Back before the final round of the 2025 New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge, the Crew got all sentimental because it was going to be held at Canteen, the site of the first NMIPAC that we attended as a Crew back in 2012. Well, lo and behold, it was actually the 2016 NMIPAC that was…
IPA Challenge goes back to the beginning with final round at Canteen
The New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge will wrap up with a three-session final round at Canteen Brewhouse this Saturday. The staggered times will be at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., with tickets still available online for just the first two sessions, which should definitely be your sign to get them in advance as…
Sidetrack owners prepare to hand over reins to trusted friend and colleague
The time has come for a change at Sidetrack Brewing, but fear not, for the brewery will be in good hands going forward. This Friday will feature a going-away party for owners Dan Herr and Anne O’Neill, and a welcoming of sorts for a familiar face to many who will be taking over the business….
The Week Ahead in Beer: Getting crispy amid the heat of summer
The whole Christmas in July trend is fine, we guess. But, if you’re really gonna do it right, follow the lead of La Cumbre. This Friday the brewery is hosting Crispness in July, with four crispy lagers available amid all this heat. The quartet of PLS German Pilsner, Lager Softly, Czech Pils, and Helles Lager…
Icebox Brewing uses home field advantage to take IPA Challenge lead
The second round of the 2025 New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge just wrapped up at Icebox Brewing in Las Cruces, with the hosts leaving with the most votes. Icebox added 19 more votes to their first-round total of eight for 27 total. Another southern brewery, Downshift, tallied the second most votes of the round…
Beer Notes: Hiking for brews, hops go south, newcomer in cans, Flix wins
Oh, look at that, just enough stuff has piled up that it was time to empty the old beer notebook again. Let us dive right in, shall we? First up, a little while ago we were sent that book pictured up above. Beer Hiking Southern Rockies is part of a series of regional books that…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Canteen asks us all to run for Ruidoso
Unless you have been avoiding the news (not that we can blame you) for the past few weeks, you have probably seen that once again Ruidoso has been hit by some dramatic, and deadly, flash floods. The burn scars from last year’s big wildfires have left parts of the town especially susceptible to flooding, causing…
First round of 2025 NM IPA Challenge features a crowd at the top
Back during the preliminary round of the 2025 New Mexico IPA Challenge, a few brewers told the Crew that it would be awfully hard for any of the quality ales featured to break away from the pack. The first round of public voting Saturday proved that prediction right, as three breweries tied with 12 votes…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Multiple breweries step up to help doggos
Love dogs? We sure do. We love them just about everywhere, but it’s a little extra fun seeing them enjoying brewery patios alongside their humans. This Sunday will feature a new event called Adopt the Block, where four breweries and two distilleries along First and Second streets will all have dog adoption setups from Animal…
Bandolero becomes latest brewery on selling block as owners aim to retire
A while back, we wrote up on how the brewing industry in New Mexico is reaching a point where some owners are ready to retire and move along. It’s already happened in Angel Fire (Enchanted Circle was sold to the owners of Nuckolls), in Corrales (Casa Vieja was sold), and in Albuquerque (The 377, to…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 