The Crew loves WinterBrew, but you probably figured that out by now.

We have made no secret of our genuine affection for this annual event put on by the New Mexico Brewers Guild at the Santa Fe Farmers Market. It brings together local breweries only, all during the best beer time of the year, to share their stouts, porters, doppebocks, barleywines, and more.

The location is convenient whether you drive up to spend the night, or take the Rail Runner back and forth (unless, of course, you already live in Santa Fe, in which case it is the most convenient festival of all).

This year’s festival takes place Friday, January 23, from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are already on sale online and you can expect a sellout, so do not wait too long to purchase yours.

While catching up with NMBG executive director Ebbie Edmonston for our recent Look Back/Look Ahead Series entry on the Guild, we made some inquiries about hinted changes to WinterBrew.

“WinterBrew is definitely one of the biggest events if not the largest we put on every year,” she said. “If people have gone to WinterBrew in the past, it hasn’t changed much over the years. What we’ve done this year is we’ve added an outside patio with food trucks. We can put two more breweries inside. We have 18 breweries this year.”

We had wondered what would become of the food element after Restoration Pizza closed on the other side of the Railyard, since they had been a primary supplier of late. Adding the food trucks outside is a nice touch, especially in carving out room for two more brewery participants.

In addition, the Guild had a fun giveaway of two tickets, and the recipients will get to walk around the festival and always go to the front of the line. They will be easily identified by the giant clocks they will wear, like a certain hip-hop star of yore.

“The way we did it was anyone who got tickets at the start (of sales) until Sunday the 4th, they were entered into the drawing,” Edmonston explained. “We just got a hold of them this week. They’re excited (and) we’re excited to try something new.”

In addition, anyone clicking on that ticket link above might have noticed some new options.

“We created a new ticket tier,” Edmonston said. “We have the VIP and GA, and now we’re introducing a lower-priced ticket for $25 and that gets you in from 7 to 9. The $45 VIP, $35 GA. We’re trying to be cognizant of the economy. (Plus) a lot of the VIPs don’t stick around the whole time. If we can bring some people in late as others leave, it won’t overcrowd anything.”

The biggest draw, of course, is the beer itself. It is still too early to delve into who is bringing what, but we will be sure to ask the breweries for their beer lists the actual week of WinterBrew. Otherwise, the setup is similar to past years. After the Santa Fe area breweries either chose to attend or not, the remaining spots were divided up in a draw for breweries around Albuquerque and points beyond. Here are the 18 breweries scheduled to attend.

• Bathtub Row Brewing
• Beer Creek Brewing
• Bow & Arrow Brewing
• Brew Lab 101
• Canteen Brewhouse
• Flock of Moons
• La Cumbre Brewing
• Nuckolls Brewing
• Red River Brewing
• Rio Bravo Brewing
• Rowley Farmhouse Ales
• Santa Fe Brewing
• Second Street Brewery
• Steel Bender Brewyard
• Thirsty Eye Brewing
• Tractor Brewing
• Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery
• Turtle Mountain Brewing

That breaks down as six from the Santa Fe area, two from parts north, and 10 from the Albuquerque metro area. Not a bad selection among them. We look forward to learning what they will be bringing.

Until then, get those tickets, and if you can drive up and stay at the Sage Hotel or another nearby spot. Pregame the event with a late lunch at Second Street Railyard. It’s a simple plan but oh so effective.

We hope to see many of you in less than two weeks at WinterBrew!

— Stoutmeister