Maureen

Rio Bravo Brewing checks all the boxes after a productive and creative 2022

As 2022 came to an end, Rio Bravo Brewing wrapped up a successful year of fun beer releases, festivals, and outdoor events, and now the staff is looking toward the year ahead feeling optimistic about all that they have accomplished and for what is to come. I met up with director of brewing operations, Austin…

High and Dry celebrates 4 years of beer as it prepares to open a 2nd location

When High and Dry opened in February 2018, no one would have expected that four years later, a global pandemic would make up half of its existence. “The last two years is a blur, that’s for sure,” said co-owner/head brewer Andrew Kalemba. “It’s weird to reflect back on.” As their four-year anniversary approaches, what better…

A return to business as usual welcomed at all four Boese Brothers locations

With four locations (plus a new cocktail bar) throughout the state, the nearly seven-year-old Boese Brothers Brewery has certainly made its mark in the New Mexico brewing industry. Luckily for co-owner George Boese, the brewery has built a dependable management and brewing staff to keep things running smoothly, even during a pandemic “I’m happy that…

ReSource Brewing finds its way amid the new normal as neighborhood pub

For many new business owners, opening a brewery during a pandemic may have been an impossibility. For Shawn Wright, the brewer and co-owner of ReSource Brewing Company, the experience has been “fun, to say the least.” Just before the new year, I met up with Shawn and his wife and brewery co-owner Stephanie for their…

Hike to End Hunger starts and ends at Boxing Bear this Saturday

This weekend, you can spend the morning enjoying New Mexico’s beautiful fall weather with a hike along the Bosque trail. Then, head over to Boxing Bear for food and a fresh pint of local beer, all while raising money for a great cause. The Rio Grande Food Project is hosting its sixth annual Hike to…

The Wellhead restarts brewing in Artesia after pandemic shutdown

On a recent work trip to Artesia, my coworkers and I stopped in at The Wellhead Restaurant and Brewpub. It had been a couple years since any of us had been there, and we were curious to see how things were going for this small, southeastern New Mexico town’s only brewery. Walking in, everything looked…

Turquoise Trail Brewing comes back strong after a rocky year

Turquoise Trail Brewing had been open a mere seven months before the now infamous shutdown of 2020, and owner Sean Lawson entered a time which he described as a “big ol’ shitshow.” In the brewery’s short history, Sean leased the building space on Central and Elizabeth back in August 2018, and was carrying it month…

Kaktus Brewing announces plans to reopen this week

One year ago, when COVID-19 first threatened to become a full blown pandemic in the U.S., breweries throughout New Mexico took various approaches as to how they would handle the newly mandated restrictions. After much reflection, choices were made on the next steps that would be best for the business, and for the community. For…

Ponderosa Brewing has high spirits for the new year

While the pandemic shuttered many businesses across the state, one of Albuquerque’s most up-and-coming neighborhoods, The Sawmill District, has experienced rapid growth even in the past year. At the heart of it is Ponderosa Brewing, which just completed its sixth year in business this September, and remains a steadfast presence in the local brewery scene….

Santa Fe Brewing donates back to hourly staff and looks to brighter days ahead

Since the quarantine began, local breweries have handled the change in multiple ways. Among the announcements of closures and re-openings, new hours, sanitary procedures, specials and discounted prices, and an increase in package and to-go offerings, something else began to stand out. A genuine concern for the newly disrupted livelihood of the breweries’ front-liners —…