I recently pinned down Rob Palmer for a short Zoom interview for the Look Back/Look Ahead Series. I have to admit, it is difficult for me to start these interviews. It’s basically just such a crappy time for everyone and it’s hard to know what to even say. It’s also hard to end these interviews…
Author: amyotravel
Adapting is key to Casa Vieja’s continued success in this crazy year
Another year is coming to a close, and what a year it has been. It’s difficult to even approach this year’s Look Back/Look Ahead Series, because don’t we all really only want to look ahead? And yet, we might sort of be afraid to at the same time. In some ways, there’s not a lot…
For Casa Vieja it’s all about location, location, location
Unlike some breweries, Casa Vieja in Corrales elected not to wait until the Governor’s initial shutdown order in mid-March. They shut down about a week before she actually “pulled the plug,” as owner Gary Socha told me. This is but one example of how protective Gary is over his customer base. As it turns out,…
We can all agree this has been a “Mother” of a time for Broken Trail
I recently had the (long overdue on my part) opportunity to catch up with Matt Simonds, owner of Broken Trail Spirits & Brew. I asked him to take me through a timeline of what has happened since the dark day New Mexico first shut down in March. Matt said it is all, unfortunately, very vivid…
Drink a Harmon Lane beer while shopping for your beer-making supplies at Southwest Grape & Grain
It’s a project that has been in the works for quite a while as Southwest Grape and Grain has now opened Harmon Lane Brewing inside the homebrew store 3401 Candelaria Rd NE. SWG&G has always been a great place to shop for equipment, grain, yeast, etc. (along with winemaking and cheesemaking supplies), but isn’t it…
It’s a bit different at Differential Brewing and that is OK
Bucking trends of super hoppy IPAs or heavy, high ABV beers, the less-than-one-year-old Differential Brewing makes mostly approachable, lower-to-mid ABV styles. As it turned out, this proved to be advantageous for the unexpected crowds that may want to hang out for multiple pints. According to one of the owners, Tony Hanson, they also recently started…
Things are really heating up for Truth or Consequences Brewing Company
Truth or Consequences is the town that was incorporated as Hot Springs, New Mexico, before changing its name in 1950 as part of a radio contest hosted by the game show of the same name. TorC, as it is known, has become a fairly popular destination for people wanting a good soak in the geothermal…
Enchanted Circle Brewing plays with their food and their beer
Anyone who knows Enchanted Circle’s owners, Steve and Shelley Larson, is already aware of how much they want to please their customers. The first evidence of that is the sheer number of taps they have at each of their locations (Angel Fire and Albuquerque). Their original place is a pub in Angel Fire that they…
Palmer Brewery and Cider House gets historic times two
I did not expect exactly what I got when I walked in to Palmer Brewery and Cider House to discuss the year in review and what news is upcoming for 2020. I had originally scheduled the interview with Palmer’s owner/brewer Rob Palmer. When I walked in, Left Turn Distilling’s owner/distiller Brian Langwell was there, also,…
“This old house” in Corrales plays to its strengths
Casa Vieja, located at 4541 Corrales Road, decidedly does not want to be like the other breweries you know. This beautiful, historic building has had several lives. But, most recently, the Socha family purchased the site in 2016 and opened it as an event center, followed by the addition of a brewery. To read some…
