Sometimes, breweries come up with the most unusual events in collaboration with outside organizers. Tractor is a champ when it comes to those, and this Saturday night the brewery and Color Wheel Toys introduce Not Your High School Reunion at Wells Park. Open to anyone who graduated between 1995 and 2005, it will be a mishmash of nostalgia and whimsy, harkening back to the pre-social media, pre-smart phone era of yore. There will be crafting, a photo booth, a “wall of nostalgia,” a DJ, an airing of resentments (shades of Festivus) and superlatives, bingo at 8 p.m., and a raffle where the only entry fee is for you to show and tell some random high school memorabilia. It’s all free to attend and kicks off at 7 p.m.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: There will not be a Week Ahead in Beer next week (April 22), because I will be visiting some Albuquerque friends who are living in Spain. A free place to stay in Europe? Who the heck would pass that up? The good news is there’s a beer bar downstairs from their apartment and the local brewery is just a few blocks away. If there is any breaking news in the New Mexico beer scene, Luke, Reid, and AmyO will have you covered. Otherwise, look for a news wrap-up (if needed) on April 24, and Week Ahead will resume April 29.

New Draft:

Boxing Bear tapped Seam Splitter IPA in honor of baseball season, and Backyard Lager is returning soon. Brew Lab 101 introduced a barrel-aged imperial rauchbier, Smokey the Bearrel. Calavida Cantina is ready for summer with Tropic Like It’s Hot, a fruited wheat beer. Flock of Moons brought back their delicious helles, Ithilien. Marble added Czech Amber Lager and Märzen. Starr Brothers tapped Cologne-ial Kolsch. Tractor will tap Fonio Pilsner on Friday, April 24.

New Package:

La Cumbre will release Helles Lager in cans and on draft this Friday, and then the following Friday (April 24) will see the return of Crest Trail IPA in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Thursday — Pints with Purpose, benefiting Barret House, returns to Painted Lady at 6 p.m.

Friday — Sidetrack will host a Plant Swap on the patio from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Desert Darlings return to Kaktus for another edition of the Cactus Cabaret from 6 to 9 p.m.

Painted Lady’s Open Mic, featuring real ghost stories, is back at 7 p.m.

Saturday — The New Mexico Brewers Guild’s annual celebration of sours, Fete de la Funk, heads to Keeping Together in Santa Fe from noon to 4 p.m. Grab a ticket online before they sell out.

Drag Bingo is set for 1 p.m. at Canteen.

Sidetrack hosts the Todos Juntos Fest from 1 to 6 p.m.

Tractor Wells Park will host a Hat Bar, where you can make a new lid for your noggin, from 2 to 5 p.m.

Sunday — Canteen hosts a Dog Adoption Event from noon to 2:30 p.m.

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

Wednesday, April 22 — Canteen hosts Earth Day Plants and Pints all day.

Pegzilla, a metal/punk hybrid band, takes the indoor stage at Tumbleroot Agua Fria at 7 p.m.

Friday, April 24 — Run Club: Parent Edition is back at Canteen at 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 25 — Day Drinking for a Cause returns to Canteen at noon.

Boxing Bear Firestone hosts the Ladies First Fest at 5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 28 — The Pages & Pints Book Club is back at Canteen at 6 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Sunday Service Motor Company once again extended their temporary closure for renovations through this Sunday. Normal service will resume next week, we (and they) hope.

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 we should probably finish this seasonal, 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: OktoBEARfest (5.3% ABV), the crushable märzen lager is available again 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: Smokey the Bearrel (9.5% ABV), that barrel-aged imperial rauchbier that we mentioned in the intro.

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: Farm League (7% ABV), a classic West Coast IPA brewed in honor of baseball season, available in cans and on draft.

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

Flock of Moons Brewing — Featured seasonal: Femme de la Lune (5.6% ABV), a collaboration with Ponderosa brewed to help raise funds for the Pink Boots Society.

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: Vienna Lager, the second beer brewed beyond the original four at Gravity Bound’s sister brewery/lager house.

Marble Brewery — Featured seasonal: The Parting Glass (4.7% ABV), an Irish dry stout that was one of the stars of the recent Cask Festival at Sidetrack. No really, it’s damn good.

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: Albucreepy (5% ABV), a proper Czech dark lager brewed in collaboration with Sidetrack (which has cans in addition to draft).

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: Glass Dragon (6.7% ABV), a fruited sour brewed in collaboration with old friends Justin Hamilton (ex-Boxing Bear) and Rashan Jones (High Desert Flameworks).

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: Huning Highlander Scotch Ale, the big old brew is back for another run.

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: Smudged Glass Sage ESB (5.9% ABV), which is pretty much as described, an English ale with the addition of fresh sage.

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.

Open Space Brewing — Featured seasonal: Goathead Doppelbock (10.2% ABV), the kind of delicious, hefty beer you should only drink after hiking. Welcome to the listings, friends! Open Space is located at 11990 U.S. Highway 180 in Santa Clara, just east of Silver City.

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: Summer Daze (6.6% ABV), a hazy IPA and a portent of what is to come.

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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