Man, did we pick the wrong stretch to go on vacation. Well, not really, but more on that Thursday. For those who will be in New Mexico over the next three weeks, there is a heck of a lot to do. Pace yourselves, please, one and all. You will notice the events section is three weeks long, but this Saturday alone is almost as packed as everything around it. This is the big Oktoberfest celebration weekend, with a few other special events rocking and rolling. There should be plenty to keep all of you busy while the Crew is elsewhere. Don’t worry, we will be back, but this will be the last edition of Week Ahead until October 8. Bookmark it and let us hope that we got all the pertinent events listed. The beer releases, well, those will be popping up on social media for the most part beyond this week, so keep an eye on your favorite spots’ pages.

New Draft:

Bosque brought back their helles lager, Sunbrero. Boxing Bear tapped Golden Gloves Helles Lager. Ex Novo added Coffee Penguin Tuxedo Stout. Flock of Moons released Shangri-La Beneath the Summer Moons, a golden ale on nitro featuring Cashmere hops. Kaktus tapped their Oktoberfest Bier. La Cumbre added Ctrl Alt Del, a pale ale. Rio Bravo recently tapped their Oktoberfest lager and will have their special, as-yet-unnamed 10th anniversary beer ready this Saturday. Turtle Mountain brought back Get Bock Inside and Wooden Teeth, their award-winning lager. Looking ahead, Tractor will bring back Javi Pre-Prohibition Lager on Friday, September 26.

Down south in Ruidoso, Downshift will have their Oktoberfest available in cans and on draft for the big celebration September 27 (see below). (UPDATE) Santa Fe Brewing tapped For Whom the Pils Tolls and we raise our horns.

New Package:

Ex Novo has a double release of Western Hop Show V4, a West Coast IPA brewed with Woods Boss Brewing of Denver, and Sidearm Blonde Ale, the new official beer of the Albuquerque Isotopes, and both are available in cans and on draft. La Cumbre will release Wiesn Festbier in cans and on draft this Friday. Steel Bender will bring back Blackberry Dynamite in cans and on draft this Friday.

Notable Events:

Friday — La Cumbre will kick off their two-day Oktoberfest celebration at 4 p.m. at both locations. It will resume Saturday at noon.

Sierra Blanca hosts a Balloon Glow from 6 to 8 p.m.

Bombs Away will supply the beer to the Discovery After Dark event at the National Nuclear Museum starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Desert Darlings return to Kaktus for another edition of Cactus Cabaret at 7 p.m.

Saturday — Marble welcomes one and all to Love Beer Hate Cancer, their annual fundraiser for Camp Enchantment, at the downtown brewery starting at noon.

Rio Bravo’s 10th anniversary party will run from noon to close. See our recent feature for more details.

Canteen Taproom will host a Puzzle Swap at 1 p.m.

The main Canteen location hosts Drag Queen Bingo at 1 p.m.

Green Jeans and Santa Fe Brewing celebrate the food park’s 10th anniversary from 2 to 7 p.m.

Flock of Moons hosts Flocktoberfest from 4 p.m. to close.

Dead, Bath and Beyond, a spooky goods market, is back at Painted Lady at 5 p.m.

Sidetrack hosts their Oktoberfest party from 6 p.m. to close.

Drag Queen Bingo: Halloween Edition is set for Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m.

Sunday — Painted Lady host the new Sunday Scaries, featuring the original Carrie, starting at 6 p.m.

Tuesday — Trivia for a Cause: Spongebob is set for Bosque Cottonwood at 6 p.m.

Thursday, September 25 — Trivia for a Cause: Super Mario is set for Bosque Nob Hill at 6 p.m.

Saturday, September 27 — Ruidoso Oktoberfest goes down at Downshift Riverside from 2 to 10 p.m.

Sunday, September 28 — Canteen hosts A Day for the Dogs at noon.

Metal World Radio puts on a metal show at JUNO from 7 to 11 p.m.

Necrot descends upon Tumbleroot Agua Fria with support from Street Tombs and Distorted Evil at 9 p.m.

Wednesday, October 1 — Poetry & Beer is back at Tractor Wells Park at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, October 3 — Canteen and Steel Bender are teaming up to host Dash & Drink for Pink, which will be held at the former, starting at 6 p.m.

The First Fridays Comedy Contest is back at Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 4 — Labtoberfest takes over the Brew Lab 101 Northeast Heights Taproom from noon to 6 p.m.

Oktoberfiesta is back at Santa Fe Brewing HQ from noon to 7 p.m.

Rio Bravo Oktoberfest roars to life from noon to 8 p.m.

Second Street Rufina hosts the annual Atalaya Rescuefest from noon to 10 p.m.

Canteen brings back the hugely popular Wiener Dog Dash from 1 to 3 p.m.

Punk Rock Matinee is back at High and Dry at 3 p.m.

Sunday, October 5 — Spooky Sip & Shop will be at Bosque North at 1 p.m.

Flock of Moons hosts the Harvest Moon Market from 2 to 6 p.m.

Canteen hosts their Oktoberfest celebration from 2 to 7 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

In case anyone missed it, Bosque will move production of their core, canned beers to Marble. Head to our story on the big move for more details.

Cazuela’s has officially closed, ending a nearly 12-year run in Rio Rancho.

Missed our guide to all the Oktoberfest celebrations across New Mexico? Click that link for the details.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery — Featured seasonal: Drunk Astronaut (8% ABV), the annual summer seasonal DIPA is loaded with Galaxy hops. Get it?

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: Hot Commodity (6.6% ABV), the spicy pickle gose is back for a limited time.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Czech Out Mesa Verde (5.5% ABV), a malty amber lager 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: Labtoberfest is back for the season.

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

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest (5.4% ABV, 24 IBU), an exceptionally good batch this year is available in cans and on draft.

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.

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: German Overalls (5.8% ABV), the mighty märzen is back on draft and in cans.

Flix Brewhouse  — Featured seasonal: Flix Brühaus, their version of an Oktoberfest lager, is back for the season.

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Citrinitas (6.7% ABV, 29 IBU), a classic saison brewed in collaboration with the students of the CNM Brewing Program.

Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Maizey Train, a Mexican lager that actually seems to be able to stay on tap somewhat consistently because you all drink up the IPAs way too fast. Which is a good thing.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Jiminy Krispness, a tasty kolsch to help you get through the end of summer.

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: Oktoberfest (5.9% ABV), one of our favorite annual releases from the brewery, 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: Thunder from Dortmunder (5.8% ABV), more than just one of the all-time great beer names, it’s also an award-winning German lager.

Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: Festbier (6.3% ABV, 21 IBU), tis the season for this classic German-style lager, which goes great with all the delicious food, or even by itself (but who just has a beer at Nexus?).

Painted Lady Bed and Brew — Featured seasonal: Cats and Dogs Living Together, a mango wheat ale named after one of the many great lines in the original Ghostbusters.

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: Shinobi Rice Lager (5.6% ABV, 18 IBU), a nice, end-of-summer crusher that’s perfect for warm days or cool evenings.

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Prince of Dankness (7.4% ABV), we don’t know if this hazy IPA is a tribute to Ozzy or not, but knowing brewer Rob Whitlock’s love of metal, it might be.

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.

Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: Happy Lil Accidents, a hefty altbier that goes well with Bayern Munich matches (yes, the local fan club New Mexico Roten meets here on game days).

The Tatted Bee Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Tatted Stout, a nice and chewy dark ale of decadence.

Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: Father O’Malley’s Holy Water (4.2% ABV, 33 IBU), a very flavorful Irish dry stout for late nights on the patio.

The 377 Brewery — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Traktoberfest (6.2% ABV, 15 IBU), the classic märzen has returned.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Oktürtlefest (5.38% ABV, 25 IBU) is back and it’s glorious.

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: Belgian Table Beer (4.3% ABV), a simple, no-frills golden ale with some tangy Belgian yeast flavor.

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: Oktoberfest is back in bottles and on tap for the season.

Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest (5.9% ABV), the popular seasonal is back, and this time it warranted a full 15-barrel batch.

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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