We have been doing our best to keep track of all the forthcoming breweries around town. Recently, we have been lucky to get first-hand updates on the progress of Steel Bender Brewyard and Colfax Ale Cellar in Raton. In addition, Ale Republic has opened in Cedar Crest and Rowley Farmhouse Ales is now open in…
The Week Ahead in Beer: The fun will be in Santa Fe this weekend
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 and one down in Socorro and one in Los Alamos also joining the party. A lot of the time this weekly feature ends up being…
Steel Bender Brewyard aims to bring quality craft beer to Los Ranchos
Scan a Google map of Albuquerque and search for breweries. Take note of the areas of the metro area that are empty. One of those beer-less places is the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque in the North Valley. Come early 2017, that will change. The Chant brothers (Greg, Bryce, Chris, and Ethan) and brewer…
Labor Day Weekend features a double dose of festivals
Sometimes life can leave you with tough choices. This weekend features not one, but two beer festivals. The good news is they are both two-day-long festivals, so you can visit one Saturday and the other Sunday. In the case of the Mountain West Brew Fest in Bernalillo, the lineups will not change from day to…
Kellys gets a long overdue overhaul thanks to new owners
Kellys Brew Pub has sometimes been referred to as the great missed opportunity of Albuquerque breweries. Despite the history, the great location, the huge patio, and more, it had fallen far behind the more modern breweries around the city and state. Even so, it still drew plenty of followers, though the beer geeks had long…
The Week Ahead in Beer: There’s a Pokemon in your pint
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 five breweries and one down in Socorro and the other in Los Alamos also joining the party. We love you all, you know that, right? I mean,…
Hopfest 2016: The first fest of the season keeps it fresh
Newcomers and summery, fresh-tasting, hoppy beers helped to keep interest alive for the ninth annual Albuquerque Hopfest. Each year the crowds get larger, and each year I wonder how in the world Marne Gaston puts on such a large production. But, she does, flawlessly, and I am in complete awe of her. I would be…
Eighteen NM breweries will pour their finest at Hopfest
Ah, late August, when the hints of cooler weather arrive, the kids go back to school, football (both American and international) revs up, and Hopfest takes over Isleta Casino. Hey, at nine years old, we can pretty much declare Hopfest an annual tradition. The largest beer festival in New Mexico returns this Saturday from 2…
A chronicle of summer beer adventures — Quick trips from ABQ for new brews
July was just crazy hot. In Albuquerque, and all over the Southwest. I must have been out of my mind to continue the summer road tripping. I love Las Vegas. I mean, I really must, because I go there two to three times a year. But, sometimes it’s nice to feel less “Vegas-y” when you…
Tonight Ballast Point and Fire & Hops get together to support a great local cause
Hey, Santa Fe! Are you looking for a fun craft beer event tonight that also supports a good cause? Of course you are! And, that’s how I would begin this, if I was one of those heartless ad-wizards, preaching to a blank-faced uninitiated audience. But, no, Santa Fe, that’s not who I am, and that’s…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 