Last week was quiet. Like, ridiculously quiet, as far as beer stories go.

We have entered into a bit of a news lull, it appears, as breweries prep for the summer rush that they know/hope is coming. Everyone could use a great a summer, and most that we have spoken to recently are optimistic after a stronger-than-expected spring.

So no, we have not run out of things to write about. If anything, we are just facing a whole lot of pending stories that are just taking a little while longer to come together. In most of those cases, we are waiting on the breweries, and we are prepared to be plenty patient, as there is never a need to rush a beer nor a story about beer.

I did stop by Dripline Brewery last Friday, so look for their first Look Back/Look Ahead Series feature this week. It could have run today, but they are closed Mondays, so that seems a bit silly to encourage people to (re)visit the newest brewery in Albuquerque when they are not even open. It will be a full recap of everything that they have learned in six months of business, and a preview of what they will have this summer, when that beautiful patio should become a major destination.

We already teased the forthcoming Lasso Brewing in our Look Back/Look Ahead Series entry on Gravity Bound. Construction continues apace in the former Boese Brothers space at Gold and Sixth, so we are still anticipating a more formal preview in June. Keep your fingers crossed.

On the ownership front, Sidetrack will see a change in the near future. We will sit down with everyone when they are ready. There is also the announced sale of The 377, but as of now, we have not received any word of a buyer being in place.

Both Harmon Lane and Vision City told us some sort of unspecified changes are in the works, but beyond that we know nothing, so a little patience is required there.

Sunday Service Motor Company has found a new way to expand their brewing operations. That story should crystalize here pretty soon.

Outside of Albuquerque, Luke is back cranking away on some stories about the various breweries around Santa Fe. If you missed his in-depth update on the next brewery in the City Different, Keeping Together, well click that link.

And, like we say seemingly every year, we are going to try to find some weekends in which to travel to the more far-flung breweries of New Mexico. We will aim to visit Prod-O Brewstillery in Reserve, which opened earlier this year. There is also Nuckolls Brewing taking over the former Enchanted Circle Brewing space in Angel Fire.

There are also ownership changes in place at Box Canyon in Socorro and coming soon to Lost Hiker in Ruidoso. Heck, we just owe Ruidoso itself a visit to maybe just maybe help boost tourism down there a year after the devastating fires and floods. Plus, who doesn’t want to also just hang out with the awesome folks at Downshift?

It has also been way too long since we went to Carlsbad to hang out with the Milton’s Brewing staff, plus now we can visit Guadalupe Mountain Brewing, and hopefully preview the forthcoming Nurvis Purvis Brewing. That may have to wait until the fall because Surface of the Sun Season is coming to southeast New Mexico sooner than later.

In the end, there are a lot of stories coming down the pipeline, and that does not even include previewing big events like United in Beer at the end of this month and the IPA Challenge in July (plus whatever else the breweries have cooking, which we are sure is a lot). For now, we will patiently wait, with plenty of beer to enjoy in the meantime.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister