Each year, the Portland Holiday Ale fest sets me right into my holiday mood, and this year was no exception. The festival was more expensive, yet more crowded than any of the previous years, with a $35 entry fee. Entry included a plastic mug and 12 tickets (so essentially the price just to walk in…
Author: amyotravel
ABQ Brew Pub about to go out of this world with name change
Rich and Suzanne Weber started Sierra Blanca Brewing in Carrizozo back in 1996. They purchased Rio Grande Brewing in 2007 and partnered with Adam Krafft to open ABQ Brew Pub in Uptown Albuquerque in March 2010. The major brewery operation moved to Moriarty, where they now also brew for Monks’ Ale and the Isotopes. In…
Island life is even better with craft beer
Hola, amigos! I just returned from Cancun and the immensely popular, laid-back island of Isla Mujeres — just a short ferry ride from the hotel zone in Cancun. Prior to my arrival, as usual, I feverishly studied the things we might want to do in the few short days we were there. In my research…
Open door quality applies to more than the name
It was a sad time for the west side earlier this year when the Stumbling Steer stumbled off into the sunset. Recently we learned that the new owners (the people behind Vernon’s and Wise Pies) opened a restaurant and bar in a portion of the building. What better time to make our first visit to…
Fate took a turn south but that is a wonderful thing
Editor’s note: While it does receive the attention of Arizona Wilderness or a bigger place like Four Peaks or SanTan, Fate Brewing is one of the best breweries in the Phoenix metro area. AmyO stopped in during a recent visit to watch some terrible football game. (Woe be the hapless Lobos.) At least the beer…
Matanza hopes to “kill it” in Nob Hill
A matanza translates to a killing or slaughter and comes from the Spanish action verb matar, meaning “to kill.” As a native New Mexican, I have attended a few matanzas (pig roasts) in my day, but none of these fiestas ever included 100 local craft brews on tap. In fact, the available beer was usually…
How I really won in Vegas
Hello, all. I just got back from Vegas and I have some exciting news for you. I had heard a rumor just before I left for my trip that Mandalay Bay casino was starting to serve craft beers on the casino floor. I could barely contain my excitement. Of course, this beer traveler had to…
Beer-hopping between 3 watering holes on Montgomery
As a part of the new DSBC series on beer bars, I volunteered to drop in to Sinners n Saints on the southeast corner of Montgomery and Eubank in the Northeast Heights. Unbeknownst to my editor (sorry, Stoutmeister!), I thought it might be kind of fun to do a crawl of sorts with the bars…
But I just wanted to have a beer with my “neighbors!”
I am not a fan of long road trips. I get antsy. So the prospect of again making the long, 12-hour drive to my mom’s house in Arkansas wasn’t sitting too well with me. I decided to break it up and spend the night in Oklahoma City and see what’s happening beer-wise in “The Big…
The first MiniFest was a beer fest unlike any other
The weather was absolutely perfect on the patio Saturday at Cazuela’s for the first ABQBeer.com MiniFest. The sky was overcast, but only delivered brief and minimal sprinkles on occasion. My good friend and hop-centric beer tasting companion Paulette and I pulled up to Cazuela’s just about a half hour after the general admission start time….
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 