Oh, sure, this weekend is all about pregaming Christmas at your favorite brewery, but it’s also the weekend of the Winter Solstice, the longest day of darkness every year in the Northern Hemisphere. Since darkness is kind of our thing, we wanted to highlight a couple of solstice-themed events. Painted Lady Bed and Brew is hosting a Winter Solstice Celebration from 7 to 9 p.m. There will be a special screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Scary Movie Bingo, plus a special beer release (see below), and you can get your photo taken with Krampus. Yeah, Krampus. (Dang it, now that Feuerschwanz song is stuck in our heads.) Reserve your spot with a free ticket online. Meanwhile, you can pop by La Cumbre’s main location anytime during the day and night Saturday for Darkest Day, where there will be two special dark beer flights available for purchase. The Darkness features the 14th Anniversary Stout, Siren Song Imperial Red, KlitchKO Imperial Stout on nitro, and two classic versions of La Negra and La Negra Reserve. Darker Than Dark will feature La Negra versions from 2022-24, and La Negra Reserve from 2023 and 2024. If you missed any of the recent anniversary tappings, this is your second chance. Blessed be the long night!

New Draft:

Bosque tapped Three Stripes, a new hazy IPA. Ex Novo added a Winter IPA. Gravity Bound tapped Somewhere Soft, a new hazy IPA. Kaktus added a hefty Doppelbock. La Reforma dropped a double release of Doble (Double Hazy IPA) and Hops on the Horizon IPA. Painted Lady will release To the Brim with Fright, a dark Christmas ale, on Saturday. Steel Bender will have the third Brickie Jubilee, Coffee Date, a single sixtel of flavored stout with coffee, dates, and lactose, this Saturday. Tractor brought back Cranberry Ginger Cider. Turtle Mountain tapped their first seltzer, an imperial version made with cranberry and sage and called Scarlet Letter. (UPDATE) Canteen tapped Wicked Raven Imperial Stout. Harmon Lane brought back Albenezer Scrooge, a barleywine that checks in at a hefty 11-percent ABV. Rio Bravo released Luigi Pils, an Italian-style pilsner (if you could not guess). Sidetrack tapped Buzz Bomb again.

Up in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row tapped Primordial Black IPA and Ctrl-Alt-Repeat, an altbier. (UPDATE) Down south, Truth or Consequences Brewing added Solstice Pub Ale.

New Package:

Ex Novo brought back Sandia Slice Hazy IPA in cans and on draft. Sierra Blanca released this year’s version of Whiskey Stout in bottles and on draft. (UPDATES) Bow and Arrow released Hola Hazy IPA and Iconic Sands West Coast IPA. Boxing Bear will release Scotch Rocket in cans and on draft this Friday. Ex Novo also released Twice in a Lifetime, a new West Coast IPA, in cans and on draft. La Cumbre will bring back Mosaic Single Hop IPA in cans and on draft this Friday.

Notable Events:

Thursday — Bosque Cottonwood will host Trivia for a Cause: Elf, at 6 p.m.

Painted Lady will tell some Victorian Ghost Stories from 7 to 9 p.m.

Tumbleroot Agua Fria has an epic metal show featuring local bangers Dysphotic and Street Tombs opening for Mortiferum. Doors at 7 p.m., music at 7:30. Tickets are $15 in advance and $22 at the door.

Friday — Tractor Wells Park will save all of you procrastinators with the Cool-astic Book Fair & Last Minute Market starting at 6 p.m.

Saturday — The aforementioned Darkest Day will take place all day and night at La Cumbre.

Boxing Bear Firestone will host a Holiday Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Last Minute Maker’s Market will run from 3 to 8 p.m. at Bosque Heights.

There are two Ugly Sweater Parties at Brew Lab 101 and Bow & Arrow, both starting at 7 p.m.

Drag Queen Bingo: Christmas Edition takes over Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m.

The aforementioned Winter Solstice Celebration is at Painted Lady from 7 to 9 p.m.

Sunday — The final 6-Pack Run of the year starts at Canteen at 11 a.m. That will be followed by the Merry Mingle and Holiday Jingle Market at noon, and after that the Ugly Sweater Party kicks off at 4 p.m.

Dripline will host Beer & Carols at 5:30 p.m.

Painted Lady will tap into a little Yuletide Fear from 7 to 8 p.m.

Monday — Rowley Farmhouse Ales will once again celebrate A Festivus for the Rest of Us all day, with special tappings from the cellar, and a white elephant gift exchange at 6 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

After a reader tipped us off that Palmer Brewery beers are no longer on tap at Left Turn Distilling, we removed their entry below. We hope to have more on this story soon. And before anyone asks, Rob is fine. Nobody panic on that front.

Kaktus will be taking their annual holiday hiatus from Monday through January 6, so make sure to stop by this week/weekend.

Quarter Celtic’s Vienna Lager (returning soon) won another gold medal, this time at the European Beer Star competition. It previously won at the Great American Beer Festival in October. Congrats, again, to the QC brewing team!

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: T50 Vienna Lager (5.4% ABV, 25 IBU), a tasty amber lager that will help you get over the last of the delicious Oktoberfest running out.

Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Driftwood (5.9% ABV, 35 IBU), the classic oatmeal stout is back in cans and on draft for a limited time.

Bossfight Brewing (formerly Kilt Check Brewing) — Featured seasonal: Power Up Coffee Stout, a small batch of goodness to keep you going for another round of Mario Kart at the brewery arcade.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Rez Pubby Schwarzbier (5.2% ABV), a lovely dark lager available in cans and on draft, benefiting Rez Roads Rescue.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Metal Head Stout (6.66% ABV), one of our seasonal favorites, back in cans and on draft.

Brekki Brekki — Featured seasonal: Vanilla Pumpkin Stout, the first specialty beer from the new all-day breakfast restaurant and brewery in the old B2B Garden Brewery space in the Heights.

Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Singularity BBA Imperial Stout (11% ABV), the annual barrel-aged beast is back on tap.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Grundy Thunder Porter (6.2% ABV, 25 IBU), a robust porter perfect for the season, available in cans and on draft.

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

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

Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Chai Stout (5% ABV, 24 IBU), a darker way to enjoy your favorite tea spice.

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

Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Ruidoso Together Pale Ale (5.5% ABV), available in cans and on draft and benefiting the southern communities affected by the fires and flooding earlier this year.

Flix Brewhouse  — Featured seasonal: Vampyre Boost Imperial Lager, this year’s collaboration with Steel Bender.

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Dark Side of the Moons (7.7% ABV, 88 IBU), a little black IPA collaboration that the Crew brewed, benefiting Ruidoso.

Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Subtitles On, the classic Munich dunkel is back for a limited time, just like every other beer tends to be at GB.

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: Date Night Disaster (5% ABV, 10 IBU), a simple, no-frills stout that’s perfect for this weather.

Hops Brewery — Featured seasonal: Hoptoberfest (4.7% ABV, 25 IBU), the classic lager is on tap for a limited time.

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: La Negra (14.1% ABV), the beautiful beast of a Russian imperial stout is back in bottles and on draft.

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

Late Shift Lager House at The Craftroom — Featured seasonal: We were told that they are currently not brewing, with no timetable for that resuming.

Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: Turkish Style Coffee Stout (7.5% ABV) is once again available in cans and on draft.

Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: Beam Me Up (Higher) Scotty (9.3% ABV), the two-time World Beer Cup medal winner is back for the season.

Painted Lady Bed and Brew — Featured seasonal: Never Feed Him After Midnight, a red chile pinon brown ale, of which a little might still be left on tap.

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: Very Demure (6.7% ABV, 19 IBU), an apricot wheat with a clever name.

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

Sidetrack Brewing — Featured seasonal: Stay Wild (5.3% ABV, 15 IBU), because sometimes you need a refreshing American lager as a break from (or warm-up to) all these big beers.

Sobremesa — Featured seasonal: Stout Seco, an Irish dry stout is now on tap.

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Nuts and Nibs (6% ABV, 27 IBU), a special barrel-aged version of the peanut butter porter collab between SBB and Boxing Bear.

Steel Bender Brewyard — Featured seasonal: Italian Stallion (6.1% ABV, 65 IBU), a bigger, stronger, hoppier version of Esmerelda, now available 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: Oktoberfest (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: Turkey Drool (8.2% ABV), the Crew’s favorite seasonal from this brewery is an amazing holiday concoction.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Scarlet Letter (12.5%), the brewery’s first seltzer is an imperial one, made with cranberry and sage.

Unhinged Brewing — Featured seasonal: Los Muertos Porter (12% ABV), a collaboration between the brewery and the Worthogs homebrew club, available on draft and there might be a little left of the special barrel-aged version.

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

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: Sin Barreras – Colkegan Barrel ’24 (13.5% ABV, 50 IBU), a little of this barrel-aged beast of an imperial stout is still on tap after Blackest Friday, so get it while it lasts!

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: Superior Porter (6.3% ABV, 34 IBU), a seasonal-appropriate robust porter, 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: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Oz’s Oatmeal Stout (5% ABV), it’s back on tap after a short absence, because you need a stout after skiing at Pajarito, right?

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: Russian Imperial Stout (10% ABV, 30 IBU), which proves you just have to head north into the colder regions of New Mexico to find the big stouts.

Sierra Blanca Brewing  — Featured seasonal: Pecan Brown Ale, a classic offering from the brewery.

Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Rio Rojo Red Ale (4.5% ABV, 30 IBU), a nice malty treat similar to the Irish red, but made with different malts and a German ale yeast that produce some distinctive differences.

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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