Stoutmeister here, trying to clear out the mental notebook of beer (sure, I could write stuff down, but instead I prefer using my hands to lift pints) before trekking down to Marble’s Septemberfest on Saturday. Speaking of Septemberfest, this year’s edition kicks off at noon, features the added bonus of Red Light Cameras on stage,…
Author: Stoutmeister
Former sports writer in Tucson, LA, and Burque. Now I write about craft beer, which is a totally reasonable way to support my hobby of spending afternoons and evenings indulging in the finest stouts, lagers, and more.
A new brewery sneaks into NE Heights
A few weeks back at Hopfest both Shilling and I, Stoutmeister, were surprised by the appearance of the Sandia Chile Grill. First off, we had never heard of it, and secondly, we had heard nothing about such a place brewing its own beer. Intrigued, and backed by the recommendation of a friend who worked at…
Looking back, looking ahead after one year at Nexus (part two)
Click here for part one on Nexus’ history. The Present: Finding Nexus’ niche in the brewing community When E-Rock and I visited Nexus on a Thursday, there was a small but lively crowd forming, a mix of younger and older customers, some there for the beer, some for the food, most for both. Yet the…
Let the growling begin again
After nearly nine months since the City of Albuquerque ordered “HALT!”, Tractor Brewing was able to start filling growlers again on Monday at 5 p.m. The saga of Tractor’s fight to sell growlers has been one that the Brew Crew has tracked since, well, we pretty much started the blog itself. Hey, as we noted…
Looking back, looking ahead after one year at Nexus
Howdy, folks, Stoutmeister here with another recap of the Crew’s latest behind-the-scenes trip to a local brewery. This time around we hit up Nexus, where owner Ken Carson, Jr., and head brewer Manuel Mussen talked about the challenges they faced in the brewery’s first year of existence, where they are now, and where they are…
Hopfest in review: Chilling out in The Maple’s Shade
Stoutmeister here, fully recovered from the madness that was Hopfest 2012 down at Hard Rock on Saturday afternoon. First off, a huge thanks to everyone there, from the fans to the employees and volunteers. You all made it a wonderful show. A big thanks to Marne Gaston, who supplied us with Extra Hoppy tickets. For…
Hopfest: Breaking down the breweries on hand
Stoutmeister here, hoping you’re all having a wonderful Friday afternoon. Hey, cool temperatures never hurt anyone, right? (also, the Isotopes are on the road, so I welcome the rain) We are less than 24 hours from ABQ Hopfest opening its doors to the Crew and many other beer lovers at the Hard Rock Hotel &…
Beer Notes: The Crew is back from the dead
Stoutmeister here. To paraphrase Monty Python, “We’re not dead yet!” It’s been a while since any of the rest of us posted, save for E-Rock’s Week Ahead in Beer, so by golly, this is an overdue post. Think of it as a massive download of all the beer goodness I have sampled in the last…
T-minus two weeks until two breweries start growlin’ (hopefully)
Tractor Brewing and Broken Bottle Brewery both went before yet another set of city officials in a final effort to obtain the right to sell growlers. The verdict? Wait two more weeks. Yup, two more weeks. But at the end of those two weeks both breweries should learn their respective fates. The amendment to the…
IPA Challenge: Il Vicino makes it a 4-peat
The IPA Challenge came to a close with a resounding finish on Saturday afternoon. Resounding for host Il Vicino, at least. With the annual blind taste-test competition heading into its final round, the three-time defending champion unleashed its Exodus IPA for the home crowd and came away with an overwhelming victory. The final-round results (number…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 