Well, look at that, a national holiday finally falls on a weekend. After a year of Monday holidays (St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, etc.), it’s nice to have the Fourth of July on a Friday. Well, maybe for us regular folks, but it does put a slight crimp in things for breweries. Fridays are one of the two busiest sales days of the week, and now most places are closing early. We have a few listed below who have announced altered (mostly shortened) hours for Friday, but we ultimately suggest you just double check with your favorite spot(s) on social media before heading over. The key is to get to your favorite brewery early Friday, perhaps enjoy a pint and a bite to eat, and then snag some to-go beer(s). If you are headed home and staying there, that’s fine, but please, if you are headed to a friend’s house but not spending the night there, do consider a rideshare. The police will be out in force on DWI patrol, other drivers may not adhere to two-beer limit, and crazy people will be shooting fireworks off in all directions. Let us cross our fingers that the bosque stays fire-free. Have a little fun this weekend, but make sure you’re still around for all the weekends that follow. After all, the IPA Challenge is starting Saturday with the brewers-only preliminary round (we will have the results, fear not), so you need to start prepping those palates for the hop onslaught at the three public rounds that will follow.

New Draft:

Ex Novo tapped a new West Coast IPA named Hyperboost. Flock of Moons added their new Italian pilsner, Il Benandante, which debuted at For the Love of Lagers last weekend at Canteen. Marble brought back Hups Pale Ale. Painted Lady will tap We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes, a new West Coast IPA, that’s tied into their Saturday event below. Starr Brothers tapped a new batch of Blood Shot, their blood orange witbier. Tractor will tap Juice Row IPA on Thursday. (UPDATES) Canteen brought back Irish Red. Flock of Moons tapped a new West Coast IPA called Heavy Footfalls, Moonlit Pines. Starr Brothers added Cologne-ial Kolsch.

Up in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row tapped Kaden’s Orange Mullet, a summer ale with Cara Cara puree. (UPDATE) Down south, Downshift added Thirsty People IPA.

New Package:

La Cumbre will release Helles Lager in cans and on draft this Friday. Steel Bender just released the new version of Teddy Roe’s Policy IPA, this time a juicy IPA, in cans and on draft, with a charitable aspect that we covered earlier this week. (UPDATE) Ex Novo rolled out Electric Ukulele, a coconut hazy IPA, in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

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

Thursday — The Liberty Lager Jogger 1K Fun Run returns at 7 p.m., where you can start at Canteen, run to La Cumbre for a pint, and then run back to Canteen, or go the other way and start and end at LC.

Friday — Canteen will have $5 pints of Laid Back Lager and $3 hot dogs for the Fourth from noon to 6 p.m.

Boxing Bear Firestone is throwing a Cookout & DJ Party from 1 to 4 p.m.

Saturday — Painted Lady is playing Scary Movie Bingo again at 7 p.m., featuring the original Psycho and that new IPA listed above.

Sunday — The Summer Sip and Shop Market will be at Bosque North from 1 to 5 p.m.

Tumbleroot Agua Fria hosts the First Sunday Market at 2 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Casa Vieja will open at 9 a.m. Friday so folks can watch the parade down Corrales Blvd.

Sidetrack will be open noon to 5 p.m. Friday.

Marble will close all three locations at 6 p.m. Friday.

Boxing Bear has a special on four-packs of El Sombearo and Featherweight Session IPA, with those going for $9.99. They will also have 20-percent off mix-and-match cases Thursday and Friday.

In case you missed it, Vision City Brewstillery has rebranded as Calavida Cantina. While we await an interview to ask them about the name change, it is reflected in the listings below.

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

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery — Featured seasonal: Amber Ale (5.8% ABV), a smooth little malt-forward brew perfect for cool summer nights.

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: Scotia Light (5.6% ABV), a lower alcohol version of the popular Scotia.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: We Love L.A. (5.5% ABV), a hop-forward New Zealand-style pilsner, now available in cans and on draft.

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.

Calavida Cantina — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery formerly known as Vision City for an updated list of seasonals.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Low and Slow Kolsch (5.2% ABV, 25 IBU), a lovely summer beer made to support saving turtles and tortoises from extinction, now available on draft and 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.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: They just got started brewing again under new brewer Cami O’Brien, so they will be starting out with three revamped versions of Rye Orbison, Ghost of a Moon, and Special Shapes IPA. We recommend the Orbison, though all are worth trying.

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: PLS German Style Pilsner (4.8% ABV), a wonderfully crushable beer perfect for outdoor summer fun, now available in cans and on draft.

La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: They currently do not have any seasonal brews on tap, but among the house beers, the newest recipe is Oye Como Va, a West Coast IPA.

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

Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: Project Genesis Pale Ale, one of two beers brewed for the recent 14th anniversary party, this one is highlighted by the sweet fruit flavor from the Idaho 7 hops.

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: Foggy Monocle (6.1% ABV), a two-time winner of the Crew’s old Stout Challenge.

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: Pistachio Cream Ale is back for another run as your favorite summer seasonal on draft.

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.

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.”

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: Canyon Rim Rye (5.8% ABV), a beer that goes perfectly with cooler mountain summer nights.

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: Organica IPA (6.9 % ABV, 31 IBU), described by the brewery as “an Organic IPA deep gold in color, with tropical fruit & pine aromas, & a delicate bitterness to balance the sweet malts.”

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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