We decided that it would be most helpful to one and all if we were to roll out Week Ahead a day early. After all, there is a holiday on Thursday, so you will need all the time in the world to better prepare for it in advance. We recommend preparing with beer to help you get through it all. To further help, a couple of breweries have specials going on, with Sidetrack offering up a three-pack of crowlers for just $22 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Boxing Bear is calling their special Cheersgiving, and for the purchase of any four-pack, crowler, or growler fill, you will be entered into a chance to win a Boxing Bear Gift Box. It is a $150 value filled with a hoodie or sweatshirt, beanie, sunglasses, bandana, tote bag, button, vintage sunglasses, and stickers. You get entered once for each purchased item. Any other pre-Thanksgiving specials out there? Let us know in the comments.

Oh, and do not fret, we will have a separate post Wednesday with all the available changes to hours of operation at breweries, including what those staying open will be providing food-wise. So to all the breweries who have yet to share their hours for the holiday, pretty please do so ASAP. Thank you!

New Draft:

Bosque tapped Bingo Parlor, a double-dry-hopped Citra hazy IPA. La Cumbre added Schwarzbier. Marble flies in with Comet IPA. Lizard Tail tapped a hefty Holiday Cider that checks in at 10-percent ABV. Unhinged will release Low Rider Lager on Friday for their first anniversary party. (UPDATES) Gravity Bound dropped Thumbing My Way, a new West Coast IPA, for the weekend. Sidetrack tapped the new ale Sidetrack Gold. Turtle Mountain brought back Deutsches Pils.

Down south, Truth or Consequences Brewing will have one keg of Mastodon Barrel-Aged Quad on tap at the main location this Thursday, and one keg at the Las Cruces taproom on Friday. All bottles have already sold out.

New Package:

Bow & Arrow will release Desert Modern Hazy IPA in cans and on draft this Wednesday. Harmon Lane released Red Rye IPA in cans and on draft. Thirsty Eye picked Biscochito Liquido for its first can release.

Notable Events:

Thursday — We will list any Thanksgiving events in a separate post Wednesday.

Friday — Blackest Friday, the annual celebration of some of the biggest dark beers on the planet, is back at Rowley Farmhouse Ales starting at 11:30 a.m.

Tractor Wells Park will host Gin & Jazz: Hip Hop Edition starting at 5 p.m.

Bow & Arrow will have a Tree Lighting celebration at 7 p.m.

JUNO welcomes some metal and industrial bands to the stage with Andrako, Simian Breed, Chromolith, and Dunwich Dreams starting at 7 p.m., with just a $5 cover.

Saturday — The Tired of Turkey Red Chile Cook Off kicks off at Canteen at 1 p.m.

(UPDATE) Tumbleroot will host a Pottery Pop-Up market at the Agua Fria taproom from 4 to 8 p.m.

The breweries in the area will be participating in the Downtown Bar Crawl from 4 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday — Bosque Nob Hill will host the latest edition of Trivia for a Cause at 6 p.m., with Friends as the rather timely subject.

Quick News Bits:

A big congratulations to Quarter Celtic, which claimed two medals at the Brussels Beer Challenge. Vienna Lager brought home a silver and Capriderhosen (which is on tap at both locations) earned a bronze from the Belgium-based competition. Not bad to have two European-style brews win in Europe!

Lava Rock Brewing has closed its location on Unser with the aim of moving the brewing operation to a new spot in Moriarty. We will have much more on this big move next week.

Brew Lab 101 has opened its Northeast Heights taproom in the space formerly occupied by ReSource Brewing.

Steel Bender is hiring a head brewer as Tom Sadja is heading out of state. Head to the brewery’s website and look for the tab that says Join Our Crew if you are interested in applying for the job.

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: Fresh Start (7.5% ABV, 15 IBU), a maple coffee stout, now available in cans and on draft.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Bisti Pineapple Spice Hard Seltzer, which we are featuring at the brewery’s request before anyone thinks we’ve gone mad and highlighted a seltzer instead of a beer. They asked very nicely!

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Standing 8 Stout (7.3% ABV), the classic oatmeal stout is back on tap and in cans.

Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Labtoberfest (5.8% ABV, 20 IBU), a tasty märzen available on draft.

B2B Garden Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Pink Warrior Wheat (4.6% ABV, 15 IBU), a portion of the proceeds of this fruited wheat will go to Pink Warrior House.

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Kojote Brown (5.4% ABV, 18 IBU), a Belgian-style brown ale.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Papaya Blonde Ale, which was brewed to hang onto summer just a bit longer.

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.

Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Kokua (4% ABV), a session IPA based off a recipe by Maui Brewing, with proceeds going to the Maui Brewing Fire Fund.

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: Your Place or Stein (5.9% ABV), a wonderful Oktoberfest lager available in cans and on draft.

Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: Stennes Blonde Stout, a collaboration with Quarter Celtic.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Freudian Hop Session (5.5% ABV, 40 IBU), an amber pale ale, with a portion of the proceeds going to Pink Warrior House.

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: Telescopic Tropic IPA (6.4% ABV, 66 IBU), a hoppy delight that we were told has quickly become the talk of the taproom.

Kilt Check Brewing — There are rumors that the brewery will be staying open, but we await the official word.

La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: La Negra (13% ABV, 70 IBU), a beautiful beast of a barrel-aged imperial stout, now available in bottles and on tap.

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 — The brewery is relocating to Moriarty.

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: Lush Imperial Stout (10.9% ABV, 77 IBU), the beautiful behemoth returns with this description from the brewery, “2023 Lush Imperial Stout is rich and full. It has notes of simcoe pine, bitter dark chocolate and roasted coffee. Made with Imperial’s “Darkness” Yeast, this beer is LARGE at 10.9% ABV. Lush is sure to warm you on chilly nights!”

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.

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: Matching Stoutfits (6.6% ABV, 30 IBU), a wonderful name for an oatmeal stout.

Sobremesa — Featured seasonal: Dominator, a German-style doppelbock.

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: There Wolf (5.8% ABV, 21 IBU), a flavor-packed Oktoberfest lager.

Steel Bender Brewyard — Featured seasonal: Elixir Ale (6% ABV, 20 IBU), a collaboration with Canteen and High and Dry, an ale brewed with chamomile. For every pint sold, $1 goes to AGORA Crisis Center.

Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too, a German chocolate cake-inspired stout.

Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: Ton Up or Shut Up, an American lager infused with Rust is Gold cold brew.

The 377 Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Turkey Drool (8.4% ABV), which is our favorite annual seasonal release from the brewery, and yes, we will declare that publicly.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Why Does It Hurt When IPA?, a Zappa-hop-heavy ale.

Unhinged Brewing — Featured seasonal: Los Muertos Porter, a very seasonal-appropriate robust porter.

Vision City Brewstillery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated seasonal list.

Santa Fe breweries

Beer Creek Brewing — Featured seasonal: Diablo Bock (7.7% ABV, 25 IBU), a hybrid of a dunkel bock and a doppelbock, it’s devilishly delicious.

Chile Line Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Hidden Mountain Brewing — Featured seasonal: De Péche Mood, a peach wheat ale with a tremendous name.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — Featured seasonal: Ceremony, a wild ale brewed with tea.

Santa Fe Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Adobe Igloo, the winter seasonal is back in cans and on draft.

Second Street Brewery — Featured seasonal: Toast the Dawn (4.4% ABV, 12 IBU), a helles lager available in cans and on draft, perfect for relaxing the last warm days away.

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — Featured seasonal: Totality American Stout, because stout, what else needs to be said?

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 — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Red River Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Sierra Blanca Brewing  — Featured seasonal: Well, Oktoberfest ran out, and Whiskey Stout is not quite ready yet, so you will just have to enjoy the vast and varied menu of year-round brews in Moriarty.

Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Fiesta Anejo (5.3% ABV, 22 IBU), which the brewery described as “a smooth Mexican Lager infused with essence of tequila.”

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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