A few months back, we reported that former Blue Corn (now Hidden Mountain) head brewer James Warren was coming back to New Mexico to take over the operations at La Reforma. After we let him get settled in, Warren was happy to sit down last week to go over where he’s been and how things…
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.
New Sidetrack head brewer paid his dues at Chama River and Steel Bender
After seven years in the trenches, so to speak, Cordell Rincon is finally getting his own command. Rincon has taken the reins at Sidetrack Brewing, succeeding David Kimbell. I caught up with Rincon this week before the brewery opened for the day. “Oh, it’s great (here),” he said. “I always told myself that if I…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Enjoy a 3-day weekend with fresh hops and lagers
Anyone out there need a three-day weekend? We are going to guess that “yes” is the automatic answer from just about everyone. Well, the good news is more Oktoberfest beers are arriving, and more fresh-hop beers are starting to make their way to taps. We have long said that this is one of our favorite…
The Crew needs a little help this year to cover the Great American Beer Festival
UPDATE: Holy cow, you all have left us stunned by your generosity! In less than three hours we hit our goal for the trip. For those who donated, thank you so much. This beer community is unbelievable in all the best ways! We’ve got a trip to plan out, but we will be raising our…
Launch party for Hoppy Grandma scholarship will maintain her legacy
One of the more heartwarming stories to come out of local social media in years was the Hoppy Grandma account on Instagram. It was run by Carmen McClelland, who featured the adventures of her grandmother, Carmen Duran, as the two hopped around the breweries of the Albuquerque metro area. Sadly, Duran died in November, but…
Marblefest returns to keep us all cool and comfortable at the end of summer
The first time we saw a teaser online that Marblefest was returning to the downtown brewery, we got excited. Then we were a bit surprised when it said August 27. There is a pretty darn good reason for that, though, as Marble events coordinator Amy Levine is getting married on September 10. Congratulations to her!…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Here a fest bier, there a fest bier, everywhere a fest bier
Good lordy, the fest biers/Oktoberfest lagers be upon us, and in great numbers. Well, part of it has to do with Saturday’s Marblefest, where the downtown brewery is welcoming its contemporaries and their versions of the annual autumn seasonal for an all-day celebration. We will have a lot more on this event later in the…
Comanche Creek Brewing still captures the best views of any place in the state
Way back in the beginning of the Crew, emeritus member/co-founder E-Rock and I ventured to the breweries in Northern New Mexico for what we referred to as “Taos Trek.” It was late March 2012, so places like Taos Mesa, Red River Brewing, and Enchanted Circle did not even exist yet. Among our stops on that…
Canteen and other local breweries step up to help one of their own fight cancer
Mike Thrall has been a part of the local brewing scene for about as long as we can remember. Walk into a taproom, and there he would be, smiling from behind the bar, asking what you were drinking, and making sure you had a great time. For the last few years, he has been a…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Prepare for the return of a favorite local festival
For many years now, one of our favorite local events has been the New Mexico Brew Fest, held annually in the fall at Villa Hispana on the State Fairgrounds. Well, after the pandemic put it on hold for a couple of years, it’s returning this October 1 in all its outdoor glory, featuring only local…
