The Week Ahead in Beer: Five days of fun await everyone

Posted: September 6, 2017 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 six breweries, one in Los Alamos, and one in Moriarty 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.

There are no major festivals this weekend, but there is still plenty of fun to be had. It all starts today (Wednesday) with Hops for Harvey at Tractor Wells Park. As we said in our story from Monday, 24 other breweries will join Tractor in offering up one special beer apiece, with all proceeds (as in 100 percent) going to help the breweries in Texas damaged by Hurricane Harvey. There is no cover charge, and growlers are welcome. Keeping clicking on that link to see the beers as they are named. Then on Thursday, HandCrafted, presented by Immastar Productions, debuts at Dialogue. We also wrote about this one in the past. It will feature one special local vendor every Thursday all month, plus rotating artists and musicians, along with, of course, delicious Dialogue beers. The musician this week is Garry Blackchild, while David Santiago does the art, and Danny Hart Design is the vendor for September. Friday will feature the Wet Hopped Elevated tap and bottle release at La Cumbre starting at noon. Then, head downtown for a special Rooftop Happy Hour at Duel ABQ from 6 to 9 p.m. with DJ Buddha Funk. If you have not yet been up to the Overground, this is your chance. Next on Saturday, you can either return to Duel as they host four local musicians for the Alibi Fall Crawl from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., or attend the annual Love Beer, Hate Cancer fundraising event for Camp Enchantment at Tractor Wells Park starting at 7. If you have any energy left, The Squash Blossom Boys play Sunday at 3 p.m. at Marble Downtown.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque added the delicious new IRA (India Red Ale) and Fifth Value (Black IPA) late last week. Boxing Bear is still trying to beat the heat with some Crystal Kolsch. Canteen unveils Deciduous IPA and Canteen Kolsch. Flix Brewhouse will soon roll out two new seasonals, Eater of Worlds Pale Ale and Das Umlaut Oktoberfest, and brings back an old favorite in the January Embers Barleywine. Hops Brewery finally adds some, well, hops with Hop Hill IPA. La Cumbre is feeling the hops as well with Simcoe SMASH IPA, ‘Merica (Pale Ale), and Ales for ALS IPA. Marble brings back Cholo Stout, while also adding Dupy’s Dunkel. Nexus kicks off Friday with the double release of To Boldly Gose and Honey Dubbs, the imperial version of their award-winning Honey Chamomile Wheat. Ponderosa should have a Dry Hopped Saison available by this weekend. Quarter Celtic has a fresh batch of its hazy IPA, Clark. Red Door is feeling big with Imperial Red IPA. The 377 added Naked (Pale) Ale to its regular lineup, while Peach Wheat and a tasty Oktoberfest join the seasonal list. Turtle Mountain brings back its scrumptious Scottish lager, SCH, while Pour les Abeilles (Honey Lemongrass Saison) debuts soon.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn brings back Ginger Braggot and Apparition Pale Coffee Ale.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of September 4.

To break down each “capsule,” I listed the brewery (with Web page linked), its phone number and hours of operation. Under “Beers” are the new or seasonal beers on tap for this week.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Ale Republic — (505) 281-2828

(Mon–Thurs 2–10 p.m., Fri–Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Brune, Blonde, Strong Dark and Handsome, Diablo del Oro, Parasol, Red Mountain. The most recent additions were the Red Mountain (7.5% ABV, 80 IBU), Parasol (4.5% ABV, 20 IBU), and Diablo (9.7% ABV, 20 IBU), which is a hefty Belgian golden strong.

Alien Brew Pub — (505) 884-1116

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Call the number above for details on any small-batch beers currently available. They change frequently. The rest of the lineup is from the Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande family of beers.

Bistronomy B2B — (505) 262-2222

(Mon–Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-9:30 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

The Blue Grasshopper — (505) 896-8579

(Noon to 11 p.m. most days, call for more info)

Beers: El Jeffe Hefeweizen, Frias Belgian-Style Single, June Bock German Lager. Rejoice, for Blue Grasshopper is brewing again! The Friars and June Bock are the more recent additions.

Live Music: Bands perform from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday. Click the link for the schedule.

Boese Brothers Brewery — (505) 382-7060

(Hours: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–midnight, Fri 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat noon–2 a.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: La Onza White Ale, Dr. Strangehop XPA, Duke City Lager, Washington’s Hatchet, Zeus Juice White IPA, Betchin Little Pale Ale, Cherry Bomb, Sour Relationship, Sour Strangehop, Grapefruit Pale Ale. The Zeus Juice can also be purchased in bombers. Sour Relationship, a special collaboration with Milton’s, NM Cider Co., and Sidetrack, is still available. Grapefruit Pale Ale is the most recent addition.

Live Music: Friday—DJ Speed One, 9 p.m.; Saturday—Mike Weaver, 9 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese will have a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with $3 pints. You can also get $3 pints all day Tuesday and $6 growler fills all day Wednesday.

Bosque Brewing Company — (505) 750-7596 (main brewery), (505) 508-5967 (Nob Hill Public House), (575) 571-4626 (Las Cruces Taproom)

(Main brewery on San Mateo: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun noon-8 p.m.; Nob Hill: Mon–Weds 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Thurs 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun noon-11 p.m.; Las Cruces: Sun–Thurs noon-11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Summer Slammer, Lupulo Red, IRA (India Red Ale), Fifth Venture (Black IPA), Seedless (Watermelon Wheat), Pistol Pete’s 1888. The IRA and Fifth Venture are too delightfully hoppy beers with a strong malt backbone. The Pistol Pete’s 1888 was brewed for the New Mexico State University athletic program.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bosque has a happy hour running from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day on Sunday. Look for special menu items and get $1 off your favorite pints.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — (505) 247-9800

(Mon-Weds 3–10 p.m., Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Flint & Grit (British Mild), Sun Dagger (Saison), Crossed Arrows (Scotch Ale), Hoka Hey (IPA), Jemez Field Notes Lager, Wayward Arrow Hefeweizen, El Breakfast Stout, Biere de Garde, Way Out West Farmhouse Sour, Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison, Hoodoo Monster Imperial Red, Way Out West Sour Sumac, Black Chandelier (Belgo Stout), Imperial Mole Stout, Dry-hopped Sour with Motueka, Desert Dynamo IPL. The most recent additions to the lineup are the Desert Dynamo, Dry-hoppped Sour, Imperial Mole, Cosmic Arrow, Hoodoo Monster, Sour Sumac, and Black Chandelier. The sheer variety of styles on tap is quite impressive.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

(Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)

Beers: Tropic Thunder IPA, The Red Glove, New Mexikolsch, Chocolate Red, Featherweight Session IPA, Crystal Kolsch. The most recent additions are Crystal Kolsch, The Red Glove, Featherweight, New Mexikolsch, and Chocolate Red. The Red Glove won a gold medal at the 2016 GABF. Chocolate Red is the current nitro tap.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8-10 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Every day at lunchtime (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), for just $10 you can get a pint and a panini of your choice.

Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery — (505) 221-6281

(Mon-Thu 3-9 p.m., Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.)

Beers: Otero ESB, Lone Pine Pilsner, Sancho Saison, Double Black IPA, Sancho de la Sierra, Pepe the Mule, Trailworks IPA. OK, fine, Pepe the Mule counts as a beer, even though it is basically a Moscow Mule, but it was made with beer. The Sancho de la Sierra is a rye version of the saison made in collaboration with Jubilation. The Trailworks was made in collaboration with Bikeworks, a neighboring business, with a portion of the proceeds going to trail maintenance in the metro area.

Weekly Events (main location): Today (Wednesday)—Cards Against Humanity hosted by 10 Drink Minimum, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Build-your-own Mule bar, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday—All house beers are $2 a pint

Canteen Brewhouse — (505) 881-2737 (brewery), (505) 200-2344 (taproom)

(Brewery: Sun–Thurs noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Taproom: Open daily 3–10 p.m.)

Beers: Exodus IPA, Canteen Kolsch, Cabana Lager, Hank ESB, Fill in the Blanco IPA, Raspberry Wheat, Deciduous IPA. The most recent additions are the Canteen Kolsch and Deciduous IPA. Take note, brewer Zach Guilmette recently played with the Dark & Lusty Stout recipe, and boy is it even more delicious now.

Live Music: Thursday—Zach Pohl, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—Le Chat Lunatique, 4-7 p.m.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — (505) 994-9364

(Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Papacabra (Double IPA), Acapulco Gold (Mexican Lager), Chupacabra IPA, Piedra del Fuego Stoned Cream Ale, Beer for My Horses (Oatmeal Stout). These are the regular house beers. Call the number above for an updated seasonal list.

Chama River Brewing Company

News: Just in case anyone missed it, Chama has closed its doors for good.

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Open daily noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Sour Raspberry, Boyz N Berry N the Hood, Blood Orange Berliner Weisse, Sour Pale, P-funk Porter, #40 (Citra Pale Ale), Sun Made, fe’denk lager. The most recent additions are the P-funk, #40, fe’denk (Vienna-style), and Sun Made, a Belgian single made with golden raisins.

Live Music: Thursday—Garry Blackchild, 6 p.m.; Friday—Ely Write, 7 p.m.

Other Events: Thursday—HandCrafted, 6 p.m.

Weekly Events: Monday—Service Industry Night, 6 p.m.

Drafty Kilt Brewing — (505) 881-0234

(Sun 11 a.m–10 p.m., Mon 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Tues–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, McWabbit Pale Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Obliviscaris Oatmeal Stout, McRojo or No (Irish Red). Brewer/owner Mike Campbell has five of his own creations on tap at 4814 Hardware Dr. NE, including the Campbell Toe (no snickering). The Obliviscaris is a burly throwback to the stouts of old. The Covfefe Hefe is the most recent addition.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.; Thursday—Blues Jam with the Rudy Boy Experiment, 7-10 p.m.; Sunday—Blues Jam with Bob Bolz with Ale-Tail Cocktails, 2-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off pints and 20-ounce pours, Mon-Fri, 3-6 p.m.; “Just Because We Love You Club,” happy hour prices at all times for teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and military with ID; Growler Fill Days on Thu and Sun, $2 off new growlers, $1 off refills

Flix Brewhouse — (505) 445-8500

(Open daily 11 a.m.-midnight)

Beers: Brewhouse Shandy, Tart and Soul (Guava Berliner Weisse), Killer Bee Honey Wheat, Tripel Whammy, Pilsner? I Barley Know’er!, January Embers Barleywine, Das Umlaut Oktoberfest, Eater of Worlds Pale Ale. Not one fresh seasonal but three will debut this week as January Embers returns, while Eater of Worlds and Das Umlaut arrive for the first time.

Hops Brewery — (505) 369-1378

(Sun-Thurs noon-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Dad Joke (California Common), Tipsy Cow (Milk Stout), Warm Scottish Nights, An Irish Tan (English Bitter), Honey Wheat, Chica (Pale Ale), Hop Hill IPA. Welcome to the listings, Hops! They have started out with these seven beers on tap, but they also have 31 more guest taps, just in case you don’t find one to your liking. Here is our first review. The Dad Joke and Warm Scottish Nights are both back on tap after a short absence, while Hop Hill (7.1% ABV, 69 IBU) joins the lineup.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

(Bernalillo hours Mon-Thu 2-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30-10 p.m., Sun 11:30-9 p.m.)

Beers: Porter Auf Deutsch, C-Thru Stout, Bavarian Golden Ale, Ctrl-Alt-Drink, Creme Stout, Patriot Lager, IPA, Walnut Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. There has been a big tap turnover with the additions of the C-Thru, Bavarian, Ctrl-Alt-Drink (love the name), Creme Stout, and Patriot Lager.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Thursday—The Desert Darlings, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Bernalillo): Sunday—Brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Kaktus has several new weekday specials in Bernalillo, including $3 pints on Monday, $9 growlers on Tuesday, $6 bison nachos on Wednesday, and $8 Frito pie and beer on Thursday.

Kellys Brew Pub — (505) 262-2739

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.-10 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Apricot Ale, Blonde, Farm House Ale, IPA, Red, Scotch Ale, Session IPA; (seasonal) Hefeweizen, Farmhouse Apricot, Mars DIPA, Lobo Red Ale. The recent change in ownership at Kellys has led to some seriously improved beers and food, so we decided it was high time to add it to the listings. The summer seasonals are the Hefeweizen and Farmhouse Apricot, replacing the Rye Pale Ale and Dry Stout, plus the Mars DIPA. The Lobo Red was brewed for the University of New Mexico athletic program, if you could not guess.

Live Music: Every Wednesday 6-9 p.m. and Sunday 3-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Thursday Pint night $1 off pints.

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: All That I Need Kellerbier, Mesa Cerveza (Saison), ‘Merica (Pale Ale), Simcoe SMASH IPA, Ales for ALS IPA. All hail the hop at La Cumbre, with ‘Merica, Simcoe, and Ales for ALS joining the lineup this week. They will not be alone for long as Wet Hopped Elevated IPA arrives on tap and in bottles this Friday.

Live Music: Saturday—Rudy Boy Experiment, 6-9 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Trivia or Loteria (alternates by week), 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

(Mon–Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-7 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Lizard Tail’s happy hour runs seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m. You get $1 off food, flights, and pints.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.; Thursday—Karaoke, 8-11 p.m.

Marble Brewery — (505) 243-2739 (downtown), (505) 508-4638 (Westside), (505) 323-4030 (Heights)

(Downtown: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.; Westside: Mon–Thurs noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.; Heights: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.)

Beers: Por Vida (Pale Ale), DANG Pale Ale, Tart Petit, UnbeWeavably Marbelous, Apricot Gose, Blueberry Gose, Nitro Madera, Cholo Stout, State Fair Pale Ale (Downtown and Westside only), Dupy’s Dunkel (Heights and Westside only), Belgo Petite (Heights and Westside only), Mango Gose (Heights and Westside only), Imperial Red (Heights only), Peach Gose (Westside only), White Out (Westside only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. The Cholo Stout and Dupy’s Dunkel are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Downtown): Thursday—St. Range, 7-10 p.m.; Friday—JJ & The Hooligans, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—The Jir Project, 8-11 p.m.; Sunday—The Squash Blossom Boys, 3-6 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Thursday—DJ Young Native, 7-10 p.m.; Friday—Julian Dossett Trio, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—Stanlie Kee and Step In, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—Roger Jameson, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Paul Catalado, 8-11 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown): Saturday—Brewery tours, 2 p.m.

Nexus Brewery — (505) 242-4100 (brewery), (505) 226-1055 (Silver Taproom)

(Brewery: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Silver Taproom: Mon–Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Imperial Pilsner, Kaylynn’s Altbier, Beam Me Up Scotty (Silver only), Kolsch (Silver only), Double Bird of Prey (Silver only). The most recent additions were the Altbier and Imperial Pilsner, but To Boldly Gose and Honey Dubbs (Imperial Honey Chamomile Wheat) are coming to taps this Friday.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Monday–Friday, $5 appetizers, 3-5 p.m.

Weekly Events (Silver Taproom): Saturday—a live DJ will perform; Sunday—a live band will perform at 2 p.m.

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — (505) 508-0508

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Poolside Pale Ale, Cockness Monster (Scotch Ale), Switch Stance Stout. Palmer shares a building with Left Turn Distilling on Girard south of Candelaria. This batch of Cockness Monster is fresh and tasty.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

(Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: Hoppy Pilsner, Imperial Brown, Raspberry Saison, D.D.U. IPA, India Pale Lager 2.0, Blueberry Stout. The Blueberry Stout got rave reviews at Hopfest. The D.D.U. stands for double down under, a reference to the recipe’s all-Australian hop bill. A Dry Hopped Saison will replace the Raspberry Saison this weekend.

Live Music: Today (Wednesday)—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Quarter Celtic Brewpub — (505) 503-1387

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Beers: Peach Berliner Weisse, Mike’s Beer (American Pilsner), Bruce (Black IPA), Loch Lomas Oatmeal Stout, Clark (Hazy IPA). QC gets dark with the return of Bruce, which was brewed in the hazy New England style but still as a black IPA, and Loch Lomas.

Red Door Brewing — (505) 633-6675 (brewery), (505) 990-3029 (downtown taproom)

(Brewery hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. to midnight, Sat 7 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Downtown taproom hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Blackberry Hefeweizen, Dog Days Kolsch, White AF IPA, Imperial Red IPA. The Imperial Red IPA is the first in a series of beers to celebrate Red Door’s upcoming anniversary. The second will be Plum Gose, due out this Friday.

Live Music (Brewery): Today (Wednesday)—Oscar Butler, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Brewery): Monday—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Taproom): Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7-9 p.m.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company — (505) 900-3909

(Mon noon–10 p.m., Tues–Thu noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–1 a.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Rio Bravo Amber, Weizen, Randy’s Shandy, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Old Town Porter (regular and barrel-aged), Vanilla Porter, NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Barrel-aged Belgian Strong Golden, Level 3 IPA, Imperial Russian Stout (regular and barrel-aged), Lemongrass Wit, Peach Gose, Cherry Sour, Kolsch, Hibiscus Mojito, Penguin Lager, Belgian Blonde, Cherry Wheat, Belgo IPA, Pink Boots Pale Ale, Oktoberfest. A portion of the Penguin Lager proceeds are going to the new exhibit at the ABQ Bio Park. There are now three barrel-aged beers on tap in the Porter, RIS, and Belgian Strong. The Oktoberfest is the most recent addition.

Live Music: Thursday—Sage Harrington, 6 p.m., Blame it on Rebekkah (immediately afterward); Friday—Nathan Fox, 8-10 p.m.; Saturday—Merican Slang, 7-10 p.m.

Other Events: Friday—Headliners Comedy presents Friday Night Fools ($5 cover, event only), 9:30 p.m.; Saturday—Duke City Cornhole Tournamentt, 1-5 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Movie Night (now outside), 7 p.m. or later, weather permitting; Thursday—Girls Pint Out, all day; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo; Monday—Micro Mondays, 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Happy hour Monday-Friday, 2-6 p.m., $1 off pints

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 832-7183

(Mon–Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Marzen, Switchgear IPA, Pub Ale, Railhead Red, Dark Engine Stout, Sidetrack Pilsner. The most recent additions are the Marzen and Pilsner.

Cask: The Pilsner and Pub Ale are in the firkins.

Live Music: Saturday—CW Ayon, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Taco Tuesday, all day

Starr Brothers Brewing — (505) 492-2752

(Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day)

Beers: Starrstruck IPA, L.A. Woman (Blonde), Red Zepplin, Lampshade Porter, Electric Sun American Wheat, Starrphire Pilsner, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Piney the Apple (Pineapple Wheat), Foggy Monocle (Oatmeal Stout). Welcome back, Foggy Monocle, the winner of the 2017 Brew Crew Stout Challenge.

Steel Bender Brewyard — (505) 433-3537

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, Sparkfitter Amber, Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch, Blue Bullet Stout, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Misfitter Altbier, 505 Collaboration, Wheels of Soul Black (Hole Sun) IPA, The Village Tart Blood Orange, Hibiscus Gose, Spell Bender Pils, Compa New Mexican Lager, Saison de la Rose. The Saison, Compa Lager, Spell Bender Pils, Village Tart, and Hibiscus Gose are the most recent additions.

The 377 Brewery — (505) 934-0795

(Open noon-11 p.m. most days)

Beers: (house) 377 IPA, Dieterhosen Hefe, El CuCuy (DIPA), Fat Brown Guy (Porter), Red Horse NM Lager, Schwarzbier, Berliner Weisse, Naked Ale (Pale); (seasonals) Secret Squirrel (Best Bitter), Black Ops Hops, Kolsch, Full Booty Stout, Scottish Ale, Say Juan (Summer Saison), Plum Sour, Peach Wheat, Oktoberfest. This inaugural batch of Oktoberfest from The 377 hits the right notes, with some malty breadiness without too much sweetness.

Weekly Events: Sunday—Jam Session, 4:30 p.m.

Tractor Brewing Company — (505) 433-5654 (Nob Hill), (505) 243-6752 (Wells Park), (505) 243-6752 (Four Hills)

(Nob Hill: Sun–Weds noon–midnight, Thurs noon–2 a.m., Fri–Sat noon–2 a.m.; Wells Park: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–close, Fri–Sun 1 p.m.–midnight; Four Hills: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m.)

Beers: Chocolate Milk Stout, Barnstorm Ale, Minute-4, Apricot Wheat, Tupac Cali Red, Berry Cider, Big Sipper IPA, Scout Golden Ale, Cucumber Gose, Tangelo IPA, Flanders Red Ale (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Half Acre Hefe (Nob Hill and Four Hills only), Blood Orange Cider (Four Hills only), Delicious Golden Dry Cider (Four Hills Only), Holstein & Hops (Four Hills only), Cascara Cider (Four Hills only). The Chocolate Milk Stout is the most recent addition, preceded by the Cucumber Gose and Tangelo IPA. Traktoberfest returns at all three locations this Thursday.

Live Music (Wells Park): Friday—Tim McNary, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Sean Costanza, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Joe Silva, 5 p.m.; Monday—Paul Cataldo, 5 p.m.

Live Music (Four Hills): Thursday—Fred Johnson Trio, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Seth Hoffman, 7 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Today (Wednesday)—Hops for Harvey, 3 p.m.; Thursday—Michael Fish Art Opening + Glass Release, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Love Beer, Hate Cancer, 7 p.m.

Other Events (Four Hills): Today (Wednesday)—Poetry and Beer, 7 p.m.; Tuesday—Adult Coloring Night, 3 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—MNF Fantasy Shootout, 5 p.m.; Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Writing Wednesdays, 5 p.m.; Monday—Tractor Tune Up, 7:30 p.m.

Also, every first Monday of the month at both Tractor locations is Beer for a Better Burque night. For every pint you buy $1 can go to one of four charities that have partnered with Tractor. You can also opt to purchase a special growler with the logo of your favorite charity.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Tractor now has a late happy hour from 9 p.m. to midnight on Mondays with $2.25 classic beers and $3.25 seasonals.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — (505) 994-9497

(Kitchen hours: Mon–Tues 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Wed–Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Reminder: TMBC closes early when business dictates. Please call.)

Beers: Stuccon Saison, Lil’ Shelly (Pale Ale), Yum Yum OG, HIPA Violation, Mr. Hoover’s Redux, SCH Scotch Lager. The HIPA Violation is an IPA made with 80 pounds (!) of New Mexico honey. Mr. Hoover’s Redux, a steam beer, was the most recent addition until SCH returned. The Pour les Abeilles (Honey Lemongrass Saison) will debut when the Stuccon kicks.

Cask: Tuesday—Honey & Cranberry Hopshell IPA

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Wedding Lager, Gatekeeper IPA, Merry Prankster’s Sour Ale, Ginger Braggot, Apparition Pale Coffee Ale. The Ginger Braggot is back for another run, ditto the Apparition.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

(Mon–Sat 4–11 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: El Jefe (Rauchweizen), sIPApu (India Pale Lager), Antonio Bandito (Dunkelweizen), Llorona Lager, Pineapple IPA, Porter, Vienna Lager, La Bamba (Rauchbier), Stada Baba (Oak Smoked Polish Gratzer). The last five beers there are the most recent additions to the lineup.

Live Music: Every night at 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Reverse happy hour after 9 p.m. includes $1 off pints, $6 appetizers, $10 entrees and pizzas.

Duel Brewing Company — (505) 474-5301

(Brewery: Mon–Sat open at 11 a.m., Sun open at 1 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–midnight; Fri–Sun noon–midnight)

Beers: Bad Amber, Fiction (IPA), Oui Lourd, WWWMD (Barrel-Aged Whistler), Manikin (Scottish), Cezanne Origine, Ensor (Sour), Turncoat, Monomyth, Marcel, Sans Titre (Amber Sour), Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Duchamp (Sour Wit). The Origine was the spring saison. The Duchamp, Oui Lourd (Imperial Scottish), Fantin, Sans Titre, Turncoat (Sour Scotch), Monomyth (DIPA), and Marcel (Wit) are the most recent additions. The WWWMD acronym stands for What Would Whistler’s Mother Do.

Live Music (ABQ tarpoom): Friday—DJ Buddha Funk Rooftop Happy Hour, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Alibi Fall Crawl with Bellemah, Moonshine Blind, Asa Martin, The Votives, 7 p.m.-1 a.m.

Weekly Events (ABQ taproom): Tuesday—Bike-In Brew, 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 4-6 p.m. (discounts for all draft beer), Growler Saturdays ($3 off growler fills).

Happy Hour/Discounts (ABQ taproom): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 5-7 p.m.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — (505) 428-0719

(Open all week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Fields of Rye, Saison du Sarlacc, Agent Scully – Season One, Episode Three (IPA),  Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Meier (Meyer Lemon Gose), No BU For You (Zero IBU IPA), Tea for Two (Saison), Fruhschoppen (Hefeweizen), One at a Time – El Dorado (Single-hop Pale Ale). The Agent Scully is a new series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. Get the delicious Episode 3 before Episode 4 goes on tap soon. The most recent additions are the Tea for Two, Fruhschoppen, and One at a Time.

Santa Fe Brewing Company — (505) 424-3333

(Main taproom: Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 2-8 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Freestyle Pilsner, Autonomous Collective IPA, Oktoberfest, Hefe’d Up, Cucumber Saison (ECS), Secret Society of A.L.T. (ECS). Rejoice, for Oktoberfest is back, even though it doesn’t feel much like autumn yet. And yes, Freestyle is still around for a limited time as well.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off growler refills in the tasting room on Mondays. $2 pint Tuesdays at the Eldorado Taphouse. On Wednesday, there is a $2 pint special in the tasting room. On Thursday, there will be $1 off growler refills at the Eldorado Taphouse.

Second Street Brewery — (505) 989-3278 (Railyard), (505) 982-3030 (original location)

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Kolsch, IPA, Cream Stout, Rod’s Steam Bitter, LVL Stout, Coffee Porter, Diable Canyon Pale Ale, 2920 Vienna, 2920 Pils, 2920 IPA, Summer Rain Sour. The most recent additions are the LVL Stout, Coffee Porter, Steam Bitter, and Diablo Canyon.

Live Music (Original location): Thursday—Alto Street, 6-9 p.m.; Friday—The Stringmasters, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Swing Soleil, 6-9 p.m.

Live Music (Railyard): Friday—Stella Trois, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Mineral Hill, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—Lone Pinon, 1-4 p.m.

Weekly Events (Railyard): Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — (505) 500-8381

(Mon–Weds 2–10 p.m., Thurs 2–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Kutthroat Kolsch, Kaboom Quad, Wit Rock, Catherine’s Historical Stout, Little Bird Blonde, Anderson Amber. Well, look at that, an updated beer list for BRB. The Wit Rock and Little Bird are old favorites, the rest are more recent recipes.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

(Mon–Thurs 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri –Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.)

Beers: Barrel-aged Whiskey Stout, Cherry Sour, Interstella Vanilla, Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA. The Whiskey Stout is back for a short time. The Cherry Sour is back for another run. Cherry Wheat is also now available in six packs.

Live Music: Saturday—CW Ayon, 6-8 p.m.

* * * *

That’s all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact us on our Facebook page.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

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Marble’s three locations rely on three Unsung Heroes

Posted: September 5, 2017 by cjax33 in Unsung Heroes Series
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We swear that Marble Downtown taproom manager Xavier Romero can be serious sometimes.

Up until now, I have left the Unsung Heroes Series to our other writers. When I sent out a second email to the breweries asking for more nominees, Marble Brewery responded with not one but three, the managers of each of their taprooms.

“These three unsung heroes are on the front lines everyday and are committed not only to Marble but to their patrons and the community,” said Barbie Gonzalez, Marble’s director of taproom operations. “I couldn’t single one of them out because they are all truly and equally deserving of this.”

Figuring that I would have to drive to all three locations for interviews, I took this one on myself rather than ask any of the Crew staff to rack up some serious driving miles.

Then all three managers invited me to meet them downtown. Yeah, I got lucky.

On a recent afternoon, I sat down with taproom managers Xavier Romero (Downtown), Max Jones (Heights), and Keri Fleming (Westside) on the rooftop deck for a quick chat before I had to skedaddle over to Isotopes Park. Each of them offered up their thoughts on what makes their particular locations unique, yet still similar.

First up, how did each of them end up running three of the busiest taprooms in town?

“I guess about four and a half years ago (2013) there was a posting online,” Xavier said. “At that time I was coming here as a random customer, drinking some beers, the big, hoppy IPAs and Double IPAs. I saw their posting, I guess it was the first time they ever did job postings online. I had just moved to this city about a year prior to that. I interviewed for a job, killed it, and they offered me a bartending job. Two years after that (2015) they offered me the pub manager job.”

Keri joined the Marble family in a similar way.

“I was pretty much a regular at the Westside taproom,” she said. “I was a regular down here until they built that taproom. It’s right there (by my house) and makes it easier for me. My husband and I came in frequently, and Rachel, the manager at the time, asked me if I would like to work for my beer. I told her I have a bartending job. She’s like, is it this close to home? That happened on a Wednesday. I talked to her manager on Thursday and I started on Saturday. I’ve been with Marble since 2014. In 2015, I got promoted to assistant taproom manager. In 2016 in February, Rachel left to go on maternity leave and then decided not to come back in May, so that’s when I officially was made the taproom manager.”

Max started working for Marble at the downtown taproom before the Heights taproom opened last year.

“I started working (as a bartender) at 21 and ended up learning a good bit about wine and spirits,” he said. “I didn’t know much about beer, but then a beer dinner came along with the place I worked at. It seemed super awesome at that point. I applied for a job (at Marble in 2015) and that was it. After a year-and-a-half, became his assistant manager. When the Heights opened up (I moved there). I’ve been a manager for about six months now.”

The challenges the managers and their staffs face vary by location, though all have to deal with packed houses on the weekend.

“This location, I would say is first, you want to provide a nice, fun, exciting, great vibe,” Xavier said. “You’re trying to keep that going but you’re trying to keep people safe, too. You want people to enjoy their beers, but you want to always try to maintain a safe environment when you’re dealing with so many people. Trying to keep it a chill vibe when there’s chaos all around is pretty challenging, I would say.”

Westside taproom manager Keri Fleming turned her hobby of hanging out at that location into a full-time job.

At least when Xavier has a problem with the more technical aspects of the taproom, he has a room full of brewers and cellarmen to call upon. Keri is not nearly that lucky.

“For me, I guess my biggest challenge is we’ve been kind of free-standing on the west side,” she said. “We’re far away from the other breweries. I don’t have brewers on hand at all times. For me and my staff, we have to understand how all the draft systems work, how the CO2 levels work, how the nitrogen levels work on our own without the brewery to fall back on has been a big challenge for us. It has helped us learn and work together as a team.

“That, and everyone sees the Westside as the Cheers bar. We definitely have with our table service, knowing our regulars, knowing their names and their stories, being able to keep that for the past five years, it’s something I’m very proud of, but it has its challenges that come along with it because it entitles people. We’re just trying to keep everybody happy.”

For Max, the main challenges he and his staff face in the Heights are still tied to the relative newness of the location.

“We’re trained to keep an eye on the atmosphere, keep things under control,” he said. “You want to keep it consistent. I’m just trying to make sure it’s a cool place to come hang out. I like the vibe we’ve made. The challenge is just keeping everyone else happy, including our staff.”

Each taproom has also adapted to the different crowds that come along. The greatest variety of people still seems to come to the downtown pub.

“Well, we have a wide spectrum of people that come to this location,” Xavier said. “(It’s) unlike anything I’ve worked at before. We’re working with doctors, lawyers down the street, some local artists, just all variety of people coming. Tourists coming from the airport staying downtown. It’s just a bunch of different variety of people. We do have a good, solid base of regulars who visit us a few times a week, shake our hands. It’s just a really community hub to work at this location downtown.”

Keri has to deal with two main crowds, separated by age.

“I always think of the Westside crowd as more family-oriented,” she said. “A lot of young families, families with young kids. Then it goes back to the older crowd. … (But) it’s nice that they appreciate it that we’ll talk to them about what’s going on in their lives. It goes back to that would family feeling. I would say ours is definitely more of the young families. (But) grandpa is always there, a lot of grandpas.”

Heights taproom manager Max Jones has been keeping the newest location humming for the past six months.

Over the past year, the Heights crowd has become more defined. Max said he even sees a lot of the same faces he used to see downtown, but now the beers they love are closer to home.

“The Heights definitely has a pub feel,” Max said. “We’ve got everyone coming by. The age demographic, we’re all over one end of the spectrum and the other end of the spectrum. The guests that do come in, there’s a lot who used to make up the downtown crowd, but now they don’t have to drive down. We’ve got a lot of regulars like that. We’ve got a lot of regulars from that area who didn’t go to breweries much. All we had in the area was Lizard Tail. Now they’ve got two breweries around the corner from each other. I (also) see a lot of people who are new to (craft) beer.”

To get through all the ups and downs for their staffs, each manager has to keep things consistent in how they run their respective operations.

“To build them up, to be prepared to work this kind of crowd, we have a good training system we all follow at our three taprooms,” Xavier said. “So our standards, we just set them high. Our expectations for new staff is high. We’re just trying to motivate them and make them grow to be what we expect. I like doing things that I wouldn’t ask anyone to do. If a new barback is in the club, I’m going to get my hands dirty, I’ll go pick up stuff other people don’t want to pick up, just to show them, hey, this is our pub, this our house, our home, we’re family, a Marble family. Once you’re here, you’re going to be taken care of.

“I always tell my staff, you treat this pub really nice and the pub is going to treat you super nice. I just try to motivate them enough to see that this is a true experience, it’s not like another job. You’re not just pouring beers and slinging food. You’re going to appreciate this craft.”

Keri has a similar philosophy at the Westside taproom.

“I have to agree with Xavi on the training,” she said. “We have a really good training system. We revise it as need be, because when we’re training staff members we know what works for them. I also like to do feedback coaching with my staff, make sure that they’re comfortable with how we’re running things. But, also reminding them we are a family here, we do take care of each other, there are no weak links. Everybody works together, everybody works at the same pace. We’ll give you all the coaching and training you need. If you want to succeed, you will.

“Beer education is a big one. I try to push my staff members a lot to go to different classes. I try to research different beers and different styles, so that way I can educate them as well. I communicate with the brewery a lot on what I can do to keep them better educated so they can keep our customers educated as well. At one point, we had 32 different beers on tap (this summer). We had to pull some classics off our second bar. I would quiz my staff on these beers.”

Max tries to make sure his staff is educated as well, since he noted there are a lot of regulars at the Heights who are new to craft beer. Luckily, he has a big advantage working on the other side of the glass behind the bar.

“I have a master brewer (Josh Trujillo) up there who can give us a lot of knowledge, which is great,” Max said. “We get to pick his brain over the new beers coming out, because most of the specials we have are rolling out of there. … Beyond that, I’m working to try motivate them. I just want to keep them on top of everything.”

In the end, it appears all three Marble locations are in good hands, even when they each get a little crazy sometimes.

A big thanks to Xavier, Keri, and Max for being able to meet up in one place at the same time. Next time I will just have to remember to take a picture.

Until the next entry in our Unsung Heroes Series …

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Tractor pulls together 24 other NM breweries with Hops for Harvey

Posted: September 4, 2017 by cjax33 in Events, News
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Choose from among 25 breweries’ most excellent beers and have the proceeds go to a good cause? Sign us up!

The staggering toll of Hurricane Harvey is still being felt across Texas, with many homes and businesses lost to the destructive flooding. Included among those are craft breweries, and their employees, many of whom no longer have a job as a result. The MBAA (Master Brewers Association of Americas) Texas District reached out to neighboring states for help. Tractor Brewing president Skye Devore responded by creating Hops for Harvey, a special event this Wednesday running from 3 p.m. to midnight.

Tractor and the New Mexico Brewers Guild have pulled together 24 other local breweries to each provide one keg of a special beer, with 100 percent of all profits going to the MBAA Texas District. Throw in one to-be-determined Tractor beer, and that will mean 25 different beers will be available at the Wells Park taproom for one night.

“I think it’s really cool, because it’s like a miniature brew fest,” said Tractor marketing director Jeremy Kinter. “What I like about it is the New Mexico breweries were really quick to jump on board. The day of (announcing), we had like 19 breweries jump on board. They’re not just regular beers, not the flagships, either. They’re throwing some special beer at us. It’s just amazing, the reaction has been extremely impressive. I’m proud to be a part of the Albuquerque brew scene.”

The original plan was to just have a pizza party, Jeremy said, as national Papa John’s was going to donate all of its profits from Wednesday to the relief effort. That changed once the MBAA Texas District made contact.

“MBAA Texas District reached out to see who might be able to provide support to breweries in the Houston area as some are underwater,” Jeremy said. “Flood insurance for businesses is only available through the government and does not cover lost business or lost wages, only physical damages. Brewery employees who may have been lucky enough not to be flooded out at home could arrive to work to find their brewery and employment gone or temporarily closed. Government aid takes time to reach them.”

Any money that is not needed by the breweries in Texas or their employees will then be donated to other parts of the relief effort, Jeremy added.

There will be growler fills allowed at the event. As for what breweries are participating, we have that list below, and as they name the beers they are bringing, we will keep updating this list right up until the doors open at Wells Park.

  • Abbey: TBD
  • Bombs Away: TBD
  • Bosque: IRA (India Red Ale)
  • Bow & Arrow: TBD
  • Boxing Bear: Crystal Kolsch
  • Broken Trail: Pepe the Mule
  • Canteen: Exodus IPA
  • Chama River: TBD
  • Dialogue: TBD
  • Duel: Marcel (Sour Wit)
  • La Cumbre: TBD
  • Marble: Double White (freshly brewed batch)
  • Nexus: TBD
  • Ponderosa: Blueberry Stout
  • Quarter Celtic: Clark IPA
  • Red Door: White AF IPA
  • Rio Bravo: Cherry Wheat
  • Rowley Farmhouse Ales: Germophile (Berliner Weisse)
  • Santa Fe: TBD
  • Sidetrack: Pub Ale
  • Sierra Blanca: Single Hop
  • Steel Bender: The Village Wit
  • Taos Mesa: TBD
  • Tractor: TBD
  • Turtle Mountain: Lemongrass Honey Wheat

No, that is not a typo, one of the last kegs available of a Chama River beer will be there. Hey, better this than throwing it out, right?

A big thumbs up to Skye and the staff at Tractor for organizing this, and to the Guild for making sure to bring everyone together. Thank you to all the breweries for donating kegs, especially for the fact that these are not the cheaper beers in their lineups, yet they are essentially giving them away for free.

Guess I know where I will be pregaming the Social Distortion concert on Wednesday.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Palmer Brewery’s Unsung Hero fills in all the gaps

Posted: September 1, 2017 by amyotravel in Unsung Heroes Series
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Chris Medina, right, helps out everyone at Palmer Brewery, including his head bartender.

I made my way through a weeknight happy hour crowd in the expanded bar seating area at Palmer Brewery/Left Turn Distillery to interview Chris Medina, assistant distiller and sales manager. Chris started on the distilling side at Left Turn about two and a half years ago. When the brewery opened in November, he began helping out there as well.

Prior to his employment with Left Turn/Palmer, Chris worked at a profit management firm for bars. He would calculate pour costs and help with the accounting and inventory, as well as loss prevention and marketing strategies for local establishments. He said this really helps him with the sales side of this job. I have to say that Chris does not seem like a typical sales person. In fact, when I asked him why he thought Rob Palmer nominated him, he said, “Because he knows I’m shy.”

I jokingly asked him if Rob was trying to get him more exposure or just yanking his chain. Chris said probably a little of both. We indulged in a couple of pints of Cockness Monster, a superb new Palmer seasonal Scottish ale brewed in collaboration with CockFight Skateboards. And then, magically, shy guy Chris began to open up. Ah, the mighty power of beer!

In the back-of-the-house production side, it is really just three of them for the most part — owners Brian Langwell (head distiller) and Rob (head brewer), with Chris working between the two of them. They are swamped (hey, business is good!), so his nomination might have something to do with all the hard work that comes with this unique type of setup. Between the festivals they attend, the increased demand on site in the expanded bar, and distribution, this small staff has a lot on their plate; or is it in their bottle?

The Cockness Monster there in the center tends to go quickly once poured.

Speaking of Brian, he is a very hands-on kind of guy. With his experience as a machinist in his “former life,” he builds all his own equipment himself. If something breaks or they want to change how it works, they don’t have to wait because they can take care of it in house. In a true example of build it and they will come, they expanded what was originally an extremely intimate (read: tiny) tasting area into a wholly inviting full bar with much more ample seating. Since then, their customer base seems to have grown exponentially.

Chris said it was hard building it out because they did everything themselves by hand. Although Chris attended Eastern New Mexico University on a baseball scholarship, he was also a welding program student at CNM, so it all sort of fell into place. Because he said he has more of a passion for the bar industry than welding work, this makes for a good mix.

As I have in previous stories in this series, I asked Chris who (besides the owners) at Left Turn/Palmer he would nominate if he was asked to do so. Chris said it would be the head bartender, Ray. He is personable, makes awesome cocktails, and he goes the extra mile all the time, Chris said. Ray has been working there about a year and a half.

I have been trying to ask the “hero” a different question each time as well. I asked Chris to tell me about his best day and worst day. He said his best day is coming up with new spirits like the limoncello that he just made. He gave me a sample. He did an outstanding job (and peeled each and every lemon by hand himself!). It was not too thick or syrupy, or too bitter from pith. It was light and lemony and perfect on a hot day. Chris also helps with infusions, and said there is free run on ideas. Eventually, they would like to make all the mixers and liqueurs, and market their ginger beer. Chris makes the ginger beer for Left Turn/Palmer, but said he does not aspire to become a head brewer.

As for his bad day, it was about two months after he started working there. They were making rum and left a big barrel drum of molasses out in the sun to get it softened up to make it much easier to work with. Chris tilted it to open the lid, but it had expanded under pressure and it exploded like an oil gusher — as tall as the ceiling. It was everywhere. It took five hours to clean that day and when he left it was finally spotless. Then, when he came back the next day, molasses was crawling up the walls and coming out of the ceiling. It took a week for that to stop happening. To this day, he can occasionally see a spot. It makes me wonder if he has nightmares about it. It’s not the Cockness Monster, it’s the Molasses Monster you need to worry about!

The bar area at Palmer/Left Turn is an inviting place.

Since he grew up in a small town in northwest New Mexico, I asked Chris what his favorite part about living here is. He said it’s the locals. I would not have expected that answer, but his explanation makes sense. He said the sense of community here in Albuquerque was unexpected. Yet, it’s a big enough place that people don’t stay in your business. It’s a good balance, he said.

I asked Chris to tell me his current favorite beers from other breweries around town. He lives downtown, so in his rare time off work, this is where he spends most of his time. Right now he is into Boese’s lager. He said that he likes all beer styles, but usually leans toward clean, crisp beers.

“The staff members go to La Cumbre a lot because it’s close by,” Chris said. “And Quarter Celtic is awesome. The community is so great — you walk in anywhere and they recognize you.”

I asked if that’s hard for a “shy guy” and he replied, “Those guys aren’t strangers anymore, and, well, there’s beer to loosen you up!” There’s that magic again.

I wanted to know if Chris had to leave this bar industry and could do anything else, what would that be. He said he loves the outdoors and would like to be a fishing and/or rafting guide. However, Chris told me he is building a pizza oven that is similar to a horno. He likes making bread and might someday have a food truck, if not a brick and mortar establishment. I joked about going from one yeast to another.

Following the interview, I pinned down Rob and asked him his actual reason for nominating Chris.

“Chris wears all the hats in the brewery/distillery,” Rob said. “There is nothing that he doesn’t do or won’t do. I am the one making the beer. Brian is the one making the sprits. And Chris is the one helping us do everything. Without Chris, we couldn’t do it. And everywhere he goes, he’s fighting for us.”

Rob also let me know that coming up in the fermenters is an imperial pale ale. Also, they may soon have a barrel-aged MWA (malt liquor). Seriously, if that happens, where else in the world could you get that?

I would like to thank Chris for letting me interview him, even though it was well outside of his comfort zone. Also, thanks to Rob and Ray for being so welcoming and gracious. It is no wonder the people have come to Palmer/Left Turn, and even more importantly have stayed. Congratulations, and we wish you continued success.

Cheers!

— AmyO

The Week Ahead in Beer: Rowley Farmhouse Ales celebrates its first year

Posted: August 30, 2017 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 six breweries, one in Los Alamos, and one in Moriarty 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.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales celebrates its first anniversary with a big party this Sunday. Tickets cost $20 in advance online and $25 at the door (if any remain). There will be live music from noon to 6 p.m., a special crystal logo glass, and a full pour of a special barrel-aged raspberry wild ale, Feliz Cumpleanos, that was made specifically for the event. There will also be bottles available for sale. After the music ends, there will be a special raffle featuring a slew of rare beer bottles in honor of Tucker Keene. All of the raffle money will be donated to NM Dog in Tucker’s name. There are three other new beers on tap this week at RFA in the Tea for Two (Saison), Fruhschoppen (Hefeweizen), and One at a Time – El Dorado (Single-hop Pale Ale).

Another bit of big news this week, The Burger Stand at Rio Bravo is now open. The first full kitchen at a brewery in the Wells Park neighborhood brings a new dimension to RB. The full menu can be found online. We will have more on this story soon (basically once the Isotopes are done).

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bow & Arrow has a fresh batch of Desert Dynamo IPL that tasted great at Hopfest. Boxing Bear brings back the gold-medal-winning Red Glove. Kaktus has a slew of new beers and old favorites back, including C-Thru Stout, Bavarian Golden Ale, Ctrl-Alt-Drink, Creme Stout, and Patriot Lager. Marble keeps with its summer-long theme with Blueberry Gose and Apricot Gose. Quarter Celtic is feeling super with a fresh batch of its black IPA, Bruce. Rio Bravo is getting ready for autumn with Oktoberfest. Sidetrack has more Pilsner back on tap. Starr Brothers brings back Foggy Monocle, the winner of the 2017 NMDSBC Stout Challenge. Steel Bender will finally release Saison de la Rose on Thursday. Tractor has a fresh batch of decadent Chocolate Milk Stout. An archived keg of Hard Bock Life is available for a short time at Turtle Mountain.

Up in Santa Fe, in addition to the new RFA beers, Second Street brings back Rod’s Steam Bitter, LVL Stout, Coffee Porter, and Diablo Canyon Pale Ale.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of August 28.

To break down each “capsule,” I listed the brewery (with Web page linked), its phone number and hours of operation. Under “Beers” are the new or seasonal beers on tap for this week.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Ale Republic — (505) 281-2828

(Mon–Thurs 2–10 p.m., Fri–Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Brune, Blonde, Strong Dark and Handsome, Diablo del Oro, Parasol, Red Mountain. The most recent additions were the Red Mountain (7.5% ABV, 80 IBU), Parasol (4.5% ABV, 20 IBU), and Diablo (9.7% ABV, 20 IBU), which is a hefty Belgian golden strong.

Alien Brew Pub — (505) 884-1116

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Call the number above for details on any small-batch beers currently available. They change frequently. The rest of the lineup is from the Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande family of beers.

Bistronomy B2B — (505) 262-2222

(Mon–Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-9:30 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

The Blue Grasshopper — (505) 896-8579

(Noon to 11 p.m. most days, call for more info)

Beers: El Jeffe Hefeweizen, Frias Belgian-Style Single, June Bock German Lager. Rejoice, for Blue Grasshopper is brewing again! The Friars and June Bock are the more recent additions.

Live Music: Bands perform from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday. Click the link for the schedule.

Boese Brothers Brewery — (505) 382-7060

(Hours: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–midnight, Fri 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat noon–2 a.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: La Onza White Ale, Dr. Strangehop XPA, Duke City Lager, Washington’s Hatchet, Zeus Juice White IPA, Betchin Little Pale Ale, Cherry Bomb, Sour Relationship, Sour Strangehop, Grapefruit Pale Ale. The Zeus Juice can also be purchased in bombers. Sour Relationship, a special collaboration with Milton’s, NM Cider Co., and Sidetrack, is still available. Grapefruit Pale Ale is the most recent addition.

Live Music: Friday—DJ MR MRVL, 8 p.m.

Other Events: Friday—All Wood Art Show, 8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese will have a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with $3 pints. You can also get $3 pints all day Tuesday and $6 growler fills all day Wednesday.

Bosque Brewing Company — (505) 750-7596 (main brewery), (505) 508-5967 (Nob Hill Public House), (575) 571-4626 (Las Cruces Taproom)

(Main brewery on San Mateo: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun noon-8 p.m.; Nob Hill: Mon–Weds 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Thurs 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun noon-11 p.m.; Las Cruces: Sun–Thurs noon-11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Summer Slammer, Beernana Split, Lupulo Red, What the Pale?!, Seedless (Watermelon Wheat), Pistol Pete’s 1888. The Lupulo and Seedless were the most recent additions until the Pistol Pete’s 1888, a golden ale, joined them. The beer was brewed for the New Mexico State University athletic program.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bosque has a happy hour running from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day on Sunday. Look for special menu items and get $1 off your favorite pints.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — (505) 247-9800

(Mon-Weds 3–10 p.m., Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Flint & Grit (British Mild), Sun Dagger (Saison), Crossed Arrows (Scotch Ale), Hoka Hey (IPA), Jemez Field Notes Lager, Wayward Arrow Hefeweizen, El Breakfast Stout, Biere de Garde, Way Out West Farmhouse Sour, Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison, Hoodoo Monster Imperial Red, Way Out West Sour Sumac, Black Chandelier (Belgo Stout), Imperial Mole Stout, Dry-hopped Sour with Motueka, Desert Dynamo IPL. The most recent additions to the lineup are the Desert Dynamo, Dry-hoppped Sour, Imperial Mole, Cosmic Arrow, Hoodoo Monster, Sour Sumac, and Black Chandelier. The sheer variety of styles on tap is quite impressive.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

(Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)

Beers: Tropic Thunder IPA, The Red Glove, New Mexikolsch, Chocolate Red, Featherweight Session IPA. The most recent additions are The Red Glove, Featherweight, New Mexikolsch, and Chocolate Red. The Red Glove won a gold medal at the 2016 GABF. Chocolate Red is the current nitro tap.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8-10 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Every day at lunchtime (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), for just $10 you can get a pint and a panini of your choice.

Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery — (505) 221-6281

(Mon-Thu 3-9 p.m., Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.)

Beers: Otero ESB, Lone Pine Pilsner, Sancho Saison, Double Black IPA, Sancho de la Sierra, Pepe the Mule, Trailworks IPA. OK, fine, Pepe the Mule counts as a beer, even though it is basically a Moscow Mule, but it was made with beer. The Sancho de la Sierra is a rye version of the saison made in collaboration with Jubilation. The Trailworks was made in collaboration with Bikeworks, a neighboring business, with a portion of the proceeds going to trail maintenance in the metro area.

Weekly Events (main location): Today (Wednesday)—Cards Against Humanity hosted by 10 Drink Minimum, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Build-your-own Mule bar, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday—All house beers are $2 a pint

Canteen Brewhouse — (505) 881-2737 (brewery), (505) 200-2344 (taproom)

(Brewery: Sun–Thurs noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Taproom: Open daily 3–10 p.m.)

Beers: Exodus IPA, Coffee Exodus IPA, Cabana Lager, Hank ESB, Fill in the Blanco IPA, Raspberry Wheat, Plum Gose. The most recent additions are the Cabana Lager and Plum Gose. Take note, brewer Zach Guilmette recently played with the Dark & Lusty Stout recipe, and boy is it even more delicious now.

Live Music: Thursday—Zach Pohl, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—Le Chat Lunatique, 4-7 p.m.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — (505) 994-9364

(Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Papacabra (Double IPA), Acapulco Gold (Mexican Lager), Chupacabra IPA, Piedra del Fuego Stoned Cream Ale, Beer for My Horses (Oatmeal Stout). These are the regular house beers. Call the number above for an updated seasonal list.

Chama River Brewing Company

News: Just in case anyone missed it, Chama has closed its doors for good.

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Open daily noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Sour Raspberry, Boyz N Berry N the Hood, Blood Orange Berliner Weisse, Sour Pale, P-funk Porter, #40 (Citra Pale Ale), Sun Made, fe’denk lager. The most recent additions are the P-funk, #40, fe’denk (Vienna-style), and Sun Made, a Belgian single made with golden raisins.

Live Music: Friday—Melissa Rios, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Melissa Rios, 4 p.m.

Other Events: Today (Wednesday)—Yappy Hour, 4 p.m.

Weekly Events: Monday—Service Industry Night, 6 p.m.

Drafty Kilt Brewing — (505) 881-0234

(Sun 11 a.m–10 p.m., Mon 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Tues–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, McWabbit Pale Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Obliviscaris Oatmeal Stout, McRojo or No (Irish Red). Brewer/owner Mike Campbell has five of his own creations on tap at 4814 Hardware Dr. NE, including the Campbell Toe (no snickering). The Obliviscaris is a burly throwback to the stouts of old. The Covfefe Hefe is the most recent addition.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.; Thursday—Blues Jam with the Rudy Boy Experiment, 7-10 p.m.; Sunday—Blues Jam with Bob Bolz with Ale-Tail Cocktails, 2-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off pints and 20-ounce pours, Mon-Fri, 3-6 p.m.; “Just Because We Love You Club,” happy hour prices at all times for teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and military with ID; Growler Fill Days on Thu and Sun, $2 off new growlers, $1 off refills

Flix Brewhouse — (505) 445-8500

(Open daily 11 a.m.-midnight)

Beers: Brewhouse Shandy, Tart and Soul (Guava Berliner Weisse), Killer Bee Honey Wheat, Tripel Whammy, Pilsner? I Barley Know’er! The most recent addition is the new pilsner.

Hops Brewery — (505) 369-1378

(Sun-Thurs noon-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Dad Joke (California Common), Tipsy Cow (Milk Stout), Warm Scottish Nights, An Irish Tan (English Bitter), Honey Wheat, Chica (Pale Ale). Welcome to the listings, Hops! They have started out with these six beers on tap, but they also have 32 more guest taps, just in case you don’t find one to your liking. Here is our first review. The Dad Joke is back after a short absence, but Warm Scottish Nights is temporarily out.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

(Bernalillo hours Mon-Thu 2-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30-10 p.m., Sun 11:30-9 p.m.)

Beers: Porter Auf Deutsch, C-Thru Stout, Bavarian Golden Ale, Ctrl-Alt-Drink, Creme Stout, Patriot Lager, IPA, Walnut Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. There has been a big tap turnover with the additions of the C-Thru, Bavarian, Ctrl-Alt-Drink (love the name), Creme Stout, and Patriot Lager.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Thursday—The Desert Darlings, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Bernalillo): Sunday—Brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Kaktus has several new weekday specials in Bernalillo, including $3 pints on Monday, $9 growlers on Tuesday, $6 bison nachos on Wednesday, and $8 Frito pie and beer on Thursday.

Kellys Brew Pub — (505) 262-2739

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.-10 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Apricot Ale, Blonde, Farm House Ale, IPA, Red, Scotch Ale, Session IPA; (seasonal) Hefeweizen, Farmhouse Apricot, Mars DIPA, Lobo Red Ale. The recent change in ownership at Kellys has led to some seriously improved beers and food, so we decided it was high time to add it to the listings. The summer seasonals are the Hefeweizen and Farmhouse Apricot, replacing the Rye Pale Ale and Dry Stout, plus the Mars DIPA. The Lobo Red was brewed for the University of New Mexico athletic program, if you could not guess.

Live Music: Every Wednesday 6-9 p.m. and Sunday 3-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Thursday Pint night $1 off pints.

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: El Jugo, VMO #2, All That I Need Kellerbier, Mesa Cerveza, Full Nelson DIPA, Burqueno Weisse. The VMO #2 is a lovely Marzen. This batch of Full Nelson is some potent stuff, but it will not be available for long if history is any indication. The Mesa Cerveza is a new saison.

Live Music: Saturday—Silver String Band, 6-9 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Trivia or Loteria (alternates by week), 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

(Mon–Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-7 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Lizard Tail’s happy hour runs seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m. You get $1 off food, flights, and pints.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.; Thursday—Karaoke, 8-11 p.m.

Marble Brewery — (505) 243-2739 (downtown), (505) 508-4638 (Westside), (505) 323-4030 (Heights)

(Downtown: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.; Westside: Mon–Thurs noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.; Heights: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.)

Beers: Por Vida (Pale Ale), DANG Pale Ale, Tart Petit, Jabroni Lite, UnbeWeavably Marbelous, Peach Gose, Mango Gose, Apricot Gose, Blueberry Gose, State Fair Pale Ale (Heights and Westside only), Belgo Petite (Heights and Westside only), Cherry Gose (Heights and Westside only), Nitro Madera (Heights and Westside only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. The Apricot and Blueberry Goses are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Downtown): Today (Wednesday)—The Mutineers, 7-10 p.m.; Thursday—DJ Halcyon, 7-10 p.m.; Friday—Pink Freud, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—The Dregz, 8-11 p.m.; Sunday—DJ Leftovers, 5-8 p.m.; Sunday—Labor Day El Festival with Still Closed For Repairs, 3-3:45 p.m., Lone Pinon, 4:15-5:15 p.m., Jade Masque, 5:45-6:45 p.m., Isaac Aragon and the Healing, 7:15-8:30 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Friday—Zink and the Oxides, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—Michael Moxey, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—Sol De La Noche, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Stanlie Kee and Step In, 8-11 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown): Saturday—Brewery tours, 2 p.m.

Nexus Brewery — (505) 242-4100 (brewery), (505) 226-1055 (Silver Taproom)

(Brewery: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Silver Taproom: Mon–Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Beam Me Up Scotty, Kolsch, Double Bird of Prey, Imperial Pilsner, Kaylynn’s Altbier, 505 Collab (Silver only), Darker Fare (Silver only). The most recent additions are the Altbier, Kolsch, Double Bird, and Imperial Pilsner.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Monday–Friday, $5 appetizers, 3-5 p.m.

Weekly Events (Silver Taproom): Saturday—a live DJ will perform; Sunday—a live band will perform at 2 p.m.

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — (505) 508-0508

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Poolside Pale Ale, Cockness Monster (Scotch Ale), Switch Stance Stout. Palmer shares a building with Left Turn Distilling on Girard south of Candelaria. This batch of Cockness Monster is fresh and tasty.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

(Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: Hoppy Pilsner, Imperial Brown, Raspberry Saison, D.D.U. IPA, India Pale Lager 2.0, Blueberry Stout. The Blueberry Stout, which got rave reviews at Hopfest, is on tap, replacing Vic’s Secret Pale Ale. The D.D.U. stands for double down under, a reference to the recipe’s all-Australian hop bill.

Live Music: Today (Wednesday)—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Quarter Celtic Brewpub — (505) 503-1387

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Beers: Han’s Hoopty Pale Ale, Saoirse Hefe, Peach Berliner Weisse, Mike’s Beer (American Pilsner), Bruce (Black IPA), Loch Lomas Oatmeal Stout. QC gets dark with the return of Bruce, which was brewed in the hazy New England style but still as a black IPA, and Loch Lomas.

Red Door Brewing — (505) 633-6675 (brewery), (505) 990-3029 (downtown taproom)

(Brewery hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. to midnight, Sat 7 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Downtown taproom hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Blackberry Hefeweizen, Dog Days Kolsch, White AF IPA, Rye Steam (downtown only), Open Saison (downtown only). The Dog Days Kolsch and White AF IPA are the most recent additions. The latter was brewed for NMIPAC.

Weekly Events (Brewery): Monday—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Taproom): Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7-9 p.m.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company — (505) 900-3909

(Mon noon–10 p.m., Tues–Thu noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–1 a.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Rio Bravo Amber, Weizen, Randy’s Shandy, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Old Town Porter (regular and barrel-aged), Vanilla Porter, NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Barrel-aged Belgian Strong Golden, Level 3 IPA, Imperial Russian Stout (regular and barrel-aged), Lemongrass Wit, Peach Gose, Cherry Sour, Kolsch, Hibiscus Mojito, Penguin Lager, Belgian Blonde, Cherry Wheat, Belgo IPA, Pink Boots Pale Ale, Oktoberfest. A portion of the Penguin Lager proceeds are going to the new exhibit at the ABQ Bio Park. There are now three barrel-aged beers on tap in the Porter, RIS, and Belgian Strong. The Oktoberfest is the most recent addition.

Live Music: Thursday—Jon Soucy, 6-8 p.m.; Friday—Garry Blackchild, 7-9 p.m.; Saturday—Outlaw Country, 8-10 p.m.; Sunday—band TBA, 7-10 p.m.

Other Events: Friday—Headliners Comedy presents Friday Night Fools ($5 cover, event only), 9:30 p.m.; Saturday—Fantasy Football Draft, 6:30 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Movie Night (now outside), 7 p.m. or later, weather permitting; Thursday—Girls Pint Out, all day; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo

Happy Hour/Discounts: Happy hour Monday-Friday, 2-6 p.m., $1 off pints

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 832-7183

(Mon–Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Marzen, Downshift Pale Ale, Switchgear IPA, Pub Ale, Railhead Red, Dark Engine Stout, Sidetrack Pilsner. The most recent additions are the Marzen and Pilsner.

Cask: The Switchgear and Pub Ale are in the firkins.

News: Sidetrack will be closed this Monday for Labor Day.

Live Music: Saturday—The Gershom Brothers, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Taco Tuesday, all day

Starr Brothers Brewing — (505) 492-2752

(Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day)

Beers: Starrstruck IPA, L.A. Woman (Blonde), Red Zepplin, Lampshade Porter, Electric Sun American Wheat, Starrphire Pilsner, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Piney the Apple (Pineapple Wheat), Foggy Monocle (Oatmeal Stout). Welcome back, Foggy Monocle, the winner of the 2017 Brew Crew Stout Challenge.

Steel Bender Brewyard — (505) 433-3537

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, Sparkfitter Amber, Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch, Blue Bullet Stout, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Misfitter Altbier, 505 Collaboration, Wheels of Soul Black (Hole Sun) IPA, The Village Tart Blood Orange, Hibiscus Gose, Spell Bender Pils, Compa New Mexican Lager. The Compa Lager, Spell Bender Pils, Village Tart, and Hibiscus Gose are the most recent additions. The Saison de la Rose will make its debut Thursday.

The 377 Brewery — (505) 934-0795

(Open noon-11 p.m. most days)

Beers: (house) 377 IPA, Dieterhosen Hefe, Project El CuCuy (DIPA), Fat Brown Guy (Porter), Red Horse NM Lager, Swartzbier; (seasonals) English Best Bitter, Red Rocket (Double Red), Black Ops Hops, Kolsch, Full Booty Stout (on nitro), Scottish Ale, Summer Saison, Plum Sour, Berliner Weisse. Thanks to the magic of Untappd, we now have a breakdown of The 377’s beers. The Berliner Weisse is the most recent addition.

Weekly Events: Sunday—Jam Session, 4:30 p.m.

Tractor Brewing Company — (505) 433-5654 (Nob Hill), (505) 243-6752 (Wells Park), (505) 243-6752 (Four Hills)

(Nob Hill: Sun–Weds noon–midnight, Thurs noon–2 a.m., Fri–Sat noon–2 a.m.; Wells Park: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–close, Fri–Sun 1 p.m.–midnight; Four Hills: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m.)

Beers: Chocolate Milk Stout, Barnstorm Ale, Minute-4, Apricot Wheat, Tupac Cali Red, Blood Orange Cider, Berry Cider, Big Sipper IPA, Scout Golden Ale, Half Acre Hefe (Nob Hill and Four Hills only), Cucumber Gose (Wells Park and Nob Hill only), Delicious Golden Dry Cider (Wells Park and Four Hills Only), Flanders Red Ale (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Holstein & Hops (Four Hills only), Cascara Cider (Four Hills only). The Chocolate Milk Stout is the most recent addition, preceded by the Cucumber Gose and Tangelo IPA.

Live Music (Wells Park): Saturday—Hurdle with Cascade Runaway, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Cali Shaw, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Ryan Hutchens, 5 p.m.

Live Music (Four Hills): Saturday—Nathan Fox, 5 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Thursday—Karaoke with Los Metamorfos, 7 p.m.

Other Events (Nob Hill): Saturday—Mikael Lamonde Art Opening, 6 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Monday Night Film Club, 8 p.m.; Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Writing Wednesdays, 5 p.m.; Monday—Tractor Tune Up, 7:30 p.m.

Also, every first Monday of the month at both Tractor locations is Beer for a Better Burque night. For every pint you buy $1 can go to one of four charities that have partnered with Tractor. You can also opt to purchase a special growler with the logo of your favorite charity.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Tractor now has a late happy hour from 9 p.m. to midnight on Mondays with $2.25 classic beers and $3.25 seasonals.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — (505) 994-9497

(Kitchen hours: Mon–Tues 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Wed–Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Reminder: TMBC closes early when business dictates. Please call.)

Beers: Stuccon Saison, Lil’ Shelly (Pale Ale), Yum Yum OG, HIPA Violation, Mr. Hoover’s Redux, Hard Bock Life. The HIPA Violation is an IPA made with 80 pounds (!) of New Mexico honey. Mr. Hoover’s Redux, a steam beer, was the most recent addition until an archived batch of Hard Bock Life was put on tap. Another batch of SCH Scotch Lager is due up when the Stuccon Saison kicks.

Cask: Tuesday—Stauffenburg Stout

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Hella Humulus Collaboration IPA, Wedding Lager, Gatekeeper IPA, Merry Prankster’s Sour Ale, Back to Cali Common. The Gatekeeper was Blue Corn’s entry in NMIPAC. The Back to Cali is the most recent addition.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

(Mon–Sat 4–11 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: El Jefe (Rauchweizen), sIPApu (India Pale Lager), Antonio Bandito (Dunkelweizen), Llorona Lager, Pineapple IPA, Porter, Vienna Lager, La Bamba (Rauchbier), Stada Baba (Oak Smoked Polish Gratzer). The last five beers there are the most recent additions to the lineup.

Live Music: Every night at 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Reverse happy hour after 9 p.m. includes $1 off pints, $6 appetizers, $10 entrees and pizzas.

Duel Brewing Company — (505) 474-5301

(Brewery: Mon–Sat open at 11 a.m., Sun open at 1 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–midnight; Fri–Sun noon–midnight)

Beers: Bad Amber, Fiction (IPA), Oui Lourd, WWWMD (Barrel-Aged Whistler), Manikin (Scottish), Cezanne Origine, Ensor (Sour), Turncoat, Monomyth, Marcel, Sans Titre (Amber Sour), Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Duchamp (Sour Wit). The Origine was the spring saison. The Duchamp, Oui Lourd (Imperial Scottish), Fantin, Sans Titre, Turncoat (Sour Scotch), Monomyth (DIPA), and Marcel (Wit) are the most recent additions. The WWWMD acronym stands for What Would Whistler’s Mother Do.

Events (ABQ taproom): Friday—Graphing the Moment: Artwork of Bearface & Omen, with DJ Love Bug, 7 p.m.-midnight

Live Music (ABQ tarpoom): Saturday—Meganoke Album Release Party, 9 p.m.

Weekly Events (ABQ taproom): Today (Wednesday)—IPA Wednesdays all August, $2 off all house and guest IPAs, all day; Tuesday—Bike-In Brew, 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 4-6 p.m. (discounts for all draft beer), Growler Saturdays ($3 off growler fills).

Happy Hour/Discounts (ABQ taproom): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 5-7 p.m.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — (505) 428-0719

(Open all week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Fields of Rye, Saison du Sarlacc, Agent Scully – Season One, Episode Three (IPA),  Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Meier (Meyer Lemon Gose), No BU For You (Zero IBU IPA), Tea for Two (Saison), Fruhschoppen (Hefeweizen), One at a Time – El Dorado (Single-hop Pale Ale). The Agent Scully is a new series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. Get the delicious Episode 3 before Episode 4 goes on tap soon. The most recent additions are the Tea for Two, Fruhschoppen, and One at a Time.

Events: Sunday—First Anniversary Party, noon-10 p.m. (see our intro above)

Santa Fe Brewing Company — (505) 424-3333

(Main taproom: Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 2-8 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Freestyle Pilsner, Autonomous Collective IPA, Oktoberfest, Hefe’d Up, Cucumber Saison (ECS), Secret Society of A.L.T. (ECS). Rejoice, for Oktoberfest is back, even though it doesn’t feel much like autumn yet.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off growler refills in the tasting room on Mondays. $2 pint Tuesdays at the Eldorado Taphouse. On Wednesday, there is a $2 pint special in the tasting room. On Thursday, there will be $1 off growler refills at the Eldorado Taphouse.

Second Street Brewery — (505) 989-3278 (Railyard), (505) 982-3030 (original location)

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Kolsch, IPA, Cream Stout, Rod’s Steam Bitter, LVL Stout, Coffee Porter, Diable Canyon Pale Ale, 2920 Vienna, 2920 Pils, 2920 IPA, Summer Rain Sour. The most recent additions are the LVL Stout, Coffee Porter, Steam Bitter, and Diablo Canyon.

Live Music (Original location): Thursday—Greg Butera and Band, 6-8 p.m.; Friday—Jaka, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Alpha Cats, 6-9 p.m.

Live Music (Railyard): TBA

Weekly Events (Railyard): Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — (505) 500-8381

(Mon–Weds 2–10 p.m., Thurs 2–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Kutthroat Kolsch, Kaboom Quad, Wit Rock, Catherine’s Historical Stout, Little Bird Blonde, Anderson Amber. Well, look at that, an updated beer list for BRB. The Wit Rock and Little Bird are old favorites, the rest are more recent recipes.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

(Mon–Thurs 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri –Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.)

Beers: Barrel-aged Whiskey Stout, Cherry Sour, Interstella Vanilla, Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA. The Whiskey Stout is back for a short time. The Cherry Sour is back for another run. Cherry Wheat is also now available in six packs.

Live Music: Saturday—Rudy Boy Experiment, 6-8 p.m.

* * * *

That’s all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact us on our Facebook page.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Random thoughts on the 10th annual Hopfest

Posted: August 29, 2017 by cjax33 in Hopfest 2017
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Another Hopfest is in the books.

Yeah, this story should have run Monday, but Sunday featured soccer in the morning, work in the afternoon, and Isotopes coverage in the evening. Anyway, just figured the Crew could share a few of our thoughts on the latest edition of Hopfest, which was held back on Saturday at Isleta Casino.

Wherefore art thou, 377?

One of the weird little moments was the fact that The 377 Brewery had a space reserved but never showed up. No word was ever given as to why. That, plus the sudden closing of Chama River, left one corner of the main room somewhat barren. They were supposed to be right next to each other. (Before anyone panics, The 377 is still open and doing fine, by all accounts.)

A little light on the crowd

One thing that was quickly apparent was a visible drop in attendance. Two mitigating factors could have been all the people who were elsewhere, preparing for the Mayweather-McGregor fight, or more likely all the folks on the West Side of ABQ preferred to attend Summerfest in their backyard. Of course, with fewer people, things seemed to go much smoother. Most importantly, the bathroom lines were short if not non-existent. That alone is a victory.

NM weather is not your friend

The side room that used to host a lot of breweries was instead reserved for the Dukes of Ale and the NM Brewers Guild Educational Pavilion, which meant a lot of breweries had to go outside beyond the patio. Many of these were local breweries, which meant they had to endure a fair amount of wind, plenty of heat, and even some rain. It would not be the late summer in New Mexico without some wacky weather (as I type this on Monday, the Isotopes are in a rain delay, which means I may be filing this from the ballpark at some point in the weird hours).

As Crew member Shawna put it best: “Hopfest was a lot of fun! (But) it was disappointing to see so many local breweries outside. The outdoor situation seemed like a hot mess (literally).”

Hail to the Dukes

Franz Solo’s next project is to assemble a kit like this one.

AmyO got to hang out over at the Dukes of Ale display, which included the ultimate homebrew setup (pictured). She added this: “Really liked getting in to that first room early just before extra hoppy (hour) and having the Dukes of Ale over there. I enjoyed that coconut, etc., vanilla, etc., etc. beer, but there was a little too much going on — so much so I can’t even remember the name(s) of what was in there.” She also enjoyed the doppelbock, but one of her friends liked the IPA better than she did.

Shawna chimed in: “I really loved the Dukes of Ale setup. My favorite was the dopplebock.”

Our picks for best beers of the fest

I will let the ladies go first.

AmyO: “You know my favorite beer was that imperial red (Ol’ Lassy) from Enchanted Circle. My second favorite was, strangely, Lava Rock’s Hefeweizen. Now, one reason might be just plain uniqueness when you kind of get fatigued from the same old beers sometimes. I thought the Blueberry Stout at Ponderosa was nice, and not too overpowering on the blueberry.”

Shawna: “Bow and Arrow had a very good IPA (Hazillionaire). I also enjoyed Ponderosa’s Blueberry Stout! I’m proud to see Antonio (Fernandez) making so much progress! Oddly enough, considering I lean towards darker beers, I kept going back to Flix Brewhouse’s So It Gose. That was a very well rounded gose, not too sour or too sweet.”

As for me, I kept the sampling to a minimum since I had to give a seminar on the history of brewing (yes, shameless book promotion moment). The top six that I tried were:

  • Bathtub Row Krosscut Kolsch: If there was a perfect beer for the scorching temps outside, it was this one. Wonderfully sweet and refreshing. If they canned or bottled this and shipped it down to ABQ, I would buy it every summer.
  • Bow & Arrow Hoodoo Monster Imperial Red: Fairly tasty red, without the hop kick of Marble’s Imperial Red. Both sweet and yet dry. Overall, solid.
  • Bow & Arrow Desert Dynamo IPL: Fresh batch was tapped later in the session. Sweet, floral, fairly juicy. I was impressed by the B&A offerings, definitely gotta revisit the brewery as soon as baseball season ends.
  • Duel Oui Lourd: I was initially skeptical, but curious, about a sour Scottish wee heavy. I don’t know if I would drink a full pour, but it was pretty good, and this is coming from a non-sour guy. If nothing else, it was different.
  • Quarter Celtic Bruce (Black IPA): This batch was done in a hazy New England style. Yes, a hazy black IPA. Lots of flavors at play here, with the roasted malts coming through even amid the hops. It was just tapped that morning, so it will be interesting to see how it settles in at the brewpub.
  • Rowley Farmhouse Ales Agent Scully – Season 1, Episode 3: The latest in a series of revolving IPAs from RFA, this one is a sweet, floral delight, with berry/melon flavors. I have no idea what the hop combo was, but man, I hope they use that again.

Apologies to those local breweries that I did not visit. I will make it up to you at your actual location or an off-site taproom.

A special thanks to Marne Gaston (and her mom), John Gozigian, Angelo Orona, and Carlos Contreras.

Even if I didn’t sell many books (people had beers to drink, I understand), it was still a good festival. I only rambled on at the seminar for about 20 minutes, too, which is remarkable considering how long-winded I can get. Anyway, until the next major festival (GABF!), it is back to the regular grind. Let us hope that there will be no additional brewery obits between now and then.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

A sad and sudden farewell to Chama River

Posted: August 25, 2017 by cjax33 in Brewery Obit, News
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We will always cherish our opportunity to brew on Chama River’s system back in 2014. From left, then-head brewer Zach Guilmette, Brandon, Stoutmeister, and then-assistant brewer David Facey.

A relatively normal Thursday afternoon turned chaotic after a single text from a friend in the business: “Apparently Chama (River) is closing, as in right now. They just called last call and are done. Heard anything?”

This happened shortly after 4 p.m., and suddenly, while still standing in the Albuquerque Isotopes dugout as batting practice was winding down, I was quickly texting anyone and everyone who might be in the know. Confirmation from a source, who shall remain unnamed for now, followed, letting me know that the third oldest brewery in Albuquerque was indeed closing its doors for good. It was, to put it mildly, stunning.

The Albuquerque Journal was able to get the president of Santa Fe Dining, Chama’s parent company, to go on the record (sort of): “Unfortunately, we had to shutter the doors after 12 really wonderful years with our Albuquerque guests,” Randy Ropek told Journal reporter Jessica Dyer. That, and a comment about Kellys Brew Pub being in fine shape and in no danger of also closing, was about all the Journal got for the time being.

While the Crew and the rest of the media wait for a more official announcement, which we were told is coming next week, about all we can do for the moment is reflect back on Chama’s place in our local beer history. (A much more detailed version of this history can be found in a certain book which you can purchase online here or at local retailers.)

Chama got its start in August 1999 as Blue Corn Albuquerque, a spinoff of the popular Santa Fe brewpub. Within about six months of opening, there was a change of brewers. Ted Rice took over at Chama and helped put it on the map, at least as far as the beers went. He won three medals at the Great American Beer Festival — silver for Get Off My Bock in 2002, gold for Atomic Blonde in 2003, and gold for Rye On in 2004. He also snagged three silvers and a bronze at the World Beer Cup.

The name change to Chama River came in 2005 after the restaurant’s food sales continued to lag even as the beer sales increased. The New Mexican-style menu was replaced with more of an upscale pub selection of American dishes.

Farewell, old friend. (Photo courtesy of Chama River)

After that big change, the next was when Rice left in 2007 to start up Marble Brewery the following year. That left his assistant brewer, Jeff Erway, to take the reins. Erway picked up two silver medals at the 2008 World Beer Cup for Sleeping Dog Stout and 3 Dog Night (Baltic Porter). By 2010, Erway moved on to start La Cumbre Brewing.

Next up on the brewer docket was Justin Hamilton, assisted by Tim Woodward. Those two would also eventually leave to run their own brewhouses in 2014, Justin to Boxing Bear and Woodward to Turtle Mountain (and since moving on to Bosque, where he now works alongside John Bullard, also a former assistant brewer at Chama before moving up to his first top job at Blue Corn).

Zach Guilmette came over from Canteen to run the show in 2014, bringing David Facey along with him. David would eventually depart to join the ownership at Quarter Celtic with longtime Canteen/Il Vicino brewer Brady McKeown, which in turn prompted Zach to return to Canteen as head brewer. Before he left, Zach added to the Chama medal total with a gold at the 2014 GABF for Class VI Golden Lager.

Andrew Krosche, formerly of Ponderosa and Marble before that, then came over to run the show. He was still in charge Thursday when Chama was closed. We can only hope the future is bright for Andrew, but we have confidence things will turn out OK for him, considering his talent and ambition.

As for this beer writer, Chama River was the first local brewery I ever visited in Albuquerque. I was living in the Los Angeles area when the name change happened; before that, my dad does not ever recall visiting it as Blue Corn. That summer in 2005, while making a quick stop in town, my dad took me over to the brewpub next to what was then the best movie theater in town. I enjoyed a Rio Chama Amber before getting a pint of Sleeping Dog Stout, proudly declaring to our server that I would be drinking that stout on every subsequent visit. By the time I moved back in late 2008, the only local craft breweries I even knew about were Chama, Il Vicino, Kellys, and Turtle Mountain. I had seen Santa Fe, Sierra Blanca, and Rio Grande bottles in stores (not knowing the latter two now had the same owner), but otherwise it was a barren scene. (I would later have my first pint of Marble Red at the old Burt’s Tiki Lounge on Gold, but that is a story for another time.)

Chama ended up being instrumental in my willingness to embrace local craft beer in New Mexico. It was the place that told me that, hey, they could make beer here that would stack up to the heavyweights from Colorado, Oregon, and California. By the time we all came up with the idea of the Dark Side Brew Crew, Chama had long been a hangout, sometimes for a full meal, other times for a pint and maybe an appetizer before or after a movie. Even as nicer theaters were built and a slew of bigger breweries opened, Chama always kept a special place in our hearts. For many of us, it was the original local brewpub, the first place we ever had a local stout or IPA or just about any style.

The brewers may have changed, but the beer quality remained. As Andrew told us when he was hired, “I’ve been in here many, many times. I’ve been friends with the brewers in here for the last four or five years. As far as walking in here, expectations, I already knew what I was coming into, the history here. One of the things that was kind of exciting is the best way I can describe my first day was like coming into an archaeological dig. You just look at layers, you can see elements of each brewer here. Everyone has been putting it on top and on top. It’s like excavating an old, abandoned building and realizing, oh, there was another building here and they just piled on top of it. There’s really cool elements, just layers you can find.”

Yeah, we are gonna miss Chama River. Before anyone asks, no, we do not think this is the beginning of a sudden series of brewery closings. Until we get the official word from Santa Fe Dining (assuming we get one at all) about why it closed Chama, anything at this point is just pure speculation.

To the staff at Chama, we wish you all luck finding new jobs. Thank you for your service over the years.

All we have now are our memories of Chama River. Its place in our local craft beer history is secure. It is just unfortunate its place in our present and future was so insecure. We hope to have more information to share next week.

Until then, never take your favorite brewery for granted. Pay it a visit this weekend. After all, you never know what can happen these days.

— Stoutmeister

Get the up-to-date Hopfest beer lists right here

Posted: August 24, 2017 by cjax33 in Hopfest 2017
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A decade of beer is worth celebrating!

The 10th annual Hopfest kicks off Saturday afternoon at Isleta Casino, with 24 New Mexico breweries and the Dukes of Ale among those in attendance. Extra Hoppy Hour and VIP ticket holders can get in at 2 p.m., with general admission at 3 p.m. There are still tickets online and may be some left at the door, but play it safe and get them early.

In addition to the usual slate of live music and unlimited sampling, there will also be the New Mexico Brewers Guild’s educational pavilion. There are four sessions, starting with the Dukes of Ale’s Homebrew and Beer Styles Seminar at 2:30, followed by Craft King Consulting’s Sensory Analysis Seminar at 3:30, Marble and Whole Foods’ Beer & Food Pairings at 4:30, and finally a certain beer writer will be giving a talk about the history of brewing in Albuquerque at 5 p.m. (And, yes, if you still have not purchased a signed copy of Albuquerque Beer: Duke City History on Tap, those will be available for $20 cash at the Guild tent all day, unless I am wandering off to try a beer or two.)

Of course, the real reason anyone clicked on this article was to find out which local beers will be poured. These lists come from the official event program, in a few cases updated by the breweries for any last-minute changes.

  • Ale Republic: Zest of Life (Pale Ale), Strong Dark and Handsome (Belgian Dark), Parasol (Wheat)
  • Bathtub Row: Hoppenheimer IPA, Crazy Mother IPA
  • Bow & Arrow: Desert Dynamo IPL, Hoka Hey IPA, Hoodoo Monster Imperial Red, Jemez Field Notes Golden Lager
  • Canteen: Flashback IPA, Pecos Trail Brown, High Plains Pils
  • Cazuela’s: Agave (Wheat), 1853 Export Porter, Ladrillos Amber, Cojones Azules (Imperial Mexican Lager)
  • Chama River: Copper John Pale Ale, Jackalope IPA, Deuces (IPA), Ein Schnitt (German Pilsner)
  • De La Vega’s Pecan Grill: Pecan Beer, Hop N Wheat
  • Dialogue: Belgian Citrus IPA, #40 (Citra Pale Ale), Sour Pale Ale, Sour Raspberry
  • Drafty Kilt: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Covfefe Hefe
  • Duel: Fiction (IPA), Duchamp (Sour Wit), Oui Lourd (Wee Heavy), Bad Amber, Whistler (Blonde)
  • Enchanted Circle: Nice Day IPA, Palisades Pilsner, Oktoberfest, Black Lake Vanilla Porter
  • Flix Brewhouse: So It Gose, Baby You’re Much Too Fast (Irish Red), Luna Rosa, Lupulus IPA, Brewhouse Shandy, Pilsner? I Barley Know’er!
  • Kellys: Amber, Session IPA, Peach
  • Lava Rock: Vanilla Nut Brown, American IPA, Hefeweizen
  • Marble: Double White, Maibock, Strawberry Gose, Wave On (India Rye Pale Lager), State Fair Pale Ale
  • Ponderosa: D.D.U. IPA, Blueberry Stout, Raspberry Saison, Crosscut Kolsch
  • Quarter Celtic: Pedro O’Flannigan’s, Crimson Lass, Bruce (Black IPA), Peach Berliner Weisse
  • Red Door: Trapdoor White Ale, Unhinged Cider, Dog Days Kolsch, Blackberry Hefeweizen, Roamer Red, Vanilla Cream Ale, White AF IPA
  • Rio Bravo: La Luz Lager, Pinon Coffee Porter, Snakebite IPA (all in cans); Cherry Wheat, Imperial Kolsch, Peach Gose, Lemongrass Wit (all on tap)
  • Rowley Farmhouse Ales: Agent Scully IPA (Season 1, Episode 3), One at a Time Pale Ale
  • Santa Fe: 7K IPA, Oktoberfest, Cucumber Saison, Secret Society of ALT
  • Sierra Blanca: Rio Grande IPA, Cherry Wheat, Alien Amber
  • The 377: IPA, Peach Wheat
  • Tractor: Ghost Ranch IPA, Tupac Cali Red, Grapefruit Tangerine Pale Ale, New Mexican Lager, Farmer’s Tan Red, Milk Mustachio Stout, Almanac IPA, Delicious Red Hard Apple Cider

As noted in the first paragraph, the Dukes of Ale will also have their booth, which always offers up some delicious homebrews. Make sure to show them support as well.

The beers on my personal list, mainly those I have never tried, include Bathtub Row’s Crazy Mother IPA, Bow & Arrow’s Hoodoo Monster, Cazuela’s 1853 Export Porter, Chama River’s Ein Schnitt, Duel’s Oui Lourd, Marble’s Wave On (a collaboration with Telluride Brewing), Ponderosa’s Blueberry Stout, Rowley Farmhouse Ales’ Agent Scully, and Santa Fe’s Secret Society of ALT. I may add others between now and then, but we shall see. Gotta keep those signings legible and avoid rambling too much through my presentation.

Got any questions about Hopfest? Drop us a line anytime. Otherwise, see you all Saturday afternoon.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

The Week Ahead in Beer: Duel ABQ goes above and beyond

Posted: August 23, 2017 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 six breweries, one in Los Alamos, and one in Moriarty 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.

After a lengthy wait, the full rooftop deck at Duel Brewing’s Albuquerque taproom is finally open. The Overground, as it has been dubbed, has spectacular views of downtown. It is open just in time for the weather to (hopefully) continue to cool off. In addition to the rooftop, Duel is also hosting a big event inside this Saturday. The second Women in the Arts Showcase will run from 8 to 10 p.m., following its debut last month at Dialogue. It will feature poet laureate Jessica Helen Lopez as host, with performances by Rebecca Arscot and Luella Blue. There will also be other artists, poets, and vendors representing female-owned businesses.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Boxing Bear brings back its popular Featherweight Session IPA. Dialogue rolls out P-funk Porter, Sun Made, fe’denk lager, and #40, a Citra pale ale. Marble’s new pale ale, Por Vida, is on tap at all locations, while Tart Petit also debuts. Ponderosa goes dark but sweet with Blueberry Stout later this week. Quarter Celtic sets sail with Loch Lomas Oatmeal Stout on Friday. Sidetrack is feeling the season with a new Marzen. Tractor unveils Tangelo IPA on Friday at all three locations.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn brings back the popular Back to Cali Common. Second Street has a fresh batch of 2920 IPA, plus Summer Rain Sour returns.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of August 21.

To break down each “capsule,” I listed the brewery (with Web page linked), its phone number and hours of operation. Under “Beers” are the new or seasonal beers on tap for this week.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Ale Republic — (505) 281-2828

(Mon–Thurs 2–10 p.m., Fri–Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Brune, Blonde, Strong Dark and Handsome, Diablo del Oro, Parasol, Red Mountain. The most recent additions were the Red Mountain (7.5% ABV, 80 IBU), Parasol (4.5% ABV, 20 IBU), and Diablo (9.7% ABV, 20 IBU), which is a hefty Belgian golden strong.

Alien Brew Pub — (505) 884-1116

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Call the number above for details on any small-batch beers currently available. They change frequently. The rest of the lineup is from the Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande family of beers.

Bistronomy B2B — (505) 262-2222

(Mon–Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-9:30 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

The Blue Grasshopper — (505) 896-8579

(Noon to 11 p.m. most days, call for more info)

Beers: El Jeffe Hefeweizen, Frias Belgian-Style Single, June Bock German Lager. Rejoice, for Blue Grasshopper is brewing again! The Friars and June Bock are the more recent additions.

Live Music: Bands perform from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday. Click the link for the schedule.

Boese Brothers Brewery — (505) 382-7060

(Hours: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–midnight, Fri 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat noon–2 a.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: La Onza White Ale, Dr. Strangehop XPA, Duke City Lager, Washington’s Hatchet, Zeus Juice White IPA, Betchin Little Pale Ale, Cherry Bomb, Sour Relationship, Sour Strangehop, Grapefruit Pale Ale. The Zeus Juice can also be purchased in bombers. Sour Relationship, a special collaboration with Milton’s, NM Cider Co., and Sidetrack, is still available. Grapefruit Pale Ale is the most recent addition.

Live Music: Friday—DJ Speed One, 9 p.m.; Saturday—Julian Dossett Trio, 9 p.m.

Other Events: Thursday—Unicorn Drink Night with Albuquerque Roller Derby, 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese will have a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with $3 pints. You can also get $3 pints all day Tuesday and $6 growler fills all day Wednesday.

Bosque Brewing Company — (505) 750-7596 (main brewery), (505) 508-5967 (Nob Hill Public House), (575) 571-4626 (Las Cruces Taproom)

(Main brewery on San Mateo: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun noon-8 p.m.; Nob Hill: Mon–Weds 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Thurs 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun noon-11 p.m.; Las Cruces: Sun–Thurs noon-11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Summer Slammer, Beernana Split, Lupulo Red, Old Man Jameson (Scottish Export), What the Pale?!, Seedless (Watermelon Wheat). The Lupulo and Seedless are the most recent additions.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bosque has a happy hour running from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day on Sunday. Look for special menu items and get $1 off your favorite pints.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — (505) 247-9800

(Mon-Weds 3–10 p.m., Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Flint & Grit (British Mild), Sun Dagger (Saison), Crossed Arrows (Scotch Ale), Hoka Hey (IPA), Jemez Field Notes Lager, Wayward Arrow Hefeweizen, El Breakfast Stout, Biere de Garde, Way Out West Farmhouse Sour, Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison, Hoodoo Monster Imperial Red, Way Out West Sour Sumac, Black Chandelier (Belgo Stout), Imperial Mole Stout, Dry-hopped Sour with Motueka. The most recent additions to the lineup are the Dry-hoppped Sour, Imperial Mole, Cosmic Arrow, Hoodoo Monster, Sour Sumac, and Black Chandelier. The sheer variety of styles on tap is quite impressive.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

(Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)

Beers: Tropic Thunder IPA, Bear Knuckle IPA, TKO Triple IPA, New Mexikolsch, Chocolate Red, Featherweight Session IPA. The most recent additions were the, Featherweight, New Mexikolsch, and Chocolate Red. Bear Knuckle just won back-to-back NM IPA Challenge titles. Ambear is the current nitro tap.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8-10 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Every day at lunchtime (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), for just $10 you can get a pint and a panini of your choice.

Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery — (505) 221-6281

(Mon-Thu 3-9 p.m., Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.)

Beers: Otero ESB, Lone Pine Pilsner, Sancho Saison, Double Black IPA, Sancho de la Sierra, Pepe the Mule, Trailworks IPA. OK, fine, Pepe the Mule counts as a beer, even though it is basically a Moscow Mule, but it was made with beer. The Sancho de la Sierra is a rye version of the saison made in collaboration with Jubilation. The Trailworks was made in collaboration with Bikeworks, a neighboring business, with a portion of the proceeds going to trail maintenance in the metro area.

Weekly Events (main location): Today (Wednesday)—Cards Against Humanity hosted by 10 Drink Minimum, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Build-your-own Mule bar, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday—All house beers are $2 a pint

Canteen Brewhouse — (505) 881-2737 (brewery), (505) 200-2344 (taproom)

(Brewery: Sun–Thurs noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Taproom: Open daily 3–10 p.m.)

Beers: Exodus IPA, Coffee Exodus IPA, Cabana Lager, Hank ESB, Fill in the Blanco IPA, Raspberry Wheat, Plum Gose. The most recent additions are the Cabana Lager and Plum Gose. Take note, brewer Zach Guilmette recently played with the Dark & Lusty Stout recipe, and boy is it even more delicious now.

Live Music: Thursday—Sweet Lillies, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—The Beloved, 4-7 p.m.

Other Events: Today (Wednesday)—Brain Gang Trivia, 6 p.m.; Monday—Brain Gang Trivia, 7 p.m.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — (505) 994-9364

(Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Papacabra (Double IPA), Acapulco Gold (Mexican Lager), Chupacabra IPA, Piedra del Fuego Stoned Cream Ale, Beer for My Horses (Oatmeal Stout). These are the regular house beers. Call the number above for an updated seasonal list.

Chama River Brewing Company — (505) 342-1800

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Deuces IPA, Ginger Braggot, Kolsch, Gose. The Deuces is a two-hop IPA, the first in a series, made with Amarillo and Simcoe. The Ginger Braggot is a collaboration made with Blue Corn.

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Open daily noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Sour Raspberry, Boyz N Berry N the Hood, Blood Orange Berliner Weisse, Sour Pale, P-funk Porter, #40 (Citra Pale Ale), Sun Made, fe’denk lager. The most recent additions are the P-funk, #40, fe’denk (Vienna-style), and Sun Made, a Belgian single made with golden raisins.

Live Music: Friday—Alxxs Garza, Lian Manu, and Simple, 8-11:45 p.m.

Other Events: Saturday—Watermelon Mountain Ranch Adoption Event, 11 a.m.

Weekly Events: Monday—Service Industry Night, 6 p.m.

Drafty Kilt Brewing — (505) 881-0234

(Sun 11 a.m–10 p.m., Mon 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Tues–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, McWabbit Pale Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Obliviscaris Oatmeal Stout, McRojo or No (Irish Red). Brewer/owner Mike Campbell has five of his own creations on tap at 4814 Hardware Dr. NE, including the Campbell Toe (no snickering). The Obliviscaris is a burly throwback to the stouts of old. The Covfefe Hefe is the most recent addition.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.; Thursday—Blues Jam with the Rudy Boy Experiment, 7-10 p.m.; Sunday—Blues Jam with Bob Bolz with Ale-Tail Cocktails, 2-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off pints and 20-ounce pours, Mon-Fri, 3-6 p.m.; “Just Because We Love You Club,” happy hour prices at all times for teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and military with ID; Growler Fill Days on Thu and Sun, $2 off new growlers, $1 off refills

Flix Brewhouse — (505) 445-8500

(Open daily 11 a.m.-midnight)

Beers: Brewhouse Shandy, Tart and Soul (Guava Berliner Weisse), Killer Bee Honey Wheat, Tripel Whammy, Pilsner? I Barley Know’er! The most recent addition is the new pilsner.

Hops Brewery — (505) 369-1378

(Sun-Thurs noon-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Dad Joke (California Common), Tipsy Cow (Milk Stout), Warm Scottish Nights, An Irish Tan (English Bitter), Honey Wheat, Chica (Pale Ale). Welcome to the listings, Hops! They have started out with these six beers on tap, but they also have 32 more guest taps, just in case you don’t find one to your liking. Here is our first review. The Dad Joke is back after a short absence, but Warm Scottish Nights is temporarily out.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

(Bernalillo hours Mon-Thu 2-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30-10 p.m., Sun 11:30-9 p.m.)

Beers: German Porter, Lil Red, Cori and Her Wheat, German Pilsner, Helles Lager, Maibock, Honk Ale, Oaxford IPA, Walnut Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. The most recent additions are the German Porter and Pilsner. Sounds like a hearty “Prost!” is in order.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Thursday—The Desert Darlings, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Bernalillo): Sunday—Brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Kaktus has several new weekday specials in Bernalillo, including $3 pints on Monday, $9 growlers on Tuesday, $6 bison nachos on Wednesday, and $8 Frito pie and beer on Thursday.

Kellys Brew Pub — (505) 262-2739

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.-10 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Apricot Ale, Blonde, Farm House Ale, IPA, Red, Scotch Ale, Session IPA; (seasonal) Hefeweizen, Farmhouse Apricot, Mars DIPA. The recent change in ownership at Kellys has led to some seriously improved beers and food, so we decided it was high time to add it to the listings. The summer seasonals are the Hefeweizen and Farmhouse Apricot, replacing the Rye Pale Ale and Dry Stout, plus the Mars DIPA.

Live Music: Every Wednesday 6-9 p.m. and Sunday 3-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Thursday Pint night $1 off pints.

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: El Jugo, VMO #2, All That I Need Kellerbier, Mesa Cerveza, Full Nelson DIPA, Burqueno Weisse. The VMO #2 is a lovely Marzen. This batch of Full Nelson is some potent stuff, but it will not be available for long if history is any indication. The Mesa Cerveza is a new saison.

Live Music: Saturday—High Desert Playboys, 6-9 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Trivia or Loteria (alternates by week), 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

(Mon–Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-7 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Lizard Tail’s happy hour runs seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m. You get $1 off food, flights, and pints.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.; Thursday—Karaoke, 8-11 p.m.

Marble Brewery — (505) 243-2739 (downtown), (505) 508-4638 (Westside), (505) 323-4030 (Heights)

(Downtown: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.; Westside: Mon–Thurs noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.; Heights: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.)

Beers: Por Vida (Pale Ale), DANG Pale Ale, Belgo Petite, Tart Petit, Jabroni Lite, UnbeWeavably Marbelous, Cherry Gose, Peach Gose, Wheels of Soul Pale Ale (Downtown only), State Fair Pale Ale (Heights and Westside only), Strawberry Gose (Heights and Westside only), Mango Gose (Heights and Westside only), Nitro Madera (Heights only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. The Por Vida and Tart Petit are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Downtown): Thursday—Gleewood, 7-11 p.m.; Friday—Cordova, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Silver String Band, 8-11 p.m.; Sunday—Esso, 3-6 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Friday—Something Like Sound, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—Last Call, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—Lenin & McCarthy, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Ryan Hutchens, 8-11 p.m.

Other Events (Downtown): Today (Wednesday)—New Mexico Brew Fest Early Bird Ticket Party, 6-9 p.m.

Other Events (Heights): Today (Wednesday)—Brew Bee: The Final Round, 6 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown): Saturday—Brewery tours, 2 p.m.

Nexus Brewery — (505) 242-4100 (brewery), (505) 226-1055 (Silver Taproom)

(Brewery: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Silver Taproom: Mon–Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Beam Me Up Scotty, Kolsch, Double Bird of Prey, Imperial Pilsner, Kaylynn’s Altbier, 505 Collab (Silver only), Darker Fare (Silver only). The most recent additions are the Altbier, Kolsch, Double Bird, and Imperial Pilsner.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Monday–Friday, $5 appetizers, 3-5 p.m.

Weekly Events (Silver Taproom): Saturday—a live DJ will perform; Sunday—a live band will perform at 2 p.m.

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — (505) 508-0508

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Poolside Pale Ale, Cockness Monster (Scotch Ale), Switch Stance Stout. Palmer shares a building with Left Turn Distilling on Girard south of Candelaria. This batch of Cockness Monster is fresh and tasty.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

(Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: Vic’s Secret Pale Ale, Hoppy Pilsner, Imperial Brown, Raspberry Saison, D.D.U. IPA, India Pale Lager 2.0. The second version of the popular IPL is the most recent addition. The D.D.U. stands for double down under, a reference to the recipe’s all-Australian hop bill. Look for Blueberry Stout to replace Vic’s later this week.

Live Music: Today (Wednesday)—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Quarter Celtic Brewpub — (505) 503-1387

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Beers: Han’s Hoopty Pale Ale, Saoirse Hefe, Berliner Weisse, Mike’s Beer (American Pilsner). The Berliner and Mike’s Beer are the most recent additions, plus Han’s Hoopty, made with Millennium and Falconer hops (get it?) is back. Loch Lomas Oatmeal Stout debuts Friday.

Red Door Brewing — (505) 633-6675 (brewery), (505) 990-3029 (downtown taproom)

(Brewery hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. to midnight, Sat 7 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Downtown taproom hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Blackberry Hefeweizen, Dog Days Kolsch, White AF IPA, Rye Steam (downtown only), Open Saison (downtown only). The Dog Days Kolsch and White AF IPA are the most recent additions. The latter was brewed for NMIPAC.

Weekly Events (Brewery): Monday—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Taproom): Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7-9 p.m.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company — (505) 900-3909

(Mon noon–10 p.m., Tues–Thu noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–1 a.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Rio Bravo Amber, Weizen, Randy’s Shandy, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Old Town Porter (regular and barrel-aged), Vanilla Porter, NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Barrel-aged Belgian Strong Golden, Level 3 IPA, Imperial Russian Stout (regular and barrel-aged), Lemongrass Wit, Peach Gose, Cherry Sour, Kolsch, Hibiscus Mojito, Penguin Lager, Belgian Blonde, Cherry Wheat, Belgo IPA, Pink Boots Pale Ale. A portion of the Penguin Lager proceeds are going to the new exhibit at the ABQ Bio Park. There are now three barrel-aged beers on tap in the Porter, RIS, and Belgian Strong. Belgo IPA was the most recent addition until the Pink Boots Pale Ale hit taps.

Live Music: Thursday—Sloan Armitage, 6-8 p.m.; Friday—Innastate and Casper and the Mighty 602 Band, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Don Allen, 8-10 p.m.

Other Events: Friday—Headliners Comedy presents Friday Night Fools ($5 cover, event only), 9:30 p.m.; Saturday—NAIOP Cornhole Tournament, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Movie Night (now outside), 7 p.m. or later, weather permitting; Thursday—Girls Pint Out, all day; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 832-7183

(Mon–Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Marzen, Downshift Pale Ale, Switchgear IPA, Pub Ale, Railhead Red, Dark Engine Stout. The most recent addition was the Dark Engine Stout, until a timely batch of Marzen appeared.

Cask: The Switchgear and Dark Engine are in the firkins.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Taco Tuesday, all day

Starr Brothers Brewing — (505) 492-2752

(Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day)

Beers: Starrstruck IPA, L.A. Woman (Blonde), Red Zepplin, Lampshade Porter, Electric Sun American Wheat, Starrphire Pilsner, A Roll in Ze Hay (Hefeweizen), Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Thunderr Ale (IPA), Piney the Apple (Pineapple Wheat). A Roll in Ze Hay channels the best from Young Frankenstein. Thunderr Ale (IPA) and Piney the Apple are the most recent additions.

Steel Bender Brewyard — (505) 433-3537

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, Sparkfitter Amber, Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch, Blue Bullet Stout, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Misfitter Altbier, 505 Collaboration, Wheels of Soul Black (Hole Sun) IPA, The Village Tart Blood Orange, Hibiscus Gose, Spell Bender Pils, Compa New Mexican Lager. The Skull Crusher was SBB’s NMIPAC entry. The Compa Lager, Spell Bender Pils, Village Tart, and Hibiscus Gose are the most recent additions. The Saison de la Rose will make its debut at Rock & Brews today (Wednesday) at 5 p.m. before going on tap at the brewery.

The 377 Brewery — (505) 934-0795

(Open noon-11 p.m. most days)

Beers: (house) 377 IPA, Dieterhosen Hefe, Project El CuCuy (DIPA), Fat Brown Guy (Porter), Red Horse NM Lager, Swartzbier; (seasonals) English Best Bitter, Red Rocket (Double Red), Black Ops Hops, Kolsch, Full Booty Stout (on nitro), Scottish Ale, Summer Saison, Plum Sour, Berliner Weisse. Thanks to the magic of Untappd, we now have a breakdown of The 377’s beers. The Berliner Weisse is the most recent addition.

Weekly Events: Sunday—Jam Session, 4:30 p.m.

Tractor Brewing Company — (505) 433-5654 (Nob Hill), (505) 243-6752 (Wells Park), (505) 243-6752 (Four Hills)

(Nob Hill: Sun–Weds noon–midnight, Thurs noon–2 a.m., Fri–Sat noon–2 a.m.; Wells Park: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–close, Fri–Sun 1 p.m.–midnight; Four Hills: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m.)

Beers: Barnstorm Ale, Minute-4, Apricot Wheat, Half Acre Hefe, Tupac Cali Red, Blood Orange Cider, Berry Cider, Big Sipper IPA, Scout Golden Ale, Cucumber Gose (Wells Park and Nob Hill only), Delicious Golden Dry Cider (Wells Park and Four Hills Only), Flanders Red Ale (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Holstein & Hops (Four Hills only), Cascara Cider (Four Hills only). The Cucumber Gose was the most recent addition, but Tangelo IPA will hit taps at all three locations Friday.

Live Music (Wells Park): Thursday—High Desert Playboys, 8 p.m.; Saturday—Nathan Fox, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Eryn Bent, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Still Closed For Repairs, 5 p.m.

Live Music (Four Hills): Saturday—Holly Durante, 5 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Today (Wednesday)—The Tiniest Vampire: Adult Coloring Night, 3 p.m.; Thursday—Mark Strides Against Breast Cancer, 6 p.m.; Sunday—I’ll Drink to That #64: The Staying Power, 4 p.m.

Other Events (Nob Hill): Saturday—Craft + Beer: Tractor Crafternoon, 3 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Monday Night Film Club, 8 p.m.; Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Writing Wednesdays, 5 p.m.; Monday—Tractor Tune Up, 7:30 p.m.

Also, every first Monday of the month at both Tractor locations is Beer for a Better Burque night. For every pint you buy $1 can go to one of four charities that have partnered with Tractor. You can also opt to purchase a special growler with the logo of your favorite charity.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Tractor now has a late happy hour from 9 p.m. to midnight on Mondays with $2.25 classic beers and $3.25 seasonals.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — (505) 994-9497

(Kitchen hours: Mon–Tues 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Wed–Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Reminder: TMBC closes early when business dictates. Please call.)

Beers: Stuccon Saison, Lil’ Shelly (Pale Ale), Keller Collab, Yum Yum OG, HIPA Violation, Mr. Hoover’s Redux. The HIPA Violation is an IPA made with 80 pounds (!) of New Mexico honey. Mr. Hoover’s Redux, a steam beer, is the most recent addition. Another batch of SCH Scotch Lager is due up when the Stuccon Saison kicks.

Cask: Tuesday—TBA

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Hella Humulus Collaboration IPA, Wedding Lager, Gatekeeper IPA, Merry Prankster’s Sour Ale, Back to Cali Common. The Gatekeeper was Blue Corn’s entry in NMIPAC. The Back to Cali is the most recent addition.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

(Mon–Sat 4–11 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: El Jefe (Rauchweizen), sIPApu (India Pale Lager), Antonio Bandito (Dunkelweizen), Llorona Lager, Pineapple IPA, Porter, Vienna Lager, La Bamba (Rauchbier), Stada Baba (Oak Smoked Polish Gratzer). The last five beers there are the most recent additions to the lineup.

Live Music: Every night at 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Reverse happy hour after 9 p.m. includes $1 off pints, $6 appetizers, $10 entrees and pizzas.

Duel Brewing Company — (505) 474-5301

(Brewery: Mon–Sat open at 11 a.m., Sun open at 1 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–midnight; Fri–Sun noon–midnight)

Beers: Bad Amber, Fiction (IPA), Oui Lourd, WWWMD (Barrel-Aged Whistler), Manikin (Scottish), Cezanne Origine, Ensor (Sour), Turncoat, Monomyth, Marcel, Sans Titre (Amber Sour), Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Duchamp (Sour Wit). The Origine was the spring saison. The Duchamp, Oui Lourd (Imperial Scottish), Fantin, Sans Titre, Turncoat (Sour Scotch), Monomyth (DIPA), and Marcel (Wit) are the most recent additions. The WWWMD acronym stands for What Would Whistler’s Mother Do.

Events (ABQ taproom): Thursday—Drag Queen Trivia: Birthday Edition, 8 p.m.; Friday—Women in the Arts Showcase, 8 p.m.

Weekly Events (ABQ taproom): Today (Wednesday)—IPA Wednesdays all August, $2 off all house and guest IPAs, all day; Tuesday—Bike-In Brew, 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 4-6 p.m. (discounts for all draft beer), Growler Saturdays ($3 off growler fills).

Happy Hour/Discounts (ABQ taproom): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 5-7 p.m.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — (505) 428-0719

(Open all week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Fields of Rye, Saison du Sarlacc, Agent Scully – Season One, Episode Three (IPA),  Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Ab Initio with Passion Fruit, Meier (Meyer Lemon Gose), No BU For You (Zero IBU IPA). The Agent Scully is a new series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. This is a new batch of Fields of Rye dry-hopped with Citra.

Santa Fe Brewing Company — (505) 424-3333

(Main taproom: Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 2-8 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Freestyle Pilsner, Autonomous Collective IPA, Oktoberfest, Hefe’d Up, Cucumber Saison (ECS), Secret Society of A.L.T. (ECS). Rejoice, for Oktoberfest is back, even though it doesn’t feel much like autumn yet.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off growler refills in the tasting room on Mondays. $2 pint Tuesdays at the Eldorado Taphouse. On Wednesday, there is a $2 pint special in the tasting room. On Thursday, there will be $1 off growler refills at the Eldorado Taphouse.

Second Street Brewery — (505) 989-3278 (Railyard), (505) 982-3030 (original location)

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Kolsch, IPA, Cream Stout, Rod’s Best Bitter, Southern Passion IPA, Grapefruit Gose, 2920 Vienna, 2920 Pils, 2920 IPA, Summer Rain Sour. The most recent additions are the Summer Rain and 2920 IPA.

Live Music (Original location): TBA

Live Music (Railyard): Friday—Andy Primm, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—The Shiners Club, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—Lee West, 1-4 p.m.

Weekly Events (Railyard): Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — (505) 500-8381

(Mon–Weds 2–10 p.m., Thurs 2–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Kutthroat Kolsch, Kaboom Quad, Wit Rock, Catherine’s Historical Stout, Little Bird Blonde, Anderson Amber. Well, look at that, an updated beer list for BRB. The Wit Rock and Little Bird are old favorites, the rest are more recent recipes.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

(Mon–Thurs 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri –Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.)

Beers: Barrel-aged Whiskey Stout, Cherry Sour, Interstella Vanilla, Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA. The Whiskey Stout is back for a short time. The Cherry Sour is back for another run. Cherry Wheat is also now available in six packs.

Live Music: Saturday—Lincoln County Regulators, 6-8 p.m.

* * * *

That’s all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact us on our Facebook page.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Pondering the future of beer festivals in New Mexico

Posted: August 22, 2017 by cjax33 in Events
1

Do huge festivals with unlimited sampling still have a place in the future of craft beer?

During stretches without much in the way of brewery news, big or small, I tend to find myself stepping back and taking a big-picture look at the state of the craft beer scene in New Mexico.

Perusing the latest slate of beer-related emails, I took note of the fact that Hopfest, returning this Saturday, is now 10 years old. That is a fairly remarkable accomplishment for any annual festival, particularly in the constantly shifting craft beer scene.

Consider the landscape when Hopfest first began. At that time, Marble Brewery was only a few months old. The only other operational breweries in Albuquerque were Chama River, Il Vicino (now Canteen), and Kellys, with Tractor in Los Lunas and Turtle Mountain in Rio Rancho comprising the totality of the metro area’s craft beer options.

Hopfest has changed quite a bit over time, up to 70-plus breweries now, moving to successively larger venues, and so on. What has not changed is the general theme: buy a ticket, get unlimited samples. Back in 2008, that was the standard format of most festivals around the country. They took their cues from the Great American Beer Festival, and it worked.

The question now is does that format work anymore? It is certainly worth debating.

Other festivals tend to limit the number of samples, in an effort to get customers to eventually buy a pint, so the participating breweries can make some money back. While large breweries like Marble and Santa Fe can write off the beer they give away for free as a marketing/promotional expense, it can be much harder for the smaller breweries and brewpubs. Those only make so much beer, so giving away any of it for free can be a blow to the bottom line, unless the owners truly believe they can recoup the costs through the free advertising the festival can bring.

Another argument against unlimited sampling is that craft breweries no longer need such events to draw in customers. That certainly holds true for some of the more established brands, but not necessarily for all. New breweries can still argue they benefit from being introduced to a public that might not always wish to venture out beyond the places where they are already comfortable. Festivals like Hopfest and its May counterpart, Blues & Brews, also tend to draw in a younger crowd. From a strategic standpoint, it should be easier to convince someone is his/her 20s to embrace craft beer than someone in his/her 40s or 50s.

Festivals with limited sampling seem to at least have a place with the more serious beer geeks.

Smaller, more exclusive festivals have their place as well. The notion that more “serious” craft beer drinkers attend those events seems to hold true, be it BearFest or WinterBrew. Of course, those folks are usually well versed in craft beer, so do they actually need a festival as existing customers? It usually just depends on the intent of the festival. WinterBrew, for instance, is viewed, first and foremost, as a fundraiser for the New Mexico Brewers Guild (as is the IPA Challenge). On a secondary note, it can bring Albuquerque residents north to Santa Fe to try the breweries they might not otherwise visit on a regular basis, outside of those that package and distribute.

The problem that exists with the smaller fests is that sense of exclusivity. Namely, does it keep new customers away? Once the loyal beer geeks snatch up their share of the tickets, what remains? There are many people, especially in New Mexico, who wait until the last minute or just prefer to walk up and buy at the door.

In other states, too, the cost of attending festivals has climbed to significant heights. They are still well-attended, and more than one brewery owner has predicted that eventually New Mexico’s festivals will have to catch up to those in Colorado and Arizona in terms of cost. Otherwise, local breweries may continue to drop out without the financial bump, leaving the festivals largely in the hands of the distributors, who treat them almost entirely as promotional write-offs. The counter argument to that is the same when it comes to arguing about the cost of sporting events and the like, that New Mexico is simply too poor of a state, and even middle class beer drinkers would be loathe to part with $50, $75, or $100 for a festival, no matter the format.

Already, there are signs of festival fatigue among local establishments. Take Nexus, for instance, as a popular local brewery that has largely abandoned the festival circuit. It is extremely rare to see breweries from the outer regions of New Mexico attend festivals in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, while the only breweries from the two I-25 cities to head to the far north, south, or southeast are usually just those that package and distribute far and wide. Otherwise, barring an event being a Guild fundraiser, everyone tends to stay in their own neck of the woods.

Festivals meant to support the NM Brewers Guild, like WinterBrew, remain popular with the breweries themselves, including many who do not attend larger events.

It all makes for an interesting set of arguments and counter arguments. There is seemingly no perfect beer festival setup, at least in terms of limited/unlimited sampling and overall cost. For every person who is fine with limited samples, the odds are that others are not. For every brewery happy to attend festivals big and small, there are others who will be more selective if not sit it out entirely. Simply put, there is perhaps no right or wrong set of answers when it comes to the future of beer festivals in New Mexico and beyond.

For now, the big events like Hopfest and Blues & Brews will seemingly continue to roll along, as will the smaller festivals like WinterBrew and the events on Pajarito Mountain above Los Alamos. Other festivals struggling to find that niche, like the once-ambitious Mountain West Brew Fest (yes, it is coming back Labor Day weekend, though it is down to just seven attending breweries), may struggle and fade into the past, like Marble’s Septemberfest, the New Mexico Beer Cup, and many others.

Of course, this is all just my opinion. The Crew and I want to know what you think. Sound off in the comments, on social media, or if you would prefer a private conversation, email us at nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

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