Posts Tagged ‘La Cumbre Brewing’

A murder of hops: Diving deep into all the IPA variants

Posted: July 9, 2017 by Franz Solo in Beer Review
Tags: ,
0

El Jugo, a beer so good even Stoutmeister’s hop-fearing relatives were enjoying it!

As this is the season of the zenith in hop dominance in our fair land, Brandon and I, Franz Solo, took it upon ourselves to seek out new hops and new hopilizations. We boldly went … (cue Beastie Boys’ Sabotage while tooling along in a fire apple red Trans Am circa 1970 with T-Tops) to the edge of hops and back, and what follows is our tale — The Tale of Sir Hopsilot.

We began our quest in the fair lands of La Cumbre, where we found the juices flowing with the freshest of batches of El Jugo and the hop maidens well …

La Cumbre El Jugo

Franz Solo: Aroma of orange and citrus juice, with a hair of Simcoe. Tastes just like the name says, Jugo, juice. That makes me think about breakfast, and well, this is an excellent breakfast beer. Light mouthfeel and quite tart. Floral and refreshing. Name a common tropical or semi-tropical fruit and you could quite well make the argument for finding a little of this flavor, a little of that flavor, and so on and so forth. This isn’t quite one style nor another established style, we’ve gone out on our own, pure gonzo hops, er … maybe you could just shove me into … Madness. Well, crisp fresh as hell hop madness that is.

I dig it, not really New England not really NM, doing what it wants according to the whims of the great magnet.

These come in four packs, so I had a second chance, and third, and fourth to pontificate the luscious and well juicy …

Second go-round: Still juicy, sweet then tart as the name and label suggest. Even after a Stone Ruinten, I can still taste the layers of pithy citrus flesh hops of this magnificent fresh offering to the hop gods. Somewhere between the Elevated and the Dank and the Nelson twins (Father and Full) is where the theme of this beer lies. Fresh and filled with life like a summer morning, the color of the marigolds on my back patio, both French and African varieties transfigured from the apprehension of color into the sense of taste, with vigorous young and a lively passion. That is what this tastes like to me.

Brandon’s notes: El Good-o … er, El Jugo, is a beer that could convert my previous bias against this style. Pleasantly fragrant, citrus notes of lemon and a mild floral bouquet, not dank or pungent, but still lets you know it has hops. The palate is, as Franz said and the name implies, juicy. A fresh squeezed glass o’ goodness. Could be part of a balanced breakfast in my house. Drinks easily, light malt base makes for an easy drinking and surprisingly clean finishing beer for this variety of beer.

From the fair lands of La Cumbre we headed north to the mountains of old Santa Fe, where we found an IPA on the very peaks of old Baldy where the elk do dwell. Of the 7k, this is our summation.

Santa Fe 7k

Just looking at 7K you can almost smell that beautiful aroma through your screen.

Franz Solo: On to being so high right now … er, 7k to be precise. Sweet orange tangerine with some dank overtones, and undertones/throughtones/betweentones, and so on and so forth. A little berry and a hint of pine to finish the aroma and flavor both. Flavor is crisp and carries back with a hair of sweet orange grapefruit, mid to front, that permeates the onslaught. A bit of lemon or some sourish lemongrass punctuate this splendid new unique addition to the ranks of such venerated offerings as (in no particular order) La Cumbre’s Elevated, Tractor’s Almanac, and Marble’s IPA as year-round hop offerings readily accessible to us in the Duke City. Initial aroma is like a mango peach, second can in. There are some very nice cannabis-esque notes smack in the middle of this delight. Very bright beer that has an abundance of hop character, yet remains quite quaffable. This takes me back to the summertime in the mountains around Santa Fe, circa the early 2000s, quaffing some of those first groundbreaking IPAs after a hard day of work. Grab a sixer of this and climb up Mount Atalaya or Santa Fe Baldy and take some 7k even higher.

Brandon’s notes: Let’s get down to brass tacks — how much for all of the 7k available? Because I wish to drink it all. This has to win a special award just for its aromatics, because those slight lemongrass, pineapple, and floral notes are outstanding. The body is pure grapefruit, pineapple, and some mango punch as well. Finishes extra clean, crisp, and a subtle malt base gives a good backing. SFBC crafted an excellent IPA here.

From the mountains of old Santa Fe, our quest took us east to the haven of the Dogfish, where strange brewings are known to occur.

Dogfish Head Romantic Chemistry

Weird? Well, yeah, it’s a Dogfish Head beer.

Franz Solo: Like 60-minute with an apricot nose, peach, and just a hint of ginger. For a sessionable East Coast variant, this ain’t half bad. At least the fruit is not cloying, but I’d like a more prominent showing from some of my favorite things. Fond memories from childhood of my maternal grandfather’s apricot trees in the summer, when we’d run around in the sprinklers, which were fed off the well he dug himself in the North Valley. The mango does blend extremely well with the apricot, I must say, and the light kick of ginger finishes with a nice bright flourish. It’s no doubt the Burqueno in me wants to take this beer and increase basically every flavor present by a factor of three or more. Overall, an interesting and tasty experience.

From the Atlantic, we headed to the Pacific to find the great Gargoyle of Stone Brewing, legendary beast of the grand mosh pit of hops, to see what offering he had in store for us.

Stone Ruinten with Orange Peel and Vanilla Bean

Zing! Pow! Stone, you have done it again.

Franz Solo: Smells like a sweet, hoppy dreamsicle. Loads of slightly bitter orange rind gives way to the veritable mosh pit of good old bitter hops that are the signature of the behemoth, and are wrapped in sweet vanilla, which punctuates the afterburners. I do mean afterburners like the afterglow … er … a plethora of tangy citrus and pine woven in a tapestry of sweet black vanilla. As one who enjoyed first Stone IPA, then Ruination, and at last Ruinten in the early 2000s, this is somewhat of a curveball, which I’m entirely sure will be a delight to some and a dreadful letdown to others. When they added orange and vanilla they went full on Crime and Punishment status (some of my favorite spicy-as-hell ales, check the archives if you want a more detailed description of the experience of each) and, well, I definitely enjoy a dreamsicle, always have. As I delve deeper and slake my thirst on this scorcher of a day, ye olde mosh pit of hops starts to begin to resemble what I know lurks in these golden depths. The deception of this beer when cold and after a half hour or so quite amuses me, actually. We have our old friend in what at first taste is a nice, sweet vanilla-hopped ale, but what emerges is a delightful and brutal bitter twist, like showing up for a blues band and getting some full on black metal blasted in your face in hop form. I dig this spicy, almost peppery orange pine odd fellow. Now for the rub. I as a person love strange and bold variations on a theme. Now, would I take this over a straight on Ruinten? Well, depends on the day, really. Some will agree, some disagree, but hell, variety maketh life worth living, and I’m maybe a little inspired to make some damn crazy sounding and tasting beers of my own, drinking in the vein of this year’s locally available Ruinten. If you want something familiar, have a 505 staple local IPA. You want to buy the ticket, take the ride, and go on a taste adventure, then have at you!

Brandon’s notes: I’ve become acclimated to the past editions of Ruinten, so having a variant with orange peel and vanilla bean was slightly jarring. At first, the aroma is all zest, pine, and subtle grapefruit … not bad so far. But, upon the first few sips, I felt the need to punch drywall; all I got initially was heavy, bitter orange peel, some Northwestern earthy/pine notes, and a touch of lime zest as well. This has always been a beer that punches you hard with a ton of IBUs, but my initial impressions weren’t favorable. But, good things take time; as it opened up over about 10 to 15 minutes, the orange citrus and vanilla bean notes popped a lot more. At this point, you will get more of an orange soda/vanilla float with an overload of hops experience. Doesn’t sound good? It actually is. Just remember to let it open in your glass and you will have a solid triple IPA experience.

* * * * *

We returned, at long last, to our homeland, where we found the following challengers to the throne of pure hops, the very Graal of hops for us, as it were.

Current local offerings are as follows:

Challenge IPA 3, Bosque

Don’t Call it a Comeback IPA, Bosque

Bear Knuckle IPA, Boxing Bear

(Forthcoming) TKO Triple IPA, Boxing Bear

Lucha Lupulin IPA, Canteen

Juiced Gondola Party, Quarter Celtic

Project El CuCuy DIPA, The 377 Brewery

Up north in Santa Fe:

Gatekeeper IPA, Blue Corn

#19 IPA, Second Street

We suggest you go out and enjoy these listed, and all the rest of the advancing IPAs from the grand duel of the IPA Challenge, for this foul year of our dark lord, 2017, and dance with the fair green hop dragon!

I entreat you all to relish in this time of the great jousting of hop-laden warhorses and explore not only our fair New Mexico, but the hops of the great beyond. May your palates be never overcome with bitterness, and your hop aromas ever divine, for this is the season of the great Graal of the Lupulin, and we the Knights of the Venerated Hops. Drink well of the hop bombs, and I’ll see you all at the finals of this year’s New Mexico IPA Challenge!

Skål!

— Franz Solo

Tapping Party set to raise money for children’s music programs

Posted: June 22, 2017 by cjax33 in Events
Tags: , , , ,
1

The Rail Yards, minus the smudge on the camera lens, will be hosting another beer festival.

A small beer festival, called simply the Tapping Party, is popping up this Saturday at The Rail Yards south of downtown, with a good cause behind the entire event. Craft for Causes, a non-profit, is teaming up with breweries nationwide to create special beers and raise money for charities. There is no entry charge, patrons only pay for the food and beer they choose to purchase.

All of it is tied into the Tedeschi Truck Band’s Wheels of Soul tour, which comes to the Sandia Casino Amphitheater on July 27. The five participating local breweries will each create a special beer for that concert, though anyone who wants to try them in advance can come to The Rail Yards from 5 to 9 p.m. It raises money for Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which donates high-quality musical equipment for under-funded school programs across the country.

The five participating local breweries are La Cumbre, Marble, Palmer, Santa Fe, and Steel Bender. The special beers will be La Cumbre’s All That I Need, a dry-hopped kellerbier; Marble’s Wheels of Soul Pale Ale; Steel Bender’s Black (Hole Sun) IPA, which is a tribute to the late Chris Cornell; Santa Fe’s Altbier; and a TBA beer from Palmer. Left Turn Distilling will also be there as the lone distillery making a special Wheels of Soul spirit.

In addition to those, each brewery will have other beers available for purchase. This not a sampling event. La Cumbre is also bring El Jugo Pale Ale and Elevated IPA. Marble will also pour Pilsner, Double White, and Black Currant Gose. Steel Bender is also taking Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch, Red Iron Red, and Goose is Loose Berliner Weisse.

There will be live music from Red Light Cameras, ReVoZo, James Whiton, and DJ Gabe. There will be three food trucks present, tattoo artists, live shirt printing, and other vendors.

Got any questions? Ask away, or check the event’s Facebook page.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Get your BearFest beer lists here

Posted: June 15, 2017 by cjax33 in BearFest 2017
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

The variety in beers is impressive this year!

As most of you should know by now, BearFest returns this Saturday, now at the Albuquerque Convention Center downtown. VIP entry is at 12:30 p.m., general admission is at 2 p.m., and it all runs until 6 p.m. General admission tickets are still available online and VIP tickets are still available at Boxing Bear.

Much like any other beer festival, the biggest question of all remains what brews will be available. Well, 15 of the 20 participating breweries sent us their lists, and if the other six get theirs to us, we will add them here right up until the doors open.

  • Ale Republic: TBA
  • Bathtub Row: TBA
  • Blue Corn: Ginger Braggot, Back to Cali Common, Hella Humulus Collaboration IPA, Imperial Chocolate Porter
  • Bosque: Lager, IPA, Hefe, Driftwood Oatmeal Stout, Blonde Ale, EOP Fruited Wheat Ale, Grasping at Straws Extra Pale Ale, All the Rage IPA
  • Boxing Bear: Body Czech Pilsner, HairyMit Hefe, Ambear Ale, Paw Swipe Pale Ale, Uppercut IPA, Standing 8 Stout, Apple Bear Cider, Chocolate Milk Stout, Blood Orange Pale Ale, Barn Burner Wheat IPA, Guava Gose, New England IPA, plus maybe one more
  • Canteen: High Plains Pils, Exodus IPA, Tuttle IPA, Strawberry Basil Gose
  • Chama River: Kolsch, Maibock, Gose, IPA special
  • Dialogue: Biere de Mars, Berliner Weisse, BC IPA, Sour Rapsberry
  • Flix Brewhouse: TBA
  • La Cumbre: Project Dank IPA, Strwaberry Gose, Elevated IPA, Slice of Hefen, BEER
  • Marble: Double White, Pilsner, Cranberry Gose, Flower Digger Pale Ale
  • Nexus: TBA
  • Quarter Celtic: Pedro O’Flanagan’s Mexican Lager, Mangose, Blood Orange Hefe, Crimson Lass, Gondola Party Starter NE-style IPA
  • Santa Fe: Long Game IPA, Hefe’d Up, Nut Brown, Pale Ale, Freestyle Pilsner (cans), Happy Camper (cans)
  • Second Street: 2920 IPA, Eldorado IPA, Red and Yellow Armadillo, Summer Rain Raspberry Sour, 2920 Pils, Civil Rye
  • Starr Brothers: Starrgazm IPA, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Starrphire Pilsner, Bloodshot
  • Steel Bender: Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, The Village Wit, Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch
  • Taos Mesa: TBA
  • Turtle Mountain: Yum Yum Colada, Can’t Catch Me, Lil’ Shelly, Hopshell IPA, My Kolsche

That is a lot of beer to try. If you like the hazy, New England-style IPAs, you are in luck as Bosque, Boxing Bear, Canteen, and Quarter Celtic are all bring their editions. Fans of sours and goses are clearly in luck as well. We are quite excited to try some of the new beers from Blue Corn (Hella Humulus and Imperial Chocolate Porter) and Second Street (Red and Yellow Armadillo is delicious), plus we await whatever Bathtub Row and Taos Mesa will be bringing.

Now, if you are wondering where Rowley Farmhouse Ales went off to, do not fret. The difference between them and the rest is their jockey box only has two handles, so they will be rotating beers on the second handle every hour or so. The Citra dry-hopped Fields of Rye will occupy the first handle. Here is the second handle pouring schedule.

12:30-2 p.m.: Meier (Meyer Lemon Gose)
2-3 p.m.: Germophile (Berliner Weisse)
3-4 p.m.: Reinheitsgenot (Lime Kolsch)
4-5 p.m.: Ab Initio dry-hopped with Citra/Mosaic
5-6 p.m.: Ab Initio with apricot

So, yeah, pucker up, people! It is gonna be a heck of a day.

And, remember, yours truly will be signing copies of Albuquerque Beer: Duke City History on Tap, over at the NM Brewers Guild booth. It is only $20, cash preferred.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

The Week Ahead in Beer: Celebrate dad’s day with some quality brews

Posted: June 14, 2017 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
Tags: , ,
1

Greetings, New Mexico craft beer lovers. Stoutmeister here with The Week Ahead in Beer. This column covers all the breweries in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, with Santa Fe’s six breweries, one in Los Alamos, and one in Moriarty also joining the party.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Stoutmeister puts on his serious face to handle The Week Ahead in Beer.

Father’s Day is this Sunday, for those not checking their calendars, and just as they do for almost every holiday, our breweries are stepping up to have a little fun. La Cumbre is hosting a Father’s Day Beer Dinner on Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. My Sweet Basil will provide the five-course meal, while of course LC provides the beers, all for $50. There will also be an optional cigar pairing for an additional $10. Email Jennb@lacumbrebrewing.com for reservations, as the limited seating will go fast. Another option is to head downtown to the Duel taproom, where they will have a special pairing of a beer flight with a large meat board for $35. It will be available all day.

Another unique event this weekend that has nothing to do with the holiday is Beer Prom at Tractor Wells Park. It starts Saturday at 8 p.m., costing $15 for an individual or $25 for a couple. Dress in your best 90s prom attire as DJ Wae Fonkey takes you back a couple decades. Only at this prom, drinking is encouraged! It will all raise funds for TEDxABQ. And yes, there will be a king and queen crowned, and there will be a photo booth as well.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque rolled out a new red ale, Amatronic, as well as Bosque Hefe and Gettin’ Caught in the Rain, their collaboration with Flix Brewhouse. Look for All the Rage, a New England-style hazy IPA, this week as well. Canteen unveils Cloudview Wit, Munich Keller, and Strawberry Basil Gose. Dialogue is feeling rather cordial with, um, Cordial, a tart cherry gose. Kaktus scores with German Porter. Marble acts up with Improv Pale Ale, plus Black Currant Gose, at the Westside location. Rio Bravo goes the gluten-free route with Cucumber Mojito. Starr Brothers’ popular Starrgazm IPA is back for another run. Steel Bender has a fresh batch of Misfitter Altbier.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn will have Ginger Braggot, a collaboration with Chama River, on tap by Friday. Second Street rolls over more than half its specialty lineup with 2920 IPA, Rod’s Best Bitter, International Steam Pale Ale, and the new Summer Rain Sour coming on board. Over in Moriarty, Sierra Blanca has a new Single Hop IPA.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of June 12.

To break down each “capsule,” I listed the brewery (with Web page linked), its phone number and hours of operation. Under “Beers” are the new or seasonal beers on tap for this week.

Albuquerque metro area breweries

Ale Republic — (505) 281-2828

(Mon–Thurs 2–10 p.m., Fri–Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Pine Juice IPA, Golden, Brune, Tokyo Black, Citrus Pale Ale. The Tokyo Black (6% ABV, 24 IBU) is a black ale made with green tea for a true east-meets-west flavor. Another recent addition is the Citrus Pale Ale (5.3% ABV, 50 IBU).

Alien Brew Pub — (505) 884-1116

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Call the number above for details on any small-batch beers currently available. They change frequently. The rest of the lineup is from the Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande family of beers.

Bistronomy B2B — (505) 262-2222

(Mon–Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-9:30 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

The Blue Grasshopper — (505) 896-8579

(Noon to 11 p.m. most days, call for more info)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

Live Music: Bands perform from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday. Click the link for the schedule.

Boese Brothers Brewery — (505) 382-7060

(Hours: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–midnight, Fri 3 p.m.–2 a.m., Sat noon–2 a.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: La Onza White Ale, Dr. Strangehop XPA, Duke City Lager, Washington’s Hatcher, Zeus Juice White IPA, Betchin Little Pale Ale, Cherry Bomb, Sour Relationship. The Zeus Juice can also be purchased in bombers. Sour Relationship, a special collaboration with Milton’s, NM Cider Co., and Sidetrack, is now available.

Live Music: Friday—DJ Dave 12, 9 p.m.; Saturday—Silver Crow Asylum, 9 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese will have a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with $3 pints. You can also get $3 pints all day Tuesday and $6 growler fills all day Wednesday.

Bosque Brewing Company — (505) 750-7596 (main brewery), (505) 508-5967 (Nob Hill Public House), (575) 571-4626 (Las Cruces Taproom)

(Main brewery on San Mateo: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun noon-8 p.m.; Nob Hill: Mon–Weds 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Thurs 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun noon-11 p.m.; Las Cruces: Sun–Thurs noon-11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Polly’s Wheaty Lager, Challenge IPA No. 2, Amatronic (Red Ale), Hefe This, Grasping at Straws, Gettin’ Caught in the Rain. The Polly’s (5.4% ABV, 30 IBU) was brewed up with Polly’s Run, a charity dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer. A dollar from every pint will go to the cause. Gettin’ Caught in the Rain is a pina colada wheat brewed in collaboration with Flix Brewhouse.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bosque has a happy hour running from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day on Sunday. Look for special menu items and get $1 off your favorite pints.

Bow & Arrow Brewing — (505) 247-9800

(Mon-Weds 3–10 p.m., Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri-Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: Flint & Grit (British Mild), Sun Dagger (Saison), Crossed Arrows (Scotch Ale), Hoka Hey (IPA), Jemez Field Notes Lager, Wayward Arrow Hefeweizen, Radical Aim IPA, Sun-Bleached Berliner Weisse, El Breakfast Stout, Biere de Garde, Desert Dynamo IPL, Way Out West Farmhouse Sour. The newest additions to the lineup are Way Out West, Biere de Garde, Sun-Bleached, Desert Dynamo, and El Breakfast Stout. The latter is a spicy chocolate coffee stout, in case you could not guess by the name.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints. A new late happy hour starts Thursday at 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

(Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.)

Beers: Vantablack Russian Imperial Stout, Chocolate Milk Stout, Ekuanot SMASH, Barril De Oso, Blood Orange Pale Ale, Barn Burner IWA, 505 Collaboration, Guava Gose, The Red Glove (on nitro). The Barril De Oso is a wine-barrel-aged version of the Oso Otono brown ale. The most recent additions are the Guava Gose, Blood Orange (5.7% ABV, 40 IBU), and Barn Burner (7.6 % ABV, 80 IBU).

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8-10 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Every day at lunchtime (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), for just $10 you can get a pint and a panini of your choice.

Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery — (505) 221-6281

(Mon-Thu 3-9 p.m., Fri 3-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.)

Beers: Otero ESB, Lone Pine Pilsner, Sancho Saison, Double Black IPA, Sancho de la Sierra, Pepe the Mule. OK, fine, Pepe the Mule counts as a beer, even though it is basically a Moscow Mule, but it was made with beer. Double Black IPA is the first hop-forward beer from Broken Trail. The Sancho de la Sierra is a rye version of the saison made in collaboration with Jubilation.

Weekly Events (main location): Today (Wednesday)—Cards Against Humanity hosted by 10 Drink Minimum, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Build-your-own Mule bar, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday—All house beers are $2 a pint

Canteen Brewhouse — (505) 881-2737 (brewery), (505) 200-2344 (taproom)

(Brewery: Sun–Thurs noon–10 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Taproom: Open daily 3–10 p.m.)

Beers: Exodus IPA, Dragline IPA, Sundance Kolsch, Irish Red, Cloudview Wit, Munich Keller, Strawberry Basil Gose, Super Smalls Session IPA. The most recent additions are the Cloudview Wit, Munich Keller, and Strawberry Basil Gose. Crew member Luke swears that Dragline IPA might be the best IPA in the state right now.

Live Music: Thursday—Alex Maryol Duo, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—Simply B, 4-7 p.m.

Cazuela’s Seafood & Mexican Grill — (505) 994-9364

(Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Papacabra (Double IPA), Acapulco Gold (Mexican Lager), Chupacabra IPA, Piedra del Fuego Stoned Cream Ale, Beer for My Horses (Oatmeal Stout). These are the regular house beers. Call the number above for an updated seasonal list.

Chama River Brewing Company — (505) 342-1800

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: The Lighter Fare (ESB), The Darker Fare (Nitro Irish Dry Stout), Seasoned Strop Belgian DIPA, Vermilion, Crema Anejo. The Lighter Fare and Darker Fare are delicious collaborations made with Nexus. The Crema Anejo (6% ABV, 26 IBU) is a cream ale aged in tequila barrels.

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Open daily noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Dark Helmet (Swartzbier), American Dark Sour, F yo Couch (Oatmeal Stout), Biere de Mars, Amber Lager, SCH Scotch Lager, Soulless (Tart Ginger), Sour Raspberry, ODB Sour Brown Ale, Hayes Days (Belgian Wit), Common Irish Conversation, Cordial (Tart Cherry Gose). The most recent additions are the Cordial, Amber Lager, F yo Couch, and Hayes Days. Yup, Dialogue is still winning on the creative beer name front. The CIC is a rye steam beer brewed in collaboration with Quarter Celtic.

Weekly Events: Monday—Service Industry Night, 6 p.m.

Drafty Kilt Brewing — (505) 881-0234

(Sun 11 a.m–10 p.m., Mon 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Tues–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight)

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, McWabbit Pale Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Obliviscaris Oatmeal Stout, McRojo or No (Irish Red). Brewer/owner Mike Campbell has five of his own creations on tap at 4814 Hardware Dr. NE, including the Campbell Toe (no snickering). The Obliviscaris is a burly throwback to the stouts of old.

Live Music: Friday—Chuck Hawley, 5-8 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.; Thursday—Blues, Brews & BBQ, 5 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off pints and 20-ounce pours, Mon-Fri, 3-6 p.m.; “Just Because We Love You Club,” happy hour prices at all times for teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and military with ID; Growler Fill Days on Thu and Sun, $2 off new growlers, $1 off refills

Flix Brewhouse — (505) 445-8500

(Open daily 11 a.m.-midnight)

Beers: So It Gose, Baby You’re Much Too Fast (Irish Red), Flora Colossus (DIPA), Gettin’ Caught in the Rain, Brewhouse Shandy. Flora Colossus is a tasty, wine-infused double IPA. Gettin’ Caught in the Rain is a pina colada wheat brewed in collaboration with Bosque.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

(Bernalillo hours Mon-Thu 2-9 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30-10 p.m., Sun 11:30-9 p.m.)

Beers: German Porter, Lil Red, Cori and Her Wheat, German Pilsner, Helles Lager, Maibock, Honk Ale, Oaxford IPA, Walnut Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. The most recent additions are the German Porter and Pilsner. Sounds like a hearty “Prost!” is in order.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Thursday—The Desert Darlings, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Bernalillo): Sunday—Brunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Kaktus has several new weekday specials in Bernalillo, including $3 pints on Monday, $9 growlers on Tuesday, $6 bison nachos on Wednesday, and $8 Frito pie and beer on Thursday.

Kellys Brew Pub — (505) 262-2739

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.-10 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Apricot Ale, Blonde, Dry Irish Stout (on nitro), Farm House Ale, IPA, Red, Scotch Ale, Session IPA; (seasonal) Rye Pale Ale. The recent change in ownership at Kellys has led to some seriously improved beers and food, so we decided it was high time to add it to the listings.

Live Music: Every Wednesday 6-9 p.m. and Sunday 3-6 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Thursday Pint night $1 off pints.

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: Strawberry Gose, Blanche de Burque, VMO #2, Pogue Mahone (on nitro). The VMO #2 is a lovely Marzen. The Blanche de Burque is back for another run. The Strawberry Gose is also available in bombers.

Live Music: Saturday—Funk Tractor, 6-9 p.m.

Other Events: Sunday—Father’s Day Beer Dinner with My Sweet Basil, 6-9 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Lego Night Build Off or Loteria (alternates by week), 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

(Mon–Weds noon-9 p.m., Thurs–Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-7 p.m.)

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Lizard Tail’s happy hour runs seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m. You get $1 off food, flights, and pints.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.; Thursday—Karaoke, 8-11 p.m.

Marble Brewery — (505) 243-2739 (downtown), (505) 508-4638 (Westside), (505) 323-4030 (Heights)

(Downtown: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.; Westside: Mon–Thurs noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.; Heights: Mon–Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10:30 p.m.)

Beers: Indiana Bone’s Raider of the Lost Ale, Saison de Burque, DANG Pale Ale, Super Session IPA, Cranberry Gose, Pina Pale, White Out (Downtown only), Brett IPA (Downtown and Westside), Guava Gose (Downtown and Westside), Flower Digger Pale Ale (Downtown and Westside), Mosaic IPA (Heights and Westside), Pilsner Anejo (Heights and Westside), Bronco Blanco (Heights and Westside), Rita! (Heights and Westside), 7 Horsemen (Heights and Westside), Golden Strong (Heights and Westside), Improv Pale Ale (Westside only), Black Currant Gose (Westside only), Idaho 7 Pale Ale (Westside only), India Wheat Ale (Westside only), Nitro Brune (Westside only), Wheat Out (Westside only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. The newest additions are Improv Pale Ale and Black Currant Gose.

Live Music (Downtown): Today (Wednesday)—The Outer Vibe, 7-10 p.m.; Thursday—A Sundae Drive, 7-8 p.m., Wheel Workers 8:30-11 p.m.; Friday—Hunter and the Dirty Jacks, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Gershom Brothers, 8-11 p.m.; Sunday—Word Music Festival with Sol De La Noche, Concepto Tambo, Baracutanga, Wagogo, all day; Tuesday—The Funky Knuckles, 6-9 pm..

Live Music (Heights): Friday—Hub City Soundsystem, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—String Dinner, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—Big K and Blue Train, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Vintage Brew, 8-11 p.m.

Weekly Events (Downtown): Saturday—Brewery tours, 2 p.m.

Nexus Brewery — (505) 242-4100 (brewery), (505) 226-1055 (Silver Taproom)

(Brewery: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; Silver Taproom: Mon–Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Milk Stout, Vienna Lager, The Darker Fare, Beam Me Up Scotty, Plum Imperial Cream, 505 Collaboration (Silver Taproom). The Beam Me Up, delicious once again, and Plum Imperial Cream were added for last weekend’s sixth anniversary party. Get over there for those beers and any lingering food specials.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Monday–Friday, $5 appetizers, 3-5 p.m.

Weekly Events (Silver Taproom): Saturday—a live DJ will perform; Sunday—a live band will perform at 2 p.m.

Palmer Brewery and Cider House — (505) 508-0508

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Pale Ale, Cockness Monster (Scotch Ale), Palmergranite Wit, Cafe Pale Ale, Switch Stance Stout. Palmer shares a building with Left Turn Distilling on Girard south of Candelaria.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

(Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: Baltic Porter, Vienna Lager, Amber Ale, Hop Burst Ale, Saison. The Baltic Porter is officially Ponderosa’s 200th distinct beer, and it’s quite the robust beast of a beer. It is nearly out, however, and Spanglish is on deck to take its spot on tap. The Hop Burst Ale and Saison are the most recent additions.

Live Music: Today (Wednesday)—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Quarter Celtic Brewpub — (505) 503-1387

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Beers: Single Action Kolsch, Han’s Hoopty Pale Ale, Denali SMASH Pale Ale, Mangose, Saoirse Hefe, Common Irish Conversation. The Han’s Hoopty was made with Millennium and Falconer’s Flight hops (get it?). The CIC was made in collaboration with Dialogue. If the Kolsch runs out this week, a Blood Orange Hefe will replace it.

Red Door Brewing — (505) 633-6675 (brewery), (505) 990-3029 (downtown taproom)

(Brewery hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. to midnight, Sat 7 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Downtown taproom hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m. to midnight, Sun 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Draft Session IPA, Rye Steam, Open Saison, Blackberry Hefeweizen, Peach Patersbier (downtown taproom only), Bock to Basics (downtown taproom only). The Peach Patersbier is a Belgian dark ale brewed with peaches. The Draft Session IPA was brewed to honor the open mic hosts. Blackberry Hefeweizen is the most recent addition.

Weekly Events (Brewery): Monday—The Draft Sessions, 7-9 p.m.

Weekly Events (Taproom): Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7-9 p.m.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company — (505) 900-3909

(Mon noon–10 p.m., Tues–Thu noon–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–1 a.m., Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Rio Bravo Amber, Weizen, Randy’s Shandy, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Randy’s Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Old Town Porter (regular and barrel aged), Vanilla POrter, Cereza Loco (Cherry Sour), NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Barrel-aged Belgian Strong Golden, Marzen, Level 3 IPA, Grab ‘Em By the Putin, Lemongrass Wit, Peach Gose, Funf de Mayo, Cucumber Mojito. The Level 3 (7.5% ABV, 120 IBU) should satisfy any hophead. The Putin is, in case you could not guess, a Russian imperial stout, checking in at a whopping 13-percent ABV. The Funf de Mayo is a bigger-than-normal Kolsch, checking in at 6.8-percent ABV. From now until it runs out, all Marzen pints are $1 off.

Live Music: Today (Wednesday)—Sloan Armitage, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Hub City Soundsystem, 8 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Movie Night, 7 p.m.; Thursday—Girls Pint Out, all day; Friday—Philly Friday, all day; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo; Tuesday—$2 Taco Tuesday, all day

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 832-7183

(Mon–Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: Sidetrack Pilsner, Honey Wheat, Switchgear IPA, Farmhouse Ale, 505 Collaboration, Sour Relationship. The most recent additions are the Honey Wheat and Farmhouse Ale. Sour Relationship is the aforementioned collaboration with Boese Brothers, Milton’s, and NM Cider Co.

Cask: The Honey Wheat and Sour Relationship are in the firkins.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Taco Tuesday, all day

Starr Brothers Brewing — (505) 492-2752

(Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day)

Beers: Starrstruck IPA, L.A. Woman (Blonde), Red Zepplin, Lampshade Porter, Phantom Limb Black Rye IPA, Electric Sun American Wheat, C10H15N (Crystal Pale Ale), Johnny (Cashmere IPA), Starrphire Pilsner, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Bloodshot, Starrgazm IPA. The most recent addition is the Starrgazm. The Johnny is one of the more unique single-hop IPAs out there.

Steel Bender Brewyard — (505) 433-3537

(Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: (house) Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, Sparkfitter Amber, Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch, Blue Bullet Stout, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Misfitter Altbier, Smith Hopper Cascade Extra Pale Ale, Goose is Loose Berliner Weisse, 505 Collaboration. Say hello to the Smith Hopper Cascade, which replaces the Centennial. The Misfitter returns by popular demand.

The 377 Brewery — (505) 934-0795

(Open noon-11 p.m. most days)

Beers: (house) 377 IPA, Dieterhosen Hefe, Project El CuCuy (DIPA), English Best Bitter, Fat Brown Guy (Porter), Red Horse NM Lager, Swartzbier, Red Rocket (Double Red); (seasonal) Bitter Blonde, Black Ops Hops, Kolsch, Full Booty Stout (on nitro), Peach Wheat, Scottish Ale, Summer Saison. Thanks to the magic of Untappd, we now have a breakdown of The 377’s beers. The Summer Saison is the most recent addition.

Tractor Brewing Company — (505) 433-5654 (Nob Hill), (505) 243-6752 (Wells Park)

(Nob Hill: Sun–Weds noon–midnight, Thurs noon–2 a.m., Fri–Sat noon–2 a.m.; Wells Park: Mon–Thurs 3 p.m.–close, Fri–Sun 1 p.m.–midnight)

Beers: Barnstorm Ale, Holstein & Hops, Cascade Pale Ale, Minute-4, Berry Cider, Cascara Cider, Apricot Wheat, Half Acre Hefe, Tupac Cali Red, Mother Road Collaboration DIPA, Flanders Red Ale (Wells Park only), Milk Stout on nitro (Wells Park only). The new DIPA was made with the good folks from Mother Road Brewing in Flagstaff. The collaboration Altbier, sadly, has run out, probably because it was so tasty. The Tupac also rejoined taps just in time for summer.

Live Music (Wells Park): Thursday—Lorin Walker Madsen, 8 p.m.; Friday—Glenn McLaughlin Duo, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Todd Tijerina, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Adam Hooks, 5 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Today (Wednesday)—Art Fusion for a Cause, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Beer Prom with DJ Wae Fonkey, 8 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Better Call Saul (Season Finale) Watch Party, 7 p.m.; Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Writing Wednesdays, 5 p.m.; Monday—Tractor Tune Up, 7:30 p.m.

Also, every first Monday of the month at both Tractor locations is Beer for a Better Burque night. For every pint you buy $1 can go to one of four charities that have partnered with Tractor. You can also opt to purchase a special growler with the logo of your favorite charity.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Tractor now has a late happy hour from 9 p.m. to midnight on Mondays with $2.25 classic beers and $3.25 seasonals.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — (505) 994-9497

(Kitchen hours: Mon–Tues 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Wed–Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Reminder: TMBC closes early when business dictates. Please call.)

Beers: Consensual Sensations DIPA, Stuccon Saison, Lil’ Shelly (Pale Ale), 505 Collaboration, For the Bees. Consensual Sensations (8.2% ABV, 125-plus IBU) is a beast of a DIPA. The Lil’ Shelly (5.2% ABV, 69 IBU) and Yum Yum Colada, a pina colada kettle sour, were the most recent additions until For the Bees joined the lineup.

Cask: Tuesday—TBA

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Triple IPA, Imperial Chocolate Porter, Hella Humulus Collaboration IPA, Back to Cali Common. We will have to ask just who the Hella Humulus was brewed with, but we’re guessing it’s good no matter what. Look for a Ginger Braggot, brewed in collaboration with Chama River, to hit taps this Friday.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

(Mon–Sat 4–11 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.)

Beers: El Jefe (Rauchweizen), sIPApu (India Pale Lager), Antonio Bandito (Dunkelweizen), Llorona Lager, Pineapple IPA, Porter, Vienna Lager, La Bamba (Rauchbier), Stada Baba (Oak Smoked Polish Gratzer). The last five beers there are the new additions to the lineup, but more beers are on the way.

Live Music: Every night at 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Reverse happy hour after 9 p.m. includes $1 off pints, $6 appetizers, $10 entrees and pizzas.

Duel Brewing Company — (505) 474-5301

(Brewery: Mon–Sat open at 11 a.m., Sun open at 1 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 2 p.m.–midnight; Fri–Sun noon–midnight)

Beers: Bad Amber, Fiction (IPA), Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Cezanne Verite, Rye Goya (Imperial Stout), Oui Lourd, Ara Pacis II (Sour Pale Ale), WWWMD (Barrel-Aged Whistler), Manikin (Scottish), Monomyth (Imperial IPA), Cezanne Origine. The Origine is the current spring saison from Duel. The Oui Lourd, Ara Pacis II, and WWWMD are the most recent additions. The acronym stands for What Would Whistler’s Mother Do.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Friday—James Whiton, 9 p.m.

Other Events (ABQ taproom): Saturday—Nocturne, 9 p.m.; Sunday—Father’s Day Beers and Meat Special, $35, all day

Weekly Events (ABQ taproom): Tuesday—Bike-In Brew, 7 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts (Brewery): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 4-6 p.m. (discounts for all draft beer), Growler Saturdays ($3 off growler fills).

Happy Hour/Discounts (ABQ taproom): Happy hour Mon–Fri, 5-7 p.m.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales — (505) 428-0719

(Open all week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Beers: Fields of Rye, Saison du Sarlacc, Agent Scully – Season One Episode Two (IPA),  Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Amarillo Dry-Hopped Germophile, Kentucky Fried Common, Ab Initio with Apricot. The Agent Scully is a new series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. This is a new batch of Fields of Rye dry-hopped with Citra.

Santa Fe Brewing Company — (505) 424-3333

(Main taproom: Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 2-8 p.m.; ABQ taproom: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Freestyle Pilsner, Western Bloc IPA. We haven’t gotten an update from SFBC in so long we really have no idea what’s on tap at this point. We’re sure it’s good, but beyond that, it’s all a mystery.

Happy Hour/Discounts: $1 off growler refills in the tasting room on Mondays. $2 pint Tuesdays at the Eldorado Taphouse. On Wednesday, there is a $2 pint special in the tasting room. On Thursday, there will be $1 off growler refills at the Eldorado Taphouse.

Second Street Brewery — (505) 989-3278 (Railyard), (505) 982-3030 (original location)

(Mon–Thurs 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Kolsch, IPA, Cream Stout, Rod’s Best Bitter, Red and Yellow Armadillo, 2920 IPA, Eldorado IPA, International Steam Pale Ale, Summer Rain Sour. The Red and Yellow Armadillo is a delicious imperial red. The newest additions are the Summer Rain Sour, International Steam, Rod’s Best, and 2920 IPA.

Live Music (Original location): TBA

Live Music (Railyard): TBA

Weekly Events (Railyard): Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 8 p.m.

Other breweries you need to visit

Bathtub Row Brewing — (505) 500-8381

(Mon–Weds 2–10 p.m., Thurs 2–11 p.m., Fri–Sat noon–11 p.m., Sun noon–10 p.m.)

Beers: The Tripel Lindy, Wit Rock, Crazy Mother IPA, Betty on Brett, Spearmint Stout, Jarrylo Pale Ale, Beedle’s Apple Ale, Catcher ‘n the Rye, Double Barrel Bourbon Brown. The most recent tap turnover went down in Los Alamos with Crazy Mother, Betty, Spearmint, Jarrylo, Beedle’s, and Catcher making their debuts. The Bourbon Brown (8.7% ABV) has now joined them.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

(Mon–Thurs 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri –Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.)

Beers: Barrel-aged Whiskey Stout, Cherry Sour, Interstella Vanilla, Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA. The Whiskey Stout is back for a short time. The Cherry Sour is back for another run. Cherry Wheat is also now available in six packs.

* * * *

That’s all for this week! If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact us on our Facebook page.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

BearFest roars back with new indoor location

Posted: June 13, 2017 by cjax33 in BearFest 2017
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3

It’s time for the third edition of BearFest, only this time no one will get sunburned!

BearFest, the annual local-only craft beer festival hosted by Boxing Bear, returns for a third go-around this Saturday. The big change this year, besides pushing it back and away from ABQ Beer Week and Blues & Brews, is moving the fest out of the brewery parking lot to the Albuquerque Convention Center. Unless you are going to walk or bike to the event, leave the sunscreen at home!

The event will run from 2 to 6 p.m. for general admission, with a special 90-minute VIP period before that starting at 12:30 p.m. General admission tickets cost $25 in advance and can be purchased online here. They will be $30 at the door. VIP tickets can only be purchased in advance for $40 at Boxing Bear, going up to $45 the day of at the Convention Center.

To get the full story behind the change, I sat down with Boxing Bear head brewer/co-owner Justin Hamilton and general manager John Campi on Monday afternoon.

“A good thing for us will be that this has been a rain-or-shine event the previous two years and it almost got rained out the first year, we’re going to have a good attendance and a good time, either way,” Justin said. “That’s going to be one of the first things that’s a plus for us. But, I think that as far as what we’ve done in the past that we’re going to continue, and we’re going to expand on a few different things. We have 20 breweries, we have three wineries and two distilleries.”

The breweries, in alphabetical order, are Ale Republic, Bathtub Row, Blue Corn, Bosque, Boxing Bear, Canteen, Chama River, Dialogue, Flix Brewhouse, La Cumbre, Marble, Nexus, Quarter Celtic, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, Second Street, Starr Brothers, Steel Bender, Taos Mesa, and Turtle Mountain. The wineries are Black Mesa, New Mexico Hard Cider, and St. Clair, while Left Turn and Santa Fe Spirits are the distilleries on hand.

As John noted, the entire event is “100 percent local to New Mexico.”

“Yes, that’s another thing we really want to push here is that this is an absolute local event,” Justin added. “There’s no outside distributors. There’s no random (anything). This will all be from New Mexico, beers and vendors. It will be nice to share some of the other breweries that a lot of folks haven’t been up to see, (like) Bathtub Row and Rowley Farmhouse Ales, a lot of these guys are definitely part of that brewing community that a lot of the Albuquerque scene doesn’t get out to get and see.”

The vendors on hand will all be local as well, ranging from New Mexico Flameworks to Metal The Brand to YogaZo to Mother Road Mobile Canning. The New Mexico Brewers Guild will have a booth, of course, and a certain local author will also be on hand to sign and sell copies of his book, Albuquerque Beer: Duke City History on Tap, for $20 apiece (no, I will never stop with the shameless self promotion at this point).

Gamers Anonymous will have a booth as well, with video games for patrons to play, ranging from Street Fighter to GoldenEye to Mario Kart and more. Unlike last year, when it seemed like the chairs were half in the sun all day, it will all be inside and air conditioned. There will also be a cornhole tournament thanks to the owner of The Local Brewhouse, who donated his boards for the day.

There will be a charity that will benefit from the event as well.

“This is a benefit for the Animal Humane Society,” John said. “Animal Humane will be split into two sections. They’ll have a little adoption booth, if possible with actual, live puppies there. Then we’re going to have a booth set up with a little game (washer toss) and people will pay a dollar or so. That money will go directly to Animal Humane. They can win a prize, and I think every brewery is going to pitch in a shirt or a hat or something.”

Local bands will include Isaac Aragon during the VIP-only time (12:30-2 p.m.) and Pawn Shop Poster Boys after that. Another band is also expected to be announced soon.

“That and it will be nice that our music will have an actual audio guy this year,” Justin said. “Last year we were leaving it up to the bands, which isn’t a problem as far as the audio itself goes, but as far as the setup of the audio we hope to have seamless music throughout the event. Last year we had these breaks between our VIP and our start. We want people to be able to hear music (as they come in).”

The beer, though, is the biggest draw. The Crew should have full lists for all attending breweries no later than Thursday, but a few special beers of note have already been listed by Boxing Bear on Facebook.

  • Blue Corn, thankfully, goes to the dark side with Imperial Chocolate Porter.
  • Bosque is expected to bring a new variant in their Elephants on Parade specialty series.
  • Canteen will debut their Strawberry Basil Gose and bring back Tuttle IPA, a hazy New England-style hop bomb.
  • La Cumbre is bring Strawberry Gose and the latest batch of Project Dank.
  • Marble counters with a Cranberry Gose. Yes, there is a gose theme here.
  • Quarter Celtic has Mangose (yup, theme) and a new Blood Orange Hefeweizen.
  • Rowley Farmhouse Ales is bringing six beers, each of which will be served at special times (see our next story Thursday for that serving schedule).
  • Second Street will tap Summer Rain Raspberry Sour.
  • Starr Brothers is brewing a special batch of Starrgasm IPA just for the festival.
  • Turtle Mountain will have Yum Yum Colada and Lil Shelly Pale Ale.

Unlike other festivals, this is not an unlimited sampling event. VIP and general admission both get four 4-ounce samples and one full pint for free. Additional samples and/or pints can be purchased from the breweries.

“Most breweries, we kind of leave it up to them if they want people to purchase a sample or not,” Justin said. “Last year, just about every brewery was up for it, so my guess that will probably be the thing. Every now and then you’ll see a beer where if it’s a high-end beer or if it’s in a bottle, it’s just not going to be available for sample, which is understandable. I would say almost everything is going to be available for sample and purchase. We definitely don’t want to limit on what people are able to try, but what we want to do is not just turn it into a free-for-all.”

While bigger packaging breweries can often write off free samples as a marketing expense, that is almost impossible for the smaller brewpubs. This helps the breweries not feel as if they are giving away nothing but free beer.

“It’s one of those things where if we put multiple good breweries into a caravan (and) not only show them a good time, but if they get a little something back, they’re going to consistently show up every year for us,” Justin said. “That way we always get the best local breweries showing up consistently every year, which is great for the consumers. That was the original BearFest idea was going for, it’s for the patrons, it’s for the breweries, and it’s for everyone in between.”

Putting BearFest in a more convenient location is another way for Boxing Bear to give back to the patrons and attending businesses.

“It will also be in a nice central location, which is another good part about the Convention Center,” Justin said. “Other than competing with other festivals that were going on, it’s hard getting people to come across the river for anything. It will be right in downtown where people know, with quick access to (two freeways). Uber and Lyft, no matter where you are in the city, it will be probably be pretty affordable, and we always encourage that.”

For those looking to bike over, take note of your options in the area.

“Last year we did a bike valet,” John said. “We were unable to get that this year. The valet company had a prior event. However, there is still ample bike parking. Right now the Plaza is under construction and they have Third (Street) blocked off on both ends, but the Plaza is actually gated off because they’re doing the Shakespeare events with bike racks. There’s hundreds of spots over there.”

The Crew always encourages everyone to travel safely and responsibly to and from beer festivals.

We will have those full beer lists on Thursday. After that, we will see you at BearFest!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: The Tower of Sour looks fine on Day Nine

Posted: June 2, 2017 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2017
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
1

Day Nine calls upon everyone to pucker up once again!

The final stretch of Beer Week begins with a number of varied events tonight.

Topping the list is the fourth annual Tower of Sour at Back Alley Draft House, which is going to be bigger and more festive than ever before.

There will also be special events at both Tractor locations, a special tapping at Nob Hill Bar & Grill, and fun and games with Upslope at Rock & Brews.

Happy weekend, everyone!

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: Tower of Sour. Where: Back Alley Draft House. When: 6 p.m. Cost: $10 for entry (music only, no beer); $20 economy ticket; $40 general admission; $50 VIP.

Details: The fourth Tower of Sour will expand from BADH out into the parking lot. There will 14 breweries represented, including Marble and Sierra Blanca, offering up 30-plus sours from around the world. The Real Matt Jones and Vanilla Pop will provide the music. The economy ticket gets you six samples and one 10-ounce pour, plus entry into the New Belgium bike giveaway. The general admission ticket covers unlimited sampling and a special souvenir. The VIP ticket gets you early entry at 5 p.m., which is the Ska Brewing VIP Party, with appetizers and giveaways, plus unlimited sampling.

Why you should go: If you love sours, you pretty much have to go to this one.

All the other great events

What: Beer and Tapas Pairing. Where: Ponderosa. When: 4-7 p.m. Cost: $7 per pairing. Details: A different beer and tapas pairing will be available each day. Why you should go: You need some food in your belly to go with all this beer.

What: Sierra Nevada Special Tapping. Where: Gecko’s Nob Hill. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The Golden IPA from the current Beer Camp mixed pack (available at Jubilation) will be tapped. Why you should go: Odds are you have not had this before, so get on over there and get it with a bite to eat!

What: La Cumbre Sampling. Where: Whole Foods Academy. When: 4-5 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Taste the full LC packaged lineup. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Goose Island Sampling. Where: Total Wine Uptown. When: 4-7 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Taste the full GI packaged lineup. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Upslope Rochambeau Tournament and Pint Night. Where: Rock & Brews. When: 5-9 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Compete with the best in rock-paper-scissors. Entry is free, and the top five finishers will be awarded prizes. Plus, of course, lots of Upslope beers will be on tap. Why you should go: We all need a spot of silliness in our lives, but with beer, it’s even better.

What: Oskar Blues Secret Stash Event. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 5 p.m. to close. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Oskar Blues brewed up a special beer with the NHBG staff and now you get to enjoy it. Why you should go: Satisfy your (and ours) curiosity and see just what they created.

What: Sierra Nevada Special Tapping. Where: Gecko’s Academy. When: 6 p.m. to close. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The Golden IPA from the current Beer Camp mixed pack (available at Jubilation) will be tapped. Why you should go: Odds are you have not had this before, so get on over there and get it with a bite to eat!

What: Art Fight 32 – Beer Week Edition. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 7-10:30 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: There will be live art, all with the theme of beer itself, while you watch and enjoy beer. Why you should go: Beer is art, beer is life, beer is good.

What: Night Out Cards Pub Crawl Edition. Where: Tractor Nob Hill. When: 7 p.m.-midnight. Cost: $20 for card deck and two wristbands, additional wristbands are $5. Details: Night Out Cards are basically like truth or dare with a drinking theme, so enjoy them at the taproom as you put your team together and compete for prizes. You also get $1 off all pints. Why you should go: Discounted beer, prizes, and shenanigans. Seems like a good way to spend Friday night.

* * * * *

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

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

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: The battle to be great dominates Day Eight

Posted: June 1, 2017 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2017
Tags: , , , , , ,
1

Day Eight features the local beer geeks taking center stage with their own brews.

Four years ago, the Dark Side Brew Crew stunned everyone (mostly ourselves) by winning the inaugural Battle of the Beer Geeks at Tractor Wells Park.

Then, the Babes in Brewland kicked our butts two years in a row.

Well, the time has come … for all of you to probably vote for them again. But, just in case, we are unveiling another monster beer that we hope can lead to another upset. All that and more in Day Eight of Beer Week!

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: Battle of the Beer Geeks IV. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 6-8 p.m. Cost: $10 for tray of all five beers and a pint of your favorite.

Details: For the fourth time, all the local beer appreciation groups have brewed up something special at Tractor. Now it’s time for the public to decide who made the best. Come on down and vote for your favorite from the offerings made by the ABQ Craft Beer Drinkers, The Wort Hogs, Dukes of Ale, the two-time defending champion Babes in Brewland, and of course the 2014 champion Dark Side Brew Crew. This year had a theme of wheat beers, but naturally we each got to put our own spin on that.

Why you should go: Support the local amateurs and Tractor at the same time. Have a bit of fun, listen to all the (mostly friendly) smack talk, and see who takes home the Rock-Em-Sock-Em Robots trophy!

All the other great events

What: Marble Special Release Keg Tapping. Where: Sandia Saloon. When: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The Guava Gose is the special beer of choice that will be served at the pub inside Whole Foods Academy. Why you should go: Another new Marble beer? Yup. Guess everyone has to try it (the Crew got a sneak peek on Tuesday).

What: Beer & Food Pairing. Where: Canteen Taproom on Tramway. When: 3-10 p.m. Cost: TBA. Details: There’s no info available, but we’re guessing they’re going to pair up their delicious food items with specific beers. Why you should go: Learn how you’ve probably been missing some amazing combos all this time.

What: Beer and Tapas Pairing. Where: Ponderosa. When: 4-7 p.m. Cost: $7 per pairing. Details: A different beer and tapas pairing will be available each day. Why you should go: You need some food in your belly to go with all this beer.

What: Odell Sampling and Giveaways. Where: Whole Foods Carlisle. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Taste the Odell packaged lineup and maybe get some free stuff. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Cascade Brewing Special Tapping. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 5-9 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy some true sours from the Pacific Northwest, including rare tappings of 2013 Sang Royal and the limited Elderberry. Why you should go: If you dig on sours, these are two of the finest made anywhere in the country.

What: Odell Tap Takeover. Where: Grain Station. When: 6-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Look for 90 Shilling, IPA, Cutthroat Porter, and St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale. There will also be special giveaways. Why you should go: Enjoy some delicious beers, maybe pick up some swag, and grab a bite to eat.

What: Marble Beer Dinner. Where: Bien Shur at Sandia Resort & Casino. When: 6 p.m. Cost: $65 per person. Details: Join Marble at Bien Shur for an epic five-course meal paired with different beers. The welcome reception pairs a blue lump crab tater tot with avocado aioli with Pilsner. The first course of the main dinner features a blue cheese and baby heirloom beet salad with Brett IPA. The second course is a grilled lemon parsley rubbed escolar with White Out. The main course features wild boar loin paired with Bacon’s Best Friend. The finale duo consists of a meyer lemon semifreddo and summer berry tart paired with Blackberry Gose. Why you should go: Go ahead, be decadent, we won’t judge. We’ll just be jealous.

What: La Cumbre Special Tapping. Where: Gecko’s Nob Hill. When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: One TBA beer will actually be on tap when Gecko’s opens at 11 a.m., but at 6:30 a LC representative will be on hand to talk about it, and the Passionfruit Wit will also be available (it sold out fast at the Sister Tap Takeover last week). Why you should go: Increase your beer knowledge, like we do every time we talk with someone from La Cumbre.

* * * * *

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

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

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Pucker up for Day Two brews

Posted: May 26, 2017 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2017
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
1

The sour power hour runs strong across Day Two!

Did you survive? Did you make it through all of it?

No, not Day One of ABQ Beer Week, but the Penguins’ double-overtime victory over Ottawa in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Just ask anyone at Quarter Celtic last night, half the Crew almost died several times over.

But, we digress, for it is time to get back to beer while taking a needed emotional break from hockey until Monday. Day Two features fewer events, but there are still some pretty awesome ones, especially if you love sour beers.

Read on, dear, um, readers!

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: Sour Hour with Rowley Farmhouse Ales and Hops & Dreams: Beer Week Edition. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 5 p.m. (beer), 8 p.m. (belly dancers). Cost: No cover charge.

Details: As we covered in our Tractor Beer Week preview, RFA is coming down from Santa Fe with some of their finest sours to pair up with some of Tractor’s best, including Flanders Red Ale, Berliner Weisse, and possibly a newcomer from the barrel room. It’s an awesome opportunity to taste these beers from two breweries, especially for all the folks down here who don’t make it up to Santa Fe often enough. Then, stick around as the spectacularly talented Desert Darlings shimmy up a storm.

Why you should go: Beer and belly dancers are a combination that simply cannot be defeated.

All the other great events

What: Blackberry Hefeweizen Release. Where: Red Door. When: All day. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The annual summer favorite is back at both locations. Why you should go: It’s the perfect lighter (ABV) beer with lots of flavor to start your weekend.

What: Beer and Tapas Pairing. Where: Ponderosa. When: 3-6 p.m. Cost: $7. Details: A different beer and tapas pairing will be available each day. Why you should go: You need some food in your belly to go with all this beer.

What: Mother Road Sampling and Special Keg Tapping. Where: Jubilation. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The latest epic tasting at Jubilation features the full lineup of excellent beers from Flagstaff, plus there will be a keg of the Altbier brewed in Arizona in collaboration with Tractor. You can fill your growlers with it, too. Why you should go: Good beer, new beer, take-home beer, all for the win.

What: La Cumbre Sampling. Where: Whole Foods Carlisle. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Taste the entire current packaged lineup while getting your grocery shopping done. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Santa Fe Sampling. Where: Kelly Liquors on Wyoming. When: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Taste the entire current packaged lineup, buy your favorites, fill your fridge for the weekend. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Upslope presents Loteria. Where: Monroe’s on Lomas. When: 5-7 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Play Loteria for prizes and indulge in some great New Mexican food paired with Craft Lager as the Upslope train rolls on. Why you should go: Feast and claim victory over all mortal men and women!

What: La Cumbre Tap Takeover. Where: Sister Bar. When: 5-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: There will be seven LC beers on tap including Gracias Por Fumar, Fievre d’Abricot, Ryeot on Bourbon (soooo good), Elevated IPA, Slice of Hefen, and the special Beer Week offering, Passionfruit Wit. Why you should go: Dear lord, that is an amazing lineup. Enough said.

What: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and Cooper Project #1 Tapping. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 5-11 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy pours of BCBS ’15 and ’16, plus a barrel-aged Scotch wee heavy. Why you should go: The power of the darkness compels you to ignore who owns this brewery!

What: New Belgium Rare Beer Alert. Where: Gecko’s (both locations). When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: A special New Belgium offering will be tapped at both Gecko’s, but we don’t know what it is just yet. Why you should go: Solve the mystery and get something tasty to eat.

What: Sour Beer Flight. Where: Dialogue Brewing. When: 6-10 p.m. Cost: $8 per flight. Details: In a late addition to the events list, Dialogue is selling discounted flights of their entire lineup of sour beers. Why you should go: Pucker up, sour lovers, this is a good day for you.

What: ABQ Trolley The Hopper — Hop-on, Hop-off Brew Cruise. Where: 219 Central NW (starting point). When: 7-11 p.m. Cost: $20 in advance (buy tickets here), $25 day of. Details: The Hopper is back, visiting eight downtown-area breweries every 30 to 45 minutes. All you have to do is hop on, then hop off and enjoy a pint. The participating breweries/taprooms/beer bars are Duel, Red Door, Sidetrack, Back Alley Draft House, Boese Brothers, Marble, Rio Bravo, and Tractor Wells Park. Why you should go: If you want to visit multiple breweries, definitely let someone else do the driving, then just have Uber or Lyft pick you up at the end to take you home.

* * * * *

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

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

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Day One is loaded with almost too much fun

Posted: May 25, 2017 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2017
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Here we go again. Eleven days of beer goodness starts today!

All right, people, it’s go time!

Make sure you have your Lyft and/or Uber accounts up to date, and then start checking off the events you can’t miss. The Crew will be here for you every day with info on every single event.

We also have separate previews for the events at Ponderosa Brewing, Tractor Brewing, and everything involving Upslope Brewing.

We start off with the most event-packed day of all, including a certain person (me) having his first book signing alongside an excellent beer-and-food pairing from one of our finest breweries.

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: Albuquerque Beer Book Signing AND La Cumbre Beer and Cheese Pairings. Where: Jubilation Beer Wine and Spirits. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Shameless self promotion time! Yours truly spent last year writing up the history of brewing in Albuquerque, and now Albuquerque Beer: Duke City History on Tap is ready. I will have a limited number of copies available for purchase at Jubilation. But, since you might need greater incentive to come on by, La Cumbre will also be on hand with many of their best beers paired up with all sorts of artisanal cheeses, and that won’t cost you a dime.

Why you should go: Learn all about Albuquerque’s beer history while enjoying some of our city’s best present-day beers.

All the other great events

What: Boxing Bear Special Beer Tapping. Where: Gecko’s Nob Hill. When: 11 a.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: We are working to find out just what beer(s) will be available. Why you should go: A Boxing Bear beer with your lunch. How can you go wrong?

What: Special Beer Release. Where: Bow & Arrow. When: 3 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: They are releasing a special dry-hopped sour farmhouse ale (name TBA). Why you should go: Pucker up with a new local brew to get the ball rolling!

What: Beer and Tapas Pairing. Where: Ponderosa. When: 3-6 p.m. Cost: $7. Details: A different beer and tapas pairing will be available each day. Why you should go: You need some food in your belly to go with all this beer.

What: Mother Road Sampling. Where: Total Wine Cottonwood. When: 3:30-5:30 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Sample Mother Road’s packaged lineup. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Upslope Special Tapping. Where: M’tucci’s Moderno. When: 4-7 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: In addition to happy hour food and beer specials, there will be a specialty keg tapped. Why you should go: Solve the mystery of the mystery beer, and devour awesome M’tucci’s food.

What: Alaskan Sampling. Where: Total Wine Cottonwood. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Sample Alaskan’s packaged lineup. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Alaskan Tap Takeover. Where: Bubba’s 33. When: 4-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Multiple Alaskan beers will be on tap. Why you should go: Burgers and beer.

What: Mother Road Sampling. Where: Total Wine Uptown. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Sample Mother Road’s packaged lineup. Why you should go: Free beer!

What: Beer, Coffee, and Chocolate Pairings. Where: Rio Bravo. When: 5-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Rio Bravo will be pairing up its beers with items from NM Pinon Coffee and Chocolate Dude. Why you should go: Get your dessert before dinner.

What: A Cigar, Food and Beer Evening on the Patio. Where: Jinja West. When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Jinja is pairing up cigars from Jake and Harley with the special tapping of three Alaskan Brewing beers, Raspberry Wheat, Summer Kolsch, and the awesome Perseverance Russian Imperial Stout. Why you should go: Perseverance alone should get you across the river.

What: La Cumbre Beer Dinner. Where: Torino’s @ Home. When: 6-9 p.m. Cost: $45 per person. Details: A four-course dinner paired with four classic LC beers. Check the Facebook event page for the full menu. Why you should go: Delicious food plus delicious beer.

What: Beer, Cheese, & More. Where: Marble Heights. When: 6-8 p.m. Cost: $25. Details: Five 4-ounce beers will be paired with five 1-ounce portions of different cheeses. There were only 75 tickets available as of Monday afternoon. Get them quick at the taproom. Why you should go: It’s annually one of the best Marble events, and that is saying something.

What: Upslope Tap Takeover. Where: M’tucci’s Italian. When: 6-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: They are busting out the rare beers for this event. Why you should go: Rare beers. Need we say more?

What: Big Sipper IPA Can Release. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 7-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Tractor will release Big Sipper for the first time in cans, made especially for July’s annual Pork & Brew in Rio Rancho. The Silver String Band will provide the music. Why you should go: You can’t live on big beers alone, so a nice session IPA will help get you through this busy day.

What: Sierra Nevada and Girl Scout Cookie Pairing. Where: O’Niell’s Nob Hill. When: 7-9 p.m. Cost: TBA. Details: Enjoy delicious Sierra Nevada beers and some of the best cookies in the world. Why you should go: Oh, come on, you’ve always wanted to know what the perfect pairing is with the cookies you bought.

* * * * *

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

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

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

La Cumbre and Dialogue will represent NM at national beer-food pairing event

Posted: May 18, 2017 by cjax33 in Events, News
Tags: ,
2

La Cumbre often pairs its beers with special offerings from the food trucks, but now it’s headed to the ultimate pairing event in Washington D.C. (Photo courtesy of La Cumbre)

One of the more unique little treats for members of the media during the Great American Beer Festival was the time we got to spend at a special beer and food pairing before the start of the Saturday afternoon session. It was a scaled-down version of the much larger annual event Savor: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience. The 10th anniversary edition of this event is set for Washington D.C. on June 2 and 3, and two New Mexico breweries will participate.

Longtime local powerhouse La Cumbre will be joined by relative newcomer Dialogue, and 84 other breweries, as their beers will join up with paired dishes from some of the nation’s best chefs and restaurants. All the attending breweries were selected from a lottery that had 300 applicants. Getting two of those from New Mexico is mighty impressive.

“Albuquerque has one of the best beer scenes in the country right now, and we are proud to be an ambassador for our city at this truly world-class event,” La Cumbre owner Jeff Erway said in a press release.

La Cumbre will have Elevated IPA paired with carrot hummus, popped lentils, and laffa, and Albus Quercus (saison) paired with pastrami cured salmon, potato blini, and creme fraiche. Dialogue is taking its Berliner Weisse and Scarlet Beh Gose, which will be paired with special dishes from Choptank Oyster Company. Anyone can check out the full menu here.

We realize most of you cannot get all the way to D.C. on short notice, but if you have friends there, let them know. Another option, of course, is to scan that there menu, find the best cook you know, and try to make some of those dishes to pair up with beers from our two local breweries, or others from around the region who distribute here. Or, heck, check on the pairings that pop out to you, and find a local beer that matches the one going with the dish you gotta try. There is nothing in the world that says you cannot try to emulate the best beer and food pairings yourself or with friends. Who knows? Maybe this could be a way to get that one friend or family member who claims not to like beer to see it from a new angle. It has worked for wine for years, after all.

Let us all raise a glass in a couple weeks to La Cumbre and Dialogue as they carry the banner of New Mexico craft beer back to the nation’s capital!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Older Entries