Let’s face it, it’s always weird when a proper drinking holiday falls on an inopportune day like a Monday. Do you go all out after work? Do you move things up and party beforehand? That is the dilemma beer drinkers and breweries face this year with St. Patrick’s Day on a Monday (and will again when Cinco de Mayo falls on a Monday). Some places will still go all-out on the 17th, while others will celebrate early, and some of the more ambitious places will see how multiple days of everyone being Irish go. The non-Monday events are listed below, but here is a (hopefully) final list of which breweries are celebrating Monday. Quarter Celtic, of course, will have their limited all-Celtic menu available from open to close at both locations. Unhinged will have some Irish dishes lined up with drink specials and live music all day. Though they are normally closed on Mondays, Turtle Mountain will open both locations, South at 11 a.m. and North at noon, and basically keep going until the special food menu is wiped out. Canteen will celebrate all day at the brewery, with live music from 6 to 8 p.m. Steel Bender likewise will have food specials all day, with live music from 6 to 8. Kaktus is also usually closed Mondays, but will be open with lots of specials and live music from 4 to 9 p.m. Casa Vieja will party it up from 4 to 8 p.m. Brew Lab 101 will celebrate from to 6 to 9 p.m. Did we miss anyone for Monday? DM us or leave a comment. And remember, please, this is often a busy, chaotic day for the staffs at many breweries, so be patient and kind.

New Draft:

Bosque rolled out two new releases — Pom Pom Sour and Supreme Tropics, a guava/passion fruit wheat — and brought back an MIA regular, Bosque Lager. Boxing Bear will tap Red Knuckle Irish Red by this weekend. Canteen has a fresh batch of Irish Red on tap. Ex Novo added a new lager, My Hammy Vice. La Cumbre will have four new beers on tap this week, starting with the trio of Krush Pale Ale, Spring Has Sprung (Hoppy Lager), and I Lüv Ümlaüts (Hoppy Pilsner) on Friday, followed by Pogue Mahone, an Irish dry stout, back on nitro this Saturday. Marble tapped a slew of new brews, including City of Gold Lager, Crispy Clean Lager, Ein Bier Bitte (Helles), IPA-X, Silver Arrow IPA, and will bring back Triple Berry this Friday. Nexus will tap Holodeck Helles Pale Lager on Saturday, with $1 from every pint sold going to the MS Society. Painted Lady will tap Whatever You Do, Don’t Fall Asleep, a coffee blonde, to go with a Scary Movie Bingo screening of the original Nightmare on Elm Street this Saturday night. Quarter Celtic will unveil the barrel-aged Irish Handcuffs Imperial Stout this Friday. Starr Brothers put in an early entry for beer name of the year with Hazebangers Ball, a hazy IPA. Steel Bender will be celebrating their anniversary all weekend, which we will preview in full with their Look Back/Look Ahead Series entry later this week, and among the beers on deck are Ground Kontrol IPA on Friday, barrel-aged Nigel Scottish Ale on Monday, one sixtel of Maple Barrel-Aged Freddy’s Got Twenty on Monday, and a special secret release Sunday (which we will reveal soon). Thirsty Eye brought back Father O’Malley’s Holy Water, an Irish dry stout, plus Friday will see the release of Rainshine, a grapefruit IPA, and a new tea-infused version of Odin’s Monocle. (UPDATES) Boese Brothers tapped Zeus Juice White IPA. Bombs Away did a double drop of Hazy Chain V.22 DIPA and Nitro R.E.D. Ale. Canteen also tapped Vienna Lager. Sunday Service Motor Co will release Imperial Red IPA and Dry Irish Stout on Sunday.

Down south, Truth or Consequences Brewing tapped Habañero Brown. (UPDATES) Bathtub Row added Super Critical Pale. Nuckolls tapped Flatcar Hefe and Laying New Tracks IPA. TorC also released Redbone Amber Ale.

New Package:

Steel Bender will roll out Double Triple Berry Pie Dynamite in cans and on draft this Saturday. (UPDATES) Ex Novo released Whirlpool O’Hoolihan, an Irish red ale, and Farm League, a West Coast IPA, in cans and on draft. Second Street rolled out Sloppy Sloth Idaho 7 Hazy IPA in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Thursday — Hops Brewery will host an Irish Music Session at 7 p.m. to get everyone ready for the weekend.

Friday — Canteen hosts Run Like Her, a 5K run/walk that celebrates all women, with registration at 5:30 p.m. and the run/walk starting at 6.

Painted Lady Bed and Brew will host Magic of Ireland, a guided tour of sorts of the mystic history of the Emerald Isle, starting at 7 p.m.

Goth Night & Dark Market is back at Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m., and yes, it will have a (foreboding) St. Patrick’s Day theme, of sorts.

Saturday — The Blarney Bear Bash, featuring a vendor market and live music, will be held at Boxing Bear Firestone from noon to 4:30 p.m.

Rio Bravo will host the annual Women’s Day Festival from noon to 5 p.m.

La Cumbre is hoping for good weather with the Paddy-O Party outside at 1 p.m.

Hops will host their main St. Patrick’s Day party at 3 p.m.

The St. Patrick’s Mini Market is set for Unhinged from 4 to 7 p.m.

Drag Queen Bingo: St. Patrick’s Edition is set for Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m.

Sunday — Second Street Rufina will host their St. Patrick’s Day Party from noon to 10 p.m.

Tuesday — Trivia for a Cause: The Princess Bride will be held at Bosque Cottonwood at 6 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

We threw together some beer notes with updates on the upcoming United in Beer at Ex Novo, plus some of the small brewer licenses that were not renewed by the February 28 deadline. We can note that since that article ran, three of the breweries listed with expired licenses have had their paperwork clear and been reinstated. Those were Flix Brewhouse, The Tatted Bee, and Unhinged.

For those who have been clamoring for an update on what’s going on at the state legislature in regards to breweries this year, here is a big update on a change to House Bill 417.

Kaktus Brewing had an update in their weekly newsletter that there will be some major road construction starting soon on South Hill Road, so they are asking folks for some extra support while that’s going on. But, the good news is it will be to build Sandoval County’s newest and largest animal shelter, and that also means that utilities will now extend out there, which Kaktus will be able to tap into and help improve even more aspects at the brewery (bigger bathrooms, better water resources for brewing/growing food, etc.).

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery — Featured seasonal: Brown Ale (5% ABV), an English-style, sessionable brown.

Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: Chuck’s Pilsner (5.4% ABV), a single-hop and single-malt lager made with malt from Schwebach Malz in Estancia.

Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Desert Dreamer (5.4% ABV, 35 IBU), a hoppy pilsner available in cans and on draft.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: NINE Czech Pils (4% ABV), the recent anniversary beer is now available in cans and on draft.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Scotch Rocket (7.5% ABV), a classic wee heavy, now available only in cans.

Brekki Brekki — Featured seasonal: Cherry Stout (5% ABV), on draft for a limited time.

Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Guatemalan Express, a coffee-infused Mexican-style amber lager.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Pop’s Pilsner (5.2% ABV, 40 IBU), the right crispy lager as the weather (maybe kinda sorta) warm up, available in cans and on draft.

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Birra Italiano (5.1% ABV), an Italian-style pilsner, if you could not guess by the name.

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

Differential Brewing — Featured seasonal: Mint Porter (4.7% ABV, 35 IBU), which is way better than those little mint and chocolate candies they leave in fancy hotels.

Dripline Brewery — Featured seasonal: Le Chat Roux (6.6% ABV), is a hefty, malty red ale, and while it’s technically a year-round beer, everything is new at the newest brewery in town and we are highlighting this because it’s damn good.

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

Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Sons of Scotland (7.4% ABV), the annual favorite is back in cans and on draft.

Flix Brewhouse  — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery/movie theater for an updated list of seasonals.

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Tomorrow Begat Tomorrow (10.2% ABV), a big, sweet, not too yeasty Belgian dark strong.

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: They cannot serve beer at the moment while they work out some licensing paperwork.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

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: Winter Doppelbock, a hefty lager to get you through the last of the chilly season.

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.

Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: The Parting Glass (5% ABV), an Irish dry stout served on nitro.

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: Another new beer is coming Saturday (see above).

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: La Madera Mild (5.5% ABV, 22 IBU), a chewy little biscuit of an English-style brew that is perfect before or after a day on the hiking trails around Cedar Crest.

Sidetrack Brewing — Featured seasonal: Ruby Mild (5.1% ABV, 20 IBU), a sessionable English mild ale, perfect for when those relaxing patio nights become more common.

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

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Wakin’ Bacon (7.2% ABV, 20 IBU), a smoked maple brown ale brewed in collaboration with Boxing Bear, it’s quite the dessert ale.

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: Red Velvet Cake Stout (8.2% ABV), a not-too-sweet dessert beer that hides the ABV rather well.

The Tatted Bee Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Tatted Stout, a nice and chewy dark ale of decadence.

Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: Biscochito Liquido, the annual holiday favorite is back on tap for a limited time.

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: Tatooine Spring (7.8% ABV), the imperial amber is back for another run.

Vision City Brewstillery — Featured seasonal: Winter Lager, a season-appropriate seasonal if we ever saw one.

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: Second-String Loser (9.6% ABV, 26 IBU), a Belgian golden strong ale.

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: Irish Red Ale (4.6% ABV), just in time for the season, with Irish Goodbye Stout coming soon to join it.

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