Ah, Memorial Day, a moving tribute to those who sacrificed all in defense of this country. And, of course, it’s the holiday that tells the majority of the American population that it’s now summertime (well, don’t tell the meteorologists, they’re all hung up on that equinox thing). The holiday weekend falls what feels like slightly earlier this year, but yeah, it’s this Monday, which means a three-day weekend for most folks. As such, the breweries are keeping it fairly mellow, knowing that many will be traveling out of town or choosing to stay home or visit friends and family to party. There’s still a a few notable events and beer releases, but not as many of either as we find most summer weeks. Still, you should have plenty of time to stock up on quality local craft brews for those picnics and barbecues and road trips (just, of course, do not drink while you are driving, or drink too much before getting behind the wheel). Remember, each beer entry below features a link to that brewery’s landing page for what is on tap and available to go. Have fun out there this weekend, but come back safe and sound. The fun is only just beginning.

New Draft:

Flock of Moons brought back two seasonal favorites with MÖÖN, a kolsch, and Mare Nubium, a summer lager. Kaktus brought back longtime favorite Longhair London Porter. Sidetrack added Thanotos, a sour IPA, and brought back Duke of Earl. Steel Bender will release British Aleways Golden Ale on Friday. Turtle Mountain brought back Koi No Yokan, their Japanese rice lager, and Deutches Pils.

New Package:

Ex Novo is bringing back Twice in a Lifetime, a West Coast IPA, in cans and on draft. Downshift released Ranger Station Pale Ale in cans and on draft.

Notable Events:

Thursday — Painted Lady hosts a doubleheader of events, with Pints with Purpose benefiting Barrett House at 6 p.m., and then the Duke City Repertory Theatre brings Bard Crawl: Comedy of Errors for a performance at 7 p.m.

Friday — Gin & Jazz: Miles Davis Edition takes over Tractor Wells Park at 5 p.m.

Canteen hosts Run Club: Parent Edition at 6 p.m.

The Albucreepy Haunted Trolley Tour will kick off at Painted Lady at 8 p.m.

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

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

Tuesday — The Pages & Pints Book Club returns to Canteen at 6 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

Calavida Cantina, in the old Boxing Bear location off Alameda, had to close their kitchen temporarily to make some needed repairs and upgrades. The bar and patio are still open, and you are welcome to bring in outside food until renovations are complete.

Second Street announced summer hours for both of their locations. Rufina will be open 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 10 on Saturday, and noon to 9 on Sunday. Railyard will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 9 on Sunday.

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.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Boese Brothers Brewery — Featured seasonal: Zeus Juice White IPA (8.3% ABV), loaded with Citra and Centennial hops, it is a big and flavorful seasonal IPA.

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: Ursa Minor Table Brown (4.2% ABV), a sessionable but flavor-packed little brew that, quite frankly, needs to be finished off to make room on the taps.

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: Celtic Hermano (6.1% ABV, 42 IBU), this stout (not this batch) was the first one they brewed on the system in the old Boxing Bear space.

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: Bride of Briars (7% ABV, 30 IBU), a maibock brewed in collaboration with Canteen, where it’s also still available.

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: Sünner or Later (4.7% ABV), a tasty kolsch that’s perfect for some patio time.

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: Lion Hearted IPA (5.9% ABV, 60 IBU), a quaffable English-style hoppy ale.

La Cumbre Brewing — Featured seasonal: Helles (4.8% ABV), a truly crushable German-style lager available in cans and on draft.

La Reforma Brewery — Featured seasonal: Can we let you all in on a little secret? La Reforma is no longer brewing. We hope to have a full feature about the decision they have made (they will still have beer on tap, but it will not be brewed on site), but since they took Brewery out of their name online, this will be their last appearance here.

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 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.

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: Zuper Pilsner (5.6% ABV, 35 IBU), a Czech-inspired lager that goes great on warm patio days and nights.

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: Still closed for renovations.

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: Old Wizard Fingers Doppelbock (7.2% ABV), a delectable dark lager.

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: A reader tipped us off that this brewery in a travel bookstore has started rotating beers now, and currently on tap are Suelo Red Ale, Flaxon Ale, and Pale Ale.

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: Baltic Porter (7.9% ABV), a big beast of a beer that keeps thoughts of glorious winter alive.

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: Señor Lager, which as you may have guessed from the name is a Mexican-style lager.

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