Just when we thought this would be a quiet week, an old rumor was proven true when Boxing Bear announced that this weekend will mark the final days of its West Downtown taproom. The location at 1710 Central Ave. SW will close its doors after a two-day farewell party this Friday and Saturday. The first night will feature DJ Shakedown and DJ Clout performing from 6 to 9 p.m., along with a craft vendor market of local artisans, and food from Zia Strong Snac Shac. The finale on Saturday will run from 4 to 10 p.m., with a foosball and dart tournament (registration at 4, play begins at 5:30), and food from Comida de Reyes from 4 to 8. We will reach out to Boxing Bear for more on this sad decision to close one taproom, but we can say that the good news is the remaining three locations (Firestone, Corrales, Bridges on Tramway) are staying open.

New Draft:

Canteen did a double drop with Sim City IPA and Schwebock Doppelbock. Gravity Bound tapped Center Stage Hazy IPA. Sidetrack brought back Matching Stoutfits. Turtle Mountain also released two new brews in Elevenses, a New Zealand pale lager, and Nova Prospekt, a black IPA. (UPDATES) Boxing Bear tapped Like ‘er? Lager! Ex Novo put some of the Penguin Tuxedo Stout on nitro. Late Shift has Brewster’s Bock back on tap. Lizard Tail tapped Desert Night Black IPA. Marble brought back Oatalé, its robust oatmeal stout.

Up in Santa Fe, Rowley Farmhouse Ales recently tapped Ned Ryerson, a barrel-aged barleywine.

New Package:

La Cumbre will release Mosaic Single Hop IPA in cans and on draft this Friday. (UPDATES) Boxing Bear brings back The Red Glove Double Red IPA in cans and on draft this Friday. Ex Novo rolled out Liquid Sweater, a NW winter ale, in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Friday — See our intro for details on the first night of A Final Bearwell at Boxing Bear West Downtown from 6 to 9 p.m. The second night is Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.

Saturday — Bow & Arrow hosts a New Year’s Eve Eve Party from 7 to 11 p.m.

Sunday — There will be New Year’s Eve parties at JUNO, Red Door Downtown, all three Tractor taprooms in Albuquerque, and Tumbleroot’s Agua Fria taproom in Santa Fe. Check their respective social media pages for details.

We will have a full roundup of the hours for breweries for New Year’s Eve and Day posted later this week.

Quick News Bits:

We are a bit slow on news at the moment (save for what is in our intro), but if you are headed up to Red River anytime this winter, make sure to check out a couple new spots in town that we covered in a recent article.

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: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

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.

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: Winter Scotch Ale, described by the brewery as being”with notes of molasses, toffee and banana bread this beer is designed to keep you warm and happy through the long winter nights. Medium bodied with a gentle sweetness.”

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: Double Black IPA (8.5% ABV), a perfect winter ale.

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: Old Oku Barleywine (9.2% ABV, 25 IBU), part of the 25 Years of Beers throwback line, this is an old recipe re-imagined.

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.

Downshift Brewing — 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.

Little Toad Creek Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Red River Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Cocoa Fuego Chocolate Green Chile Stout. (6.5% ABV, 30 IBU), described by the brewery thusly, “Our oatmeal stout with a kick! Made with Hatch green chile and organic cacao nibs, it has an earthy start and a chocolate finish, It’s sure to warm you up on these cool evenings.”

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