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Ready to rock: Rock Canyon sets grand opening date

Posted: November 15, 2018 by amyotravel in Taproom Preview
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The beers are now flowing out in Tijeras.

For the past three weeks, Lizard Tail Brewing’s Rock Canyon Taproom in Carnuel has been operating in a soft opening mode. That all changes this Saturday when they will have the grand opening celebration. The party includes live music all day, headlined by The Real Matt Jones at 7 p.m.

New tap handles adorn the space.

I recently paid a brief visit to the taproom previously owned by Grant Brewing out of Chama. The interior was already really nicely appointed, so not a lot needed to be changed. They did fill it in with more tables and some visually stunning pieces of art.

There is new signage, of course, and naturally all-new beers. There were seven Lizard Tail beers on tap, as well as a watermelon cider from Sandia Ciders, plus several other local beers in bottles and a few wines by the glass were also available.

The new beer list, mostly courtesy of Lizard Tail.

Enjoy the pictures, and if you get a chance, stop by and have a beer and a visit. The staff are super welcoming and very excited to be a part of bringing beer, music, food and fun back to Tijeras Canyon.

Cheers!

-AmyO

 

Autumn has arrived at the Northern New Mexico breweries

Posted: September 6, 2018 by amyotravel in Beercation Destinations, Out-of-Town Brews
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Red River was just as glorious as the pictures make it look.

Fall was suddenly and dramatically in the air recently as Dave and I trekked up north to visit some breweries we have been trying to visit for some time. We welcomed the cooler air and monsoonal rains as we made our way around arguably the most beautiful area of the state. Our plan was overly ambitious, and we knew that we were not going to get to everything we wanted to see with just one overnight stay in Taos. Sadly, some of our curiosity stays with us as we wait for another time, another adventure.

We did have a main goal, a must-do if you will. Having seen the amazing pictures online of Red River Brewing Company, we decided that would be our primary destination. If nothing else, we were bound and determined to make it to the brewery that was able to win the first round with its maiden entry into the NM IPA Challenge. An overall fourth place finish was also quite impressive.

Red River has one of the best atmospheres for a brewery in the state.

We were blown away. It’s even much, much nicer in person. Dave declared it the nicest brewery atmosphere in all of New Mexico and Arizona. We tried the winning entry, Bad Medicine DIPA. While not our style, it was easy to see why it impressed. Our pick of the sampler we ordered was the Amarillo SMASH.

When I was researching what route we wanted to take, I was looking at Google Maps and found something very interesting. A roadhouse-y kind of dive bar/beer hall in the middle of the northeastern part of the state. I guess technically it’s in Maxwell, but there is not much near there, for sure. Due to its name, I was fixated on getting there. The online reviews are great and it’s a 15-minute drive from Cimarron. The place, my friends, is Colfax Tavern & Diner at Cold Beer New Mexico. Let that sink in. Cold Beer New Mexico. Who the hell knew?

One of the more unique beer bars in the state can be found near Maxwell.

I saw a beer koozie on their website that I knew I needed to have. I bought one, so I am now a very proud owner. Speaking of owners, the owners of this place are incredibly welcoming. I even heard them telling another customer they had someone in there from Australia recently. I would be remiss if I did not mention that they have their “own” beer on tap — “Cold Beer.” But, it’s brewed by Full Sail in Oregon. The owner said nobody in New Mexico wanted to brew it for them. I am putting out the call, some Northern New Mexico brewery should step up and brew them a beer. This place is awesome. In fact, my personal opinion is (of course I do not know the possible reasons why this has not happened) that Colfax Ale Cellar in Raton should get together with them on this. They are neighbors, and Colfax is in the name, after all. Although we didn’t make it as far as Raton, I had one of their beers in Cimarron, a golden ale, and it was outstanding.

The beer isn’t quite ready yet, but the guest taps and the barbecue are reason enough to visit Blu Dragonfly in Cimarron.

I had the Colfax Rabbit Chaser Golden while having lunch at Blu Dragonfly Brewing and Smokehouse in Cimarron. Blu Dragonfly does not have its own beer on tap yet, but should have it on by Oktoberfest. The barbecue was outstanding, and that golden ale had just enough kick and a clean finish to cut through the richness of all the meat. I must admit to basically inhaling the mac and cheese as well …

Owner Colin is very civic minded. That day, Blu Dragonfly was welcoming all the bicycle racers in the race they organized with Philmont Scout Ranch. It was fun to cheer each racer as they came to the finish line and grabbed a much deserved beer (the riders were over 21, of course). Colin then surprised me by giving me one of their awesome pint glasses I was coveting. Thanks, Colin!

Don’t forget about Enchanted Circle in Angel Fire.

We took a different route on our way back to Taos and finally stopped at Enchanted Circle Brewing Company in Angel Fire. I forgot how beautiful that town is because I haven’t been there in forever. The Nice Day IPA was aptly named. We watched a massive rainstorm sweep through (the third or fourth of our trip already) and toasted to Zeus for bringing the weather.

It was time to get back to Taos and get settled into our hotel. We made one final trek that night to the Taos Mesa Brewing Tap Room near the plaza. It was our first trip to this location, though we have been to the Mothership outside of town. It is fantastic and not to be missed when in in Taos.

The Taos (Mesa) Tap Room in the heart of town is definitely worth the visit.

The next day, we made a few stops in Santa Fe on our way home to visit places that we cannot easily get to when we take the train. That day probably deserves its own story so I will save that for some other time.

Suffice it to say, it’s not just the weather that is getting cooler up north. The brew scene is as well. We cannot wait to get back up there to revisit our new favorites and visit the ones we missed.

Cheers!

— AmyO

Rock on! There may be yet another taproom opening in early fall

Posted: August 23, 2018 by amyotravel in News, Taproom Preview
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Quite a few of the Lizard Tail beers will soon be available at their first off-site taproom.

I was pretty bummed out when I found out that the Grant Brewing Taproom in Carnuel (just east of town in Tijeras Canyon for the uninitiated) was shutting its doors earlier this summer. It was a great spot to stop when you are heading to the East Mountains.

Then I learned that the friendly folks from Lizard Tail Brewing (located at 9800 Montgomery Blvd NE, Suite 7) have come to save the day. I stopped in over the weekend to grab a pint on my way to dinner and was able to speak with Lizard Tail owner Dan Berry.

Although I knew they were reportedly going to take over the spot in Carnuel, I had no idea it was happening so soon. Yes, it was already a completed taproom space, but these things always take longer than anyone imagines due to the various permits and regulations.

The old Grant Brewing taproom in Carnuel will soon become the Rock Canyon Tap Room.

I almost fell off my barstool when I asked Dan if Rock Canyon Tap Room, their new name, had a target opening date yet, and he said he is hoping for sometime in mid-September. As in next month, not next year. As always, it depends on local/county government paperwork, so we cannot lock in an exact date right now.

Dan said they should have seven of their own beers on tap, plus some cider. They will also sell local wines. Additionally, they plan on adding a kitchen, which is something Grant did not have.

Good luck on the new taproom, Lizard Tail! I can’t wait to rock some beer in the canyon once again.

Cheers!

— AmyO

The proof is in the pictures for Cantero Brewing

Posted: August 9, 2018 by amyotravel in New Brewery Preview
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The long-awaited opening is finally in sight for Cantero.

The Crew was invited to come get a sneak peek at the upcoming Cantero Brewing Company at 3351 Columbia Dr. NE in Albuquerque. If the address sounds familiar, it is because that is the site of the former Firkin Brewhouse.

I was anxious to get in there and see how much it has changed, and boy, has it. There is much more (and much larger) brewing equipment installed in the back now. In fact, they already are looking at needing more space.

The new equipment is just about ready to go.

Space is already at a premium in the back.

The brewpub area has transformed into something more modern and sleek. I remarked how it kind of reminded me of the feel of Toltec Brewery on the Westside near Cottonwood Mall, although it is a different layout overall. I found out that some of the work was done by the same contractor. It is bizarre, considering I have no design or construction background that my crazy brain picked up on it somehow.

Booths line the wall near the door to the kitchen and brewery.

The stone work is beautiful, and that in fact goes along with the name. Although I do know some Spanish, my fairly limited vocabulary did not include the word Cantero, so I had to ask what it means. It turns out it means stone cutter. So, there you go.

The sleek-looking interior of the taproom.

Some quick items to note. The targeted opening date is September 15. The staff said they plan on doing four or five house beers — American ale styles — to start with, and then add seasonals to the rotation. Some guest taps and wine will be served as well. There is a kitchen and they will have a full menu. The taps are ready to be installed (probably this week).

The cozy patio should be a draw for patrons.

The beautiful patio out front on the east side of the building will have about seven tables with both four-tops and a couple of two-tops, as well as a built-in area that fits seven.

Please enjoy the pictures and look for more information soon on their opening.

Cheers!

— AmyO

Broken Trail charts a new path for its original location

Posted: July 5, 2018 by amyotravel in News
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Changes are afoot inside the original Broken Trail location on Stanford.

On an uncharacteristically overcast Saturday, Dave (boyfriend/partner in crime) and I were tooling around in our Jeep and made our way over to visit our buddy Matt Simonds, owner of Broken Trail Spirits + Brew. For some reason as we drove along, we had a discussion about how we missed the old days of hanging out nearby in the onetime micro pub of the original Il Vicino Brewing operation on Vassar north of Comanche. We were feeling especially nostalgic, but little did we know that feeling was about to become the theme of the next few hours.

It was apparent something major was happening from the moment we walked into Broken Trail’s base of operations on Stanford. There was a bit of controlled chaos. Matt waved to us from the back, so we took a seat at the bar. We were the only ones there, but we were completely surrounded — by supplies. Since it was a slow Saturday afternoon, I wondered if they were just doing some major summer cleaning/rearranging. Matt soon set us straight and filled us in on some significant operational news.

It turns out this would be our last time in this taproom as we currently know it. Matt said they need the space for ramped up production, so the majority of the seating in the original location has to go to make room. Dry storage and probably the bottling line will move up front. He hopes to keep the bar intact and use that area as his lab for now, and keep taps operational for occasional drop-ins; he just will not have any regular taproom hours. Essentially, the main taproom business will be at the Uptown location on Menaul just east of Louisiana. I started to get misty and wistful all over again.

It’s bittersweet, Matt said. The whole bar is a piece of him; it’s his baby.

The Uptown taproom will now be the focus of where folks can enjoy a Broken Trail beer on tap.

Then the craziest thing happened. I was suddenly appeased when Matt went on to say that he hopes he can have this original location mimic the vibe of the old Il Vicino. He was waxing nostalgic about it, too. What the hell? Is this guy clairvoyant or something?

So hopefully, it will all come full circle.

I told Matt it’s a very good thing he recently opened the Uptown taproom, and he agreed. He said the location has turned out to have a different crowd than he expected. His expectation was that the location would have about a 50/50 split between spirit and beer sales. To his surprise, that number is currently about 70/30 in favor of beer. Not only was the area underserved as far as local brewery taprooms go — because really only the Alien Brew Pub is in close proximity — and having multiple hotels nearby helps as well. The hotel directly across the street is the Albuquerque crew hotel for Southwest Airlines. Southwest crew members have an app for local places that provide discounts, and this provides good exposure for the taproom.

Matt said that since the first day they opened, they have been at 100-percent capacity. The thing is, about every six months, they increase capacity. They are also making beer much more frequently than they used to. He thinks that makes them better at it, plus turning it over faster makes for fresher beer.

More production means more new equipment for owner Matt Simonds, right.

So why the sudden, larger increase in production? For the most part, it stems from being super flexible and always willing to try new things, as well as the relationships Matt has built with other related businesses. Broken Trail is naturally increasing production, bottling, and distribution of their own spirits (as well as accompanying sodas and syrups) and kegging their own beer. They are now working with Mother Road Mobile Canning to package their Pepe the Mule malt beverage. (Pepe even has a Facebook page!)

It is this relationship with Mother Road that fostered the latest opportunity, requiring the immediate need for expansion of the production area. Mother Road approached Broken Trail with an opportunity. As of last week, Broken Trail is the western U.S. producer for a nationally distributed ready-to drink canned spirit product (one not distributed in New Mexico at this time).

Matt had to scramble to buy more, larger equipment. He has a new 40-barrel tank ready to go on line. He is waiting for some fittings and other pieces of additional equipment. They are currently using their 15-barrel tank every day. They will need Mother Road to come in and do canning multiple times a week. And, that means, Matt needs more help in the warehouse. He said it may even lead to having two shifts every day. Three weeks ago, he thought there was no way, he didn’t think he could do it. But, he is doing it. Somehow he makes it work, with more equipment and streamlining of processes.

The original taproom will be consumed by the ever-expanding need for more production.

Additionally, they are talking with a few other local businesses about producing some related, non-alcoholic beverage products. Our most loyal readers may remember a previous story where we joked (joked is the operative word; we were not serious) about Matt changing the name of his business every year and having a contest for the best name. Broken Trail used to be called Distillery 365. Now I said this year he needs to change the name to Broken Trail Beverage Company.

For my own purely selfish reasons I am feeling a bit sad about the change, but it’s really a great sign for things to some. Matt said he is excited about the new opportunities; as always, he is full of the giddy, contagious enthusiasm that is quintessential Matt Simonds.

Cheers to new adventures!

— AmyO

Learning can be fun during ABQ Beer Week with Red Door and Red Hat Hops

Posted: May 29, 2018 by amyotravel in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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Red Hat Hops’ Tom Brewer, left, will be one of two speakers at Red Door Brewing for an educational talk on beer and hops in New Mexico.

Red Door Brewing Company and Red Hat Hops are teaming up during this year’s ABQ Beer Week to provide some educational fun. This Tuesday at 7 p.m., you can head over to Red Door’s Candelaria location for a Hops and Beer talk with head brewer Matt Meier and Tom Brewer from Red Hat Hops. I was able to meet with Matt for a brief preview. Tom was there as well, accompanied by partner Tim Arnold, Tom’s son Bubba, and another farm employee, Charlotte.

Matt said the event will be free and open to whoever is in the taproom; there is no need to sign up in advance. Matt and Tom will be available for questions about the brewing process and about hops and growing hops.

I asked Matt about the intended audience and he said it is for anyone, but probably mostly for those who are either a novice or just curious about growing hops and about the hop industry in general in New Mexico. Matt specifically said this is an informational discussion and not any kind of sales environment. He playfully said there will be no scary “timeshare” pitches! If attendees come away with knowledge, or if questions are clarified, that is what will be satisfying for Matt, he said.

Red Hat Hops is located in Los Ranchos.

Tom said he has given many talks on the subject and that he and Matt plan to feed off each other as subject matter experts — Matt on the brewing side and Tom on the hops side. Red Hat is currently growing many different types of hops at its farm on Rio Grande Blvd., just north of Montano. Reportedly, many varieties grow very well in New Mexico because of a lack of mold and pests, even most of the types we associate with the Pacific Northwest. Beyond that, we shall save the details for those who want to come to the event.

Speaking of learning, I learned something myself that I am able to share with our readers. The taproom manger, Ali Cattin, informed me that Red Door is going to have their own permanent food truck called Side Door Kitchen. Red Door’s beers will be featured in some of the recipes, and Ali said she will be the one in charge of the menu. She worked as a chef for eight years and was a student of CNM’s culinary program. The current plan is to pair special foods with special beer releases as well. Red Door hosts the food truck battle during Beer Week, and now they will have their very own involved in the competition!

Red Door head brewer Matt Meier and taproom manager Ali Cattan.

This is a first of its kind Beer Week event. So come on over to Red Door and show support for both an Albuquerque brewery and a local hop farm at the same time. That’s really keeping it local!

Stay hydrated and safe during Beer Week — the Crew will see you all around at the events, so if you see any of us, make sure to say hello.

Cheers!

— AmyO

Palmer Brewery looks to build on busy first full year of operation

Posted: March 12, 2018 by amyotravel in Look Back/Look Ahead Series 2017-18
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Twas a mighty spirited anniversary soiree at Palmer last year!

After a few missed attempts with other staff members, I finally sat down with head brewer and co-owner Rob Palmer for a very brief interview about the year in review for the first full year of Palmer Brewery. It is easy to see why it was difficult for us to find a time to meet — the place is totally slammed.

I was ushered into the back, where I found Rob furiously mopping while listening to Willie Nelson cranked up on a tablet plugged in to an old Technics receiver, just like one that I had growing up. It was a fun and humorous way to start things off. Rob immediately went and grabbed me a delicious pint of stout and we began to talk about the last year.

The biggest Palmer news for 2017 was the one year-anniversary in November. It seems like so much longer than a year to me, mostly because it was also the four-year anniversary of Left Turn Distillery, which shares the same space. I was able to attend the anniversary party and it was quite the crowd and experience. They had karaoke on a makeshift patio out front, and everyone, staff included, joined in on the fun. In fact, Rob said they have decided to do karaoke and open mic on Wednesday nights now.

I asked Rob about the first year and he seemed pretty blown away by the brewery’s popularity. He said it gets better every day, every week. The staff sets numbers they think they need to achieve; they hit that number and it seems like it is at capacity. Then a couple of weeks later, it feels like they double that number.

Since co-owner and distiller Brian Langwell is a machinist, they recently built a kitchen and now have a space available if or when they want to make food. They have been getting great feedback on their Taco Tuesday nights. They always have five-plus types of tacos. Rob said people were wary of the Spam and pineapple tacos, but they always sell out first. Unfortunately, Rob is way too busy and does not want to run a kitchen, so they still rely mostly on the fantastic local food trucks.

The other big push from last year is that they attended many festivals. I told Rob it seemed like I did see them everywhere. Rob said he enjoys the festivals and getting out in the sunlight instead of being stuck inside the brewery or bar all day.

Rob’s focus over the past year was to keep consistent beers on tap and keep up with demand, he said. I told Rob I was a big fan of the double IPA — the “Bro” — but it has been out the past couple of visits. He said that it’s because he cannot get the hop supply for the hop they were using in the Bro. It was made using Nelson Sauvin hops, and they are very hard to get; now they need to try again with a different hop.

As for what’s new at Palmer, last week the brewery launched their first production lager called Lowcard Lager in collaboration with Lowcard skateboard magazine. On the launch day, Palmer had some skateboarding pros in house and premiered their tour video.

Also, they are working on building an outdoor patio, which they really need because seating inside their building is often at a premium these days. As usual, the stumbling block is dealing with the City. The City wanted them to open in that part of town, and now says parking is a problem. But, the majority of Palmer’s operating hours (evenings and weekends) are outside the hours of the other area businesses. There is plenty of street parking. Hopefully it is settled quickly, because prime patio season is approaching fast.

For my off-the-wall question, I asked Rob if a pile of money landed on him and he was not allowed to keep it, only to use it in the brewery, what would be the first thing he would do with it? He immediately responded, “More equipment.” This week he is getting a couple of grundy tanks from a colleague, so that will help him keep up with some of the demand. The other thing, he said, is he would build a rooftop patio. The current building would not be able to support it, so they would have to do something like Marble did.

Look for more and different ciders from Palmer in the near future. They have some cider barrel aging right now. They hope to expand their barrel aging — after all, they co-exist with a distillery, so it’s a natural fit.

Congrats to Palmer on one hell of a first year, and to Left Turn Distilling for turning four as well.

Since it is March now (wow, already!), I will sign off with …

Slainte!

— AmyO

Tap That presents a new way to get your local beer fix in Albuquerque

Posted: January 30, 2018 by amyotravel in Beer Bar Review, News
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Tap That is now open off Montgomery west of Louisiana.

In November 2016, I shared a story about a new place I visited in Hawaii that allowed you to try many different local beers in one location through a fun, serve yourself concept. Recently, Albuquerque got its own version of an electronic pour tap room located at 6910 Montgomery NE, Suite F. At Tap That Local Craft Beer Wall/Kitchen you cannot serve yourself (a bartender does the actual pouring), but many other aspects are very similar to the taproom in Hawaii. In fact, the bracelets used to access and track the beer purchase here look and work the very same way; they just have a different logo on them.

Here’s a quick run-through of how this concept works: First, park behind the strip mall to get into the main entrance. You can park in front and enter if they have the gate open, but entering behind the building gets you directly to the starting point. At the entrance, provide your ID and a credit card at the register to open the tab. You can put more than one person on the same credit card tab. You will receive a glass and an electronic bracelet issued to your name and the credit card used.

No, you don’t get bonus points with your wristband for more arm hair, but you should. (Thanks for modeling, Dave!)

Put on your bracelet and make your way to the right of the register. The long wall of beer taps awaits you. There are 36 beer taps (all local) to choose from, although a few were labeled “out,” leaving about 31 or 32 available on Saturday (it may be up to 36 by the time you read this). Multiple bartenders were working the taps on Saturday. The beers were arranged from left to right in ascending order of darkness, i.e. ciders and lagers on the left and stouts on the farthest right.

Choose your first beer. Decide if you want a full pint or tell the bartender the approximate amount of ounces you want to try. The bartender even suggested you can combine beers if you are that adventurous. Hand the bartender your glass, hold the bracelet up to the “Tap That” logo on the bottom of the wooden frame in front of you. This frame also has an electronic label and description of the beer on it. When the light at the top of the frame turns green, the bartender will pour the beer. The screen will change to show your name, how many ounces were just poured for you, and the remaining ounces you have available of your three-beer limit. That’s it! When you are finished, return the bracelet and sign for your tab. We kept our charges on the credit card, but I think I heard someone say you could pay in cash as well.

The kitchen also opened Saturday. As it was 4:15 and we were not looking for food, we did not try anything. However, the food seemed to be moving well, especially for the first day of food service, and it looked very good. I saw multiple orders of fish and chips, fried shrimp po’ boys, and fries generously covered in Korean bulgogi. The menu is limited, but this should work very well for them.

It was a lot more crowded inside as the night went on.

By the time we left around 5:30 p.m., almost all the tables were occupied. The patio will provide great additional seating when the weather is nice. There are already a few games set up out there, such as Jenga and Connect Four. The hours are now set, with Tap That opening every day at noon, closing at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and at midnight on Friday and Saturday.

If anyone has tried the food or would like to otherwise remark on this new-to-Albuquerque concept, please add a comment or send us a message.

Cheers to beer technology!

— AmyO

A relatively peaceful year for Monks’ Corner is not a bad thing

Posted: December 22, 2017 by amyotravel in Look Back/Look Ahead Series 2017-18
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The simply named Monks’ IPA #1 has become the best-selling beer at the taproom.

I recently walked up to the entrance of Monks’ Corner Taproom on Second and Silver in downtown Albuquerque. I was there to talk to them about the year that was and the year that will be, as we do in this series of stories. But, a curious sign was out front; one that would have brought me inside if I had simply been a passer-by. The sign said free cider tasting all day. I thought that was interesting, because I knew Monks’ did not make cider.

As I walked in, I ran into general manager Chris Pacheco, who I had been trying to reach for this story. He is a brand new papa who has been out on paternity leave, and we had not been able to connect. I told him I was there to talk to Thomas (the actual, “in-residence” monk at the taproom). Chris got me samples of the cider. There were two, and they were asking that the patrons pick their favorite. The winner will be chosen as their first house cider, which will be called “Monks’ Original Sin” (as in Adam and Eve, because, you know, it’s made from apples). They are both very light in ABV — one at 2.5 percent and the other at 3.0 percent. The cider is made in partnership with a New Mexico winery. I received my first bit of news before the interview actually started.

Brother Thomas, left, and general manager Chris Pacheco keep Monks’ Corner humming along.

Truth be told, I was a little nervous because it’s not every day that I sit down and have a beer and conversation with a Benedictine monk. At the same time, I was quite fascinated. In order to avoid this story becoming a novella, you can read about the history of Abbey Brewing Co. in New Mexico here. The tradition of monks brewing beer, particularly in Europe, is long standing. In fact, relationships between monasteries allowed Monks’ original primary brewer to have access to the traditional brewing processes of other monasteries.

The Monastery of Christ in the Desert first discussed brewing beer shortly after the turn of this century. I know that was not that too long ago, but it sounds more impressive to say it that way! They brewed their first beer in 2005. Since they did not open the taproom until 2016, it is rather counter to how many other breweries have opened with guest taps prior to actually serving their own beer. Mass production is handled at Sierra Blanca’s facility in Moriarty, so at the taproom they are able to focus on serving the beer and customer interactions, rather than brewing on site.

As I settled in to my Monks’ IPA #1 (that’s the actual name), my purported “quick” conversation with Thomas turned into a rather lengthy discussion about everything from beer, to questions I had about life at the monastery, and even our shared shopping habits. Thomas informed me that Monks’ IPA #1 was their new best seller immediately after it was introduced. It’s not a super hop bomb because they wanted to brew it in what they would imagine a monastic style would have been, had monasteries brewed IPAs a thousand years ago, which they did not.

Beer tourists have been frequent visitors to the cozy confines of Monks’ Corner.

Monks’ Corner Taproom celebrated their one-year anniversary on October 5. Thomas said they are proud of how popular the taproom has been in its first year. Thomas said their biggest challenge has been getting people comfortable with the idea of coming downtown. They were mindful of that when they established the taproom, because it is a light and bright space on a corner. One thing that has surprised Thomas this first year is the amount of “beercationers” they get in the taproom, people who are in town just to experience the Albuquerque beer scene.

Although Abbey Brewing does not enter many competitions due to style guidelines and the difficulty it faces fitting their beers in to those guidelines, Monks’ beers performed very well in the 2017 Copa de Cervesa in Chile. This competition has been around since 2011 and is widely considered to be the most important beer competition in Latin America. Thomas said that Monks’ Ale won two golds for best of style and the Dubbel won a bronze. They are now distributing in Santiago (and Taipei!), but other distribution outside of New Mexico is very limited. In the new year, they will brew an IPA #2, which Thomas said will hopefully have a better name. They will also have a Reserve Dubbel.

One of their main goals in 2018 is to increase taproom foot traffic for both themselves and also for the neighborhood. They are also looking to enhance the customer experience, Thomas said. As part of that, they will start serving from a limited food menu. Currently, customers can go to the adjoining restaurant Maya Cuisine to order food to eat in the taproom, but Monks’ plans to serve more typically beer-friendly options such as cheese and charcuterie plates, pretzels, and the like.

Other enhancements in the works include adding more events and entertainment to the taproom calendar. Chris said they will be extending invitations to local non-profit organizations to have functions, and Monks’ will donate a portion of that day’s beer sales to the organization. It’s all a part of the plan to further establish themselves as a place to gather in downtown Albuquerque.

Peace and joy,

— AmyO

A speed tasting that certainly did not bomb

Posted: October 5, 2017 by amyotravel in New Brewery Preview
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The finished interior of Bombs Away Beer Company looks great.

I recently took a peek at the website for Bombs Away Beer Company for clues as to when they would open. I was shocked to find out they already had. Apparently, they just had a soft opening a few days prior. Although I already had plans right after work that day, curiosity and impatience got the best of me. I decided I had to stop by there, even if it was just for a few minutes, and at least try a couple of beers. It turns out they don’t sell the sampler pours individually, and I didn’t want to ask for a few free samples and leave without buying any beer, so I took on the challenge of consuming a full sampler of six beers in just over 10 minutes. (I was not driving, FYI.)

I am very glad I did. Unlike with many new breweries, the beer did not suffer from a lack of carbonation. This was not “thin” beer. There are also an impressive number of house-brewed beer styles on tap for a new operation.

I briefly spoke with brewer David Kimbell and told him that I was impressed by the quantity of beer out of the gate, as well as the carbonation levels. Kimbell, who is a first-time head brewer (although he has brewing experience at La Cumbre, Santa Fe, and Kellys), said he did go through multiple batches before he decided the beers were ready for public consumption. I guess I chose my samples well, despite being pressed on time, because Kimbell said that their amber is a little under-carbonated, but that it works fine for the style. I didn’t try the amber, so I cannot compare it to the others. He also said he is still trying to dial in the lager. I did not choose the lager, either.

The beers I did sample were: Willie Pete Wit, Short Fuse Blonde, Wild Card Spiced Ale, Brisance Bitter, B.A.B.C. IPA, and Low Order Porter. Descriptions of their current beers can be found on their website. My favorites were the Bitter and the Porter. The Bitter was very true to style and very easy-drinking. It’s not overly complex, but highly satisfying. The Porter was all roasty goodness with coffee and tobacco notes (in my opinion).

A delightful first flight of six of the eight available beers.

It was hard to choose favorites because all six were beers I could see myself ordering again. Perhaps the only minor letdown for me was I would have liked more spice on the Spiced Ale. It’s a good beer, I just expected more of a fall seasonal taste. The IPA is a New England-style, hazy IPA. For those looking for over-the-top hops, this is not that kind of IPA. It worked for me because I like a lighter IPA style.

The space is inspiring and they did a wonderful job with the décor. Kimbell said they built everything themselves (tables, bar, etc.). The location, at 9801 Acoma near Moon and Central, is very convenient for beer lovers who work at Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia National Labs. Until I looked at their website, I had no idea there was a Skyline Heights neighborhood of Albuquerque.

Despite the lack of formal announcements that they are open, there were about 15 to 20 patrons in there when I stopped by early on a Tuesday evening. I have a feeling that those people looking for a Southeast Heights brewery hangout have fully acquired their target.

Cheers!

— AmyO

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