A few years back, the Roadrunner Chapter of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America hosted the annual convention in Albuquerque. They would also frequently pop up at Kilt Check Brewing, as many of them were good friends with Mike Campbell, who happened to be a collector himself. After Mike’s recent passing, the group reached out…
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.
Beer Notes: Pint Glass day is nearly here and more brewers are on the move
Just a few rapid-fire items from the old beer notebook for this week. We kick off with the New Mexico Brewers Guild’s third Pint Glass Day, this time featuring a design with the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. The glasses will be released at multiple breweries statewide this Wednesday. Second Street’s creative director, Mariah Cameron Scee,…
NMIPAC preliminary round produces a few surprises as the field of 16 is set
A whole lot of brewery folks gathered inside the cozy confines of Gravity Bound Brewing on Saturday as 42 entries where whittled down to a final 16 for the upcoming public rounds of the 2023 New Mexico IPA Challenge. NM Brewers Guild executive director Ebbie Edmonston read off the final names, which were judged by…
A grandest of openings: The first hour of the first day of Flock of Moons Brewing
It can be rare to be the first to walk into a brewery on the day of its grand opening. Yes, even rare for beer writers. Yet, there I was, walking up to Flock of Moons Brewing at the exact minute co-owner Stefanie Luna opened the door. Co-owner/brewer Jeff Tomlinson was in the brewery, being…
Brewery reps gather to narrow down field of hoppy ales for 2023 IPA Challenge
The preliminary round of the New Mexico IPA Challenge is now a private event, not open to the public. However, that certainly does not lessen its importance. A total of 42 breweries will have their IPAs judged by their peers, and from that will come the 16 beers that the hoppy beer lovers will get…
Longtime local brewer passes away after nearly 3 decades in the industry
Mike Campbell, a fixture in the local craft brewing community since the 1990s, died on June 26 at the age of 60. His wife, Sheryl, confirmed the sad news to the Brew Crew this week. Campbell was the owner and brewer at Kilt Check Brewing since it opened in November 2016. He is survived by…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Go ahead and give that new brew the wildest name
We start off this week with a little tip o’ the cap to Bow & Arrow, which continues to mine the lyrics of classic songs to come up with some truly wonderful and creative names for its beers. This week, the brewery is releasing a new hazy IPA called Like a Diamond in the Desert,…
The mostly complete guide to July 4 hours at New Mexico craft breweries
As a public service, we’ve compiled most of the breweries’ hours of operation, or if they are closed all day, for this here July 4 holiday. If you see any that we have missed, please DM us on social media or email us at nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com. Thanks, and stay safe out there tonight! We really want…
The Socorro craft beer scene now includes Baca House alongside the Capitol Bar
It was only about two years ago when I visited the newly christened Capitol Bar and Brewery in Socorro. Their first two beers had just been tapped, and they were in a celebratory mood bringing locally brewed craft back to their town. Fast forward to last week, and the Cap, as locals call it, is…
Canteen and 15 other breweries express their love for lagers with new event
In the heat of summer, sometimes nothing is better than enjoying a nice, crisp lager in the shade of a brewery patio. The problem, though, is figuring out which brewery and which lager, as there are oh-so-many across the metro area. Well, problem solved, to some degree, as the new For the Love of Lagers…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 