It was a perfectly normal Monday afternoon when I came across a video posted on social media by Harmon Lane Brewing co-owner/brewer Danny Harmon. Uh-oh, was the immediate thought, but watching the video would have to wait due to a work meeting.

By the time I got around to it, the word was already out, the small-but-mighty brewery tucked away inside Southwest Grape and Grain would cease operations August 8. The only reason given in the video was that the homebrew shop had been sold to a new owner or owners.

Back during the pandemic, my day job at the time went away, and after realizing that just sitting at home and collecting unemployment would lead to eventual madness, I applied for a sales gig at SWGG. That also meant I needed a server permit to pour the Harmon Lane brews for any customer who came in looking for a pint or two.

Thus began the only stint I have ever had working in craft beer. It did not last too long, a little less than two years, but the highlight was getting to work with Danny and meeting all of his wonderful friends and family members who would pack the joint every Friday afternoon for happy hour.

As word got around about the beer quality and positive vibes, more new people would show up and became regulars in their own right. They were good people, one and all, and it was fun to see how even one of the smallest breweries around could build a tight little community of loyal supporters.

The winter after I left SWGG, Harmon Lane pulled off an upset of sorts when they won the Crew’s annual Stout Challenge on Super Bowl Sunday. Tin Cup Stout edged out Marble’s Oatalé, meaning the smallest brewery by output topped the biggest in Albuquerque. Honestly, we never saw a brewer happier to win our silly little award than Danny was back in 2023.

It turned out to be the last time the Crew gathered for that event. We have talked about doing one grand finale, a tournament of champions, so to speak, with only past winners competing. After all, among all the breweries that won between 2012 and 2023, only Chama River had closed. Until now, of course.

We can all sit around and be sad about this — certainly the Quarter Celtic guys seem bummed out about losing their “archrival” — but instead I will choose to approach it the same way Danny did in his video. He wants everyone to come celebrate this Friday and the next. Two of their best frequent food trucks, Steam Q and AC2 American Chinese, will split those days in that order.

There is beer to be consumed (no cans are left, so dust off that last growler in your collection if you want to take some home), some final laughs to be had, and a few last good memories to make. The little brewery that could deserves a final sendoff into that good night.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister