One of the best parts of December is that La Cumbre decides to make its anniversary a week-long celebration of the biggest, and often darkest beers on their menu in years past and present. This year is no exception, and there is more on deck leading up to Saturday’s shindig. For today (Wednesday), they are tapping a limited amount of 2022 La Negra Imperial Stout, and will have a few bottles for sale. Thursday sees the return of 2021 Siren Song on draft only, plus a beer dinner at Gather Nob Hill. Friday brings bottles and draft of 2022 La Negra Reserve, plus the debut of a new beer that is listed below under New Package. Saturday will then feature the tapping of the anniversary beer itself, a barrel-aged sour, and bottles will be available. There will also be live T-shirt printing from Screen Kings, La Sirenita and Lords Ov Smoke (welcome back!) providing food, and DJ Gabe Chach will be spinning tunes from 2 to 9 p.m. Happy 13th anniversary, La Cumbre!

New Draft:

Bosque tapped Grapevine Gossip, a “grape Kool-Aid dessert sour,” and Summer in Hallertau, a pale ale. Canteen brought back Falconer’s Flight Pale Ale and added Lemon Mango Wheat. Differential tapped Wet Hopped Malt Beer. Kaktus goes big with Winter Scotch Ale. Marble tapped Life’s a Peach, a fruited hefeweizen. Starr Brothers brought back Foggy Monocle, a tasty oatmeal stout. Tractor has a double release on Friday of Cranberry Ginger Cider and All American Rejects Porter. Turtle Mountain just tapped Burqueño Black, a schwarzbier. (UPDATES) Downshift gets into the season with She’s a Beaut Clark, a winter warmer. JUNO added Weet-a-Peach, a peach wheat ale. Marble also tapped Ginger Snap Porter, because a dessert beer was needed. Quarter Celtic tapped Yuletide Apple Spice Amber. Sidetrack added Red Ryder IPA. Sunday Service Motor Company tapped Killswitch Kolsch.

New Package:

Bosque rolled out Santa’s Favorite House, an imperial oatmeal cookie stout, in cans and on draft. Bow & Arrow dropped Lavaland Zwickelbier, a pilsner, and will bring back Buffalo Plaid Baltic Porter on Thursday, with both brews in cans and on draft. La Cumbre will release The 5-Eyed Monster in the Hopback, a West Coast DIPA, in cans and on draft this Friday. Sierra Blanca has a fresh run of Whiskey Barrel-Aged Stout in bottles and on draft. (UPDATE) Ex Novo released bottles of Elijah’s Old Buffalo, a double barrel-aged pastry stout, at the brewery and at Jubilation. Ex Novo also released Crueltor, a new hazy IPA, in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — The final Poetry & Beer of the year starts at 7 p.m. at Tractor Wells Park.

Thursday — Bosque Nob Hill will host Books & Brews, a book fair for grown-ups, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Comedy Night returns to Brew Lab 101 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday — ABQ Artwalk is back from 5 to 9 p.m. downtown, so check out their respective social media pages to see what Boese Brothers, Red Door, and Sidetrack have planned.

Bow & Arrow gets in the season with an Ugly Sweater Holiday Party from 7 to 11 p.m.

Tractor Wells Park will host the popular Goth Night & Dark Market starting at 8 p.m.

Saturday — Drag Queen Bingo will take over Canteen from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Desert Darlings present Hops & Dreams: Winter Wonderland Edition at Tractor Wells Park starting at 7 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Steel Bender will be closed Monday night for their staff holiday party. Last call will be at 4:30 p.m.

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.

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

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: SNAFU Stout (5.2% ABV, 30 IBU), a chewy oatmeal stout.

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: Coyote Waits (8% ABV), an imperial stout aged in Heaven Hill barrels, on draft only.

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: Negroni Ale (5.2% ABV, 30 IBU), a beer designed to mimic the popular cocktail.

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: Contact the brewery to see what’s currently on tap.

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: Dark Lager (5% ABV), a beer that is exactly as described, but packed with flavor and available in cans and on draft.

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: Snowbird Lager (6.4% ABV, 35 IBU), a Strata-hop-heavy lager that still drinks nicely, even in the wintertime.

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

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Brown Chicken Brown Cow (7.2% ABV, 20 IBU), a rare double brown ale, it’s a malty delight.

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: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

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: Whiskey Stout is back, as we noted above, in bottles and on draft.

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