To say this is a quiet week for breweries would be an understatement. But then again, what else would one expect with Christmas smack dab in the middle of it all? Yeah, our best advice is to load up on beers today (Tuesday) and Wednesday (those hours will be shared tomorrow) to get you through the holiday. You might be shocked, but so far it’s pretty much all dark beers being released this week, as it has been for the past few weeks (it’s our favorite time of the year). So far just about every place has told us that they are open normal hours Friday, but it will still be a pretty low-key weekend as far as new releases and events go. So take the opportunity to catch up on some beers that you have missed, revisit some classics on tap, and keep those beer fridges full. After all, the Christmas Day NFL lineup has gone from “ooo” to “oh,” so you can’t really count on that to distract you if distractions are necessary.

New Draft:

Flock of Moons pays tribute to Brandon’s favorite show, Twin Peaks, with A Policeman’s Dream, a coffee-and-donut pastry stout. Gravity Bound recently tapped Night Hike, a Czech dark lager, and Quick Take Hazy IPA will return this week, too. Marble added Chillsner and Prohibition DIPA. (UPDATES) Bombs Away tapped 5 X 5 Czech (Dark) Lager. Canteen will release Resolution Smesolution, a hazy IPA, on Friday. Sidetrack tapped Midnight Zephyr Schwarzbier.

New Package:

There are currently no canned or bottled beers listed as being released this week, but if that changes, we will update ASAP. (UPDATES) Well, that didn’t take long as Ex Novo released Simple Solace, a winter IPA, in cans and on draft. Sidetrack also has a limited number of cans of the aforementioned Quick Take.

Notable Events:

There is almost nothing this week, though you can check out some live music at Canteen, High and Dry, JUNO, Tractor Wells Park, Second Street Rufina, Tumbleroot Agua Fria, and other places over the upcoming weekend. The listings are on their individual Facebook pages.

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

Friday — Sunday Service Motor Co. hosts the final Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest of the season at 7 p.m.

Saturday — Unhinged hosts Jest-A-Fest, where all are asked to dress up in their finest medieval garb for special discounts, a costume contest, and more from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Quick News Bits:

Canteen has a Christmas Eve special sale with $2 off all six-packs and $10 off cases.

Bosque closed two taprooms in Albuquerque, San Mateo and West (former Lava Rock), following the recent 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. (UPDATE) The bankruptcy case was dismissed by the judge Monday. It’s only a matter of time now before the company is declared insolvent and closes down.

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

The former Sobremesa location is hoping 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: Night Hike, a Czech-style dark lager.

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 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: Red Velvet Cake Stout, basically dessert in liquid form.

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: A Ton of Fruit, a prickly pear wheat ale.

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: Red Rocks IPA, one of those beers perfectly named for the area in which the brewery inhabits.

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