Our good friends over at Flock of Moons told us that they missed Oktoberfest a whole lot. Their event, Flocktoberfest, was one of our favorite last fall, so we were in complete agreement when they announced Maifest, a German-themed celebration of the spring season. It will take place at the brewery from 3 to 11 p.m. this Saturday, one of many highlights in a jam-packed Memorial Day weekend. There will be no less than seven German-style beers on tap, including Ithilien (Helles), MÖÖN (Kolsch), Amalthea Dawn (Maibock), Selune’s Kiss (Dortmunder), Coven of the Pink Moon (Raspberry Berliner Weisse), and two new brews listed below. Crusty Boca will have a German menu with bratwurst, pork schnitzel, and soft pretzels. Live music will be provided by Billy & Bella, Maybe So, and Bear Wolfe from 5 to 10 p.m. The best part? It’s free! The timing also works out where you (and us) can hit up Bear Fest first and then head for the Bricklight District. We would recommend having a designated driver or using a rideshare since this is a holiday weekend and all.

New Draft:

Bosque recently tapped Bosque Red, a hoppy ale, and Sword Logic IPA, a West Coast. Ex Novo added Coral Blue #5, a fruited sour. Flock of Moons tapped a new batch of Bonfires of Ganymede, a smoked maibock, and Somniorum, a weissbier, for the aforementioned Maifest. Kaktus added Hulai Lager. La Cumbre recently tapped LCBC Light, a crushable summer lager. Marble rolled out a slew of new brews including Embudito IPA, Burque Bock, Maibock, Crispy Citra Lager, and brought back Cherry Chingon. Tractor will resurrect the hugely popular Pistachio Cream Ale this Friday. (UPDATE) Bosque tapped Sword Logic, a West Coast IPA.

Up in Santa Fe, Rowley Farmhouse ales recently tapped Western Lights, a saison aged in barrels with cherries, and Stalker, a farmhouse ale made with orange blossom honey. Over in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row tapped Weissguy Apricot Hefe.

New Package:

Boxing Bear will release Backyard Lager on draft and in cans for the aforementioned Bear Fest on Saturday. Ex Novo brought back Twice in a Lifetime IPA in cans and on draft. Steel Bender will bring back Hefe Lifting Hefeweizen in cans and on draft this Friday. (UPDATES) Canteen brought back Helles Awaits in cans and on draft. Ex Novo also released Haboob Haze in cans, with draft coming soon. Sidetrack kicked back with Float On, a German-style pilsner, in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Friday — Beer & Jazz: Craft Beer Week Edition will go down at Tractor Wells Park from 5 to 10 p.m.

Canteen will host the Burque Bee, for all you good spellers out there, at 6 p.m.

Saturday — Bear Fest is back at Boxing Bear Firestone from noon to 6 p.m.

Canteen will host a Book Swap from 1 to 3 p.m.

Tractor Wells Park is the site of Pridezilla, a massive event featuring live music, poetry, a drag show and more from 1 to 10 p.m.

Maifest is at Flock of Moons from 3 to 11 p.m.

Bathtub Row is completing their 10th anniversary celebration with the Big Bang Bash, time and more details TBA.

Monday — Beer for a Better Burque Pint Night is back at Tractor Wells Park from 2 p.m. to close, this time benefiting the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center.

Quick News Bits:

Flix Brewhouse has opened their second location on the east side near Indian School and Tramway. We will hopefully have a more in-depth look at this second theater’s brewery setup in the near future.

Sidetrack will now open at noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Other hours remain unchanged.

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: Pickle Down Economics (6% ABV), the popular pickle gose is back for a summer run on draft and in cans.

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: Alan the Cowboy Dark Kolsch (4.7% ABV) is exactly what it sounds like, a kolsch, only darker in appearance, but still with the classic flavors.

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: Vienna Lager (5.3% ABV, 28 IBU), a lovely amber lager, now available only in cans.

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Hop the Casbah (6.2% ABV), a hazy IPA that doesn’t mean to get that song stuck in your head but kind of does.

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

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

Dripline Brewery — Featured seasonal: Super Bloom APA (5.4% ABV), a sweet, floral pale ale that goes quite well with the new lineup of tasty smash burgers from the kitchen.

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

Ex Novo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Easy Come, Easy Go (4.8% ABV), a Bohemian pilsner available on draft and in cans.

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

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Amalthea Dawn (6.8% ABV, 30 IBU), a classic maibock that’s just right for the spring.

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: Wind Blows IPA, one of the all-time great beer names for our state, available on draft and in cans.

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: Lion’s Brew Dunkel is one of several rotating taps.

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: Wolfman’s Got Nards, an amber ale with a bite and one awesome name.

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: Schwarzbier (5.4% ABV), a tasty dark lager as we transition from the cold to the warm/hot season.

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.

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: Hummingbird Pils (5.2% ABV), the wonderful spring lager is back for another run in cans and on draft.

Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: Dry Irish Stout (5% ABV), a much more robust version of this style than many other breweries offer.

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: 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: 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: Vienna Lager (5.5% ABV) and Brown Ale (5.9% ABV), both were gold medal winners at the World Beer Cup, and both are available in cans and on draft for a limited time.

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: Apricot Sour, one of several new brews for the summer menu.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Into the Woods Sahti (8.3% ABV), brewed for the Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s 25th anniversary.

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: Citranaut IPA (6.6% ABV, 25 IBU), is flying off the shelves thanks to its combo of Citra and Triumph hops.

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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