Hello a day early, as we wanted to make sure everyone has time to do their beer shopping before Thanksgiving. Our focus, though, is on the day after everyone gets gluttonous. Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, so more than ever, breweries are refuges from all that consumer madness. And, one…
Tag: Boxing Bear Brewing Co.
Boxing Bear rolls with the punches and holds fast amid industry downturn
Before we get to the kickoff Look Back/Look Ahead Series feature for 2025-26, we wanted to take a moment to explain how we are doing it a little different this year. None of us in the Crew, nor really the brewery staffers out there, have a lot of time on our hands these days. So…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Ending fest season with a double bang
It was bound to happen eventually, but it appears we are at the end of Oktoberfest season. Oh, some of those delicious lagers will still be available for a while, but the last two events we had on our radar are this Saturday. One is in Albuquerque, the other in Santa Fe, and both have…
Boxing Bear edges Downshift in closest IPA Challenge vote in many years
Back before the final round of the 2025 New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge, the Crew got all sentimental because it was going to be held at Canteen, the site of the first NMIPAC that we attended as a Crew back in 2012. Well, lo and behold, it was actually the 2016 NMIPAC that was…
First round of 2025 NM IPA Challenge features a crowd at the top
Back during the preliminary round of the 2025 New Mexico IPA Challenge, a few brewers told the Crew that it would be awfully hard for any of the quality ales featured to break away from the pack. The first round of public voting Saturday proved that prediction right, as three breweries tied with 12 votes…
Science of Beer returns to Explora with help from 6 local breweries
Way back in 2018, the Crew did a little preview of the Science of Beer event at Explora, and then went out and attended the event. What happened to those photos is a mystery lost to time, but the good news is we have a chance to rectify that as Science of Beer returns this…
Boxing Bear cleans up with 3 gold medals at NABA Beer and Cider Awards
The North American Brewers Association held their annual International Beer and Cider Awards competition recently, with winners announced late last week. Boxing Bear claimed three gold medals and Quarter Celtic picked up a bronze to represent New Mexico. Boxing Bear won for Albumurky in the Hazy or Juicy IPA category, Black Mesa Dunkel in the…
Game on! Boxing Bear kicks it up a notch for 2025 edition of Bear Fest
It’s time to get those competitive fires burning, because Bear Fest is back with a whole new setup of the ultimate backyard games, plus a new beer, food, music, vendors, merchandise and more this Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at Boxing Bear Firestone. I was joined by events coordinator Astrid Galarza, social media manager…
Boxing Bear bounces back from pair of bittersweet taproom closures
Whenever we set out to do a Look Back/Look Ahead Series article, at some of the larger breweries it can simply be about availability when it comes to which person or persons we interview. Of late, our Boxing Bear interviews have typically been with co-owner/director of brewing operations Justin Hamilton and/or events coordinator Astrid Galarza….
The Week Ahead in Beer: The stouts are the stars of this production
We led with the special stout releases last week and thought that we could switch it up this week. We were wrong. There’s so much stout goodness out there right now, it must take the lead. First up, La Cumbre’s 14th anniversary week continues with the re-release of 2023 La Negra in bottles and on…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 