Years ago, Turtle Mountain Brewing owner Nico Ortiz told me a story about when he first opened his brewpub in Rio Rancho back in 1999 in a building that used to be a laundromat. Sometimes, people would walk in the door with a basket of laundry under their arm and stare in wonder at what…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Boxing Bear taps into world of competitive pinball
Last week, I made an overdue stop at Boxing Bear Firestone for a pint, and then ended up playing Iron Maiden and Foo Fighters pinball with members of the staff. The games from Road Runner Pinball are quite popular with the brewing team as well as customers, and this coming Friday will feature a full-on…
Ex Novo, Bosque and La Cumbre lead the way in Untappd Community Awards
Late last week, the Crew noticed some online chatter about something called the Untappd Community Awards. This was new, at least to us, and led us over to the website where the beer ranking/recording app had compiled the collective ratings of every beer in certain style categories, divided up among the 50 states. The final…
The mostly complete guide to all the St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans
As we promised back in The Week Ahead in Beer, we have compiled a separate post highlighting all the events tied to St. Patrick’s Day this weekend. There is a lot, and probably even more than we are listing here, so make sure to check with any breweries not listed. Most of this is all…
Steel Bender aims to be purposeful in all that they do throughout 2024
Well, we did it again. I sat down with the staff of Steel Bender Brewyard for their annual Look Back/Look Ahead Series interview, and when it came time to type up said interview, I realized that we were all talking for 50 minutes. That came out to more than 4,100 words when printed out. Oof….
The Week Ahead in Beer: Everyone turns a little Irish this weekend
Just in case the weird weather outside doesn’t make you feel like you’re already somewhere in cloudy Europe, then the avalanche of Irish-themed food, beer, and events this weekend will certainly get you in the mood. Heck, Flogging Molly is even playing at El Rey tonight, so let us all sing along to Drunken Lullabies…
Harmon Lane keeps things light and fun while continuing to experiment
Danny Harmon has long been one of the most positive and upbeat people in the entire local craft brewing industry, so it should be no surprise that Harmon Lane Brewing exudes that same sense of fun and positivity. “2023 was good for Harmon Lane,” said Harmon, the co-owner and brewer. “We got to do a…
La Reforma and a whole lot more keep one brewer a very busy man
A full-time job as a brewer and distiller, a growing family, and the pursuit of a higher degree all at the same time is a lot for any one person. Yet it is exactly the situation that La Reforma head brewer James Warren finds himself in these days. I caught up with James for our…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Local breweries team up with New Mexico United
This Saturday marks the start of the local pro soccer season, as New Mexico United kicks off its 2024 campaign at Isotopes Park at 2 p.m. The club has made a point of teaming up with local businesses, and there are two breweries that have jumped on board those partnerships. Bosque Brewing and Ex Novo…
Travel Bug: Another beer option in Santa Fe (really!)
Santa Fe has nowhere near the number of breweries that Albuquerque has, but there’s one more than you probably realized. Travel Bug, a charming store specializing in all sorts of travel-related merchandise and books, recently began brewing their own beer. They had been serving coffee drinks, pastries, and sandwiches, but owner Greg Ohlsen decided that…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 