A little history lesson for everyone in regards to this coming Monday, April 7: Back in 1933, this was the day that the Cullen-Harrison Act became law, effectively repealing the 18th amendment (Prohibition) and leading to the 21st amendment that went into law December 5 (which became known as Repeal Day) of that same year. People gathered around and consumed an estimated 1.5 million barrels of beer on April 7, so that became National Beer Day, and the night before is New Beer’s Eve. Kinda cool, right? Unfortunately, it being a Monday and all, we have not really found anything special being done by any of the breweries in New Mexico, but we had to lead this roundup with something. Fear not, there is plenty to do and some new brews to consume this weekend.

One event that we do want to highlight is the comedy show at Brew Lab 101 at 8 p.m. this Friday. It will be a tribute show to local comedian Bonnie Bigheart, who passed away this week. There will be laughter, there will be tears, and there will be donations to the Marfan Foundation in her honor. If you cannot make the show, but would still like to donate, click on this link. To all of her family and friends, some of whom are our friends, we pass along our condolences.

New Draft:

Bombs Away tapped Honey Blonde Ale. Boxing Bear added Old Grizzled Bear, an English-style pale ale. Gravity Bound recently tapped Pon Pon, a fruited sour, Little Feller, a West Coast-style pilsner, and Breakroom, a West Coast IPA. Harmon Lane will bring back O’Danny Boy Red this week. Painted Lady will release Wolfman’s got Nards, their popular amber ale, with this Saturday’s edition of Scary Movie Bingo: The Monster Squad. Steel Bender has a new cold IPA, Yellow Brick Road, that will be tapped when a line opens, which can happen soon if you all drink up the last half-barrel of Dunkel. (UPDATE) Canteen tapped a new version of Social Capital Sour, this batch made with cherry, raspberry, and lime.

Up in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row did a double tapping of First Krush, a hazy pale ale, and High Explosive Hazy, a fruity IPA.

New Package:

Bosque is bringing back their award-winning Scale Tipper IPA in cans and on draft this Friday. Ex Novo also brings back an old favorite in V for Vienna in cans and on draft. Steel Bender will have bottles of the second iteration of their Debaucher Mead, this time with white tea and pomegranate, this Friday. Second Street released Vienna Lager in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — Poetry & Beer returns to Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m.

Friday — It’s ArtWalk time again, which means Adobe Disco will be spinning tunes at Sidetrack, and an art opening by Maewyn Padilla will fit neatly into the 5 to 9 p.m. timeframe.

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

Saturday — Marble is trying something new and fun with the Over Easy Brunch Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. downtown.

The Third Annual UNO Tournament goes down at Canteen at noon.

The Brew Lab 101 Spring Market kicks off in Rio Rancho at 1 p.m.

Sunday — The Sip & Shop Market returns to Bosque North from 1 to 5 p.m.

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

Sidetrack is hosting Biscuits & Books from 3 to 5 p.m., which features a book swap and some tasty offerings from Three Pins Biscuits.

Monday — Steel Bender will be hosting a watch party for the NCAA men’s basketball championship game in the evening.

Tuesday — The Canteen Taproom on Tramway will host a special Beer & Cheese Pairing at 6 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Lots of newsy tidbits from our last Beer Notes, including an update on Lasso Brewing, the new project from the owners of Gravity Bound.

We got a final update on how the last days of the legislative session played out in our Look Back/Look Ahead Series entry on the New Mexico Brewers Guild.

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: Zeus Juice IPA (7.8% ABV), the ever-popular seasonal juicy IPA is back for another run.

Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: Countermine Coffee Stout (5.4% ABV, 50 IBU), it’s pretty much as described, and that is just fine.

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: Way Out Scenic West (6% ABV), a hazy IPA with blueberry and coconut added for a unique look and taste.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Blonde Bearista (5%), a golden coffee stout that is available on nitro in addition to CO2.

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: Holodeck Helles, a delightful lager brewed for a good cause, with $1 from every pint sold going to the MS Society.

Painted Lady Bed and Brew — Featured seasonal: Whatever You Do, Don’t Fall Asleep, a coffee blonde ale inspired by the original A Nightmare on Elm Street.

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: Barrel-Aged Irish Handcuffs Imperial Stout (12.2% ABV), this delicious monstrosity is available for a limited time, so get it. Now. NOW.

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: Matching Stoutfits (6.6% ABV, 30 IBU), it’s back on nitro only for a limited time.

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

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Hazebangers Ball (6.5% ABV), a hazy IPA with a most-excellent name for all of us Gen Xers who grew up watching a certain show on MTV when it still played music videos.

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: Aldo’s Last Stand (6.5% ABV, 60 IBU), a chocolate-and-roast beast of an American stout.

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: Laying New Tracks IPA, part of a whole series of railroad-themed names and we’re just gonna guess it’s because they’re at the Santa Fe Railyard.

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 Goodbye Stout (4.6% ABV), a proper seasonal for the waning days of March.

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