In 2020, Chili Line Brewing Co. closed their taproom to the public and pulled out of the Lamy Station. While it may sound like the beginning of another worst-year story, actually, all things considered and despite the challenges they faced, the brewery known to smoke ‘em if they’ve got ‘em (meaning beers of course) had…
Category: Look Back/Look Ahead Series 2020-21
Rio Bravo Brewing boldly marches forward under current restrictions
After more than 20 entries in our annual Look Back/Look Ahead Series, there seem to be three things that have kept breweries going during the pandemic. First, it really helps to can your beer. Second, a kitchen can be awfully beneficial. Third, the bigger the patio, the better. Rio Bravo Brewing checked off all three…
Turtle Mountain Brewing looks to expand in 2021 and beyond
Well the year is finally upon us in which we will see a Turtle Mountain Brewing taproom come to fruition! I was lucky enough to be able to talk to head brewer David Pacheco about all things beer and owner Nico Ortiz about the forthcoming taproom and future plans to boot for our annual Look…
Steel Bender Brewyard pivots and pivots and pivots again to stay the course
Pivot is not a word that came up too often in breweries before 2020. Now it is perhaps the defining word of the year that was, and in some ways, the current year as well. It was pivot that defined so much of the last year for Steel Bender Brewyard, but at the end of…
Tumbleroot keeps their spirits high through 2020 and into 2021
Co-founder and brewmaster Jason Kirkman takes a break from bottling to answer a quick phone call from a beer writer. He sits for a minute in the empty brewing facility, once filled with the sounds of laughter, the odd clang of a hoseclamp here and there, and new beers bubbling happily away into buckets. He’s…
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….
Palmer Brewery had to put big projects on hold in 2020
I recently pinned down Rob Palmer for a short Zoom interview for the Look Back/Look Ahead Series. I have to admit, it is difficult for me to start these interviews. It’s basically just such a crappy time for everyone and it’s hard to know what to even say. It’s also hard to end these interviews…
Rowley Farmhouse Ales resets in 2020 and looks forward to hanging out again in 2021
If you’ve been following along with our Look Back/Look Ahead Series, you may have gathered by now that 2020 has been a rough year for the brewing industry. For the last 10 months, I’ve been following closely with the Santa Fe craft beer industry, doing my best to keep up with how our guys have…
Ex Novo Brewing keeps the patio cozy and the beers varied to make its way through 2020
Ex Novo Brewing in Corrales has quickly become a big player in the local craft beer scene, an impressive feat for a place that only opened in May 2019. Just like its fellow New Mexico breweries, however, 2020 has been a brutally tough year on Ex Novo, but there have been just enough bright spots…
Cans are the key to survival as Red Door swings into 2021
Strange times call for remote interviews as I forged on with this year’s Look Back/Look Ahead Series with our friends at Red Door Brewing. On the call with me this time around were head brewer Matt Meier and operations manager Ali Cattin. Off we went, exploring the challenges and constantly shifting seas of regulations and…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 