The Week Ahead in Beer: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day a wee bit early

Stoutmeister will have you covered for all things new in beer and brewery events every week.

Another prime drinking holiday is falling on a weekday this year, which is a bummer, but one we can all overcome if we try hard enough. St. Patrick’s Day is next Tuesday, and we will be sure to run a more in-depth preview of the day’s festivities at Quarter Celtic, Kaktus, La Cumbre, Second Street, and more at the start of next week. At least one brewery, however, is jumping ahead and celebrating early, as Boxing Bear Firestone hosts the Blarney Bear Bash & Pop-Up Market this Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. As with many events at Boxing Bear, this one will include your favorite four-legged friends should you choose to bring them along. There will even be a doggo costume contest, so if you have a little green something your pet can wear, there could be a reward waiting. Otherwise, enjoy a local craft vendor market, food specials, live music, and of course plenty of outstanding craft beer.

Oh, and there is also the whole Steel Bender Brewyard anniversary bash going on this weekend through St. Patrick’s Day. We will have a separate preview on all of that fun later this week.

New Draft:

Boxing Bear tapped Upward Nobility German Pilsner. Flock of Moons brought back two favorites, Waning Crescent Vienna Lager and Selûne’s Kiss Dortmunder. Kaktus decided that it may be out of season, but it was time to tap Winter Warmer anyway. Nexus should tap Märzen this week. Painted Lady brought back Whatever You Do, Don’t Fall Asleep, a coffee blonde lager that will be tapped for Friday night’s Scary Movie Bingo (see below). Sidetrack tapped Zuper Pilsner. Steel Bender has multiple anniversary beers due out this weekend, including the return of Double Triple Berry Pie Dynamite Pastry Sour and Short Mondays Irish Red. Thirsty Eye will tap Father O’Malley’s Holy Water, an Irish dry stout, this Friday. Tractor will release Handsome Hopper Italian Pilsner this Friday. Unhinged brought back Lowrider Lager.

Down south, Truth or Consequences Brewing has fresh batches of Orbital IPA and Dark Skies Oatmeal Stout back on tap.

New Package:

Boxing Bear went ahead and put the delicious Black Mesa Dunkel back on draft and in cans for the first time. Rio Bravo has teamed up with New Mexico United to release Somos Brewnidos, a crushable lager that will be available on draft this Saturday and in cans soon after. Steel Bender will release their anniversary beer, Sundazed Apricot Wheat, this weekend in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — Comedy and Magic is back at Tractor Wells Park at 7 p.m.

Thursday — The Crypt Keeper’s Comedy Hour returns to Painted Lady at 7 p.m.

Friday — Scary Movie Bingo is back at Painted Lady at 7 p.m., naturally featuring the original Friday the 13th.

Goth Night & Dark Market is back at Tractor Wells Park at 8 p.m.

Saturday — Canteen will host a Book Swap from noon to 2 p.m.

Kaktus hosts a Dog Adoption Clinic from noon to 3 p.m.

The Rockabilly Matinee takes over High and Dry at 3 p.m.

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

Painted Lady hosts the Outlaw, Lawman & Ghost Magic Show at 8 p.m.

Sunday — The Six-Pack Running Series is back at Canteen, with sign-ups at 11 a.m. and the run at 11:30. The cost is $10 and it benefits Global Health Partners.

The aforementioned Blarney Bear Bash & Pop-Up Market will be at Boxing Bear Firestone from noon to 4 p.m.

Tuesday — Bow & Arrow hosts Astronomy on Tap at 6 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Sunday Service Motor Company extended their temporary closure for renovations through this Sunday. Normal service will resume next week.

The 377 Brewery will also be closed this Sunday for some deep cleaning.

Turtle Mountain South is open again on Mondays, so swing on by to satisfy your cravings for all their delicious beer and food.

In case anyone missed the big brewing news from outside New Mexico, follow this link to learn why the Great American Beer Festival is moving outdoors for the first time this year.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery — Featured seasonal: Irish Red Ale, because tis the season, right?

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

Bow & Arrow Brewing — Featured seasonal: Midnight with a Chance of Coyotes (9% ABV), the flavor bomb of an imperial stout is back in cans and on draft.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Bounty of Jumis (8.5% ABV), a beast of a Baltic porter, now available 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: Dia de los Dunkel (5% ABV), a dark lager that can raise the dead, or so some folks claim.

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

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Coyote Brown Ale (6.9% ABV), one of two seasonals currently on tap.

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.

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 the downtown taproom only now (so hurry, before it’s gone until next fall).

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

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Velé (8.6% ABV, 35 IBU), a special barrel-aged Baltic porter available only in bottles for a limited time.

Gravity Bound Brewing — Featured seasonal: Lil Feller, a West Coast-style pilsner available in cans and on draft for a limited time.

High and Dry Brewing — Featured seasonal: Unbalanced Breakfast (4.7% ABV), an oatmeal chocolate stout that’s quite the dessert beer.

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: Odds ‘n’ Ends (5.8% ABV, 47 IBU), an English mild ale perfect for relaxing just about anywhere on the property, from the bar to the patio to the outdoor beer garden.

La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: Märzen Lager (5.8% ABV), a lovely brew for warming patio nights, available in cans and on draft.

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

Lasso Brewing — Featured seasonal: Schwarzbier, the first beer brewed beyond the original four at Gravity Bound’s sister brewery/lager house.

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: Noche Negra (5.2% ABV, 25 IBU), a Mexican dark lager described by the brewery as “smooth and crisp with subtle toasted malt and caramel. Easy-drinking and well-balanced, it’s the kind of dark beer that shows up flavorful, behaves itself, and never over-complicates.”

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 stout.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — Featured seasonal: Bellamah Detour (6.7% ABV, 30 IBU), an imperial brown ale named for the recent road construction in the Sawmill District.

Quarter Celtic Brewpub— Featured seasonal: Irish Handcuffs, the barrel-aged imperial stout is back and as burly as ever.

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: Provoking Lions (7.8% ABV, 43 IBU), a hefty stout available on draft and in cans 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: Brickie American Stout (8.5% ABV, 80 IBU), back for the season and better than ever in cans and on draft. There are also cans only of the barrel-aged variant.

Sunday Service Motor Company — Featured seasonal: NM Dark Lager (6.2% ABV), a tasty brew that goes well after coffee and Bayern Munich victories.

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

Thirsty Eye Brewing — Featured seasonal: Biscochito Liquido (5% ABV, 13 IBU), the seasonal favorite is back on tap and also available on nitro.

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

Tractor Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Turkey Drool (7.9% ABV, 20 IBU), the Crew’s seasonal favorite is still on tap.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — Featured seasonal: Thunderbolt (9.3% ABV, 39 IBU), a powerful Belgian-style tripel.

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 of its own beers on tap, Sweetheart Ale (7% ABV) and English Bitter II (6% ABV), but if any seasonals ever pop up, we will list them here.

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery — Featured seasonal: Dry Irish Stout, a perfect brew for the season.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — Featured seasonal: Obsidian Ridge Stout (7.3% ABV), the double vanilla oatmeal winner of the 2026 Stout Invitational.

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

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

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