John Oliver always opens his show on HBO with the line “it’s been a busy week,” but that’s past tense, so we’ll just go ahead and say that “it will be a busy weekend” because that’s oh so true for what’s on deck. There are World Cup watch parties for the USA-Australia match on Friday afternoon, a beer festival in Ruidoso and a blues (and brews) festival in Bernalillo on Saturday, and celebrations tied to the summer solstice on Sunday. Oh, and then there’s Second Street’s biggest event of the year, as the Crab and Pilsner Festival returns this Saturday and Sunday at the Rufina brewery/taproom. It runs all day (or until the crab runs out), there will be live music from local bands, and in addition to the debut of the new Scandinavian Pilsner from the hosts, there will be guest pilsners/lagers from Bathtub Row, Beer Creek, Canteen, Ex Novo, Keeping Together, La Cumbre, Marble, Quarter Celtic, Sidetrack, Steel Bender, Turtle Mountain, and Denver’s Bierstadt Lagerhaus. Do you know a better way to treat the dad(s) in your life than to give them a mountain of shellfish and flights of some of the finest lagers around? If you do, let us know, because it would have to be pretty damn spectacular to top that!

New Draft:

Boxing Bear brought back Wiggle Piggle Pale Ale. Calavida Cantina has a fresh batch of Citrus Sunset on tap. Ex Novo has their Second Street collab from Beer Prom, Prom & Circumstance (English Summer Ale), on tap at both locations. Flock of Moons tapped The Golden Wood, a rustic pilsner. Painted Lady will tap Boogedy, Boogedy, Boo!, a new porter this Saturday. Rio Bravo added Lion’s Mane Lemon Lager. Starr Brothers tapped Zambombazo, a Mexican lime lager.

New Package:

La Cumbre will release Project Dank: Vinyl Edition in cans and on draft this Friday. Second Street will have the aforementioned Scandinavian Pilsner in cans and on draft this weekend.

Notable Events:

Today (Wednesday) — More than 30 breweries around the state will be participating in the New Mexico Brewers Guild’s Pint Glass Day, and we have the updated list of locations where you can purchase this Route 66-inspired pint glass around the state.

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

Friday — Sidetrack and Tractor Wells Park are both hosting watch parties for the USA-Australia World Cup match at 12:30 p.m.

Run Club: Parent Edition is back at Canteen at 6 p.m.

Saturday — Drag Bingo is back at Canteen from 1 to 3 p.m.

Brewdoso, featuring nine New Mexico breweries including co-hosts Downshift and Lost Hiker, will be at Wingfield Park in Ruidoso from noon to 9 p.m. For more information click here.

Kaktus will provide the beers and cocktails for the Father’s Day Bernalillo Blues Fest from 4 to 10 p.m. It will be located at Loretto Park just off Highway 550.

The Boogey Bash, featuring Scary Movie Bingo, the aforementioned beer release, and a presentation by Jeff C. Carter, the author of The Boogeyman is Real, all starting at 6 p.m. at Painted Lady.

La Cumbre will host the Adobe Disco Dank Party at 7 p.m.

Sunday — Sidetrack will host a Brunch Market on the Patio from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Summer Solstice Celebration will take over Boxing Bear Firestone from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

La Cumbre hosts The Lightest Day starting at noon.

Drag Me to Brunch is going down at Tractor Wells Park at 2 p.m.

Quick News Bits:

For the month of June, Unhinged is offering $4 pints of all beers every Monday.

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: BLU-82 Brut IPA (5.7% ABV, 80 IBU), a perfectly hopped ale that goes down well on warm patio afternoons.

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: Lager Shot First (5.3% ABV), a Star Wars-inspired lager made with Mandarina Bavaria hops, on tap for a limited time.

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: Trail Angel Pale Ale (6.7% ABV, 51 IBU), a crushable pale with a piney bite.

Casa Vieja Brewery — Featured seasonal: Duke’s Red Irish Ale (5% ABV), a brewery original back on tap for a limited time.

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: Twice in a Lifetime (6.6% ABV), a hoppy hybrid of a cold IPA and a West Coast IPA is back in cans and on draft for a limited time.

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: Night Hike (5.4% ABV), a delectable Czech dark lager.

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: PLS Italian Pilsner (4.9% ABV), a smooth lager with a little hop pop that’s perfect for the dawn of summer, available in cans and on draft.

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: Beam Me Up (Higher) Scotty (10.2% ABV, 35 IBU), a big, beautiful Scottish Wee Heavy that was brewed for the recent 15-year anniversary.

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: Ortmunder: The D is Silent, Fool! (5.8% ABV, 25 IBU), a perfect lager for the warming patio season.

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: Modus Touch (5.6% ABV), an English golden ale made with American hops.

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: Turtle Claw Hard Seltzer (7% ABV), and yeah, they requested we highlight the seltzer, so that’s what we’re doing because we’re nice. It’s not our thing, but it might be yours.

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: Premium Pilsner, available in cans and on draft.

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 that you all need to drink up before the next 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: Skeleton Ridge (10% ABV), a Belgian dark strong named in honor of one of the more difficult, but totally worth it hiking trails in the Gila Wilderness. 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: 6-7 IPA (6.7% ABV, 67 IBUs), a collaboration with Tractor Brewing from the recent Beer Prom event at Ex Novo.

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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