Downshift takes slight lead after 1st round of 2026 NMBG IPA Challenge

The clear IPAs outnumbered the hazies, but in the end the voters preferred cloudy to old school.

For anyone that missed it on social media, the Crew was present in numbers for the first round of the 2026 New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge on Saturday at Second Street Rufina in Santa Fe.

Three of us joined in the first-round festivities, which were quite simple to enjoy in the spacious taproom, replete with a special food menu (bless that Bavarian pretzel) to keep everyone satiated while plowing through the chosen 16 IPAs.

In the end, Downshift Brewing, last year’s runner-up by a single vote, emerged at the top by — you guessed it — a single vote over two-time past winner Gravity Bound. Downshift’s hazy entry had 16 votes to Gravity Bound’s hazy and its 15 votes. In third was, no surprise, another hazy, with Sidetrack taking that spot with 13 votes.

The revealed votes (check below for which beer was which on the tray).

The haze craze showed no signs of abatement, even with only five of the 16 entries being described as such. Canteen’s hazy came in fifth (10 votes) and defending champion Boxing Bear’s hazy was part of a four-way tie for sixth with seven votes.

Topping the West Coast entries was Ex Novo’s, which tied for third with 11 votes.

Of the three of us, I (Stoutmeister) picked Bow & Arrow’s old-school West Coast, which garnered seven votes in total. Andrew and Luke provided two of the six votes that Ponderosa’s clear IPA mustered overall.

So is the Westie dead? Well, no, but even we have to admit, those who submitted clear IPAs did so with far less of a flavor/aroma punch than in years past. Though, of course, in years past an unlimited budget for making those into hop bombs was not nearly as costly as they might be these days.

We’re old, so we stick to the old style.

My personal vote goes via a simple mantra: “Do I want a full pint of this IPA?” If the answer is no, it does not get my vote. If the answer is yes, then I will enjoy the 16-ounce pour that awaits me at competition’s end.

Ultimately, this competition will be decided in Albuquerque when the final round is staged at Boxing Bear Firestone on August 1. This does not mean that all hope should be abandoned for those who would seek to attend this upcoming Saturday’s second round in Las Cruces at the main Icebox Brewing location on Picacho. After all, the palates of Santa Fe and Las Cruces could not be more different, and it should be a fascinating read to see if Downshift can build upon its lead among southern brethren, or if a new favorite will emerge from the pack.

Get those tickets now and have a little fun this Saturday. The Crew will be back for the final round in two weeks. And then, perhaps, we will truly see if the haze remains preeminent, or if a Westie rally can return IPAs to their clearer origins.