With Balloon Fiesta creeping ever closer, the Crew will have you prepared on the beer front this week. In addition to this here weekly feature, we will have a full guide to all metro area breweries to share with any Fiesta visitors, so you don’t have to answer all their questions about at least one thing around here. Then on Friday, we will have a special breakout for all the balloon-themed events and specials at the breweries.

In the meantime, it’s another big weekend for Oktoberfest celebrations, which should make for some nice post-balloon activities for locals and tourists alike! Rio Bravo will host the Albuquerque Oktoberfest from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., which also doubles as the brewery’s ninth anniversary party. There will be live music, German food, and plenty of beer. If you feel like a drive up I-25, head to Oktoberfiesta at Santa Fe Brewing HQ, which starts at noon. There will be live music, food, a vendor market, games, and more. Meanwhile, over at Second Street Rufina, OkTUBAfest will be a two-day celebration Saturday and Sunday. The UNM Tuba-Euphonium will provide the music each day from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be German food on the menu, Oktoberfest beers on tap, and more. If you would rather wait until Sunday, head over to Canteen Brewhouse for their Oktoberfest from 2 to 7 p.m. The Partizani Brass Band will perform at 4, but before that at 2 is the Wiener Dog Dash. There will also be a stein-holding contest at 5, prizes for best dressed, and plenty of beer, sausage, and pretzels to consume.

Oh, and for those of you in Southern New Mexico, head to Little Toad Creek in Silver City for OkToaderfest from 1 to 11 p.m., with a full day of live music, food, beer, and more.

New Draft:

Ex Novo tapped Si Señor, a new Mexican-style lager. High and Dry added Date Night Disaster, a stout, and Blue No. 2: Electric Bluegaloo, a blue raspberry sour. Marble tapped their charitable brew, #ENDALZ, a guava raspberry vanilla smoothie of a sour wheat ale. Nexus brought back the decadent Lush American Stout. Rio Bravo tapped Don’t Call Me Lager, a pickle-infused brew. Steel Bender will release Honey Oat Stout on nitro this Saturday. Turtle Mountain tapped Por Mi Vida, a key lime Mexican lager. (UPDATES) Bombs Away added E.B.W. (Erdbeere Berliner Weisse). Canteen brought back Grundy Thunder Porter. Harmon Lane will tap Pumpkin Porter on Friday. Painted Lady will tap a new version of All the Damn Vampires IPA, this time made with blood orange, on Saturday. Sidetrack added their version of Collective Good Kolsch. Starr Brothers tapped Tasty Waves Cool Buzz, a new hazy IPA.

Up in Santa Fe, Nuckolls tapped their version of Collective Good Kolsch, the statewide collaboration with Downshift to raise money to help fire and flood victims in the Ruidoso area. Rowley Farmhouse Ales managed to sneak Festbier into their lineup. Over in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row added Amarillo Wheated Pale. Down south, Truth or Consequences Brewing tapped their Oktoberfest.

New Package:

La Cumbre will release L is for … a new IPA collaboration with Liquid Mechanics Brewing in cans and on draft this Friday. Steel Bender will bring back Bourbon Barrel-Aged AleWitch in cans and on draft this Friday. (UPDATES) Bow & Arrow will release It Takes the Shape of a Strange Place Out West, part of their Native Star hazy IPA series, this Friday in cans and on draft. Ex Novo released Ruidoso Together, an American pale ale in cans and on draft, benefiting the Collective Good campaign organized by Downshift.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — Tractor Wells Park will host the monthly edition of Poetry & Beer at 7 p.m.

Thursday — Bosque Heights will host Trivia for a Cause: Mean Girls at 6 p.m.

Friday — Marble will host the #ENDALZ Music Fest from 4:30 to 10 p.m., featuring Sweet Roll, Burque Soul, and The Riddims.

Artwalk takes over down from 5 to 9 p.m., and Sidetrack will feature an art opening and music from Adobe Disco.

Dash and Drink for Pink, a 5K run/walk fundraiser for Pink Warrior House, kicks off at Canteen at 6 p.m. High and Dry and Steel Bender will also be present. Check social media for more details.

The First Fridays Comedy Contest is back at Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m.

Saturday — The aforementioned Oktoberfest celebrations are at Rio Bravo, Santa Fe Brewing HQ, Little Toad Creek, and Second Street.

The Art & Oddities Pop-up Market takes over the patio at Differential from 2 to 6 p.m.

Painted Lady will host Scary Movie Bingo, featuring The Lost Boys, from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Desert Darlings return to Tractor Wells Park for Hops & Dreams: The Beetlejuice Edition at 8 p.m.

Sunday — Bosque North will host the Spooky Sip and Shop from 1 to 5 p.m.

The aforementioned Canteen Oktoberfest takes place from 2 to 7 p.m.

The First Sundays Harvest Market is back at Tumbleroot Agua Fria at 2 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

It appears that Boese Brothers did not finish the renovation of the downtown taproom, as it remains closed, per their website.

Another new brewery? It appears so, but not in a place that has any others nearby. Prod-O Brewery and Distillery has an active small brewer license, and it will be located in the town of Reserve in Western New Mexico. Guess we’ve got a road trip coming up!

Steel Bender is teaming up with a local radio station, The Peak, for Monday Night Football games all season. There will be drink and food specials, and one of the hosts of the station will be there every game from 6 p.m. until halftime. Check their social media for more details.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery  — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest (5.3% ABV), the popular seasonal lager is back for another run.

Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: Tropi Kolsch (5.6% ABV, 20 IBU), a kolsch with lots of tropical-flavored hops.

Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Resto Hazy Pale (5.8% ABV, 40 IBU), now available in cans and on draft at all taprooms, including its namesake, Restoration Pizza.

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

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Sunup, Sunburn, Sundown, Repeat (5% ABV), a fruited gose-style sour made with pomegranate, raspberries, and Cara Cara oranges, now available in cans and on draft.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: OktoBEARfest (5.3% ABV), the annual favorite is back in cans and on draft at both taprooms.

Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Labtoberfest is now available for all to enjoy.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Citranova (6% ABV, 26 IBU), the popular tangerine oat lager is available in cans and on draft.

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Festbier (5.8%, 19 IBU), a proper German lager to enjoy on the patio as the nights turn cooler.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Weiss Beer (4.8% ABV), a perfect patio beer for the lingering days of summer that just won’t go away.

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

Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Fresh Hop Light Through the Trees (5.2% ABV), a pale ale 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: Garden Spot, the always popular cucumber basil gose, is back for a limited time.

Harmon Lane Brewing at Southwest Grape and Grain — Featured seasonal: Wobble On Crimson Ale, a nifty little red inspired by the brewer, who used to play football for New Mexico State.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest Pt. 7 None in the Chamber (5.3% ABV, 20 IBU), an amber ale with German lager qualities that is rather delightful.

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: Wiesn Festbier (5.9% ABV), Franz Solo’s favorite annual seasonal lager is now available in cans and on draft.

La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: Five Times Hoppier IPA, the runner-up at the NM IPA Challenge.

Late Shift Lager House at The Craftroom — Featured seasonal: Goldmember (7% ABV), a golden strong ale.

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: Festbier (5.8% ABV, 21 IBU), my personal runner-up among the beers at Marblefest, this is a lighter but flavorful German-style lager.

Painted Lady Bed and Brew — Featured seasonal: Danny’s Not Here Right Now, Mrs. Torrance, a watermelon wheat inspired by The Shining.

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.

Rio Bravo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Kitchen Sink DIPA (8.5% ABV, 60 IBU), a chewy hop bomb to enjoy in moderation.

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

Sidetrack Brewing — Featured seasonal: Fresh Hop IPA (6.6% ABV, 50 IBU), which is one of those beers we should all help drink up ASAP before it’s not fresh anymore.

Sobremesa — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest, a festbier-style lager that pairs great with their bone-in pork schnitzel that’s also available for a limited time.

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: Oktoberfiesta (6.8% ABV, 25 IBU), the annual treat is back in cans and on draft.

Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: Cosmic Wave IPA (6.2% ABV, 67 IBU), a West Coast-style hop bomb with some fruity hops up front and a clean, bitter-free finish.

The Tatted Bee Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Game On, an old-school pale ale that is one of the first house beers now on tap.

Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: Oktobefest (6% ABV, 20 IBU), a sweet and satisfying märzen lager.

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

Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Scotcholate, the cult favorite twist on a Scottish ale is back on draft.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Sierra Nativo (5.5% ABV, 37 IBU), as this is a wet-hop pale ale, its availability will be limited, so get it while it’s fresh.

Unhinged Brewing — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest, the first lager in the young history of the brewery.

Vision City Brewstillery — Featured seasonal: Battleship Fresh Hop IPA (7% ABV), which will be available for a very limited time.

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 list of seasonals.

Nuckolls Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hoppy Wife, Hoppy Life, a hazy pale ale and a possible contender for Beer Name of the Year.

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: Oktoberfest (5.4% ABV), our pick for the best of the best among all the great märzens currently available statewide.

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: Oz’s Oatmeal Stout (5% ABV), because if you are up in the mountains, it’s cooler, and stouts are appropriate.

Downshift Brewing — Featured seasonal: Gratitude Pale Ale (5.4% ABV, 40 IBU), brewed to support local charities, and right now $1 from every pint sold goes to helping in the recovery efforts from the South Fork and Salt fires.

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