The Balloon Fiesta is back this weekend. You probably knew that, of course, but we in the Crew wanted everyone to know that we are here to help. We will have a guide to local breweries this week for all the visitors, hopefully answering all the questions your friends and family might have about where to get a pint or two while in town. We will also have a preview of all the Fiesta-connected events at breweries from Ex Novo to Steel Bender to Tin Can Alley, and anywhere else that pops up. We can all survive the nine days of hot air, with our breweries as our refuge. Godspeed, one and all, and avoid every major road, if possible.
New Draft:
Canteen has its first seasonal on tap since the whole glycol chiller failure, as Oktoberfest is now available. High and Dry rolled out several newcomers, including Sovereign Indemnity (Hazy IPA), Freudian Hop Session (Amber Pale Ale), Prince Andre (Peach Wheat), and Allomancy (Pilsner). Sunday Service Motor Company will tap Have Your Cake and Eat It Too, a German chocolate cake stout, this Saturday. Turtle Mountain wants you to take the Blue Pillz, a new blueberry pilsner. (UPDATES) Canteen also tapped Pink Warrior Wheat and It Was All a Dream Hazy IPA. Casa Vieja tapped Ladies & Ghents, a Belgian golden strong ale. Downshift added Fresh Hop Gratitude American Pale Ale. Marble tapped Uptown Brown Lager. Tractor brought back Javi Pre-Prohibition Lager.
Up in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row played around with a couple of experimental hops and created two festbier variants, Hop Trial X25 and Hop Trial X26. (UPDATE) Bathtub Row also tapped Patio Pale Ale, made with fresh hops picked from the vines on the b
New Package:
Bosque is celebrating its upcoming anniversary with Brewers Dozen, a barrel-aged imperial stout that will be available only in cans starting this Saturday. Bow & Arrow brings back Check Out Chaco, a Czech-style lager, in cans and on draft this Friday. Gravity Bound put its popular hazy IPA, Nectar Vector, in cans in addition to being on draft. La Cumbre will release Go Fast Break Things, a mocha pale ale, in cans and on draft this Friday.
Notable Events:
Today (Wednesday) — Poetry & Beer is back at Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m.
Friday — Marble will have Burritos & Beer Flights for $25 apiece up on the Skydeck at the downtown brewery from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Brewery tours are also included.
ArtWalk is back downtown from 5 to 9 p.m., so as always check in with Boese Brothers, Red Door, and Sidetrack to see what they have planned.
The Dash & Drink for Pink is back at Canteen at 6 p.m., a special 5K designed to raise funds for Pink Warrior Foundation.
The First Fridays Comedy Contest is back at Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m.
Little Toad Creek will host OkToaderfest from Friday through Sunday in Silver City.
Red River’s Oktoberfest will also run from Friday through Sunday.
Saturday — Rio Bravo will host Albuquerque Oktoberfest all day starting at 11 a.m.
There will be a Vendor Fiesta at Tin Can Alley from noon to 4 p.m.
Fall Fest, a breast cancer fundraiser, will take place at Brew Lab 101 starting at 2 p.m.
Marble will host Hops & Harvest, a fundraiser for the Downtown Growers Market, at the downtown location from 2 to 7 p.m.
Sunday — Feeling spicy? Head to Marble Heights from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Fuego Fest, with chile roasting and vendors offering up some scorching samples.
Canteen will host an Oktoberfest party from 4 to 7 p.m.
Monday — Bow & Arrow will celebrate Indigenous People’s Day with a vendor market and live music starting at 3 p.m.
Quick News Bits:
We got the news a little while back, but forgot to share that 550 Brewing in Aztec has been sold to new owners. It will be closed for a while until they get all the licensing in place. The 550 Pizzeria was sold separately and is now open, though we do not know if they will carry the brewery’s beers in the future.
Just in case you missed it, Brew Lab 101 is taking over the ReSource Brewing taproom in November. Here is the full story.
Starr Brothers has opened its first offsite taproom inside Pars & Rec, a golf and social shop located in the Hoffmantown Shopping Center at Menaul and Wyoming. The brewery will provide beers, cocktails, and wood-fired pizzas in the on-site cafe.
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: Oktoberfest (5.9% ABV, 30 IBU), available only in cans now.
Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Proper Pumpkin Beer (10.5% ABV), a decadent imperial stout brewed with actual pumpkin and pumpkin spices, now available in cans and on draft.
Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: OktoBEARfest (5.3% ABV), available in cans and on draft.
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: Oktoberfest is back!
Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery to see what’s currently on tap.
Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill
Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Plum Basil Rice Lager (4.8% ABV, 15 IBU), it’s pretty much exactly as the name describes.
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: Contact the brewery to see what’s currently on tap.
Enchanted Circle Brewing Taproom
Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hawaii 505 (5.8%), a coconut porter available in cans and on draft, with a portion of the proceeds going to Maui fire relief.
Flix Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Autumn Leaves (5.7% ABV), a flavorful festbier.
Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Lunar Autumn Saison (6% ABV, 20 IBU), a flavorful fall beer.
Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Pistola (7.4% ABV), a dank and delectable fresh-hop IPA.
Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: Stennes Blonde Stout, a collaboration with Quarter Celtic.
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: Wiesn Festbier (5.9% ABV, 30 IBU), a truly brilliant German-style lager that is 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: Oktoberfest (5.8% ABV, 20 IBU), a proper German lager.
Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: #ENDALZ (5.8% ABV), a cranberry-infused pale lager, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Alzheimer’s Association now through Friday.
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: Capri-derhosen (5.3% ABV, 23 IBU), a past gold medal winner at the World Beer Cup, this tasty German-style red lager is back on tap.
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: Oktoberfest, described by the brewery as “a Märzen-style lager that’s slightly sweet, with bread and straw-like maltiness balanced with floral and spicy German noble hops.”
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: Oktoberfiesta (6% ABV, 30 IBU), the annual German-style seasonal is back.
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. It’s back on draft in addition to being in cans.
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 only in cans now, so get it quickly before it runs out.
Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — Featured seasonal: Coco Hops Brown IPA (6.7% ABV), just one of a strong eight-beer lineup for the fall.
Other breweries you need to visit
Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: ULLR Fest Sahti (8.5% ABV), described by the brewery as a “Nordic brew from ancient Finland with juniper and rye, fermented with spicy yeast. Very malty, strong but well-concealed alcohol, intriguing woodsy/citrusy notes from the juniper.”
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: Oktoberfest (5.4% ABV, 18 IBU) is back in bottles and on tap at the brewery. Consider it your preview of all the good that is to come with the Oktoberfest party at SBB on October 14.
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 
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