On the one hand, congratulations to Second Street. On the other hand, oof, what a tough year for New Mexico breweries at the Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony. Second Street earned a bronze for one of their house beers, Rod’s Best Bitter, in the Extra Special Bitter category. RBB beat out another 58 beers…
Great American Beer Festival underway once again in Denver
Once upon a time, the Crew was all about the Great American Beer Festival. One or more of us was there every year between 2016-19, plus 2022 when it returned after the pandemic. Since then? Eh, not a high priority on our annual calendar. It’s not necessarily the fault of the event itself. Surge pricing…
A familiar face in a new place: Canteen stays local with new head brewer
Will Moorman was a familiar face to anyone who visited Flix Brewhouse on the westside from the time it opened in 2017 to around the pandemic era. After all, they slapped a life-sized cut-out of him on the brewery door for all the movie and beer patrons to see. Then Moorman climbed the ladder and…
The Week Ahead in Beer: The Beast arrives for special occasion down south
And, we’re back! An epic two-week vacation has concluded, all Crew members have returned safely, and I did not buy everything at the Bayern Munich store (it was tempting, however). Now, I could sit here and regale everyone with the tales of our trek through Europe, but that would be silly. If anyone out there…
2025 Balloon Fiesta tourist guide to local craft breweries
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is back in town, having started this past Saturday and running through the following weekend. This is the biggest annual tourism draw in Albuquerque, and while we realize this means the restaurants will be packed and the roads will be clogged, we recognize the massive economic impact it provides to…
Book-signing and hike this Saturday in Los Alamos
Not all of the crew is lucky enough to go drinking exotic beers in exotic lands. I’m sneaking in an article during the site’s hiatus to remind everyone that Kevin Holsapple, local author and beer/hiking aficionado, is hosting a book-signing and hike with Bathtub Row Brewing this Saturday in Los Alamos. (See our earlier article…
The Crew is going on vacation and the site will take a two-week hiatus
So a while back, some of us in the Crew had a discussion about what was left on our beer bucket lists. You know, those beer-centered trips to special places or events. I got to go to Oktoberfest in Munich back in the early 1980s, but I was just a wee kinder, and all I…
The Week Ahead in Beer: So many celebrations so little time
Man, did we pick the wrong stretch to go on vacation. Well, not really, but more on that Thursday. For those who will be in New Mexico over the next three weeks, there is a heck of a lot to do. Pace yourselves, please, one and all. You will notice the events section is three…
A family affair: Rio Bravo prepares to celebrate 10 years of living bold
It only seems like yesterday that I walked into the old Firestone Tire building at Second Street and McKnight Ave to gaze upon an empty concrete structure that would become Rio Bravo Brewing. Well, actually, it was January 29, 2015 when I was invited over by co-owner Randy Baker to check out the place as…
The Week Ahead in Beer: One brewery could use an extra boost in sales
The crime problem in Albuquerque has hit breweries in the past, and this week it struck again. Calavida Cantina, previously known as Vision City, was hit by a thief who disabled their alarm system, crawled in through a skylight, and proceeded to rob the taproom of just about anything and everything he could take. As…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 