This past Saturday, as promised (or as warned), I attended Santa Fe Brewing Co.’s grand swingin’ shindig, Oktoberfiesta, and it was a perfect end to a great festival season. Now let me begin by saying that Stoutmeister had told me that I didn’t have to work because it was my birthday, and so it was…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Farewell to a good brewing friend
Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with the reunified edition of The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s four breweries and one newcomer down in Socorro also joining the party. We tried hard to keep the state edition going, but without…
Be one of the “300” in Los Alamos
Okay, the “300” we’re referring to aren’t those ol’ Greeks with their ripped abs and crazy blood-lust. These “300” are you, gentle readers, with keg-abs and wacky beer-lust! The Los Alamos Beer Co-op (LABC) is making its final push to recruit members and get the funds necessary to open up their brewery and taproom. Much progress has…
Beer Notes: The quiet time is upon us
Put away those sample glasses. Don’t worry about what’s being served. Festival season for 2014 is over (well, save for one event, see below) and as such, the beer news is grinding (almost) to a halt. It’s the quiet period, which usually lasts from now through the holidays, and it can be maddening for a…
Something wicked (fun) this way comes: Oktoberfiesta is back
As I was driving home from Red River’s Oktoberfest last Sunday, I had a couple questions on my mind. How much Oktoberfest is too much Oktoberfest? And can anyone really have too much Oktoberfest in their lives? The answers that I came up with were thus: “too much” is too broad of a statement, and…
Release the hounds as Tractor celebrates its 15th anniversary
There is something almost eerie about a brewery taproom being so quiet before it’s open. Such was the case when I stopped by Tractor Wells Park on Wednesday morning. It won’t be the case the next time I’m there Saturday night. That’s because Saturday is Tractor’s Quincenera, a 15th anniversary party for the ages. There…
Oktoberfest in Red River: It’s like a party in the Alps
Every year, around the middle of October, we take the short trip up to Red River for their Oktoberfest celebration. Set in the small Northern New Mexico mountain resort town, Oktoberfest is an ideal excuse to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and spend some time drinking beer amid nature, as…
Ted Talks: Marble’s owner opens up on a busy and award-winning year
Ted Rice is a busy man these days. Marble Brewery’s co-founder/co-owner/brewmaster has barely had a chance to catch his breath since 2014 began. It didn’t get any easier, but sure was rewarding, when he and his team brought home two gold medals and the Small Brewery of the Year Award from the Great American Beer…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Pumpkins upon pumpkins upon pumpkins
Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with the reunified edition of The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s four breweries and one newcomer down in Socorro also joining the party. We tried hard to keep the state edition going, but without…
Best of the (Brew) Fest plus other notes from one wild afternoon
No one got sunburned! Well, that’s how we all looked back on NM Brew Fest 5 after a long, rough Sunday (our football teams, real and fantasy, didn’t help our hangovers, either). OK, we also looked back at the many great beers we drank and how much fun we had. From the VIP barrel-aged beginning…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 