Nothing ever goes completely to plan when opening a business. There are always a few unexpected challenges, some surprise developments, and more.

For Dripline Brewery, things have mostly been looking up since they opened last November, becoming the newest brewery in Albuquerque. I caught up with co-owners Guillaume Dupont and Jacob Werenko last week for their first Look Back/Look Ahead Series interview, where they quickly pointed out the most unexpected challenge to literally hit them.

A semi truck recently crashed into the outer fence along Second Street.

“I almost started crying when I saw the fence laying over,” Werenko said. “It was almost the entire stretch of Second Street. The only thing I can think is that we have so many people going down Second the wrong way, I think maybe the semi went the wrong way, realized it, and did a U-turn. He backed over the fence. His mudflaps were in the wreckage.”

As Werenko noted, when a car hit the fence earlier, it barely did any damage. It would take a tank to bring the fence down, which is basically what ended up hitting it.

“I think the fence was … we did the whole thing ourselves,” Dupont said. “We dug the holes, we poured the concrete, we did it all by hand. It took us months to make the fence all the way around.”

A temporary fence, put up with the help of another brewery owner who was visiting, now covers in the semi-sized hole, while the rest of the fence remains intact. Dripline is still very much operational at 1320 Second St, serving up tasty beers and smash burgers on one of the best patios in Wells Park.

That patio has been a major draw, even though it is still a work in progress.

“We’ve got to do a few things first,” Dupont said before they can truly maximize the outdoor space. “We’ve got to put more tables and more benches out there. We see people farther and farther back in the beer garden. They need a space to set down their beers. We’ve got to put more seats.”

Just having a big outdoor space is nice, of course, but Dripline intends to fill it with more than just a chance to sip on pints under the sun, moon, and stars.

“We also have plans for bocce, and cornhole, and pétanque leagues,” Dupont said. “We are trying to gather some information on what would be the best night(s) for us to do that. And we’re going to get going as soon as we get a schedule. We want to see what other people do, see if we should charge for leagues or not. We really want people to come and enjoy our beer, that’s the main goal. I think this is starting pretty soon.”

Sure enough, Dripline dropped a teaser post, of sorts, on Instagram announcing that leagues are coming soon.

Adding those games to what is already a relaxing, spacious patio should only further enhance the customer experience. Dripline has already seen people arrive in the afternoons and early evenings, for the most part, mainly to enjoy just being outside.

“This is Albuquerque, yes, there is a little wind or an occasional storm, but we should be outside as much as possible,” Dupont said.

“We need to keep building as we grow. I’m excited for the patio to be more and more full. We had days (two weeks ago) when storms were coming in and out. I drove by at 3 and kids were running around in the rain, having the best time. Their parents were sitting outside. I looked inside and there was plenty of space. People want to be outside.”

People also want beer, of course, and when Dripline first opened late last year they made the gamble that folks would show up even before their own brews were available.

“We opened without having our own beers on tap yet, that was the one thing that we had to accomplish pretty fast after that,” Dupont said. “We were trying, obviously, but we had issues with equipment and time. We had to make sure everything was running smooth in the front of the house.”

“Lots of juggling, it’s still lots of juggling, I think is the gist of it,” Werenko added. “We got stuff on tap pretty quick, I think. I don’t remember the timeline … a couple months or something.”

Dripline now has a full lineup on tap, focusing on more approachable styles rather than high ABV ales or hop bombs.

“We have gotten positive reaction with our current lineup,” Werenko said. “I don’t think we’ve gotten a ton of needing 120 IBUs comments. On the other hand, we have gotten a lot of commentary that thank god, this isn’t an IPA that slams my mouth with hops. We’ve done two IPAs now. They haven’t hit where I want them to hit, so they’re going to go a little hoppier, more West Coast. We’re figuring that out.”

The first beer brewed ended up being a bigger hit than either Werenko or Dupont could have imagined.

“I would say the one that was surprising was La Chat Roux, which was supposed to be an amber but was more like a red,” Werenko said. “More color, more alcohol, more (flavor). People love that beer.”

“People keep asking us for it,” Dupont added. “They want us to bring it back.”

Werenko said it will certainly return by the fall, if not sooner.

“The brewing has been really … no downs yet,” Werenko said, knocking on the wooden table just in case. “That’s gone pretty well. We had the guys (Andrew Krosche and Nate Jackson) from Knolling Operations come over and help. They caught us up to speed in the big jump in equipment, and they got us up to speed in a hurry. We still have a distance to go, but they’ve been very supportive, well worth the money to help us figure out how to operate a 5-barrel after a 5-gallon. Aside from the fact they have been a valuable asset in the business, they are just nice guys.”

The main positives for Werenko and Dupont so far has been about communities, from joining the greater brewing community to forming a community around Dripline itself.

“There’s just so many layers of community here, it’s really a neat thing,” Werenko said.

And then there is the kitchen, which has been perhaps the perfect encapsulation of how one thing can be both a positive and a negative.

“That’s another yin-yang, it’s wonderful to have the kitchen and it’s also an immense headache,” Werenko said. “It’s a whole another industry that we’re trying to do.

“We’re not going to be retiring on our kitchen income. But, part of the equation that we’re trying to support and promote in this community that we’re trying to nourish, we’re not making a lot on food because we want people to come enjoy the space and drink the beer.”

Dupont said the goal is to keep the prices of the food affordable for most people, which also helps keep the menu somewhat simplified.

“I think it brings people here, knowing that they don’t have to rely on the food truck being there or not,” he said. “They can be here for dinner, bring the family, meet other people, and know that they will have food. I think that brings more people, the fact that we have food, and not just food, but delicious food. It’s really good.”

Werenko did make sure to send a shout-out to all the food trucks who did help fill the void until the kitchen opened.

“A big chunk of that (initial time being open) was supported by food truck, and there were challenges with that on both sides,” he said. “We had to have enough customers to make it worth their while, and they needed to have the faith in us. That was an interesting dynamic. We were super appreciative of all the folks that came.”

For now, the main focus will be on just enhancing everything already in place. From building out the outdoor space, to organizing the games/leagues, to keeping the beers flowing and kitchen humming, Werenko and Dupont have plenty on their plate heading into the busiest time of year for breweries. So far, they have done an admirable job, and if you have not been to Dripline yet, or maybe just went once before the beers were ready, make sure to stop on by this summer. This is definitely a brewery that should truly shine when the call to go outdoors rings across New Mexico.

A big thanks to Jacob and Guillaume for the interview, and the pour of the Czech Up Pilsner off the side-pull tap. That beer alone is also worth the visit.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister