It happens every season, where one brewery stands up and shouts “NO MORE!” and releases the seasonal for the next quarter of the year. All things considered, it has been a fairly mild winter (apologies if this jinxes us), but nonetheless Steel Bender has had quite enough of the colder days and nights. To prove it, they are releasing their popular spring seasonal, Hummingbird Pils, in cans and on draft this Thursday. A German-style pilsner, it is light, crisp, and just sweet enough to make you order a second pint. And hey, it is a much better sign of spring then all of us sneezing our little heads off. Yeah, juniper, we know you’re getting ready to do your worst. Bring it on. We have good beer, and air filters.

New Draft:

Bosque keeps with the dessert beers, this time with Pie-Face, a key lime pie-inspired wheat ale. Casa Vieja tapped Coyote Brown Ale. Quarter Celtic dropped a double release of Helles German Lager and Raspberry Pastry Stout. Sidetrack will have a triple release on Saturday with 413 Steam, Turntable IPA, and Pub Ale. Turtle Mountain tapped Com-Bloc Black Baltic Stout. (UPDATES) Sidetrack is also tapping Buzz Bomb on Saturday. Sunday Service Motor Company is tapping Winter Rye IPA on Friday. There is also a multi-brewery collab called Starving Artist Dortmunder coming out Friday at Marble, Quarter Celtic, Santa Fe, Sidetrack, and Turtle Mountain.

Down south, Downshift tapped Citrus Snowday Hazy IPA. (UPDATE) Up in Santa Fe, Second Street brought back Red & Yellow Armadillo, an imperial red IPA.

New Package:

Bow & Arrow will release Native Land 3.0, this time an American stout, this Friday in cans and on draft. Marble released the latest entry in its Alpha Acid Trip Series, Pine Mountain IPA, in cans and on draft. (UPDATES) Bow & Arrow is also releasing Desert Punch, a fruited sour ale, in cans and on draft. Boxing Bear lightens up with Featherweight Session IPA back in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Friday — WinterBrew returns to the Farmers Market at the Santa Fe Railyard from 5 to 9 p.m. We will have a full preview with beer lists on Thursday.

Gin & Jazz: New Year’s Edition takes over Tractor Wells Park at 5 p.m.

Saturday — Sidetrack will celebrate its eighth anniversary party from 1 to 6 p.m. with an Oni Noodles pop-up and more. Check out their Look Back/Look Ahead Series feature for more details.

Second Street Rufina hosts 1000 Nights of Bellydance starting at 8 p.m.

The Blind Date with a book event runs all day at Canteen. For $12, you get to pick a wrapped book, with only the genre showing, and a beer.

Tuesday — Trivia for a Cause takes on the NFL at Bosque Cottonwood at 6 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Ex Novo is hiring a full-time brewer to join their staff. Check their social media for more details.

Boxing Bear is selling some vintage tap handles via their online store. Boxing Bear Firestone will now be open on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m., starting this weekend.

A couple breweries changed things up at their taprooms on Tuesdays. Turtle Mountain North will now be open on Tuesdays from 3 to 8:30 p.m. Lizard Tail Nob Hill will now be closed on Tuesdays.

Just in case anyone missed it — but judging by the page views, you haven’t — B2B Garden Brewery has permanently closed. The brewery opened during the lockdown in 2020 near Comanche and Wyoming, but apparently never got going to the point where it was sustainable.

On the flip side of the B2B news, Bosque has announced three new taprooms. They are taking over the former Lava Rock space on Unser, an old Applebee’s at San Mateo and Academy, and Duke City Beaches on Menaul.

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.

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: Cry of the Blackbirds Imperial Stout (8.6% ABV, 55 IBU), a very metal behemoth of a beer.

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: Nevermore (12.1% ABV), a burly beast of a barrel-aged black barleywine, now available in cans and on draft.

Flix Brewhouse  — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery to see what’s currently on tap.

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Shadowmere Weizen Doppelbock (10.4% ABV, 24 IBU), described by the brewery as “Bananas Foster over a malty backbone with hints of spice. Warm alcohol for cold winter days and nights.”

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: Casual Car Fire, a grapefruit sour with an epic name.

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: Welcome to the Show (6.7% ABV, 34 IBU), a no-frills American stout that packs a tasty punch.

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: Foggy Monocle (6.1% ABV, 17 IBU), an excellent oatmeal stout that has twice won the Crew’s Stout Challenge.

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