The whole Christmas in July trend is fine, we guess. But, if you’re really gonna do it right, follow the lead of La Cumbre. This Friday the brewery is hosting Crispness in July, with four crispy lagers available amid all this heat. The quartet of PLS German Pilsner, Lager Softly, Czech Pils, and Helles Lager will be there to quench your thirst. In addition to that, in the (early) spirit of the faraway holiday, you can drop off a new, unwrapped toy, children’s book, or other special gift and donate it to Toys for Tots. That will get you $1 off the featured lagers. This is just one of a few fun events (see the rest below) and a good way to prep for the final round of the IPA Challenge on Saturday at nearby Canteen. We will have a lot more on that in a separate feature later this week.

New Draft:

Boese Brothers brought back Drunk Astronaut DIPA, made exclusively with Galaxy hops, for the rest of the summer. Bombs Away recently tapped new batches of K98 Kolsch and Independence Amber. Bosque flicked on Porch Light, a new light lager. Boxing Bear tapped Drink Up, Huell Love It, a new hazy IPA. La Cumbre added Berliner Weisse and Disco Flavor, a new West Coast IPA. Rio Bravo went wild with the new Watermelon Tajin Chamoy Gose. Tractor will tap Rhinestone Cowboy Kolsch on Friday. (UPDATES) Bombs Away added Hazy Chain V.23 DIPA. Brew Lab 101 tapped It’s All in the Hips, a helles lager that’s a tribute to Happy Gilmore. Starr Brothers teamed up with former Boxing Bear brewmaster Justin Hamilton to create Just-in Time Radler.

Up in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row tapped Lil’ Bo Pils and Hop Freeze Cold IPA.

New Package:

Canteen brought back Sundance Kolsch in cans and on draft. Steel Bender will have the latest batch of DebaucherMead in bottles and on draft this Saturday.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — Bosque West hosts Trivia for a Cause: Jurassic Park at 6 p.m.

Friday — Bathtub Row hosts a Puppy Adoption Event from 4 to 8 p.m.

Gin & Jazz is back at Tractor Wells Park at 5 p.m.

Sidetrack hosts Dan & Anne’s Going Away Party starting at 6 p.m., and of course we’ll have a full story in advance later this week.

JUNO and Metal World Radio are presenting a tribute show ($10 cover) to Ozzy Osbourne, featuring Sons of Icarus, Rawk Out, and Skinwalkerz from 8 to 11 p.m.

Saturday — The New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge will hold its third and final round over three sessions at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Canteen. Preview is forthcoming, but get those tickets ASAP before all sessions sell out.

Painted Lady hosts Ghostology 101: Master Class with Cody Polston at 6 p.m.

Tractor Wells Park hosts Drag Queen Bingo: Pool Party Edition at 7 p.m.

Sunday — Canteen hosts A Day for the Dogs from noon to 3 p.m.

Calavida Cantina welcomes families for a Back to School Event from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Corrales location, with free backpacks and school supplies for more than 100 children.

Monday — Metal Monday is back at Tumbleroot Agua Fria at 7 p.m., with Voidsmen of Salt Lake City topping a multi-band lineup of crushing tunes.

Tuesday — The Bitter Nun, upstairs at Ex Novo Downtown, will host a Book Swap from 5 to 8 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Flock of Moons is looking for more books to add to their little free library.

Sidetrack will donate $1 from all beers sold between noon and 3 p.m. Sunday to The Zan Bike Giveaway.

Steel Bender will be one of the sponsors at the annual Lavender in the Village Festival all weekend in Los Ranchos.

Boxing Bear has a special on four-packs of El Sombearo and Featherweight Session IPA, with those going for $9.99.

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: Power Source Porter (6.7% ABV, 40 IBU), a delicious take on a Baltic porter, and one of the few dark beers still on tap this summer for those who like to defy the heat.

Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Scotia Light (5.6% ABV), a lower alcohol version of the popular Scotia.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Desert Standard – German Pils (4.7% ABV), is the latest entry in the rotating lager series, available in cans and on draft.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: OktoBEARfest (5.3% ABV), the traditional German lager is back for another run in cans and on draft.

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: Tuttle Hazy IPA (7% ABV), now available in cans in addition to being on draft like it is most summers.

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: Corraleño (5% ABV), a lighter American lager 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: Nightly Ritual (4.7% ABV), a tasty dark Mexican lager, was on tap as of Saturday morning, but as with all GB beers, the supply goes quickly.

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: Hoptoberfest is back early this year to help prep you for the upcoming fall season.

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 14th anniversary party, this one is highlighted by the sweet fruit flavor from the Idaho 7 hops.

Painted Lady Bed and Brew — Featured seasonal: We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes, a West Coast IPA inspired by the original Psycho.

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: Capri-derhosen (5.3% ABV), the award-winning German red lager is back on draft.

Rio Bravo Brewing — Featured seasonal: Love Gravy (9.5% ABV), a hefty barrel-aged stout that defies summer.

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: Teddy Roe’s Policy IPA (7.8% ABV, 48 IBU), a new juicy version of the popular ale is available in cans and on draft, and for the month of July all proceeds will go to support Mandy’s Farm, a local nonprofit.

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% ABV), 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: Oktoberfest (6% ABV), oh yes, it’s back in July, and we care not about the date because it’s still a tasty German lager 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