While some of us (well, me) were working on Sunday afternoon, reps from 25 different breweries joined the Ex Novo staff at The Corral for the second United in Beer draft day.

For anyone who missed it last year, United in Beer is a collaboration festival, with those breweries paired up at random. The goal is to pair a larger brewery with a smaller one. Once paired, the duo can choose from multiple beer style categories, and once that style is chosen, it is off the board.

The event benefits the Somos Unidos Foundation, so yes, there is a definite New Mexico United tie-in. Team staff were at the draft on Sunday.

There are the same number of breweries this year as last, though there were some changes in who wished to participate. Bow & Arrow, Flock of Moons, Gravity Bound, Kilt Check, Painted Lady, and Sunday Service Motor Company are throwing their hats into the ring, replacing Casa Vieja, Harmon Lane, Late Shift, Red River, Taos Mesa, and the closed Lava Rock.

Here are the final pairings and their beer style categories:

• Bathtub Row Brewing and Santa Fe Brewing — Hazy IPA
• Bosque Brewing and Flock of Moons Brewing — European Lager
• Bow & Arrow Brewing and La Reforma — Red Ale
• Brew Lab 101 and Turtle Mountain Brewing — West Coast IPA
• Canteen Brewhouse and Truth or Consequences Brewing — Experimental IPA
• Ex Novo Brewing and Gravity Bound Brewing — Pilsner
• Flix Brewhouse and Sunday Service Motor Co — Dark Lager
• Icebox Brewing and Palmer Brewery — Light Ale
• Kilt Check Brewing and Quarter Celtic Brewpub — Hoppy Lager
• Marble Brewery and Sidetrack Brewing — Classic UK
• Painted Lady Bed and Brew and Steel Bender Brewyard — SMASH
• Rowley Farmhouse Ales and Second Street Brewery — Belgian
• Sobremesa and Thirsty Eye Brewing — Classic North American

We do like how some of those pairings make perfect geographic sense, like Brew Lab 101 and Turtle Mountain, or RFA and Second Street. Others are a bit more wild, like Palmer and Icebox, or Canteen and TorC. Sidetrack getting to do a Classic UK-style beer with Marble also hits right on the nose.

While we can quibble with the lack of any stouts or porters, we acknowledge that this is a summer festival. Oh, the exact date has not been set as of yet, but it was mid-May last year. Ex Novo will again host it in The Corral. When the official date is announced and tickets are put up for sale, we will share it with everyone.

Here is to the coming festivals of summer. Provided we survive allergy death spring, of course.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister