Back when we reported that Harmon Lane Brewing was closing, one comment on Facebook caught us by surprise. The writer stated that he had never heard of the brewery inside Southwest Grape & Grain.

At the time we read it, we just went “huh” and moved along. But, over time, that has kind of gnawed at us. It’s made us wonder how many other breweries are still unknown to the vast amoeba of readers that follow this site, some on a daily basis and some just casually.

The New Mexico Brewers Guild has a pretty good list, but that is only of its 52 active members. There are actually another 36 breweries in the state (who should all join the Guild, by the way) for a total of 88 active places, with two more — Keeping Together in Santa Fe and Silver Mine Brewery in Santa Rosa — not yet open but possessing active licenses.

Now, defining what a brewery is these days can be complicated. The Crew’s general reasoning is that a brewery must A) have an active small brewer license, B) be actively brewing beer, or C) be working towards brewing beer (we will note the two newer places that are still working in that direction).

Now, we could do this in alphabetical order or something like that, but geography makes a lot more sense. You can quibble with our geographic breakdown if you would like, but save that for the comments.

Here is the current collective of 88 craft breweries in New Mexico.

Western NM

Elkins Brewing, Grants: Located at the Lavaland RV Park, this quaint little brewery serves up a variety of styles to travelers and locals just off exit 85 of Interstate 40.

Junkyard on 66 Brewery, Grants: Yeah, it’s really a brewery inside a scrap yard, which it makes it quite possibly the most unique joint in the state. They serve up some tasty BBQ to go with the rotating list of beers. It’s located at 1436 U.S. Rte 66, not too far from Elkins.

Prod-O Brewery & Distillery, Reserve: We are not sure they are brewing yet, but sources told us back when they opened earlier this summer that they are working in that direction. In the meantime, enjoy some pizza and guest taps in this tiny little town nestled on the northwest side of the vast Gila Wilderness.

Northwest NM/Four Corners

Lauter Haus Brewing, Farmington: It’s a brewery that’s also a Gen X retro arcade and event center. Grab a quality brew, toss some cornhole, hit up the arcade, or just chill on the big patio outside.

Three Rivers Brewery, Farmington: Another very unique brewery, this one offers up what amounts to four storefronts. There’s the traditional restaurant/brewpub, the pizza parlor, the old school bar/gameroom/pool hall, and now a distillery cocktail lounge.

550 Brewing, Aztec: New owners have reopened this quaint little joint just off Highway 550 in the heart of town. Yes, we need to get back up there and see what they have done with the place to make it a must-stop on the way to and from Durango.

North Central NM

Jemez Mountain Brewhouse, Jemez Springs: Tucked in an old fire station in the heart of the canyon, they are brewing now. But, let’s face it, the epic pizza is the biggest draw to stop on your way to or from the Valles Caldera.

Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op, Los Alamos: The only cooperatively owned brewery in the state, the ‘Tub has become an institution in this “drinking town with a science problem.” If you have not bee in a while, the expanded patio is calling your name.

Blue Heron Brewing, Rinconada: Snuggled up by the Rio Grande along State Rd 68 between Española and Taos, this is one of the older breweries in the state now. Time flies, right? Grab a flight and hit up the cozy back patio.

Taos Mesa Brewing: Blessed with two awesome but different locations, one traditional brewpub with great pizza near the main plaza, and the other out by the airport and Taos Gorge along Rt 64. That main brewery spot has arguably the best outdoor space in the state, or certainly the biggest, with a whole amphitheater out there for massive music shows.

Red River Brewing: Lots of food, award-winning spirits, and beer are inside this spacious new building in the heart of the ski town. The distillery tasting room is to the west.

Comanche Creek Brewing, Eagle Nest: Need to unwind? Might we suggest an afternoon on the patio that overlooks a huge alpine meadow with a porter in hand?

Northeast NM

Colfax Ale Cellar, Raton: Before heading up the pass into Colorado, stop in the heart of downtown for this unique little pub.

Blü Dragonfly Brewing, Raton: You are best off looking for cans in stores nowadays, as they closed their offsite taprooms and do not have a taproom at the brewery space located in an old National Guard building at the Raton Airport.

Greater Santa Fe Area

Beer Creek Brewing: Delicious pizza, a giant outdoor patio, and beer made with all-New Mexico-grown ingredients (hops and malt). What’s not to love?

Nuckolls Brewing: Right in the middle of the Railyard district sits this unique newer pub, with offsite locations in Lamy and a new production spot up in Angel Fire at the old Enchanted Circle Brewing space. (For the record, while that is a separate license, it’s the same company. So despite the distance between Santa Fe and Angel Fire, we do not consider the latter to be a fully separate brewery).

Rowley Farmhouse Ales: Ready to get weird? Well, we should say creative, as RFA brews up some of the most unique beers in the state, with multiple medals to show for them. And, there is an excellent kitchen on site in this space not far from Meow Wolf. They also operate the Salud taproom downtown.

Santa Fe Brewing: The oldest brewery in the state (1988) and the biggest (40,000 barrels plus), the massive headquarters sits just off I-25 south of town. The Bridge is the attached music and events venue. Cans are in stores statewide. There are also two other taprooms in Santa Fe, downtown and on the east side in the Eldorado neighborhood, plus two locations in Albuquerque in the Tin Can Alley and Green Jeans food halls.

Second Street Brewery: Before or after you visit Meow Wolf, head up Rufina St to the main location for this long-time Santa Fe institution. Great food, great beer, live music, and even greater people await. There is also a taproom across from Nuckolls at the Railyard.

Travel Bug: In the back of this travel store/bookstore is a little brewery, serving up one or two house brews at a time, plus some guest taps. Plan your next trip with a pint.

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery: The production facility is next door to SFBC HQ, but most of the action happens out at the Agua Fria taproom. There’s a huge patio, and indoor and outdoor stages for live music and events. They even have Metal Mondays, which more breweries need to emulate, in our opinion. In addition, there is the Pottery Pub near downtown, where yes, you can make pottery and enjoy a brew or a cocktail.

Eastern NM

Sierra Blanca Brewing, Moriarty: What started as a small brewery in Carrizozo near its namesake mountain has become one of the bigger production facilities in the state. The industrial park setting in the eastern half of Moriarty belies the gorgeous beer garden out back. And yes, this is the brewery that makes all those Alien beers.

Turquoise Trail Brewing, Moriarty: This brewery started in Albuquerque on East Central before shutting down, packing up, and moving to the center of this town along I-40.

Bandolero Brewery, Clovis: A bustling brewpub in the quaint downtown of this place that feels more like Texas, the food is top notch. The owners are looking to retire and sell the joint, so if you have ever wanted your own brewery, have lots of money, and want to live in a quiet town, this is for you.

Southeast NM

Drylands Brewing, Lovington: Way out in the town that Brian Urlacher made famous sits a brewery/pizza joint that the Crew really needs to get out and try one of these days. They had a taproom in Hobbs, but it has closed.

The Wellhead, Artesia: Another of the older breweries in the state, this is located in the heart of this oil town. It has a full menu, full bar, and a handful of beers on tap.

Guadalupe Mountain Brewing, Carlsbad: Located on the southern side of town, it makes for a great stop on the way to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. There is a full menu anchored by some tasty pizza. Andrew told us that the beers are rising in quality.

Milton’s Brewing, Carlsbad: The first of the breweries in this town, they moved closer to Main Street and now occupy some prime real estate across from a historic hotel and the county courthouse. Fear not, you can stay out of trouble, right?

Nurvis Purvis Brewing, Carlsbad: The newest brewery in the state opened up without any beers on tap (or so we have been told), but their system is fired up and ready to start adding their own brews to the rotation. Located on the north side of town beyond the Pecos River.

Southern Mountains

Bonito Valley Brewing, Lincoln: We have to imagine that this building, constructed in the 1860s, is the oldest occupied by any brewery in the state. This is a town that oozes history, but a modern beer on the patio is a nice addition.

Cloudcroft Brewing: Grab a brew, grab a pizza, and head to the epic outdoor patio. There is a stage with live music, but sometimes it just pays to listen to the wind whistling through the pine trees on the mountain above. Just be prepared for a wait on weekends and holidays. They are popular.

Downshift Brewing, Ruidoso: The poor town has taken a beaten from fires and floods the last few years, but this brewery keeps going strong. The beers are brewed in the Hidden Tap location on Sudderth, while the bigger food menu and larger events are held just blocks to the west at the Riverside location. Most of the town is undamaged and they could use a tourist boost.

Lost Hiker Brewing, Ruidoso Downs: New owners just reopened this spot, located not far from the currently shuttered horse-racing track. The brewery has not been touched by the floods. There is also a taproom located right in between the two Downshift locations, but it is closed until mid-September for renovations.

575 Brewing, Alamogordo: Yes, technically this is down below the mountains, but it’s closer to those breweries in our minds than to the ones west of White Sands National Park and the Organ Mountains. Anyway, the expansive patio is the highlight of this brewery, with live music, food trucks, and a lively mix of locals, Air Force personnel, and tourists.

South Central NM

Icebox Brewing, Las Cruces: The biggest brewery by production in the southern half of the state, they have taken the Bosque approach of one central production facility and multiple taprooms. You can visit an Icebox in nearby Hatch, or downtown, or in the northeast part of town, or down by the university.

Pecan Grill Brewery, Las Cruces: It’s more of a quasi-fancy restaurant than a brewery, but as far as we know they still make a few of the beers on tap. They long ago outsourced bottling of the Pecan Brown Ale to Sierra Blanca, however.

Picacho Peak Brewing, Las Cruces: It’s a combined brewery and events center, with a spacious banquet hall inside, and a huge outdoor area with a covered stage. The main taproom is a cozy, wood-lined space in the back.

Spotted Dog Brewing, Mesilla: This brewpub straddles the town boundaries between Mesilla and Las Cruces, with production in one building and the taproom in the other. Check out of the ever-rotating food menu.

Truth or Consequences Brewing: If a brewery can become the true heart of a city, this one has shown how. Populated by locals and tourists alike, it offers up a wide variety of styles, an indoor music stage, and there are also the offsite locations inside the Sidekixx Bowling Alley and down in Las Cruces.

Southwest NM

Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery, Silver City: Their ready-to-drink canned cocktails are just about everywhere these days, but they do can a few beers. The main location is the hub of Silver City, with lots of live music and other special events. There is also a taproom in Las Cruces.

Open Space Brewing, Santa Clara: One of the newer joints in the state, they have tapped into the adjacent Gila Wilderness and become a hub for the outdoor-loving folks in the area. The owners are a couple of the best people we’ve met in the state, and did we mention they have a brewery dog (Bobby) and a brewery cat (Jerry)?

Ravenswing Farm, way outside Silver City: Another of the truly unique little breweries in the state is this place located far out in an unincorporated area southwest of town. They make wild cervezas and other unusual drinks. We have to go visit sooner than later.

Central NM

Hub City Brewing, Belen: Hop off the last stop of the Rail Runner and you will find this brewery tucked in an old train building. They only brew in small batches, so you might just be left with guest taps, but if you show up on one of their special food days, prepare to feast.

Baca House Brewing, Socorro: At last check, they were temporarily closed, but we hope they reopen soon. Located in the original Socorro Springs/Twisted Chile building just north of the plaza, they have an epic courtyard hidden in the back.

Box Canyon Brewing, Socorro: Back open under new owners, this is basically the Sidetrack of Socorro, a pub where everyone knows your name. They are working on an outdoor patio. There is live music inside throughout the week.

Capitol Bar and Brewery, Socorro: One of the oldest operational bars in the state, they put a brewery in the back where there was once a jail (a judge owned the bar in the early 1900s). It’s basically a historic dive bar (and we mean that in a good way) with modern beer.

Albuquerque Metro Area

All right, look, there are 42 active breweries in the metro, and by now most of you should know all of them. Then again, this whole article was predicated on someone not knowing them all. So here they are in quick bullet format by part of town or suburb.

• Cedar Crest/East Mountains: Rumor Brewing
• Bernalillo: Bosque Brewing – North (main production facility, plus multiple off-site taprooms throughout the city, plus one in Santa Fe and two in Las Cruces), Kaktus Brewing
• Rio Rancho: Brew Lab 101 (plus a taproom in the Northeast Heights), Cazuela’s Brewery, Turtle Mountain Brewing (two locations on the southern and northern ends of town, with the brewery having moved to the newer, bigger north taproom)
• Corrales: Casa Vieja, Ex Novo Brewing (plus a taproom/restaurant downtown)
• Los Ranchos de Albuquerque/North Valley: Hops Brewery, Steel Bender Brewyard
• Westside: Flix Brewhouse (with a second location now open in the Northeast Heights), Unhinged Brewing
• Northside: Boese Brothers Brewing (main taproom, no beer sold at production facility downtown; also taprooms in Los Alamos and Santa Fe, with the latter called Desert Dogs), Boxing Bear Brewing (plus second taproom up on Tramway Blvd), Calavida Cantina (with a second taproom at Alameda and Corrales), La Reforma, Starr Brothers Brewing
• Northeast Heights: Brekki Brekki (with a second location in Rio Rancho), The Tatted Bee
• Brewery District/I-25 Corridor: Canteen Brewhouse (with a second location on Tramway Blvd), La Cumbre Brewing (with a second location on the Westside), Nexus Brewery (with a second location south of downtown serving BBQ)
• Southeast: The 377 Brewery, Bombs Away Beer Co., Differential Brewing, Flock of Moons, High and Dry Brewing, Quarter Celtic Brewpub (with a second location in the Northeast Heights)
• East Downtown: Thirsty Eye Brewing
• Downtown: Echoes, Moonwalk Bev (inside 505 Central Food Hall), Sidetrack Brewing
• Wells Park: Bow & Arrow Brewing (with a second location up in Farmington), Dripline Brewery, Gravity Bound Brewing, JUNO (with a second location east of Albuquerque in Edgewood), Marble Brewery (with additional locations in the Northeast Heights and Westside), Painted Lady Bed and Brew, Rio Bravo Brewing, Tractor Brewing (with additional locations in Nob Hill and on the Westside)
• Lower North Valley: Sunday Service Motor Co.
• Sawmill District: Ponderosa Brewing (also operates the taproom at the nearby El Vado Motel on Central)

For now, that is everything open and brewing. Got questions? Leave a comment, send us a DM on social media, or email us at nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com.

And yes, please share this link to anyone you know coming in from out of state for the Balloon Fiesta in October. We will be coming back from Europe right before it starts, so we might not have the annual preview for Fiesta tourists ready to go.

Keep supporting local statewide!

— Stoutmeister