Archive for the ‘The Week Ahead in Beer’ Category

The Week Ahead in Beer: Anniversaries and fiestas galore

Posted: October 17, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Hey, remember when we thought last weekend was busy? Ha! It has nothing on this weekend. No, seriously, you all need to start planning now, because there is a lot going on around town and beyond the ABQ city limits. First up, we have a double dose of brewery anniversary parties at Dialogue and Kaktus. For the former, Grasstoberfest is the name of Dialogue’s second anniversary bash, which will take place Saturday from 2 to 10 p.m. There will be live music all day, plus games, food, local art, axe throwing, and Roadrunner Food Bank will have a food drive going, so please bring a donation of a non-perishable food item in any contained except glass. Up in Bernalillo, Kaktus is spreading its five-year anniversary party over Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost just $5 and get you a silver-plated anniversary pint glass. There will be live music on Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., plus food and beer specials. For Sunday, the Blues Jam takes over at 3 and the Desert Darlings take the stage for a special “Dripping in Gold” performance at 6. There will be special vendors on hand both days.

That, however, is not the entirety of the big events. Santa Fe Brewing is throwing its annual OktoberFiesta from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday at The Bridge, which is next to the brewery off I-25. There will be all sorts of outdoor fun and games from noon to 6, followed by live music inside from 6 to 10. There will be giant mugs of beer, all-you-can-eat sausages, and it all benefits several area charities. Of course, not to be left out, Second Street is throwing a three-day Oktoberfest food celebration at all three of its locations. Check the Rufina Facebook page for all of the delicious dining options to go along with copious amounts of beer. Of course, some would say it is a little late for an Oktoberfest, and that we should all be switching our focus to Halloween. Well, the Desert Darlings will also be at Tractor Wells Park this Friday night at 8 for Hops & Dreams: The Addams Family Edition, so you know that will be a blast. You can also trek out to Sierra Blanca for a Halloween Party on Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m., with a costume contest, games for kids and adults, food, live music, and more. All the staff asks is that you bring a non-perishable food item for donation to charity, and that will get you in the door.

Good luck getting through all of it! (And if we missed anything major, please let us know.)

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Boese Brothers brings back an old favorite in Double Dead Red. Bombs Away drops more Stockpile Milk Stout, plus A.S.B., an American twist on an English ESB. Boxing Bear goes double for its new Brut Strength DIPA. Canteen has a fresh batch of Irish Red ready to go. Kaktus turns over pretty much the entire lineup with Bourbon Ginger Beer, Pumpkin Schwarz, Innkeepers Nitro Ale, Helles Lager, and Oktoberfest now on tap. La Cumbre brings back a seasonal favorite in Witch’s Tit, while also adding Gracias Por Fumar, Honey Cream Ale, and Citra SMASH IPA on tap, and El Jugo cans are back on Friday. Marble brings back Cuvee Rouge today on tap and in bottles at all three locations, with a food pairing from Oni Noodles, plus it also has This is How We Brut It! available on tap. Red Door unveils Solo Saison, made with smoked pumpkin, on Friday. Sidetrack has more 3:10 to Belen Brown available. Starr Brothers visits Planet of the Ape-rricots, with Jack Tooth Grin on deck. The 377 rolls out Whiskey Strawberry Sour and Pumpkin Porter on Thursday. Toltec also gets in on the pumpkin theme with Basic Gourd on Thursday.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn finally has its Brut IPA on tap. Second Street brings back one of our personal favorites, Preacher’s Share, an epic, barrel-aged imperial stout.

Do not forget about the Great American Beer Festival medal winners. Currently on tap are Wooden Teeth (gold medal) at Turtle Mountain, Malpais Stout (silver) at La Cumbre, Germophile (silver) at Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Pistol Pete’s 1888 (bronze) at Bosque, Cherry Wheat (bronze) at Sierra Blanca, Lampshade Porter (bronze) at Starr Brothers, and the collaboration Mocha Hipster Bomb (bronze) at Palmer and Quarter Celtic.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of October 15.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Running with the brews

Posted: October 10, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Ready to get in shape while still enjoying a few pints? The Sixth Occasional Beer Run is going down this Saturday starting at 2 p.m. The course will begin on the Rio Grande and Paseo Bike Path where Rio Grande goes over Paseo del Norte (so take note to access the starting point via RG, it will be on the south side of the bridge). From there, participants will run east toward Second Street to Steel Bender Brewyard, about a 1.4-mile distance. After a pint or drink of your choosing, runners will then head north to Alameda and west to Boxing Bear (3.8 miles). Then it will be a quicker pair of jaunts over to Desert Valley on Ellison and Toltec on Old Airport Road. From there, make sure someone picks you up, because you probably should not drive. The run is open to anyone interested, and you do not have to run the entire course. Start and stop anywhere along the way. Mostly, though, it is just a chance to have some fun and get a little exercise in a way besides just lifting pint glasses.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque’s taps are moving quick these days, so a trifecta of newcomers are now available in Spoondriver DIPA, Bellbird Pale Ale, and Wheat, Pray, Love, plus this Friday you can get Open Space Haze in 4-pack cans. Canteen has another batch of Wet Hop Pale Ale available. Marble rolls out some Tangerine Gose, plus look for cans of Desert Fog soon. Nexus should have more Bird of Prey IPA available by this weekend. Sidetrack hops to it with Turntable IPA and Switchback IPA, plus Dark Engine Stout returns. Steel Bender is throwing a release party for Blackberry Dynamite this Thursday, with 6-pack cans available and a special cask with coffee added.

Up in Santa Fe, things are quiet. Too quiet. Get up there and drink those taps dry!

Do not forget about the Great American Beer Festival medal winners. Currently on tap are Wooden Teeth (gold medal) at Turtle Mountain, Malpais Stout (silver) at La Cumbre, Germophile (silver) at Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Pistol Pete’s 1888 (bronze) at Bosque, Cherry Wheat (bronze) at Sierra Blanca, Lampshade Porter (bronze) at Starr Brothers, and the collaboration Mocha Hipster Bomb (bronze) at Palmer and Quarter Celtic.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of October 8.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Grab some brews to watch the balloons

Posted: October 3, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Brace yourselves, the bad traffic in Burque is about to get a whole lot worse. Yup, the Balloon Fiesta is back starting Saturday, which is great for the local economy and all, but can also be a headache for many of us when it comes to getting to our favorite breweries and taprooms. The good news is Steel Bender and Marble are the first two breweries to really tie themselves into the Fiesta. Marble is hosting a Balloon Brunch on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Street Food Institute is catering, Danny Harps is providing the music, and there will be Beermosas galore, with Gruet Winery also on hand. This is all being held on the rooftop deck. Tickets cost $35 and are available online. For that price, you get the buffet, two beers or beermosas, and a grand finale tour of the brewery.

As for Steel Bender, the popular Balloons & Brews is back every day of the Fiesta. The patio will be open every morning at 7, with beers available right then, save for Sundays (it is still noon because the State of New Mexico lives in the dark ages). There will be beer, beermosas, bloody beers, and wine available. Steel Bender will serve breakfast burritos and Bender Sunrise Sandwiches. There will also be local pastries from Pastian’s Bakery, local “Wake the Dead” coffee from Pour Vida Coffee Roasters, and Manny’s Now-Famous Hot Cocoa. Considering the location in Los Ranchos, there might even be some balloons landing in the area. Pick a day and head on out there!

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque is catching up to the season with its Oktoberfest. Canteen likewise adds its Oktoberfest on tap, plus Tuttle IPA and Sichler Chile Lager return, and Saving 2nd Base, a boysenberry wheat made for charity, is also available. La Cumbre will have cans of Space Manatee, a pomegranate kettle sour, available on Friday. Marble pays tribute to the brewer at Spoetzel with Jimmy Bock. Ponderosa rolls out some Hoppy Pilsner. Quarter Celtic also added its Oktoberfest on tap. Starr Brothers is into some Hanky Spanky Simcoe Pale Ale. Steel Bender has Alewitch Pumpkin Ale and Gris Gris available on Thursday. The 377 brings back its Great British Beer Festival bronze-medal winner, Schwartzbier. Toltec has, you probably guessed it, its Oktoberfest on tap. Turtle Mountain sticks with the theme and adds its Oktoberfest.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn keeps the marzen flowing with its Oktoberfest, plus Brut IPA should be on tap by the weekend. Second Street puckers up with Freja Harvest Sour, while also adding Slight of Haze.

Do not forget about the Great American Beer Festival medal winners. Currently on tap are Wooden Teeth (gold medal) at Turtle Mountain, Malpais Stout (silver) at La Cumbre, Germophile (silver) at Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Pistol Pete’s 1888 (bronze) at Bosque, Cherry Wheat (bronze) at Sierra Blanca, Lampshade Porter (bronze) at Starr Brothers, and the collaboration Mocha Hipster Bomb (bronze) at Palmer and Quarter Celtic.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of October 1.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Get a double dose of German-style fun

Posted: September 26, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

The Crew has returned from Denver. We are mostly alive. Beer will help revive us, especially when you tie it in with some Oktoberfest fun. The good news is two local breweries are hitting us with those sort of good times, and thankfully, it will not be in competition with one another. First up, Steel Bender is hosting OktoberFiesta at the Brewyard on Thursday. The fun kicks off at 5 p.m. with the return of the OktoberFiesta beer, plus Misfitter Altbier is also back. The kitchen will be dishing out some jaegerschnitzel with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and braised red cabbage, plus Pastian’s Bakery is serving up some tasty strudel for dessert. Throw in live music from the Nathan Fox Quartet starting at 6, and what else could you need? Oh, how about a 20-ounce ceramic mug for $15, with your first pour on the house? That will do, Steel Bender, that will do.

Marblefest then takes over the downtown brewery on Saturday. We are gonna have a lot more in a separate story thanks to pre-fest interviews with marketing director Geraldine Lucero and brewmaster Josh Trujillo. There will be beers from multiple breweries, including one epic collaboration, plus food trucks and a huge band lineup with Red Light Cameras starting things off at noon for the VIP tasting (regular admission is just $5 and starts at 2). Hey, when RLC is the opener, you know it is a big event.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bow & Arrow hits the mark again with Desert Punch Hazy DIPA. Dialogue is feeling the season with its own Oktoberfest, plus 3x Tripel. La Cumbre rolls out cans of Autumn Project Dank on Friday. Marble gets innovative with Dryspell, a barrel-aged amber with brett, and Glowstick Juice, a new New England-style IPA. Ponderosa hopes to have Belgian Dubbel on tap by the weekend. Sidetrack also sneaked in an Oktoberfest. Starr Brothers goes all Young Frankenstein on us with Therewolf, its own take on an Oktoberfest. Steel Bender will also have more Brickie American Stout this week. The 377 is aiming to have a new Porter on tap soon, plus a small, experimental batch of Prickly Pear Porter.

Up in Santa Fe, Second Street rolls out a slew of new beers including Rod’s Steam Bitter, MBV Dry Stout, Imperial IPA, Saison, and Imperial IPA, with even more on deck, including Atalaya Altbier this Saturday. Further north in Red River, RRBC also jumps on the German trend with Tucker-Brau Oktoberfest Marzen.

Do not forget about the Great American Beer Festival medal winners. Currently on tap are Wooden Teeth (gold medal) at Turtle Mountain, Malpais Stout (silver) at La Cumbre, Germophile (silver) at Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Pistol Pete’s 1888 (bronze) at Bosque, Cherry Wheat (bronze) at Sierra Blanca, Lampshade Porter (bronze) at Starr Brothers, and the collaboration Mocha Hipster Bomb (bronze) at Palmer and Quarter Celtic.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of September 24.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Mountain Rescue Brew Fest and Metal Monday return

Posted: September 19, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

While most of the Crew and most of the brewers all head off to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival this week, all of you still in New Mexico will not go without some fun. First up, the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Brew Fest is back at Marble downtown this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. This is a huge fundraiser for the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council, so they pull out all the stops. There will be live music (see Marble’s entry below) all day, plus food trucks, vendors, games, silent auctions, and of course plenty of Marble beer.

Then it will be time for another edition of Metal Monday at Tumbleroot’s location on Agua Fria in Santa Fe. The lineup this time around features Red Mesa, The Horned God, and local favorites Black Maria. That kicks off at 8 p.m., so head over to support some epic bands while drinking some epic beer and spirits.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque tapped Beermosa last week, and Acequia Fresh Hop IPA is back this Friday on tap and in cans. Canteen is still beating what’s left of the summer heat with Munich Helles. Flix Brewhouse is feeling mighty German with some Das Umlaut Oktoberfest and Party on Garth Kolsch, plus Oo-De-Lally English IPA debuts Thursday. High and Dry drops a slew of new beers including Black Hole’s Son Porter, Silently Said Pale, and more listed below. Marble keeps the goses going with Ginger Plum Gose. Ponderosa keeps it fresh with Wet Hop Saison. Red Door sneaked in another batch of New England IPA last weekend. The 377 keeps the sours coming with an Oud Bruin that was aged seven months in wine barrels. Tractor introduces Citra Hefe while also bringing back the Javi Pre-Prohibition Lager.

Up in Santa Fe, things are quiet for GABF week.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of September 17.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Quarter Celtic takes us halfway to St. Patty’s Day

Posted: September 12, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

It has to be a first that we are choosing back-to-back Monday events as our featured lead, but we are not gonna argue with either one. After a Metal Monday show at Tumbleroot last week, this time around you can stay in ABQ and enjoy the Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day Festival at Quarter Celtic this Monday from open to close. The revamped patio is complete and Los Radiators will perform traditional Celtic music from 6 to 9 p.m. out there. There will all sorts of Irish food specials, plus of course some proper beers on tap, including Scottish Manny, Kill or be Kilt Scotch Ale, and a special batch of Irish Handcuffs Imperial Stout that has been aged for two years. You can all probably guess which one I will be sipping on after work.

There are plenty of other fun events as well, starting today (Wednesday). Marble is hosting a rematch of its last round of the Brews & Bites Challenge at the Heights Taproom (the competitors finished in a tie last round). That kicks off at 6 and tickets are going fast. You can also head over to Tractor Wells Park at 7:30 for the Poetry Slam City Championship. Friday will feature Red Door’s 4th Anniversary Bash at the brewery, which Franz Solo will have a full preview of later today. Trek out to Moriarty on Saturday for Sierra Blanca’s annual Oktoberfest celebration, with food, music, and plenty of beer in the spacious beer garden out back.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Ale Republic brings back Parasol. Boese Brothers roll out Summer Ale, Oktoberfest, and Clockwork Blood Orange IPA. Bombs Away already has American Wheat available, and Oktoberfest should be ready Thursday. Bosque is feeling colorful with Oat Gold and Wet Hop Red. Bow & Arrow resurrects a seasonal favorite in Wolf Eyes Marzen on Saturday. Boxing Bear sticks with the haze with Murky Milkshake IPA on Friday. Canteen freshens up with Wet Hop Pale Ale, Citranova Lager, and Strawberry Basil Gose. La Cumbre brings back Make IPA Clear Again, its collaboration with Denver’s Comrade Brewing, in cans and on tap this Friday. Marble unveils the 2018 edition of Pumpkin Noir on tap and in bottles at all three locations today. Nexus has more Coffee & Cream on tap. Ponderosa hopes to have its Oktoberfest later this week. Quarter Celtic also brings back an old favorite in Dark Pedro. Red Door will have Double Vanilla Cream for the anniversary party Friday. Starr Brothers wants everyone to Shake Yerbouti with its new milkshake stout. The 377 has a crazy new Berliner Weisse that was aged for five months on organic mangoes and strawberries and then finished with cedar chips added before kegging.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn hopes to bring back Gatekeeper IPA by Saturday. Rowley Farmhouse Ales goes fresh with Brut IPA – Wet Hop Chinook.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of September 10.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Tumbleroot embraces Metal Mondays

Posted: September 5, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Man, there is so much to cover again this week, what shall be the lead? Well, if you have been following us for the past six-plus years … OF COURSE IT’S THE METAL SHOW. Yes, metal is back at a brewery, only this time it is up in Santa Fe at Tumbleroot’s location on Agua Fria. This special Black Metal Takeover on Monday opens at 7:30, with tickets costing a measly $10. That gets you in to see Santa Fe’s own malevolent masters of metal, Dysphotic, as well as the new local group, Heretical Sect, featuring members of Superstition and ex-Predatory Light. Two traveling bands will also be on hand, with both hailing from the frozen wasteland, er, picturesque Midwestern state of Minnesota. Ashbringer and Amiensus are coming a long way to melt some faces, so make sure to load up your crew and head to Santa Fe for this epic set. Plus, it is a perfectly good excuse to finally try Tumbleroot if you have not been there yet.

As we noted, that is hardly the only big event this weekend. High and Dry is hosting Second Street as its guest brewery of the month, and there will be a special launch party tonight. Today will also feature a special ticket party for Saturday’s Albuquerque Hopfest, hosted by Steel Bender. That fun kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday night will see the First Friday Artwalk in downtown ABQ, with Boese Brothers, Sidetrack, and the Duel taproom all participating with art shows and live music. Saturday will of course feature Hopfest taking over the Isleta Casino, and we will have a full preview of that later this week. Finally, Sunday will see the new Crafts, Crops & Hops Autumn Beer Market at Canteen from noon to 7, with live green chile roasting, live music, multiple vendors, and, of course, delicious beer. No rest for the wicked this week, people.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bow & Arrow is releasing Peach Cosmic Arrow on tap and in bottles on Saturday. Boxing Bear sticks with its haze phase with MurkQueño Hazy IPA going on tap this Friday. Canteen brings back Raspberry Wheat and Fill in the Blanco (White IPA). Dialogue has a trio of newbies in What’s Golden Ale, Strazberry Berliner, and Young Guns Dank Wet Hop IPA. Kilt Check resurrects two old favorites in Covfefe Hefe and McRojo or No?. La Cumbre rolls out Quick and Easy Pale Ale, plus that delicious Dortmunder is on at both taprooms now. Marble added more Desert Fog, plus the Eastside IPA is now on tap. Sidetrack has more CO-MO IPA to keep everyone happy. Steel Bender goes big with the double release of Black (Hole Sun) IPA and OktoberFiesta on Thursday. The 377 should have more Ginger Beer and its Oktoberfest on tap by Friday. Toltec added a Mojito Kettle Sour a little while ago, and Dr. Rudi Single Hop should be out today. Tractor tapped this year’s batch of Traktoberfest on Tuesday, so get it while it’s fresh. Turtle Mountain has Tropical Menagerie and Macaulay Kolschin ready to go as soon as a couple taps open up, which should be this week.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn lightens up with some Covhefe.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of September 3.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Two old favorites return in cans Friday

Posted: August 29, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

At this point, when Friday rolls around and there is no special canned beer release somewhere in the metro area, that is what seems like the anomaly. Thankfully, this is one of those now-normal Fridays, with a special treat as two of our favorites from the past make a triumphant return. La Cumbre is bringing back its delicious Oktoberfest as soon as the doors open at noon. Bosque, in the meantime, is making the long-awaited transition from bottles to cans with Scale Tipper IPA. The two-time New Mexico and National IPA Challenge winner will be available in the 16-ounce cans in four packs at all Bosque taprooms this Friday at opening. The two beers are such a delightful contrast, malty versus hoppy, that we will easily make room in our beer fridges for some of both.

A big event for the upcoming three-day weekend will see Santa Fe Brewing bring its ongoing 30th anniversary celebration to Albuquerque. The taproom at Green Jeans, from open to close, will be one big party site this Saturday. There will be live music, beer specials, and more, with $1 from every pint sold going to New Mexico Autism Society and Watermelon Mountain Ranch. There is also the return of Marble’s Labor Day El Festival on Monday at the downtown location. Scroll down to the Marble entry for the full lineup of bands.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Ale Republic has more Diablo de Oro, Bug Juice, Blonde, and Strong Dark and Handsome. Bombs Away heats up the sweet with Meltdown Vanilla Brown. Bosque also gets a little hazy with Lomas and Open Space, and a little malty with Down in the Hollow and the spectacular Fresh Start. Boxing Bear digs up some Guava Gose and will add Pineapple Milk Shake later this week. Canteen brings back Hank ESB. Marble unearths some Abbey Gold. Ponderosa has fresh Oatmeal Stout at last. Red Door resurrects Lemongrass Pilsner on Friday. Sidetrack tunes it up with Turntable IPA Track 4, plus Sunburst Pale Ale is back and Crystal Cream Ale debuts. Steel Bender will have more Manaña Tropical IPA.

Up in Santa Fe, Rowley Farmhouse Ales scrolls ahead with Agent Scully – Season Two, Episode 3, plus Sonora Weisse and Greyscale are available. Over in Red River, RRBC brings back Bad Medicine Honey DIPA and adds Amarillo SMASH.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of August 27.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: Get those NM Brew Fest tickets early

Posted: August 22, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Every autumn, one of our favorite local beer festivals has long been the New Mexico Brew Fest, otherwise known as “that one at the Fairgrounds.” The festival is back on October 13, but the organizers are teaming up with Marble to host an Early Bird Ticket Party at the downtown taproom this Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. General admission tickets will be available for $20 at this event only. You can also grab a limited edition T-shirt for $10. Throw in Marble beers and music from WhiteWater Ramble, and it should be a fun time in advance of another fun time. Trust us, this is the festival you can’t miss if you’re a lover of all of our local breweries.

There are two other events we wanted to pass along. The 377 Brewery continues its Basement Barrel Project today (Wednesday) with 10-ounce pours of a special aged Wee Heavy. This batch is six months old, and it had brettanomyces added at four months, and organic plums, apricots, and some tamarind added two months ago. If you enjoy your pour enough, you can put your name in for one of two available bottles. Meanwhile, over at Tractor Wells Park on Friday night at 8, the Desert Darlings are back for another Hops & Dreams. This will be the Superheroes & Villains Edition, so if you want to dress up alongside the bellydancers, go for it!

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque added EOP Noir to the on-tap lineup, but the bigger news is that cans of Scale Tipper are coming possibly as soon as this weekend. Bow & Arrow hits the target with Fancy Feathers Brut IPA on Saturday. Flix Brewhouse gets a little, um, risqué with Velvety Puppet Love Raspberry Witbier. La Cumbre brings back Snafued Hazy IPA and also adds A Session Divine, while the new Westside Taproom has additional styles including Carmen Hazy Session IPA, Dortmunder, and Thunderbolts and Lighting, a fantastic Bohemian (get it?) pilsner. Marble has a slew of new beers on tap including Session IPA, Jabroni Lime, Cot in the App (Witbier), Smoked Helles, and an old favorite, Thunder From Dortmunder. Quarter Celtic is clicking with Mocha Hipster Bomb, Clark Down Under, and Blood Orange Wheat. Rio Bravo just released a fresh batch of Blueberry Mint Gose. Steel Bender just added Saison de la Rose.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn added Pomegranate Gose, plus the NM IPA Challenge winner, Gatekeeper, will be back on Friday.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of August 20.

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The Week Ahead in Beer: The 377 dips into the cellar for our benefit

Posted: August 15, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s seven breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, and one in Las Cruces also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

While I will miss Oregon for all its green and many new beers to try, there is work to be done here, so I am back in ABQ until the beer road calls again (e.g. GABF) next month. It’s a good thing I’m back, because there’s a lot to cover this week. First up, as we noted in our story about The 377 Brewery tying for third at the Great British Beer Festival, brewmaster Lyna Waggoner also has a cool new idea for all of you lovers of some of the more unique beers. The Basement Barrel Project will kick off today and then continue every Wednesday with a different special beer offering. Patrons can order 10-ounce pours of wild and spontaneously fermented beers. If folks like the beer enough, they can enter into a drawing for the chance to purchase a bottle of the beer (there will only be two bottles of each beer available). Two winners will be chosen for each beer. The BBP will start with the Belgian Sour Quad that just won a gold medal at the U.S. Open Beer Championship.

We also wanted to highlight a good charity event this week. Tractor Wells Park is hosting Beer for Boobs (no giggling) on Saturday night starting at 7. For every pint sold, $1 will go to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Albuquerque. The Porter Draw will provide the music starting at 8 p.m.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bombs Away brings back Short Fuze Blonde Ale and High Speed Low Drag Lager, while also adding the new All Clear!, an apple beer. Bosque is feeling patriotic with American Brown. Bow & Arrow has replaced a house beer, Sun Dagger, with a new year-round saison, Fringe Jacket. Boxing Bear takes a swing at more Red Knuckle Irish Red and Das Bear German Pilsner. Canteen has a new version of Social Capital made with plums, vanilla, and cardamom. La Cumbre rolls out bottles of Pina Quercus, a tequila-barrel-aged tart ale with pineapple, on Friday. Marble unveils Pomegranate Gose. Ponderosa has Blood Orange Double Wit back on tap in addition to being available in cans. Red Door rolls out Peach Berliner Weisse on Friday. Sidetrack has fresh batches of Turntable IPA Track 1, Guera, and our favorite, Buzz Bomb. Starr Brothers will have a new rose gose, Whole Lotta, by this weekend. Steel Bender debuts Harvest Pale Ale on Thursday. The 377 also debuts small batches of New Mexico Chile Lager and Ginger Beer. Tractor adds Simcoe Single-Hop Pale Ale to its lengthy beer list. Turtle Mountain goes big with Three Marks IPA and small with Sex in a Canoe (again, no giggling).

Up in Santa Fe, it’s quiet, which means all the brewers must have something awesome on deck.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of August 13.

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