One of the two largest events of the fall in Albuquerque has come to truly embrace the local craft brewing scene, and in turn, one of the larger breweries in the state has come to embrace that event.

For the third year in a row, Ex Novo Brewing is rolling out the official beer of the New Mexico State Fair, which runs from September 4-14. This year, however, there will be not one but two official beers.

State Fair general manager Dan Mourning joined Ex Novo HR director Stevo Jeter to present those two beers at a press conference inside the downtown taproom Wednesday morning.

“Ex Novo has been with us now for a third year, they’re exceptional at what they do,” Mourning said. “Not only do we have one, but there are two beers that we’re going to have presented at the New Mexico State Fair. One we’re bringing back by popular demand, the Dusty Spur, an amazing beer.”

The American-style pilsner was a bit hit when it first debuted in 2023.

“As Dan mentioned, our American pilsner, Dusty Spur, we did it for our first year and it ripped,” Jeter said. “That thing crushed. It was exclusive for the New Mexico State Fair. You could get it in the wild for a hot minute after and then it was gone. We actually have not done this iteration of our American pilsner since.”

Mourning told a story of going to a convention for all the state fair leadership teams in the Western U.S. and bringing some Dusty Spur along for the ride. The other fair directors mostly brought wine. New Mexico’s contingent was the only one to give away all of their official alcoholic beverage.

“But, let’s just talk about this partnership for a little bit,” Mourning said. “It’s so important to the State Fair to represent the industries that make New Mexico great. There’s no stronger craft brewing industry than right here in New Mexico. These are award-winning breweries. This industry is building up. We are so proud to showcase them at the State Fair.”

This year, that means doubling up, with Midway Märzen joining the party.

“We’re doing something new every year, this year with the Oktoberfest, this is legit,” Mourning said. “Because, as general manager of the Fair, I have to make sure everything is on point, so yes, I’ve tried it. By gosh, I’ll tell you what, you’re not going to be disappointed.”

Mourning was pretty much hugging a four-pack at that point, so yes, he truly loves the Oktoberfest lager.

“We wanted to do something very special in bringing a second beer to the New Mexico State Fair and Midway Märzen, a take on our Oktoberfest lager, is it,” Jeter said. “It’s a little maltier, richer. You’ve got the crisp, clean American pilsner, and you’ve got the malt-forward, amazing Oktoberfest. We’re just excited. Three years, it’s been amazing.”

“It’s an understatement to say how good these beers are,” Mourning added. “You have to look at the craftsmanship in the design of the labels. Nobody has done it better. This is a magical Fair this year. Nothing is more magical than starting it off with Ex Novo and our partnership.”

Every single can will be at the Fair exclusively. There will only be a small amount of the two beers on draft at the two Ex Novo locations. If any cans remain after the Fair, they will be made available, Jeter said.

This year’s Fair will have beer gardens and the speakeasy will also be back, featuring a limited amount of both beers on tap alongside the mocktails and cocktails, the latter of which will be made exclusively with spirits distilled in New Mexico.

“One thing that we look forward to every single year is the New Mexico State Fair,” Jeter said. “Long before we were even partners, it’s something we got excited about. Dan and I go back many, many years to our radio days. Getting to be official partners with the New Mexico State Fair has been a huge honor for us. The last few years, we have sent out over 20,000 pints to the New Mexico State Fair, which has been amazing.”

We do love when local supports local, so we raise a glass or two to this ongoing partnership. Oh, yes, and Mourning was right, the Midway Märzen is quite legit from what I got to taste.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister