On this sometimes dreary Friday, Jason from the Bullpen and I trekked over to Rio Rancho to visit Blue Grasshopper in advance of their weekend-long grand opening. We met with brewer Peter Apers around midday and chatted about everything regarding this small but potential-laden local brewpub. First off, where is Blue Grasshopper? Well, hop on…
Tag: Boxing Bear Brewing Co.
More fun than a barrel of monkeys, er, beer, it’s NM Brew Fest 5
Beer festival season wraps up (sniff) in our state with the fifth annual NM Brew Fest at Expo New Mexico (the fairgrounds) this Saturday. It promises to go out with a bang, thanks to a special early event admission where you get to taste multiple barrel-aged beers brought in by the NM Brewers Guild. Yes,…
The Balloon Fiesta tourist’s guide to craft beer in New Mexico
It’s that time of year again, when lots of folks from outside Albuquerque and New Mexico descend upon the Duke City for the Balloon Fiesta. While a lot of us locals grumble about the increase in traffic, even we’re big softies for the Fiesta (assuming we wake up in time). Well, we are, our dogs…
A cider wins State Fair Pro-Am, beer drinkers weep
Despite the title above, I don’t mind a good cider every now and again. But, seriously, a cider won a beer competition? That was the case with this year’s State Fair Pro-Am competition for professional brewers. Santa Sidra’s A Tad Sweet was named Best of Show. Congrats to the folks at Santa Sidra, we’re sure…
Best of the Septemberfest beers
One festival down, many to go. Marble’s Septemberfest kicked off festival season on Saturday afternoon. It was a fun, efficiently-run event with a good crowd. Kudos to Ted and Amberly Rice and the hard-working Leah Black for putting it all together. It was never overcrowded and the beer line moved quickly. Remarkably, even with all…
Time to get festive with Marble’s Septemberfest
Beer festival season is upon us, the official kickoff to fall in Albuquerque. First up is Marble’s Septemberfest, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. this Saturday. Tickets are available online and at all three Marble locations. This year’s event will see some changes from previous formats, so to get the lowdown on…
Hefeweizen Challenge ’14 — A tournament of refreshment
The Dark Side Brew Crew gathered last weekend for a blind taste test to determine the best hefeweizen in the ABQ metro area. Mrs. Solo and I hosted the event with Stoutmeister, E-Rock, Porter Pounder, and Brandon present from the original Crew. Only Shilling was absent due to his job. Brandon’s awesome girlfriend Taylor handled…
New Mexico State Fair Pro-Am Competition gets underway
Now that the IPA Challenge it behind us, the next big competition for brewer bragging rights is starting this week, the annual State Fair Pro-Am brewing contest. This BJCP-sanctioned event will have both pro and amateur categories that will be judged separately. Beers can be entered in any BJCP style including meads and ciders. Entries…
Sneaking a taste at Boxing Bear
Boxing Bear Brewing Co. has opened to the general public today (Friday), marking the official debut of Albuquerque’s newest brewery on the west side. Being a bunch of well-connected beer writers, we got invites to a special “VIP party” on Thursday evening to try the beers and check out the renovated space near the intersection…
Boxing Bear Brewing ready to step into the ring
There is something about that new brewery smell that brings a smile to my face. It’s not even the wonderful aroma of the first batch of beer, since a lot of the time these first visits the Crew goes on are before brewing has even begun. It’s that smell of fresh paint, sawdust, and overall…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 