Space is something every brewery wants and needs. Space, though, gets filled quickly as a brewery grows, bringing a whole new set of challenges. Downshift Brewing, for instance, had certainly outgrown their space in the back of the Hidden Tap in the heart of Ruidoso. Just gazing upon it back during our first visit in…
Category: Interviews
Lost Hiker Brewing changes owners but keeps the same vibes in Ruidoso
During our trip to Ruidoso Oktoberfest last Saturday, the Crew made sure to carve out some time on Friday to chat with the owners of the two breweries in town to see how things have been going. In the case of Lost Hiker Brewing, that meant meeting the new owner, Steven Swangstu, and his family…
Santa Fe Brewing expands south with new Las Cruces taproom
Santa Fe Brewing Company has always had a solid presence in the southern New Mexico market, with their sales extending all the way into neighboring El Paso. But so far, that’s only been in package form. This fall, New Mexico’s oldest brewery will plant their flag in Las Cruces with a new taproom set in…
Putts n Pints set to open this summer with Brew Lab 101 beers on tap
The old Putt Putt mini-golf course at San Mateo and McLeod has been out of business for a while now, passing into the nostalgic history of Albuquerque’s past event spaces. This summer, it will open again, now as Putts N Pints. Earlier today (Thursday), new owner Scott Salvas of Brew Lab 101 gathered the local…
Things are looking up at Calavida Cantina with new brewing system and more
It has not been an easy time in the local craft beer industry, as we have reported so often of late, and for Calavida Cantina things seemed to go from bad to worse with a recent robbery that grabbed the local headlines. Well, we are happy to report that the brewery is not only recovering…
First-time head brewer takes the reins at the new Flix Brewhouse location
There were some good things that came out of the COVID pandemic. No, really, there were. Well, one thing, at least, as the new head brewer at the new Flix Brewhouse location told us recently. “It was a COVID hobby, beer drinking, (since) patios were the only things open,” said Holly Garand as we sat…
A familiar face in a new place: Canteen stays local with new head brewer
Will Moorman was a familiar face to anyone who visited Flix Brewhouse on the westside from the time it opened in 2017 to around the pandemic era. After all, they slapped a life-sized cut-out of him on the brewery door for all the movie and beer patrons to see. Then Moorman climbed the ladder and…
A family affair: Rio Bravo prepares to celebrate 10 years of living bold
It only seems like yesterday that I walked into the old Firestone Tire building at Second Street and McKnight Ave to gaze upon an empty concrete structure that would become Rio Bravo Brewing. Well, actually, it was January 29, 2015 when I was invited over by co-owner Randy Baker to check out the place as…
Lagerpalooza draws in lovers of the style from southern New Mexico and beyond
After leading off the current edition of The Week Ahead in Beer with a quickie preview of this Saturday’s Lagerpalooza at Truth or Consequences Brewing, we wanted to go a little more in-depth about this new celebration of the style. Luckily for us, TCB co-owner/chief beer officer John Masterson was more than willing to answer…
Discover the joy of beer and hiking with local author Kevin Holsapple
Since you’re reading this, we already know you’re a fan of good beer. And, with all of New Mexico’s enchanting mountains and terrain, there’s a heck of a lot of hiking fans here, too. If you’ve been to Colorado, you know that they’re at least as serious about both topics. Why do I bring this…
