Sometimes just having what one might describe as a typical year is rather welcome. At least that is the case with High and Dry Brewing owner/brewer Andrew Kalemba, who said it was a solid year for the brewery at Adams and Lomas.

The offsite taproom, on the other hand, continues to be an evolving challenge, as he told us during our interview for the annual Look Back/Look Ahead Series.

“The last few months have been focused on over here at Public House,” Kalemba said, as we sat down in the coffee shop nestled between the wine bar above and a newly remodeled area on the west side of the building. “We’re dubbing it the Nob Hill Stage, working on a little performance space over there, a little drinking area. This is probably going to unfold over the next year. We’re going to have canned beers and well drinks, we’re going to curate our selection from our fellow industry members. So that’s all been approved, so hopefully in the next couple weeks we’ll get the pictures and everything up to Santa Fe and get the (final) OK.”

Open mic night was going strong over there, while other customers sat in the reclaimed Taco Bell booths in the coffee shop, and more folks enjoyed their wine, beer, and cocktails up above.

“The room has been slightly described as if the back room of High and Dry threw up Americana, and I’m OK with that,” Kalemba said. “This was never really the plan, it’s just been the shuffling of the leases, and we have to do something with the space, and here we are.”

The building was effectively sectioned off into three parts, with the wine bar on the east side. Tenants have come and gone in the center and west side, with the latter having been set up as a restaurant space. The center has stabilized with Dawn Patrol Coffee Shop, but the restaurant has been a revolving door since the entire complex opened at Hermosa and Copper last October.

“Public House, in October, celebrated its one-year anniversary,” Kalemba said. “This place has been constantly evolving over the last year. We’re just trying to find the right mix. Wine bar upstairs, coffee shop, dive bar and music down there, and eventually food.”

Kalemba said he still hopes to find someone to take the restaurant lease and run the kitchen, supplying food to the music venue, coffee shop, and wine bar.

“This venue, that’s the new thing,” he said. “I think it’s a pretty natural evolution with how we’ve been doing it. It’s an opportunity to focus on music and showcase New Mexico beer. Hopefully the whole restaurant thing gets sorted out. I’m doing my damnedest to not run that kitchen. Down here it’s well drinks and can beer. You get your can beer, or everything else comes in a red solo cup. We’re keeping it really simple. I think the plan is to have live music three nights a week. We have the open mic to kick it off every Tuesday. I’m thinking there’s maybe (also) a karaoke night somewhere in there.”

As for the original brewery, it was a fairly stable year, save for that one random car fire outside that brought some unexpected attention.

“Goals for 2024, no car fires,” Kalemba said with a smile. “I feel like so much random shit has happened. The sewer line backed up over here on the restaurant side. We dug it up and came to find out that a fiber optic (cable) was right by the sewer line. We didn’t have to pay for that one. While we were solving that problem, that’s when the car fire happened.”

The brewery continues to draw a consistent, steady crowd.

“High and Dry has been doing its thing, we’ve been maintaining, nothing (too) exciting,” Kalemba said. “The most exciting thing we’ve been doing is keeping up with (live) music. We’ve got the Chachalacas every Thursday, live music every Saturday, open mic every Sunday. There’s a little bit of something for everyone. We’ve hit the sweet spot on some of that.”

There is one more special music event before the end of 2023.

“December 16, we’re doing a little kind of holiday thing with Brad (Fry) from Desert Records,” Kalemba said. “Gral Brothers are going to play and then L’uomo Nero is going to have an album release.”

There have not been any issues on the brewing front this year, which was a welcome sight with so many other breweries dealing with equipment issues.

“Everything is good, we’re keeping the tanks full all the time,” Kalemba said. “Since I just had to fill it out, we’re pretty much on pace to produce exactly what we did last year, maybe a hair more.”

High and Dry closed out the year with its annual charity collaborations with brewery friends Canteen and Steel Bender.

“There’s going to be some riding it out, going wherever the breeze takes us in 2024,” Kalemba said. “We’re just basically wrapping up the October stuff with Canteen, Steel Bender, and Pink Warrior House. We just did the adult coloring nights for AGORA.”

For 2024, High and Dry already has its first main event coming into focus.

“It’s that time of the year, we’re starting to talk about planning for the anniversary party in February, which I do know is going to be on the 17th,” Kalemba said. “I can say this now, too, High Desert Queen will be playing. They’re coming up from Austin. Other than that, we’ve got to fill in the gaps. Same old shenanigans for that one.”

In this day and age of constant upheaval, a year of just maintaining the status quo can be a win for a brewery, and it has been for High and Dry. A big thanks to Andrew for meeting up on short notice.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister