Gazing into the future of the New Mexico brewing scene

After a slew of slow news days regarding the local brewing scene, the intrepid Stephanie Guzman of Albuquerque Business First posted a story today about Rio Bravo Brewing applying for a $5 million county industrial revenue bond. A surprising move? Maybe to some, not to others. Rio Bravo has been talking big since before they…

Enjoy a little beer with your Bacon Fest

The Southwest Bacon Fest is back Saturday at Balloon Fiesta Park for a third edition. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature a slew of eateries and food trucks providing bacon-centric dishes, plus of course there will be beer. You can buy a ticket for as little as $7, or…

Bathtub Row Brewing hosts their first beer dinner

Bathtub Row Brewing in Los Alamos is continuing to bring more events and activities to the community. The latest is their first “beer dinner,” featuring local chef Laura Hamilton of Rosebud Cafe in nearby White Rock. Six delicious-looking plates will be paired with an appropriate (and also delicious) BRB brew. A maximum of 60 people…

ABQ Brew Pub about to go out of this world with name change

Rich and Suzanne Weber started Sierra Blanca Brewing in Carrizozo back in 1996. They purchased Rio Grande Brewing in 2007 and partnered with Adam Krafft to open ABQ Brew Pub in Uptown Albuquerque in March 2010. The major brewery operation moved to Moriarty, where they now also brew for Monks’ Ale and the Isotopes. In…

Hiking and Beer: Two great things that go perfectly together

New Mexico is full of people who love to hike. It’s also full of people who love good beer. In my experience, there’s quite a bit of overlap between those two groups. Who doesn’t enjoy a good beer or two after hiking 14 miles? OK, you can still have a beer or two after hiking…

A brace of Baltic Porters for Oktober

Maltheads rejoice for your season is at hand! From brutal Russian imperial stouts to delectable porters, doppelbocks, winter warmers, and beyond, ’tis the season of the malt. We in the Brew Crew are no strangers to the Baltic Porter, style having brewed one of our own in collaboration with Canteen Brewing last winter. As those…

Island life is even better with craft beer

Hola, amigos! I just returned from Cancun and the immensely popular, laid-back island of Isla Mujeres — just a short ferry ride from the hotel zone in Cancun. Prior to my arrival, as usual, I feverishly studied the things we might want to do in the few short days we were there. In my research…

The challenge to Blue Corn’s future (Part 2)

A couple months ago, I posted an article about the Challenge to Blue Corn’s Future. I wrote about a great craft beer-centric manager leaving the restaurant/brewery, and the huge void that would remain, unless his replacement was up to the task of keeping craft beer a priority. In the restaurant and brewery business, sometimes food…

The Week Ahead in Beer: Hoppy Halloween everyone!

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 four breweries and a pair of newcomers, one down in Socorro and the other in Los Alamos, also joining the party. Halloween on a Saturday … man,…