Gravity Bound claims their 2nd trophy in 3 years at NM IPA Challenge

Gravity Bound co-owner Chris Frigon is all smiles after receiving the IPA Challenge trophy from NM Brewers Guild executive director Ebbie Edmonston.

After a close vote in the first round in Santa Fe two weeks, there was a landslide of votes in Albuquerque for Gravity Bound Brewing at the 2024 New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge final round.

It was a second win three years for Gravity Bound, which racked up a total of 106 votes between the rounds at Nuckolls and Bow & Arrow, the Saturday host for the finale for the first time since 2019.

Gravity Bound co-owner Chris Frigon again accepted the trophy, though he said this time that his brother, head brewer/co-owner Cameron Frigon, was not off camping like in 2022.

“No, he’s fine, he’s out with an injury,” Chris Frigon said. “He got some third-degree burns this week. He’s resting, but he’s around.”

Yikes, here is hoping that Cameron recovers quickly. Chris added that Gravity Bound will take a few days off this week and work on some new beers and a few little renovations around the building, including some shade for the patio. The winning beer, Monic Hazy IPA, will be back on tap by next Saturday, Chris added.

“It was the hop variety that we used,” Chris said of the key to winning. “We used Luminosa (hops), which not a lot of people use. It was a well-rounded beer. I don’t know, sometimes it just kind of hits.”

Here are the final voting totals. Keep scrolling down to see which number corresponded to which brewery on the tray.

It certainly hit with the patrons at Bow & Arrow, with more than double the votes of runner-up La Reforma, which had 48. Monic was the third straight hazy IPA to win the NMIPAC trophy.

New Mexico Brewers Guild executive director Ebbie Edmonston said she was happy with the final turnout on a warm summer day.

“Overall, I think it was really good,” Edmonston said. “Lots of people always show up to the Albuquerque one, and we’re very, very happy with that. We’re definitely bummed that we had to cancel Farmington (last week), but the numbers (in sales) weren’t there. If you want to go to beer events, definitely buy your tickets (in advance).”

For those wondering which beer was which on the tray, here is that list:

Gravity Bound (106 total votes, winner)
Tractor (20 votes)
Second Street (24)
Flock of Moons (22)
Nexus (25)
La Reforma (48)
Downshift (22)
Bossfight (27)
Ponderosa (24)
Thirsty Eye (12)
Sobremesa (19)
Bosque (28)
Quarter Celtic (20)
Three Rivers (24)
Marble (37)
Boxing Bear (29)

It was a good selection of hoppy ales this year.

Overall, we thought it was a smooth, well-attended event. Ebbie said that she could always use more brewery volunteers in the future, but it was quick and efficient when we walked in from the toasty outdoors. There was plenty of seating and we saw smiles all around us from the other patrons.

For the record, I (Stoutmeister) and Andrew picked La Reforma, while Luke went with Three Rivers. All were West Coast IPAs, but that’s what we prefer most of the time. We can acknowledge when a hazy stands out, and among the cloudy IPAs on the tray, Gravity Bound’s entry certainly did that.

Until we all gather again in 2025, we thank Ebbie and everyone in the New Mexico Brewers Guild for all their hard work in putting together this annual series of events. It is no easy endeavor, but they do it in style. A big thanks to the host breweries, Nuckolls and Bow & Arrow, too.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister