The good folks at Downshift Brewing, and everyone else down in Ruidoso, have been through the summer of hell, to put it mildly. No sooner had they started to recover from the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire, which combined to destroy 1,500 structures in town, but then came the monsoon rains and flash floods that have wiped out another 200 homes and counting. With both of their locations in downtown having made it through the fires and floods so far (knock on all nearby pieces of wood), Downshift is looking to their fellow breweries for a little help. The new Collective Good Ruidoso Recovery Beer Project is for breweries statewide to create a beer off the same kolsch-style recipe, with the proceeds going back to Ruidoso to help rebuild. We are encouraging the breweries of the Albuquerque metro area, Santa Fe, and beyond to join in this endeavor. More information can be found in the current New Mexico Brewers Guild newsletter, including a sign-up link and a PDF with even more details (if you do not receive that weekly email, contact us directly at nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com and we will forward you the information). As for all of you beer lovers out there, until those beers are available for purchase, the best thing you can do is to take a weekend and head down to Ruidoso. Much of the town is safe and fully open. They need tourist dollars right now to keep all the local businesses, including Downshift and neighboring Lost Hiker Brewing, open and thriving. Just going down there to shop, eat, drink, and stay the night can be a huge help. We raise our glasses to Downshift, Lost Hiker, and everyone in Ruidoso writing their comeback story!

New Draft:

Boxing Bear tapped a couple of dessert beers last weekend with Nuts N Nibs, a peanut butter stout, and Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout. High and Dry released Nauty by Nature, an Ekuanot single-hop IPA. Kaktus added Copper Lager to their lineup. Marble tapped Jabroni Dark, a Mexican dark lager. (UPDATES) Bosque added Shandy Lakes, a lemon shandy. Canteen brought back Boysenberry Wheat. Harmon Lane tapped Summer Session IPA. Marble added Straw Bale Sour Ale, a Belgian-style golden sour. Rio Bravo tapped 311 Nitro, an amber ale.

Up in Santa Fe, Beer Creek tapped Brillante, a new helles lager. Second Street added The Coriolis Effect, a new IPA. Down south, Downshift tapped Coconut Resignation Porter. Truth or Consequences Brewing will tap Big River IPA on Thursday.

New Package:

Ex Novo released the first of their Decem Anniversary Collab Series, an experimental IPA brewed with the good folks at Telluride Brewing, in cans and on draft. Steel Bender says to heck with summer and will release Oktoberfiesta in cans and on draft this Thursday, including a special where for $13 you get a pint and a jumbo pretzel. Second Street put their popular Motueka Juicy Pale Ale in cans after it had been on draft only for a short while. (UPDATES) Make that three beers released in the Decem series for Ex Novo, as they added a Pale Ale brewed with Grains of Wrath (Camas, Wash.) and an Italian Pilsner brewed with Cannonball Creek Brewing (Golden, Colo.), both also in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — Boxing Bear’s 10th anniversary series of events continues with BXBR Trivia Night at the Bridges on Tramway taproom starting at 6 p.m.

Thursday — Trivia for a Cause is back at Bosque Cottonwood at 6 p.m., this time with the timely theme of Deadpool.

Sip & Succulent will be at Boxing Bear Firestone from 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday — Gin & Jazz: Summer Edition takes over Tractor Wells Park starting at 5 p.m.

Boxing Bear Firestone will host the Ultimate Brewery Tour from 6 to 7 p.m.

Saturday — Nuckolls Brewing will celebrate their first anniversary with an all-day party from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with live music, food and drink specials, and more.

The New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge will have its final round at Bow & Arrow, with sessions at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Tickets are still available online, but get them quick before they sell out.

Boxing Bear Firestone will host the Bear Games, an Olympics-themed series of fun contests, from 3 to 8 p.m.

The Sip & Shop Market will take over Beer Creek from 4 to 8 p.m.

Sunday — Boxing Bear will have a Pinball Tournament starting at noon at Firestone, along with the Custom Hat Bar at Bridges on Tramway from 1 to 5 p.m.

Monday — Sip & Succulent will move to Boxing Bear at Bridges on Tramway from 6 to 8 p.m.

Tumbleroot Agua Fria gets metal with Izthmi, Dead Pattern, Illegal Aliens, and Desmarde starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $17 in advance.

Tuesday — Sweet Bites and Beer is back at Steel Bender all day, while the bites last. Get some delicious pairings of beers and special desserts. Check their social media for more details. It will continue the following Wednesday, too.

Quick News Bits:

Nuckolls Brewing has announced that it has 15 more taps (!) now online, so there will be even more beer (and wine) flowing at the Santa Fe Railyard.

Boese Brothers has a post on their website saying that the downtown taproom is closed for renovations until September 6.

Just in case anyone missed it, Ex Novo has been forced to postpone the opening of their new location in downtown Albuquerque. We have long said that the final step of getting the doors open for any brewery is the steepest step of all, and once again, we’re sadly proven right.

Turquoise Trail Brewing, which closed down in Albuquerque a while ago, has now reopened in Moriarty. We will be heading out there once their own beers are on tap (just guest taps to start) to check out the new space.

Another new brewery? Another new brewery, as The Tatted Bee Brewhouse has taken over the former Black Snout location at Juan Tabo and Menaul.

In case anyone missed the early preview, Dripline Brewery is moving closer toward opening later this year in the Wells Park neighborhood.

In case anyone missed the other big news, Vision City is headed west to take over the former Boxing Bear Corrales space.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery  — Featured seasonal: Drunk Astronaut (7.5% ABV), described as a “super juicy DIPA brewed with Galaxy hops and Cosmic Punch yeast.”

Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: Black Ops Lager (5.8% ABV, 30 IBU), a dark lager inspired by the German schwarzbier style.

Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Crimson & Clover (6.1% ABV, 10 IBU), a blonde ale with cherry and honey, now available on tap and in cans.

Bossfight Brewing (formerly Kilt Check Brewing) — Featured seasonal: Way of the Samurai, a Japanese rice lager that will become a staple at the brewery.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Flying Saazers (5.1% ABV), another amazing beer name from B&A, this one is a Belgian-style pilsner now available in cans (the artwork is gold) and on draft.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Chinhook Mountain IPA (6.8% ABV), a hop-forward ale that combines elements of a West Coast and an East Coast hazy, is back in cans and on draft.

Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Buzz Lightbeer (3.9% ABV, 10 IBU), a summer-worthy brew.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Low and Slow Kolsch (5.2% ABV, 25 IBU), a perfect summer patio beer available in cans and on draft, and as a bonus it helps the Turtle Survival Alliance.

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: Matcha Ginger Blonde (5% ABV, 14 IBU), it’s pretty much exactly as the name describes.

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

Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: She Sells Seashelles (5.3% ABV), an awesome helles lager 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: Bonfires of Ganymede (7.1% ABV, 29 IBU), a smoked maibock with just the right amount of charring, balanced out by the sweet malts and hops.

Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Memory Lane, an orange creamsicle sour to help you get through this stretch of scorching heat.

Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: Honey Do IPA, the perfect beer after getting that yard work done.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: How Do You Spell Koelsch is just one of a whole new lineup of beers on tap, as they just recently updated their menu online (click that link to see what else is now available).

Hops Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

JUNO Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Kaktus Brewing — Featured seasonal: Sweet Darkness Milk Stout, a nice treat for dessert after your pizza.

La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hop Drift Cold IPA (6.7% ABV), now available in cans and on draft.

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: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Lizard Tail Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: Citrus Sunshine IPA (6.8% ABV), part of the Alpha Acid Trip Series, now available in cans and on draft.

Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: Beam Me Up (Higher) Scotty (9.5% ABV, 29 IBU), which just won its second silver medal in three years at the World Beer Cup, is back on tap for a limited time.

Painted Lady Bed and Brew — Featured seasonal: Wolfman’s Got Nards, an amber ale and a tribute to the 80s classic The Monster Squad.

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — Featured seasonal: Cockness Monster (14% ABV), a monstrous Scotch ale aged in whiskey barrels for two years.

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: Super Stoop Malt Liquor (6.5% ABV, 18 IBU), which does not have to be consumed on a stoop or in a paper bag.

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: Rising Hope Collaboration (5% ABV, 40 IBU), an orange blossom pale ale with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Rumor Brewing — Featured seasonal: Desert Monk (6.8% ABV, 21 IBU), a Belgian-style dubbel.

Sidetrack Brewing — Featured seasonal: Mighty Monarch IPA (6.3% ABV, 50 IBU), a West Coast IPA with an English malt base, available in cans and on draft.

Sobremesa — Featured seasonal: Face the Day Breakfast Stout (7.65% ABV, 40 IBU), a coffee-infused stout to wake you up after the long drive to the Westside (we kid, we kid).

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: St. Robby’s Girl (5.3% ABV, 26 IBU), a Dortmunder-style lager brewed in collaboration with Palmer Brewery.

Steel Bender Brewyard — Featured seasonal: Escape Clause DIPA (8.5% ABV, 75 IBU), a powerful hop bomb to help you escape from the world.

Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

The Tatted Bee Brewhouse — Rumor has it that the first two house beers, a pale ale and a saison, may now be on tap. Clearly we need to visit the new brewery at Menaul and Juan Tabo to find out for sure.

Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: RIGor Mortis, an imperial coffee stout collaboration with Rust is Gold Coffee.

The 377 Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Pistachio Cream Ale (6.0% ABV, 20 IBU), a near-perfect melding of New Mexico’s popular nut and a classic cream ale.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Agent Orange Hazy DIPA (7.3% ABV, 17 IBU), which is infused with actual oranges, and not just citrus-like hops.

Unhinged Brewing — Featured seasonal: Madcap Mosaic Hazy IPA, a brew of which the entire staff is quite proud of, as relayed to us by many people, who also sang its praises as an above-average hazy.

Vision City Brewstillery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated seasonal list.

Santa Fe breweries

Beer Creek Brewing — Featured seasonal: Temporada (6.1% ABV), a Belgian saison brewed with 100-percent New Mexico-grown pilsner malt and Neomexicanus hops. Described by the brewery as “crisp and dry with hints of bubblegum. Not a Brett beer.”

Chile Line Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated seasonal list.

Nuckolls Brewing — Featured seasonal: Spice Car, a farmhouse saison brewed with Thai chili peppers, guava, mango puree, and lime juice.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — Featured seasonal: Thibadeux (5% ABV, 50 IBU), a collaboration kvass with Beer Creek.

Santa Fe Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Starter Fluid (9.5% ABV), a hazy DIPA with a kick, now available in cans and on draft.

Second Street Brewery — Featured seasonal: Tipsy Parrot (6.4% ABV), a piña colada-inspired beer now available in cans and on draft.

Travel Bug — Featured seasonal: This bookstore/cafe only has two beers on tap, Rough Draft Ale (4.5% ABV) and Second Draft English Bitter (6% ABV), but if any seasonals ever pop up, we will list them here.

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — Featured seasonal: Molé Stout (9.2% ABV), the seasonal beer with a lovely kick of spice is back on draft and in bottles. Oh, they put some on nitro now, too.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Black Pearl (5.4% ABV), a Schwarzbier-inspired American dark lager.

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 The Big Ben Sanchez Youth Foundation.

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

Red River Brewing and Distilling — Featured seasonal: Cacao 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: Pecan Brown Ale, a classic offering from the brewery.

Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Robledo Rye (5.9% ABV, 46 IBU), described by the brewery as “a crisp golden ale with substantial hop bitterness and flavor. Malted rye adds a spicy, earthy quality, moderated by the subtle honey sweetness of Vienna malt. Warrior hops contribute smooth bitterness and flavors of pine, grapefruit, and pineapple.”

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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