Holy hell, the events section below is stacked. It feels like every brewery has something going on before we get to a semi-break with Christmas falling on a Thursday next week. There’s some trivia, a video game event, craft nights, charity supporting events, informative lectures, bellydancers, pet adoptions, holiday markets, Christmas carolers, drag queen bingo, fun runs, movie specials, food pop-ups, and a whole lot of ugly sweater parties. For those who really aren’t into the whole Christmas thing, both Painted Lady and La Cumbre are celebrating the winter solstice. The former will be on Saturday with some spooky vendors, selfies with Krampus, and some horror stories for all to share in proper Painted Lady fashion. The latter is all day at the main La Cumbre, as Darkest Day returns with special flights of the finest stouts in all the land. Whatever you prefer, get on out there this weekend and help send out our breweries’ 2025 run on a high note.

New Draft:

Bosque tapped Honey Badass Double IPA and Cruel Sun, a Strata pilsner. Boxing Bear added Simply Lovely IPA and will have Blazing Saazles Czech Pilsner (love the name) out soon. Ex Novo went and put Penguin Tuxedo Stout on nitro. Flock of Moons has a fresh batch of Owl’s Eye American Pale Ale. High and Dry spiced things up with Coco Caliente, a Mexican hot chocolate stout. Marble tapped Coconut Cream Ale and Krush Pilsner. Nexus added Noche Negra, a dark Mexican lager. Sunday Service Motor Company tapped Peanut Butter Milk Stout.

Up in Santa Fe, Santa Fe Brewing will tap a limited amount of Camel’s Milk, a Dubai chocolate milk stout made in collaboration with Tin Man in El Paso, at all locations except the Eldorado taproom this Saturday at noon. Over in Los Alamos, Bathtub Row tapped Sugar Plum Gose.

New Package:

There are currently no canned or bottled beers listed as being released this week, but if that changes, we will update ASAP. (UPDATE) And just like that, Santa Fe Brewing announced that Adobe Igloo returns Friday.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — Bosque Heights hosts Trivia for a Cause: Wicked from 6 to 9 p.m.

Thursday — High and Dry hosts the Mario Kart Ugly Xmas Sweater Grand Prix with signups starting at 5:30 p.m.

Differential hosts their monthly Craft Night from 6 to 9 p.m.

Pints with Purpose returns to Painted Lady, this time benefiting Barrett House, at 6 p.m.

The Pour & Explore Lecture Series is back at Bow & Arrow at 7 p.m.

Friday — The Desert Darlings are back with another Cactus Cabaret at Kaktus at 7 p.m.

Brew Lab 101 in Rio Rancho hosts the Sips and Hips Holiday Edition bellydance show at 8 p.m.

Saturday — There will be a Holiday Pet Adoption Pop-Up at Ex Novo Downtown from noon to 3 p.m.

Boxing Bear hosts their annual Holiday Market at the Firestone location from noon to 4 p.m.

Santa Claus will make an appearance at Dripline from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by Christmas Carols at 5 p.m.

Bring your furry friend to Canteen for Jingle Paws Santa Dog Photos ($15) from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Differential hosts a Yuletide Market from 1 to 4 p.m.

There will be a Christmas Flash Tattoo Pop-Up at Sunday Service from 1 to 8 p.m.

Bow & Arrow hosts an Ugly Sweater Party from 5 to 8 p.m.

The aforementioned Winter Solstice Celebration at Painted Lady runs from 5 to 9 p.m.

Brew Lab 101 hosts their Ugly Sweater Party in Rio Rancho at 7 p.m., as does Marble at their Westside Taproom, also at 7.

Tractor Wells Park hosts Music Video Drag Queen Bingo at 7 p.m.

Sunday — The Six-Pack Running Series returns to Canteen, benefiting Cross My Paws Animal Rescue, with sign-ups starting at 11 a.m. That will be followed by the Merry Mingle Market from noon to 4 p.m., and then the Le Chat Lunatique Ugly Sweater Party from 4 to 7 p.m.

The aforementioned Darkest Day starts when the doors open at noon at La Cumbre.

Painted Lady’s Sunday Scaries returns with a special showing of the holiday horror movie Rare Exports at 6 p.m.

Tuesday — Three Pins Biscuits returns to Sidetrack for a Holiday Pop-Up at 5 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Bosque closed two taprooms in Albuquerque, San Mateo and West (former Lava Rock), following last week’s closure of both of their locations in Santa Fe, The Drinkery on the south side and Restoration Pizza at the Railyards. This is part of the ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy process.

The 377 Brewery will host a Christmas Food Drive until December 30. Check their social media for more details on what to donate.

The former Sobremesa location is planning to reopen by the end of the year under a new name and ownership. Blue Mesa, from the owners of Cocina Azul, will aim to be brewing beer again, though we will have to reach out to confirm the unique way they are preparing to do that.

Tickets for our favorite festival, WinterBrew, are now on sale. The 2026 event will take place January 23 in its usual spot at the Santa Fe Farmers Market.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

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

Bombs Away Beer Company — Featured seasonal: Stockpile Stout (5.2% ABV, 52 IBU), an American stout that tastes bigger than its ABV.

Bosque Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Driftwood (5.4% ABV, 25 IBU), the classic oatmeal stout is back on draft for a limited time.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Buffalo Plaid (7.5% ABV), the wonderful Baltic porter is back in cans and on draft.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Oso Otoño (6.4% ABV), the oatmeal brown ale is back for another run in cans and on draft.

Brekki Brekki/Cantina Craftworks — Featured seasonal: As a reader pointed out to us, the beers produced at Brekki Brekki are sold at all the restaurants under the Cantina Hospitality Group umbrella, so we should note that here. Contact the various locations to see what they have on tap.

Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Company — Featured seasonal: Singularity (10% ABV, 55 IBU), a barrel-aged stout perfect for whenever winter comes back.

Calavida Cantina — Featured seasonal: Midnight ESB, a very appropriate late fall seasonal.

Canteen Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Industrial District Porter (6.6% ABV, 33 IBU), a devilish robust beast of a porter.

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Festbier (6.4% ABV) is still on tap, so help them drink it up.

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: Nevermore (12.1% ABV), a beautiful barrel-aged black barleywine, available for a limited time in bottles and on draft at both locations.

Flix Brewhouse  — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

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: Ace of Haze (6.2% ABV), a hazy IPA that’s become a favorite of the locals.

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

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

Kaktus Brewing — Featured seasonal: Through the Veil Pale Ale is one of several specialty beers available, though the others don’t rhyme as nicely.

La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: Oktoberfest (5.9% ABV), one of our favorite annual releases from the brewery, still available in cans and on draft.

La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: West Ghost IPA, the most appropriate spooky season beer even if spooky season is over (but is it ever over?).

Lasso Brewing — Featured seasonal: Gravity Bound’s sister brewery is just starting out with their core four beers — German Pilsner, Helles, Dunkel, Weissbier — so try all of them and pick your favorite.

Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: White Out (9% ABV), the big brother to Double White is back for a limited time in cans and on draft.

Nexus Brewery — Featured seasonal: Lush American Stout (6.9% ABV, 40 IBU), a hefty but still crushable stout.

Painted Lady Bed and Brew — Featured seasonal: A Naked American Man Stole My Balloons is not just a line from An American Werewolf in London, it’s also the name of their new stout.

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: Vienna Festbier, the award-winning 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: Belgian Strong (11% ABV), this behemoth is available in bottles only for a limited time.

Starr Brothers Brewing — Featured seasonal: Brown Chicken Brown Cow (6.8% ABV, 25 IBU), one of their original rotating specialties, this double brown ale is a chewy delight on colder nights.

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: Burque Fest, a robust take on a traditional Oktoberfest.

The Tatted Bee Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

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: At Wit’s End (6.7% ABV, 20 IBU), a classic Belgian-style witbier, with $1 from every pour donated to Storehouse West.

Unhinged Brewing — Featured seasonal: Contact the far Westside brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

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: Coal Car (5.5% ABV), an oatmeal stout that’s just one of 11 house beers now available.

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), which continues to linger on tap and in cans until we drink it all up. Well, not just us, the rest of you have to help, too.

Second Street Brewery — Featured seasonal: Superior Porter, a robust dark brew perfect for the start of winter, now available in cans and on draft.

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: Contact the brewery for an updated list of seasonals.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Holiday Cheer Barleywine (9.5% ABV), it’s colder up in Los Alamos, so they gotta brew ’em big this time of year.

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.

Jemez Mountain Brewhouse — Featured seasonal: Strange Occurrences, their take on an Oktoberfest.

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: Contact the brewery for what seasonals are currently on tap.

Truth or Consequences Brewing — Featured seasonal: Honey Winter Ale (9.5% ABV), described by the brewery as “a strong, sweet, deep amber beer, with rich flavors of caramel, toast, & dates. Fresh Rio Grande Valley honey adds a delicate floral sweetness to the beer’s malty foundation.”

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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