Last year at this time, we suggested it was still possible to support breweries during the slowest month of the year for business, even without drinking, by doing things like just buying food or merchandise. Dry January is and will continue to be a big thing for some folks, even those who spend much of the year inhabiting brewery taprooms. Many places have come to expect this, and now carry non-alcoholic beverages produced elsewhere. Ex Novo is now going a step beyond and creating its own NA beer, Corrales is More. It’s a lager with an ABV of less than 0.5 percent, still packing all the flavor you would expect from one of their brews with next to no alcoholic bite. We know that it can be difficult to both produce and properly store non-alcoholic beer, so a tip of the cap to Ex Novo for being the first to go there in our state. And, for those not participating in Dry January, fear not, for there are still new beers in the works all around the state.

New Draft:

Bosque tapped Borrowing Trouble, a new juicy IPA. High and Dry added Cougars from Mercury, a wheat-infused edition of their hoppy Kittens from Japan. Rio Bravo tapped a new American stout, Welcome to the Show. Steel Bender will tap Escape Artist IPA on Thursday. Tractor brings back Double Plow Oatmeal Stout this Friday. (UPDATES) Bosque added January Light, a new lager. Casa Vieja tapped a Belgian-style Dubbel. La Cumbre added Wee Heavy Scotch Ale and Dedication IPA. Starr Brothers brought back Black Friday, a dark lager.

Up in Santa Fe, Second Street tapped Sloppy Sloth Styrian Hazy IPA and Hoptimist IPA.

New Package:

As of publication, nothing has been announced for this week, but odds are, we will have several updates coming over the next few days. (UPDATE) There had to be at least one this week, and voila, Santa Fe Brewing is releasing Socialer Hour, the bigger (9.5% ABV) brother to its popular Social Hour, in cans and on draft. Second Street has a limited number of cans of their seasonal sour, Low Winter Sun.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — Poetry & Beer returns to Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m.

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

Friday — Once again, it’s time for ArtWalk from 5 to 9 p.m., so check out what downtown breweries Boese Brothers, Red Door, and Sidetrack have going by visiting their respective social media pages.

The First Fridays Comedy Contest returns to Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m.

JUNO hosts a local metal show with VAIDA and OneOfLess from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 apiece.

Quick News Bits:

After recapping an up-and-down year for Public House, the wine bar spinoff of High and Dry, in their Look Back/Look Ahead Series entry, a big change has occurred. Vara Winery will now be leasing out the Public House space, and taking over the currently unused kitchen. The Stage at Nob Hill music venue and the coffee shop in between will remain as is, but in the end this will enable High and Dry ownership to refocus on the brewery for a while.

Boxing Bear closed their West Downtown taproom after a final party last Saturday. Co-owner/director of brewing operations Justin Hamilton told us it was due to the five-year lease expiring, and no signs of growth at the location for the past three years since the end of the pandemic lockdown. All employees will remain with the company, transferring to the other three Boxing Bear taprooms, where changes and upgrades figure to be afoot throughout 2024.

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: Panama Joe Coffee Stout (8% ABV, 33 IBU), this longtime Crew favorite is back for a limited run, in cans and on draft.

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: Biscochito Brown (6.4% ABV, 25 IBU), a beer whose name is pretty self-explanatory.

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: Matching Stoutfits (6.6% ABV, 30 IBU), a delightful oatmeal stout with an epic name now available in cans and on draft.

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: Event Horizon Black IPA (6.6% ABV, 72 IBU), a rare black IPA sighting at a New Mexico brewery (we miss the old days) demands to be highlighted.

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 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: Breaking Plaid (9.1% ABV, 28 IBU), a Scottish wee heavy with an excellent name, available in cans and on draft.

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 for another seasonal run in bottles and on draft.

Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Star Eater Black IPA (7.2% ABV, 56 IBU), a hop-forward dark ale that we would love to get our hands on one of these days.

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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