And, we’re back! An epic two-week vacation has concluded, all Crew members have returned safely, and I did not buy everything at the Bayern Munich store (it was tempting, however). Now, I could sit here and regale everyone with the tales of our trek through Europe, but that would be silly. If anyone out there is contemplating a trip to any (or al) of Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, or Augsburg, and you happen to want some advice as to what to see/eat/drink, drop us a line anytime. But, now it’s time to get back to covering our local beer scene.

To start off this week, I have to go back a few weeks to a trip that I made to Lagerpalooza at Truth or Consequences Brewing. It was a fun little celebration of lagers for our southern New Mexico breweries, and a great chance to see what they were offering up these days. As I was wrapping up, co-owner John Masterson invited all the industry folks to take a quick tour of the brewery. He capped it off by sharing a monstrous, yet delicious Belgian-style beast of a beer. The samples were small out of necessity, as it check in at 16-percent ABV. Well, today (Wednesday) will mark the debut of that beer, La Bête. That translates to The Beast, so my prior description was quite apt. Labeled as a Belgian brut saison, it turned out that Masterson brewed this beer at the request of his wife and co-owner, Marianne. “Since we opened, she’s asked for something stronger than wine, yet elegant and light as a feather,” Masterson told the Crew. “That’s not an easy thing to achieve with a typical malt fermentation.” And yet, he did achieve that, and it is quite the delicious ale. If you feel like getting out of town this weekend, head south, grab a spot with easy access to the hot springs in TorC, and walk on over to the brewery and enjoy this decadent delight. Just be careful, of course. It will also be available in limited supply at the Las Cruces taproom, and special bottles for the holidays will be available in mid-November. Happy birthday, Marianne!

New Draft:

A quick note, we are listing every beer that we spotted that has been released since we left for Europe around September 20. So some of these might not be all that new, but darn it, they are new to us and we have a lot of work to do to catch up!

Boese Brothers tapped their Oktoberfest lager and Amarillo Pale Ale. Bosque added Dunks Not Dead (beer name of the year nominee), Conflict Resolution Lvl 1 hazy IPA, Lunch Badge IPA, and their Oktoberfest lager. Boxing Bear brought back Black Mesa Dunkel and Blonde Bearista Sunshine Stout. Canteen tapped Green Chile Lager. Flix Brewhouse and Steel Bender will be tapping their annual spooky season collaboration, VHS Villain Red Rye IPA, this Thursday. Kaktus added Oktoberfest Bier. La Cumbre tapped more Skeletal DIPA and Lagery Softly. La Reforma added West Ghost IPA, and yeah, that’s another beer name of the year nominee. Marble predictably had a big tap turnover while we were gone with Cherry Chingon, Latin X, The Parting Glass (Irish Dry Stout), Gorlami (Italian Pils), Fog Lite, Cienega IPA, and Tokyo Draught (Rice Lager) now available. Rio Bravo tapped A Tun-A Fruit, a fruited wheat, and Wild Burque, their new barrel-aged stout. Sidetrack added Belgian Strong. Starr Brothers brought back their delicious oatmeal stout, Foggy Monocle. Sunday Service tapped Burque Fest and Flat Track IPA. Thirsty Eye has three beers due out this Friday with Crantankerous, a cranberry kolsch, Que Spicy?, a green chile lager, and the return of The Wild Gourdberries. Tractor will tap Dune DIPA on Friday. (UPDATES) Brew Lab 101 added Sunset Squeeze, the newest in their XIPA. Canteen will tap Social Capital Marg Party, a margarita-inspired sour, this Friday.

Up in Santa Fe, Beer Creek tapped Clouds in My Eyes, a new session IPA. Santa Fe Brewing added Accidunkly Happy, a dunkel. Tumbleroot brought back Imperial Red. Over in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row tapped Czech Dark Lager, Amarillo Wheated Pale, Blue Plate Special Bitter, and Patio Hopped Pale, their annual fresh hop beer made with hops grown on the actual Tub patio.

New Package:

Bow & Arrow spiced things up with the release of Wildly No. 1, a chile-spiced fruited gose, in cans and on draft. Canteen released Pink Warrior Fruited Wheat in cans and on draft. Ex Novo brought back Spirits of the Dead Hazy IPA in cans and on draft. Gravity Bound brought back their Oktoberfest lager, Your Place or Stein, and we are hoping it’s still available in cans and on draft. La Cumbre already released PLS Czech Pilsner in cans and on draft, and this Friday will bring back Azul Oscura, a Mexican dark lager, in cans and on draft. Rio Bravo added cans of Not the Wurst, their tasty festbier. Steel Bender satiated all of you pumpkin beer lovers by bringing back Ale Witch in cans and on draft. Second Street released Abiquiu IPA in cans and on draft. Downshift released Bread & Water, a German pilsner, in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Thursday — Jordan Jonas returns to Painted Lady for A Night of Haunting Magick at 8 p.m.

Friday — Jordan Jonas is back at Painted Lady to host the Spook Show Ghost Tour at 8 p.m.

Goth Night and Dark Market returns to Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday — Canteen will host riders for the annual Bikes, Balloons and Beers event both days, with rides scheduled to depart at 6 a.m.

Saturday — Ex Novo hosts the Animal Adoption Event from noon to 4 p.m. in Corrales.

The Desert Darlings return to Tractor Wells Park for another edition of Belly Nouveau at 8 p.m.

Sunday — The Six-Pack Running Series is back at Canteen at 11 a.m.

The Freudian Slips Experience returns to Painted Lady at noon.

Quick News Bits:

It appears that Silver Mine Brewery (Facebook link) is now fully open for business in Santa Rosa. We will road trip out there soon.

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: Sunbrero (5.5% ABV, 20 IBU), the tasty helles lager is back for these last warm, sunny days of the year.

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 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: Oktoberfest Bier will get you in the right seasonal mood.

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: West Ghost IPA, the most appropriate spooky season beer.

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: Psychedelic Decade (5.5% ABV), a mushroom brown ale brewed for their recent 10-year anniversary.

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: Tengu Black Rice Lager, a special collaboration with Painted Lady and Flock of Moons.

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: Sir Bramling’s Golden Ale (4.9% ABV), a proper English summer ale.

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