Posts Tagged ‘Bosque Brewing’

ABQ Beer Week: Day Ten keeps it cool even in the sweltering heat

Posted: June 2, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

Gear up for one last big Saturday before it all ends for this year.

As we approach the end of Beer Week for 2018, the temperatures are a rising, so staying cool in the shade with a good pint or two is a must. Thankfully, there will be plenty to try today at events across town, from special releases to food pairings to even a mini lager festival.

Take note, however, the Crafts, Crops and Hops Beer Farmer’s Market scheduled for Canteen today has been postponed until later this summer. The special beer release set for today is still on, thankfully.

Featured Event

Every day we will pick what we consider the biggest, most interesting, most unique event. This does not mean you should go to only this event and ignore the rest. All of them deserve your attention, but realistically, you can probably only attend a few. So we will make our daily pick, and you can either jump on it, or declare the Crew is foolish (we kinda are) and pick your own.

What: Mini Lager Fest. Where: Ponderosa Brewing. When: Noon-4 p.m. Cost: $15.

Details: Seven breweries are gathering at Ponderosa for this festival celebrating the (underrated?) style. Your ticket gets you a sample of all the lagers, plus a pint of your favorite and a commemorative pint glass. Choose between Bosque Lager, Bow & Arrow’s Denim Tux Lager, Dialogue’s Maibock, Kellys’ American Pilsner, Marble’s Dortmunder Export, the Steel Bender/Flix Brewhouse collaboration Schnitz N Giggle, and a TBA lager from the hosts. There may also be an eighth brewery on hand, though that was not yet confirmed.

Why you should go: Lagers are perfect in these hot, dry days. Now you can either confirm that your favorite is the best in town, or discover a new lager that demands to be kept in your fridge via bottle, can, crowler, or growler.

All the other great events

What: Steel Bender Tap Takeover and Wild & Sour Charcuterie Pairing. Where: M’tucci’s Market and Pizzeria. When: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: A slew of big, funky beers are heading to the restaurant, including Ingenio, The Judy, and Bullet’s Reserve. They will be paired up with charcuterie boards. Why you should go: Satisfy your craving for some perfectly paired beers and food items.

What: Lawn Ninja Collaboration Beer Release. Where: Quarter Celtic Brewpub/Palmer Brewery. When: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Lawn Ninja is a rice ale, an easy-drinking beer that’s perfect for summer. Why you should go: Keep encouraging more collaborations between breweries by drinking their combined offerings.

What: Zafado Groove Beer Release. Where: Canteen Brewhouse. When: Noon-3 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy this Belgian ale with passionfruit aged in chardonnay barrels with brettanomyces. Why you should go: It’s big, sweet, and funky. Perfect for the patio.

What: Third Annual Food Truck Battle. Where: Red Door Brewing (Candelaria). When: Noon-4 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Five food trucks will be going head to head for the title of the Best of Albuquerque. You try the food and decide the winner, all while washing it down with some delicious Red Door beers. Why you should go: Who doesn’t like a good competition where the audience is the biggest winner? Because that’s what this is.

What: “Breakfast with the Boiz” Beer Release and Bash. Where: Santa Fe ABQ Taproom. When: Noon-3 p.m. Cost: $12. Details: Come enjoy brunch with two of Santa Fe’s top brewers, Bert and Dave, as they present a new beer made in the style of a traditional brass monkey. There will also be a Bloody Mary beer bar. For the ticket, you get a pint glass, one beer, and either a breakfast burrito from Chumlys or a stuffed, beer-battered jalapeno from Rockin’ Taco. Why you should go: Beer, bloody beer, food, and a chance to talk with the brewers. Sounds like a good start to the day.

What: 90s Beer Prom. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 8 p.m.-midnight. Cost: $25. Details: The theme is Under the Sea, dressing up 90s style is highly encouraged, and dancing like a fool is pretty much a requirement. It all supports TEDxABQ. Why you should go: Oh, just get goofy and let loose. Though the first of you to say “how old were people who went to prom in the 90s” gets dragged out and shot in the parking lot. (Kidding, just kidding. … Maybe.)

* * * * *

Got any questions, comments, complaints? Send them to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com, or leave them here on our site, on Facebook, on Twitter (@nmdarksidebc), or on Instagram.

Enjoy yourselves out there, but please, do it responsibly.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Advertisements

ABQ Beer Week: Day Seven goes to the casks

Posted: May 30, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
Tags: , , , , ,
1

We’re off to a metal show, but you should be off to indulge in the casks at Quarter Celtic.

Sometimes life leaves you with difficult decisions to make. In our case for this Beer Week, it was whether or not to stay in town or make an overnight run to Denver to see one of our favorite metal bands.

The chance to see Insomnium won out today.

For the rest of you who probably can’t make the drive up (work and all, right?), you can still make us jealous by hitting up some of the fun events today, particularly a certain mini cask fest.

Featured Event

Every day we will pick what we consider the biggest, most interesting, most unique event. This does not mean you should go to only this event and ignore the rest. All of them deserve your attention, but realistically, you can probably only attend a few. So we will make our daily pick, and you can either jump on it, or declare the Crew is foolish (we kinda are) and pick your own.

What: Mini Cask Fest. Where: Quarter Celtic Brewpub. When: 4-9 p.m. Cost: $5 per flight.

Details: Quarter Celtic will tap four special casks out on the patio. Grab a flight of all four — Pedro O’Flannigan on oak wood chips, Pedro with Mosaic hops, Crimson Lass infused with chai tea, Mor-Buck IPA double dry hopped with Azacca distilled hop cloves — and/or a pint of your favorite.

Why you should go: Two variations of a World Beer Cup medal winner? Plus the Lass and IPA? Oh, man, maybe we should turn the car around.

All the other great events

What: Rebel Donut Pairing. Where: Tractor Four Hills. When: 3-7 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Four special Rebel Donuts will be paired with four Tractor beers. Why you should go: Donuts and beer. Donuts and beer. Need we say more?

What: Marble and M’tucci’s Pairing. Where: Marble Heights. When: 5-8 p.m. Cost: $25. Details: Instead of beer and cheese, this time around it will be a tray of cured meats paired up with some delicious Marble beers. Tapped for this event are Session White, Amber, Kentucky Julep, and Rita. Why you should go: It’s rare to see M’tucci’s this far across the river, so take advantage and get some noshing in with your weekly (daily?) visit to the taproom.

What: Brain Gang Trivia Beer Edition. Where: Canteen Brewhouse. When: 6-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The weekly trivia event goes with a full beer theme (of course). You can win anywhere from $10 to $25 in Canteen house cash, and it’s free to join. Why you should go: Win beer trivia to get beer money. What a brilliant concept.

What: Star Wars Themed Beer Crawl. Where: Bosque Nob Hill, Kellys Brew Pub, Hops Brewery, Tractor Nob Hill. When: 7-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Go full cosplay and head out from Bosque’s Public House. There will be trivia, prizes, and $1 off your first pint at each location. Why you should go: Oh, come on, you started the month wearing costumes for May the 4th Be With You, so put ’em back on and go enjoy some beer and fun.

* * * * *

Got any questions, comments, complaints? Send them to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com, or leave them here on our site, on Facebook, on Twitter (@nmdarksidebc), or on Instagram.

Enjoy yourselves out there, but please, do it responsibly.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Day Three brings out the ridiculous indulgence times 10

Posted: May 26, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Set yourself free on Day Three as Nexus turns 7, Marble brunches with the brewers, and more!

Anyone else get wiped out by the 21 and Over event at Sister last night? There were so many good beers, it took a big bite out of us. Nevertheless, we push forward for more!
Nexus’ anniversary may loom as the dominant even today, but there are 10 total events, the most of any day this Beer Week, so take your pick and properly pace yourselves.

Featured Event

Every day we will pick what we consider the biggest, most interesting, most unique event. This does not mean you should go to only this event and ignore the rest. All of them deserve your attention, but realistically, you can probably only attend a few. So we will make our daily pick, and you can either jump on it, or declare the Crew is foolish (we kinda are) and pick your own.

What: Nexus’ Seventh Anniversary Party. Where: Nexus Brewery. When: 11 a.m. to close. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Ken’s red chile ribs will be available, along with music from Racine Creole. Enjoy some pints of the Notorious BUN (Big Ugly Nasty) IPA and Beam Me Up Scotty and celebrate seven years of one of our all-time favorite brewpubs!

Why you should go: Really? You need a reason? Besides the delicious, delicious food? And the amazing beers? There is no hope for you if you say no. Not enough parking? Uber/Lyft. Too long for a table? Snack before you get there (the smell of the food will instantly make you hungry again). Anything else? We will smack you upside the head. Seriously, we will. NOW FEAST.

All the other great events

What: Brewer’s Brunch. Where: Marble Westside. When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: $25. Details: Join brewmasters Ted Rice and Josh Trujillo for this edition of the brunch, where patrons get to enjoy a full meal from Ohana Hut paired with Marble beers, and learn all about Marble beers and the process by which they’re created from the brewers themselves. Why you should go: For once, let someone else besides me (Stoutmeister) tell you about a key chapter in the beer history of New Mexico, plus beer and food come with it.

What: Pedals and Pints with Oompa Lupulin DIPA Release. Where: Canteen Brewhouse. When: Noon-11 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Ride your bike to the brewery and get discounts on the beer, including the new Oompa Lupulin. Why you should go: With all the beer dinners and food pairings fattening you up, take a day to get some exercise while still trying some delicious beers.

What: Double Beer Release and Food Pairing with Malaguena’s. Where: High and Dry Brewing. When: Noon. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy two new beers, The Sun Never Sweats (Thai Wheat Ale) and Smell the Glove (Rye Ale), paired with shrimp skewers with curry cocktail sauce and BBQ brisket burnt ends, respectively, until the supply runs out. Why you should go: That does sound like a darn tasty way to enjoy the afternoon on High and Dry’s wonderful patio.

What: Cider-day Night Fever. Where: Tractor Nob Hill. When: 1-11 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy some of the finest ciders from Tractor plus guests Boxing Bear, Black Mesa Winery, Palmer, and Red Door, plus DJ Dave 12 will be spinning classic disco hits starting at 8 p.m. Why you should go: Drink lots of cider, then dance off the added pounds at the end of the night.

What: Pig Roast and Marble Special Keg Tapping. Where: Freight House (Bernalillo). When: 1 p.m. Cost: $15.99. Details: Feast upon some fresh roasted pig from the matanza pit while enjoying some delicious Marble IPA-X. Why you should go: Meat. Hops. It’s all a growing boy (or girl) needs.

What: Bell’s Brewery Tasting. Where: Albertsons Enchanted Hills (Rio Rancho). When: 3-5 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Try some of Bell’s finest packaged beers for free, then buy your favorites and take them home. Why you should go: It always seems like the beer tastings are in Albuquerque, so go get ‘em Rio Rancho residents.

What: Beer Dinner with Bosque and Upslope. Where: M’tucci’s Italian Market and Pizzeria. When: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Cost: $75 ($55 for brewery industry employees). Details: A five-course meal, with each dish paired with one beer apiece from Bosque and Upslope. Call (505) 639-4819 for reservations. Why you should go: Yeah, it is expensive, but the menu sure looks delicious. Click on the M’tucci’s Facebook page to see what’s being served.

What: Beer-rita Release and Selena Covers. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 8-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Casey Mraz and Amanda Machon (Red Light Cameras) will be singing the late pop singer’s biggest hits, plus Tractor releases its first Beer-rita. Why you should go: Two talented musicians plus a new beer? What more do you want?

What: DJ Graemater with Afro Beats. Where: Nexus Silver Taproom. When: 8:30 p.m.-Midnight. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Get your dancing shoes on and enjoy the anniversary beers, Beam Me Up Scotty and Notorious BUN IPA, all while staying close to home on the west side (should you live that way). Why you should go: The west side is lacking in places to enjoy music and beer, so live it up.

* * * * *

Got any questions, comments, complaints? Send them to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com, or leave them here on our site, on Facebook, on Twitter (@nmdarksidebc), or on Instagram.

Enjoy yourselves out there, but please, do it responsibly.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Day Two goes big because it knows no other way

Posted: May 25, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

It’s a fairly mellow Friday … oh, wait, no it’s not, mainly because of one bonkers tapping after another.

That was still a lot of beer on Thursday, but we gotta admit that we like limiting the number of events to 10 or less per day. It keeps us more focused, cuts down on our Lyft/Uber expenses, and so on.

There are only six events today. Each one is a little different, yet we cannot take our eyes off one particular downtown gathering.

Featured Event

Every day we will pick what we consider the biggest, most interesting, most unique event. This does not mean you should go to only this event and ignore the rest. All of them deserve your attention, but realistically, you can probably only attend a few. So we will make our daily pick, and you can either jump on it, or declare the Crew is foolish (we kinda are) and pick your own.

What: 21 and Over. Where: Sister. When: 5-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Eight breweries that have been around for 21 or more years are coming to Sister, each with a rare beer (or two) for this special event. Feeling light? There’s Four Peaks’ Green Tea Lager or Sierra Nevada’s Kolsch German-Style Ale. Feeling hoppy? Rogue’s Combat Wombat could be your ticket, or perhaps Bell’s Double Two Hearted. Feel like puckering up? Odell’s ’16 Meddler or New Belgium’s Clutch Sour Stout could whet your whistle. Feeling malty? There’s a choice between Left Hand’s Chai Milk Stout Nitro, Firestone Walker’s ’17 Helldorado, and Bell’s 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve.

Why you should go: There are not your regular beers on the shelves at liquor and grocery stores across town. There’s a little something for everyone here. We can’t think of a better way to kick off your weekend.

All the other great events

What: Beam Me Up Scotty Release. Where: Nexus Brewery. When: All day. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Just in time for the anniversary party, this Scottish Wee Heavy returns to taps with a burly, malty base and a slight peaty/smoky kick. Why you should go: Get some now before the place gets packed for the anniversary party, which you should still attend, but this will give you time to truly enjoy this beer slowly without anyone eyeing your table.

What: Bosque Tasting. Where: Jubilation. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Rather than just bring beers to taste, Bosque is teaming up with Carnivore Popcorn. Try some Bosque Lager with Hollypeno popcorn, Elephants on Parade with Sour Apple popcorn, Bosque IPA with Garlic Rosemary popcorn, and Scotia Scotch Ale with Cinnamon Caramel Espresso popcorn. Why you should go: If you did not get simultaneously hungry and thirsty reading those details, go see a doctor, now.

What: Founders KBS ’17/18 Vertical. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 5-7 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Remember when the Crew did our latest ridiculous review of this classic barrel-aged stout? Well, now you can do your own version by trying the 2017 and 2018 versions side-by-side. Why you should go: You get to grab some delicious food while trying a couple of big beers. Hey, you gotta eat dinner at some point, right?

What: ABQ Trolley Company’s The Hopper—A hop-on, hop-off brew cruise. Where: Red Door Downtown, Duel Downtown, Marble Downtown, Rio Bravo. When: 6:30-11 p.m. Cost: $25. Details: Hop on the trolley, hop off at a brewery, enjoy a pint, and repeat. With trolleys running every 30 minutes or so, there will be stops at Red Door’s downtown taproom, Duel’s taproom, Marble, and Rio Bravo. Why you should go: Feel like a pub crawl? Worried about your car? Leave it at home and leave the driving to these good folks.

What: Beer Release & Folk Covers of Radiohead. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: A slew of local musicians will be covering the band, while Tractor releases its next entry in the Beer for a Better Burque (BBB) series, Peach Chinook Common with gold glitter, which will benefit Equality New Mexico. Why you should go: Radiohead might be not our thing, but maybe it’s yours. Also, you gotta admit to be curious about an actual glitter beer.

* * * * *

Got any questions, comments, complaints? Send them to nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com, or leave them here on our site, on Facebook, on Twitter (@nmdarksidebc), or on Instagram.

Enjoy yourselves out there, but please, do it responsibly.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Bosque serves up a new project with an uplifting twist

Posted: May 15, 2018 by cjax33 in Interviews, News, Taproom Preview
Tags:
1

The future home of Restoration Pizza by Bosque Brewing, across the parking lot from Cabela’s.

While doing a weekly perusal of pending small brewer licenses, the Crew stumbled upon a new one that threw us off for a minute. Restoration Pizza by Bosque Brewing was a new addition, but also one we had heard nothing about. After contacting the Bosque staff, they were also a bit surprised.

That was due to a switch in the licensing with the State of New Mexico.

“I got a phone call on Thursday saying they received it, but they couldn’t accept it,” managing director Gabe Jensen said. “Then you email me on Sunday. How in the world did that happen?”

Well, the State is slow to change things on its website, but the point is that this new project is still happening, with only a change to where it will be one of the three potential new taprooms to come out of the Bosque North production facility in Bernalillo. No matter the license, the point of Restoration Pizza is to offer up something new, but with a distinct Bosque flavor.

“The long and short of it, it’s a simple pizza, salad, and beer joint, that’s it,” Gabe said. “(But) the concept is different than what we’ve always done.”

The difference will be in the employees. Restoration Pizza will have 50 to 70 percent of its staff made up of people with physical and mental disabilities. The restaurant will be located at the Legacy at Journal Center complex off Jefferson that is anchored by Cabela’s. The 3,400-square foot space will be inside the building on the east side of the property.

Gabe said the idea was born out of a series of conversations with one of his friends, Nathan Winham.

“He had a program in Arkansas where he did work programs for individuals with (cerebral palsy), Down’s Syndrome, autism, and we were talking about him starting up another one here in New Mexico,” Gabe said. “He was lamenting on how hard it is; you have to get grants (and) it’s going to take a long time. After a few conversations with him, and then conversations with Jess and Jotham and John, we were like can we just do this without all the red tape. Can we make a program, a concept that works with that?”

Along with Bosque director of culture and engagement Jess Griego, director of operations Jotham Michnovicz, and brewmaster John Bullard, Gabe and David came up with a plan.

“When we announced it internally, I think the mantra was making things better,” Jotham said. “That’s one of the things we really want to do in New Mexico and lives in general is just make things better. We’re trying to create a cooperative environment that allows people competitive and fair wages, when that would not necessarily be an opportunity under other circumstances. The dignity of human life is a big deal to us. That’s one of the things we’re striving for in all capacities, whether it’s a co-worker or a customer.”

Jess added that it fits the Bosque model of engaging with the community.

“We really want to create a environment that’s going to enhance the lives of our co-workers, all these new co-workers as well, (and) create a community around this Restoration Pizza that kind of engages the community more and makes an impact,” she said. “We’re always looking for those opportunities internally. And then, to have this new branch of our company that’s going to hopefully provide that even more for a wider range of people with different abilities is really exciting to us. It’s a lot of gray areas and unknowns that we need to sort out still, but I think overall usually our mission is to make things better, to engage our community, to outdo ourselves. This opportunity, I think, is going to be a shining example.”

The plan is to have Restoration Pizza open before the end of 2018. Bosque will also be working with Adelante Development Center, a local non-profit that works with differently abled persons.

It will only be the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of projects for the Bosque staff, who continue to push the company forward. The Bernalillo facility is nearly finished, though no exact opening date has been set, while ground should be broken soon on the Open Space project along the Interstate 25 frontage road, which will replace the current San Mateo brewery and taproom. After all that is completed? Oh, we expect Bosque is far from done.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Sabroso Festival combines craft beer, tacos and punk rock

Posted: April 27, 2018 by cjax33 in Events
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
3

The last beer festival at Isleta Pavilion was the lone Blues & Brews to appear there back in 2013.

Friends of friends were happy to inform us that the upcoming Sabroso Festival, scheduled for this Sunday at the Isleta Pavilion, was a fun event in its California stops. The setup for the Albuquerque edition, however, has hit some bumps in the road, as breweries have reported major issues with getting their permits approved due to problems the event organizers are having with New Mexico laws.

Of the 18 listed breweries on the event website, three have confirmed they will not attend — Eske’s, Kaktus, and Starr Brothers — due to permitting issues. Four have yet to respond to our inquiries, so their status is unknown at this time (though Sierra Blanca did say on an Instagram post that it will be there). Here are the beer lists for those who did get back to us.

  • UPDATED—Ale Republic: Parasol, Bernalillo Weisse, Blonde, Double Trouble, Zero to Hero (Zero IBU IPA), Sombra (American Stout)
  • Bosque: Bosque Lager, Elephants on Parade, Bosque IPA, Scotia Scotch Ale
  • Bow & Arrow: Denim Tux Lager, Desert Rambler Hefeweizen, Savage Times Sour IPA, Nomadico IPA
  • Boxing Bear: Cider, Ambear, Paw Swipe Pale Ale, Uppercut IPA, Chocolate Milk Stout
  • Canteen: Flashback IPA, High Plains Pils, Dougie Style Amber, Rapsberry Wheat, Exodus IPA, Laid Back Lager
  • Little Toad Creek: Copper Ale, E9 Pale Ale, Grumpy Old Troll IPA, Pendejo Porter
  • Marble: Passionate Gose, Cholo Stout, Imperial Red, Double IPA, Pilsner, Double White
  • Picacho Peak: Picacho Lite, New England IPA, Black IPA, Dunkelweizen, Chocolate Porter
  • Red Door: Vanilla Cream Ale, Roamer Red, Threshold IPA, Unhinged Cider
  • Steel Bender: Skull Bucket IPA, Steel Bender Lager, The Village Wit, Raspberry Dynamite, Out to Pasture Brett Saison, Zest Out

The unknown breweries besides Sierra Blanca are Abbey Brewing, Santa Fe, and Tractor.

There is also something called Revolver Brewing, which is owned by Miller Coors, a subsidiary of ABInBev, so we do not consider that a craft brewery worth listing here.

All that being said, this still has the potential to be a fun event. It will run from 1 p.m. (noon for VIP ticket holders) until 10 p.m. The event is 21 and over from 1 to 3, then all ages after that. Craft beer tastings last until 4 p.m., then you have to pay by the pint. There may still be tickets online, but reports say it will be sold out by Sunday, so do not wait to try to get your tickets at the gates.

The music is headlined by 90s SoCal punk bands The Offspring and Pennywise, with Los Kung Fu Monkeys (3-3:30), Unwritten Law (3:55-4:30), Lit (5-5:45), and Street Dogs (6:15-7) in support. Pennywise follows from 7:30 to 8:30, with The Offspring finishing it all off from 9 to 10:05.

The website says there will be 24 different taco vendors on hand. There will also be Luche Libre wrestling matches for your entertainment, starting at 12:30 p.m., with the championship match at 3:30.

Hopefully this all goes off without a hitch and we all have fun this Sunday.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Rock & Brews offers up multi-brewery beer dinner

Posted: March 26, 2018 by cjax33 in Events, News
Tags: , , , , ,
1

Rock & Brews will host a special beer dinner Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of Rock & Brews)

Beer dinners are plentiful in this day and age, but they are almost always limited to a single brewery’s offerings. Well, the folks at Rock & Brews decided that it was time to pair up some of their excellent food with beers from more than one brewery.

The dinner will take place Tuesday night at 7, costing $40 per person, or two for $70. Guests will be greeted with a welcome pint of Santa Fe’s Freestyle Pilsner. The four-course meal will feature the following pairings with local and regional beers.

  • Cheese (goat, green chile cheddar, gouda) and cracker trio, paired with Great Divide’s Roadie Grapefruit Radler
  • Braeburn apple salad adorned with Strongbow Cherry Blossom Cider vinaigrette, paired with Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing IPA
  • Surf (garlic butter shrimp) and turf (grilled Asian-marinated tri-tip) with braised local greens and carrot ginger mash, paired with Bosque’s Scotia Scotch Ale
  • Pineapple upside-down cake with vanilla stout creme anglaise atop vanilla ice cream, paired with Avery’s Tweak

Tickets are available at Rock & Brews, but as the time goes closer make sure to call first at (505) 340-2953.

Thanks to Angelo Orona of Craft King Consulting for putting this together, and for the heads up.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Only one New Mexico IPA still alive in National IPA Challenge

Posted: March 18, 2018 by cjax33 in National IPA Challenge 2018
Tags: ,
0

No, this is totally not a hint as to which brewery’s IPA advanced at the National IPA Challenge.

The Dandy Dozen was reduced to six at the National IPA Challenge this weekend, with one of the two remaining New Mexico entries advancing to the championship qualifier of its respective bracket. It probably was not the one most people expected.

Two-time past champion Scale Tipper from Bosque was ousted in the fifth round, while Canteen’s Hop Baller survived to fight another week. Scale Tipper lost to Triumvirate from Rueben’s Brews in a semifinal of the Bracket 2 championship qualifier, ending its bid to become the first three-time champion in the history of the event held annually by the Brewing News. Scale Tipper is still the only back-to-back winner (2015, 2016), and one of only two IPAs with multiple wins, the other being La Cumbre’s Project Dank (2014, 2017).

If New Mexico is to make it five titles in a row, it will be up to Hop Baller. Canteen head brewer Zach Guilmette told us this week that was surprised Hop Baller advanced further than his other entry, Tuttle IPA, but he was quite happy to make it as far as being one of the last 12 IPAs standing. Now, Hop Baller is one of the final six. It upended Barley Brown’s Pallet Jack, the 2013 champion that had previously eliminated Project Dank back in the second round and The 377’s El Cucuy in the first round. Hop Baller kept Pallet Jack from being a three-time NM killer.

Next up for Hop Baller is a showdown with Tricksters Brewing’s JuiceBox IPA. The winner of Bracket 3 will go head-to-head with the winners of Brackets 1 and 2 for the championship, though we are not quite sure of how the format will work as this year was the first time the main IPA bracket had to be split into three.

Results from the next round of the NIPAC should be posted next weekend. Good luck to Hop Baller!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

National IPA Challenge: Only 2 New Mexico entries remain

Posted: March 11, 2018 by cjax33 in National IPA Challenge 2018
Tags: , , ,
1

Who will harness the power of the hop to bring back NIPAC glory to New Mexico?

The many brackets of the National IPA Challenge are down to just a few remaining hop bombs, with only two New Mexico entries advancing to the fifth round. Bosque’s Scale Tipper, a two-time past champion, and Canteen’s Hop Baller are all that remains from the original list of 42 local beers that started the competition.

Scale Tipper topped a big challenger in Lynwood Brewing’s Hop Sauce in the fourth round. Next up is Reuben’s Brews’ Triumvirate. The winner of that matchup will move on to the championship qualifier at the end of bracket 2 of the regular IPA bracket (as a reminder, there are three separate brackets of 64 that make up the regular IPA overall bracket; yes, that is a lot of beer). Karl Strauss’ Boat Shoes and Melvin’s Hubert are the other IPAs still alive in bracket 2. Take note, Scale Tipper is back on tap at Bosque, so you can see how good this batch is for a limited time at the brewery.

Hop Baller moved on with a victory over Ipswich Ale Brewery’s Ipswich 1620. Canteen’s entry will now face the powerhouse Pallet Jack from Barley Brown’s Beer, which knocked out defending champion Project Dank from La Cumbre back in the second round (and The 377’s El Cucuy before that). The winner of that bracket 3 matchup will take on either Tricksters Brewing’s JuiceBox or Knee Deep Brewing’s Breaking Bud.

Bowing out of the competition in the fourth round was Boxing Bear’s Uppercut, which fell to Old First Ward’s The Streaker in bracket 1. The Streaker had also ousted Three Rivers’ IPAC Nugs back in the second round.

The final entry in the Session IPA bracket, Bosque’s Southwest Session, saw its run end in the semifinals. Fat Heads’ Sunshine Daydream, one of the best session IPAs in the country, proved victorious in the semifinals.

The final entry in the Specialty IPA bracket, Steel Bender’s Manana, was knocked out in the quarterfinals by El Segundo’s Cerveza Fresca Guava. It was still an impressive run for Steel Bender in its first NIPAC appearance.

When the fifth-round results are posted next weekend, we will share them here. Until then, hail the hop!

— Stoutmeister

Bosque North inching closer to completion in Bernalillo

Posted: March 5, 2018 by cjax33 in New Brewery Preview
Tags:
1

The new production facility in Bernalillo is coming together at last.

Bosque North has been a long time coming. After numerous delays, fits and starts, and plenty of headaches, the old Jackalope Building on Highway 550 in Bernalillo is finally taking shape. I took up brewmaster John Bullard on his invitation to stop by for a visit on Friday. We grabbed our hard hats and headed into the construction zone.

Virtually nothing is left of the old building, save for the huge metal beams and trusses that made up its skeleton. A new skin of metal has (almost) the entire building covered. Inside, everything is taking shape, from the brewery area, to the upstairs offices, and what will eventually be the taproom areas where customers can come and enjoy a pint right next to the actual Bosque wilderness. The building sits atop a hill on the west bank of the Rio Grande, leading to some truly spectacular views from what will eventually be the second-floor outer patio.

The front entrance will lead customers into the downstairs portion of the taproom, while also allowing them to look into the brewery beyond.

Rather than continue to try and explain it all in words, here are a few of the many photos from inside and outside the building.

There will be an outdoor bar for those who just want to chill on the downstairs patio.

The main brewery floor already has the 30-barrel brewhouse in place, plus a whole lot of 90- and 120-barrel fermenters.

The brewhouse was made to fit the existing structure.

Another view of just how big the tanks are inside the brewery.

A look at the loading ramp around the back (north) side of the building.

The silo is in place, but John said it will get a paint job with the Bosque logo soon.

Looking up at the second floor, where there will be a patio area for customers.

Inside the big tower on the southeast corner of the building. Customers can hold small, private events in here.

Customers will be able to look down into the brewery below.

The Bosque staff will have their offices in the northeast corner of the building.

Did we mention the awesome views from the second floor? The Sandias look a bit different from this angle, as John pointed out. Also of note, the widening of 550 is underway to try to help alleviate the horrific traffic problems in the area.

Looking to the northeast gives a clear view of the brewery’s namesake wilderness. Not visible in this photo, but visible from the deck on a clear day are the mountains above Santa Fe, too.

A huge thanks to brewmaster/tour guide/jack-of-all trades John Bullard.

As one can tell from the photos, no firm opening date has been set for Bosque North. The vision of what it will become, however, is clearer than ever. We cannot wait to return, sans hard hats, and enjoy a pint or two from that second floor patio. A huge thanks to John for the tour.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Older Entries