ABV, 24 IBU), a collaboration with Steel Bender.
Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: La Llagerona (4.5% ABV, 23 IBU), a light and crisp Mexican-style lager.
Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Traktoberfest (6.6% ABV, 23 IBU), described by the brewery as “a German Oktoberfest-style lager, the Märzen was historically brewed in March (hence the name) and lagered in cold caves throughout the summer. German malts and Noble hops are brewed to produce this copper colored, medium bodied beverage with hints of toasted malt.”
Turquoise Trail Brewing — The brewery is closed at its original location, and is aiming to reopen out in Moriarty. We will have more on this move when they’re closer to opening.
Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Sierra Nativo (5.05% ABV, 19 IBU), a new “Burqueno” pale ale made with Zappa (Neomexicanus) and Cascade hops.
Unhinged Brewing — Featured seasonal: Tatooine Spring (7.8% ABV, 80 IBU), an imperial amber with a great name.
Vision City Brewstillery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated seasonal list.
Santa Fe breweries
Beer Creek Brewing — Featured seasonal: Pajarito Pils (5.1% ABV, 32 IBU), the perfect beer for afternoons on the epic BCBC patio.
Chile Line Brewing — Featured seasonal: A Huevo (5% ABV, 20 IBU) is a Yerba Matte-inspired beer.
Hidden Mountain Brewing — Featured seasonal: Icarus Double Hazy IPA, the brewery’s entry in the IPA Challenge.
Rowley Farmhouse Ales — Featured seasonal: The Maize Never Stopped (5.5% ABV, 25 IBU), a corn lager inspired by The Grateful Dead. No, really, that’s what the description says.
Santa Fe Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Freewheeler Hazy IPA is the summer seasonal available on tap and in cans.
Second Street Brewery — Featured seasonal: Skimboard Sour (6.3% ABV), a tropical sour available in cans and on draft.
Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — Featured seasonal: Hoppy Pils, a beer for which the name says it all.
Other breweries you need to visit
Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hefeweizen (5.2% ABV), described by the brewery as “a classic southern German style wheat beer. Hazy golden, soft and bready with hints of banana, black pepper and clove from the unique yeast strain. Light and refreshing.”
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: Cherry Wheat, a three-time GABF medal winner that is perfect for summer nights in the beer garden.
Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Fiesta Gold (5.3% ABV, 22 IBU), which the brewery described as “inspired by thirst-quenching Mexican lagers like Modelo & Bohemia, this crisp International Pale Lager has a straw-gold color with just a touch of herbal spiciness from German hops.”
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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 
Quarter Celtic has a Vienna Lager in draught for September