Two years ago, I sat in a mostly empty Quarter Celtic Brewpub, where the bar stools were gone, the tables were spaced widely apart, and there was minimal chatter from the staff and the scattered patrons. It was the saddest St. Patrick’s Day that I could ever recall as the pandemic was about to come…
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Steel Bender goes all out with 5 special releases and more for 5th anniversary
Back in the days of yore, brewery anniversary parties were often a very big deal, with special events, multiple beer releases, and more. The pandemic muted all of that in 2020 and 2021, but now things are ramping up again, with Steel Bender Brewyard out in front with a five-day celebration to mark its fifth…
Rio Bravo is the lone local brewery to medal at the Best of Craft Beer Awards
It was a relatively quiet year for New Mexico breweries at the annual Best of Craft Beer Awards in Bend, Oregon, but that just means that Rio Bravo Brewing gets to bask in the spotlight all by itself. Rio Bravo snagged a silver medal for its Dice Roll IPA in the Hazy or Juicy Imperial…
ReSource Brewing taps into the new Brave Noise collaboration
One of the biggest news stories in the craft beer world in 2021 came about after brewer Brienne Allan went on Instagram and asked, “Have you ever experienced sexism in the beer industry?” The fallout was far-reaching across the industry, and still continues to this day. Yet, like many big stories of the moment, for…
Quick update on coverage during this latest COVID surge in New Mexico
As more and more breweries have been forced to shorten/alter their hours, or stay closed for a day or two (or even longer, in the case of Taos Mesa, which has gone back to takeout only), it is starting to become a bit risky to venture out again thanks to the Omicron variant of COVID-19….
The mostly complete guide to New Year’s Eve/Day brewery hours
With New Year’s Eve and Day upon us, we thought it would be a good idea to put together a guide to all the altered closing and opening times at local breweries, just as we did for Christmas Eve and Day. Unlike the previous holiday, the majority of breweries are staying open on New Year’s…
The mostly complete guide to Christmas Eve/Day hours at local breweries
With Christmas Eve and Day almost upon us, we thought it would be a good idea to put together a guide to all the altered closing and opening times. This year did provide a surprise as there will be four breweries (and counting) open on Christmas Day. Gravity Bound will be open from noon to…
Boxing Bear teams up with local metal band Blue Heron for Sister tap takeover
If you are a band and you want to release a 7-inch EP for the world to enjoy, teaming up with a brewery and a local bar/music venue seems like the right thing to do in Albuquerque. Local metal band Blue Heron will take the stage at Sister on Saturday night, while Boxing Bear will…
More canning woes add to a long list of new troubles for breweries nationwide
Just before Thanksgiving, craft breweries around the country received some very unwelcome news. Ball Canning, the largest producer of aluminum cans in the country, announced changes in how pre-printed cans could be ordered. Instead of being shipped one semi-truckload at a time, Ball would now require breweries to purchase five truckloads, or roughly 1 million…
A beer about something: 3 breweries collaborate on SereniTEA Now for charity
The generous trio of Canteen Brewhouse, High and Dry Brewing, and Steel Bender Brewyard are at it again, teaming up to help a worthy local nonprofit with a collaboration beer and some special events. Agora Crisis Center, a student organization at the University of New Mexico, is the recipient, just like in 2019, the last…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 