Posts Tagged ‘La Cumbre Brewing’

New Mexico breweries clean up at 2 big beer competitions

Posted: June 4, 2018 by cjax33 in News
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That’s a might nice trophy to bring home from Burning Can. (Photo courtesy of La Cumbre)

Four New Mexico breweries combined to win six medals, including three golds, at the annual North American Beer Awards this past weekend. La Cumbre was not one of those breweries, but it did earn the trophy for King of the Can at the annual Burning Can Festival hosted by Oskar Blues.

The NABA medals were handed out at the Mountain West Brewers Fest in Idaho Falls on Saturday. The North American Brewers Association organizes the event.

Boxing Bear, Quarter Celtic, Santa Fe, and Tractor were the local winners this year. Quarter Celtic joined the list after the other three breweries all earned medals last year as well.

This year, Boxing Bear won gold for Featherweight Session IPA in the Session-Style IPA category and silver for Common Ground in the California Common category.

Quarter Celtic took home silver for Pedro O’Flannigan’s in the Latin American or Tropical-Style Lager or Ale category, as well as a bronze for MacLomas Stout in Session Beer.

Santa Fe brought back gold for Pale Ale in the Ordinary Bitter/Best Bitter (ESB) category. Tractor also earned gold with Thai Basil Mint Cider in the Specialty (Flavored) Ciders category.

Burning Can was held in Lyons, Colorado, and La Cumbre won for Elevated IPA. We would share a link but the Oskar Blues website is, um, not good.

If there are any other recent competitions that we have not mentioned, please let us know.

Congratulations to all the breweries on their accomplishments.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

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ABQ Beer Week: Day Eleven wraps it all up for 2018

Posted: June 3, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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And so it ends for another year!

This is it, the final day of Beer Week for 2018. We hope all of you have had as much fun as we did, even if we didn’t get out to as many events as in the past (work/family/metal shows in Denver got in the way).

There was also the NM Brewers Guild golf tournament earlier today, but since it had sold out in advance, we didn’t list it here. We do hope everyone had fun and that someone came within spitting distance of par out there!

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: Le Cask Lunatique. Where: Steel Bender Brewyard. When: Noon. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Steel Bender is teaming up with Le Chat Lunatique for a mini cask festival on the patio. While the band plays from 1 to 3, the casks will be there until they run dry. There will be Cider with Cascade hops and raw sugar, Cider with maple syrup and cinnamon sticks, The Village Wit with pure honey and grapefruit, Sparkfitter Amber with molasses and ginger, Brickie Stout with raspberry puree, and Kettle Run with agave and the zest and juice of 12 limes. They will be paired with a special menu of sausage-centered dishes.

Why you should go: Food, beer, and some of the best mangy jazz around.

All the other great events

What: Level 5 Brunch Pairing with Marble. Where: Hotel Chaco. When: 11 a.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Marble beers will take over the taps as folks chow down on some of the best brunch items in town. Why you should go: Get your day started right.

What: Goose Island Brunch. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 11 a.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Once again, GI sours will be served during the traditional Sunday brunch. Why you should go: If you’re in Nob Hill and like to pucker up at brunch, go for it.

What: La Cumbre Bowling Tournament. Where: Silva Lanes. When: 1-3 p.m. Cost: $5 per person/$20 per team of four. Details: Grab three friends to form a team and head to the lanes to bowl against teams from La Cumbre. The $5 per person charge gets you two games and a pair of shoes. Enjoy some delicious LC beers while bowling, too. Why you should go: Because who doesn’t want bragging rights over the La Cumbre staff? You’re never gonna get those trying to out-brew them.

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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 Nine brings the funk straight from Barrelworks

Posted: June 1, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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There are only four events to choose from, so choose wisely today.

It’s kinda weird that a Friday would end up being the quietest day of Beer Week, but here we are.

There are just four events today, and one of those is actually just a monthly event that happens to fall during all of these festivities. At least each of the four looks fun, especially for those of you like your beers a little tart and funky.

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: Firestone Walker Barrelworks Tap Takeover. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 5 p.m. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Barrelworks in Buellton, Calif., is a magical place. Now a few of its finest aged beers are arriving here on tap. Take your choice between Agrestic (American Wild Red Ale), Bretta Rose (Wild Ale fermented with raspberries), Bretta Weisse (Berliner Style Wheat Beer), Krieky Bones (Wild Ale fermented with sour cherries), and UnderCurrants (Wild Ale fermented with black currants). Pucker up, people!

Why you should go: Unless you’re planning to visit Barrelworks itself just off the 101 in Central California, this is your best chance to try these beers on draft.

All the other great events

What: La Cumbre Beer Tap Takeover and Cheese Tasting. Where: Whole Foods Academy. When: 1-3 p.m. (tasting), 1-close (tap takeover). Cost: No cover charge. Details: La Cumbre is taking over the taps at the Sandia Saloon inside Whole Foods all day, but for the first two hours there will be a special beer and cheese pairing featuring Blackberry Briar, Miles from Cologne, Mosaic SMASH, Elevated IPA, A Slice of Hefen, and more. Why you should go: Delicious beer paired with delicious cheese. It’s been a theme this year, but you haven’t had LC beers with that cheese yet.

What: Sour Funk Beer Tasting. Where: Jubilation. When: 4-6 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Steel Bender, Cascade Brewing, and more will be on hand to offer up samples of some of their funkiest, strangest, and most creative concoctions. Why you should go: Free beer. Free sour beer. Just keep those elbows down, beer geeks, and form a single-file line.

What: First Fridays Comedy Contest Beer Edition. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 8-10 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: It’s standup comedy with a beer theme to the jokes. Why you should go: Come for the seasonal beers, stay for the Budweiser jokes.

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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 Four is all about the brunch experience

Posted: May 27, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
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There are still plenty of places to enjoy a beer today before you gear up for Blues & Brews.

Just in case anyone missed it Friday, we already previewed today’s biggest event, ABQ Blues & Brews. Therefore, it’s not actually listed here, as these are just the smaller events happening around town (mostly before the festival). We just didn’t want to confuse anyone or make ourselves seem strangely forgetful.

Anyway, as one might expect, it’s a pretty light day for events considering most of the brewery folks will be pouring at Sandia Casino. Still, there are some nice options to get the day started.

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: La Cumbre Tap Takeover and Beer Brunch. Where: Sister. When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: No cover charge.

Details: Enjoy the delicious brunch menu at Sister with beers from La Cumbre. There will be five or more LC beers on tap (if we ever get word what those are, we will update this post). Brunch items range from breakfast burritos to huevos rancheros to brunch burger to brisket bowl and so on.

Why you should go: If you’re reading this story, we pretty much know that you are a La Cumbre fan, and by the accounts of many of our trusted friends, Sister makes a legit brunch. Go enjoy both together!

All the other great events

What: Seventh Anniversary Party. Where: Nexus Brewery. When: All day. Cost: No cover charge. Details: The fun continues at Nexus with the Fried Pork Chop being served alongside all the other great dishes, plus Raven & Her Sweet Potato Pie Band will perform from 2 to 5 p.m. Why you should go: If you did not feast Saturday, feast today.

What: Goose Island Brunch. Where: Nob Hill Bar & Grill. When: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: There are none online, but presumably there will be GI beers and beermosas and you can have them with your brunch. Why you should go: If you’re hungry and don’t want to go downtown, here’s another option.

What: Odell Tap Takeover. Where: Gecko’s Nob Hill. When: All day. Cost: No cover charge. Details: There will be Odell beers on tap, and per the poster those will be 90 Shilling, Rupture, IPA, and St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale. Why you should go: Odell makes good beer and Gecko’s has good food.

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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

The Week Ahead in Beer: Make sure to honor mom in between brewery visits

Posted: May 9, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
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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, one in Moriarty, and one in Las Cruces 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.

A few years back, I almost forgot Mother’s Day. I was sitting at Canteen Brewhouse, and my saving grace ended up being the fact that Irish Red (mom’s favorite beer) was on tap at the time. I brought her a growler, which she said was a nice one-time gift. Now, since your mothers may not be craft beer fans, buying each of them a growler/crowler for Sunday might not save you from packing the bags and going on a guilt trip. Luckily, there will be Mother’s Day markets this Saturday at Bow & Arrow and La Cumbre. Get those last-minute gifts while enjoying a pint. Bow & Arrow will also have Grinding Gears Coffee if you need to keep a clearer head, with that event lasting from noon to 4 p.m. La Cumbre’s market runs from noon to 5 p.m. Then, on Mother’s Day itself, Boxing Bear is hosting an all-day event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be RaceNM hosting a trail race along the Bosque starting at 10, followed by free yoga for all the moms at 11, then a painting session hosted by Be Inspired at 12:30 (tickets are $35 apiece and can be purchased online). Fat City Confections & Baked Goods will serve an all-day brunch menu. If the west side is too far to go, you could also head to either Tractor Nob Hill or Tractor Four Hills for cider mimosa bars starting at noon.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque has two off-beat brews in Pepperfessor Honeydrew and Hellapeno Lime Gose. Canteen rolls out more Laid Back Lager and Raspberry Wheat, plus the PassGo Pale Ale, a passion fruit/mango offering. Dialogue unveils Jeff Wenzel Fights Fires Saison and King Salmon Lager. La Cumbre will have three fresh beers on tap for its market with Citra SMASH IPA, Common Eileen, and Mystery Fruit Saison 3000. Marble brings back Pilsner Anejo, while adding the new Fog Lite and Kentucky Juleps. Ponderosa should have Brewer’s Beard Bock on tap by the weekend. Red Door went international with English IPA on Tuesday, and will bring back Blackberry Hefeweizen this Friday. Sidetrack has a fresh batch of Buzz Bomb. Starr Brothers has released the new Dos Cabrones and Plaid Boy Boogie. Tractor is feeling fruity with Coloring Night, Apricot Wheat, and Thai Basil Mint Cider. Turtle Mountain goes over the Rainbow in the Dunkel.

Up in Santa Fe, Duel brings back four old favorites in Whistler, Manikin, Sans Titre, and Monomyth. Second Street has also been busy, rolling out IPA 500, Rufina Amber, Boneshaker Bitter, Crystal Persuasion IPA, Nova Pale Ale, and the downright burly-sounding Dragon’s Blood Sour. UPDATE: Rowley Farmhouse Ales has three new offerings in the Tea for Two, an Earl Grey-infused saison, plus One at a Time – Galaxy, a single-hopped pale ale, and Sketches of Simplicity, a farmhouse pilsner.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of May 7.

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: Brune, Bernalillo Weisse, Best Coast IPA, Parasol, Red Mountain, Double Trouble, Sombra Stout. The Bernalillo Weisse is a tremendous name. The most recent additions are Parasol, Red Mountain (IPA), Double Trouble, and Sombra Stout.

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 Hatchet, Cascade Grenade, Super Kreak, TruBlu Pilsner, Zeus Juice White IPA. The current seasonals include the Super Kreak, TruBlu, and Cascade Grenade. Zeus Juice White IPA has also returned on tap and in bottles.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese has 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.

Bombs Away Beer Company — (505) 554-3204

(Hours: Mon–Sat noon–10 p.m., Sun noon–8 p.m.)

Beers: BABC IPA, Willie Pete Wit, Low Order Porter, Operation Single Hop, Proximity Pilsner, Actuator IPA, SNAFU Oatmeal Stout, Hazy Chain DIPA, Imperial Session IPA, High Speed Low Drag Lager, The RED Ale, Wild Card, Spring Lager, Arsenal Amber Ale, Claymore Scotch Ale. The most recent addition is the Claymore, with Spring Lager and Arsenal going on tap shortly before that. Make sure to enjoy some of the delicious SNAFU when you get the chance.

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: Driftwood Oatmeal Stout, The Good Place (Pale Ale), Strawberry Sabotage, Citronic Sessions, Pepperfessor Honeydew, Hellepeno Lime Gose. The Sabotage, Honeydew, and Gose were all created by Bosque’s front-of-house staff members in collaboration with the brewing team. You gotta give them credit for creativity.

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 3 p.m.-midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: (House) Sun Dagger (Saison), True Aim (Scotch Ale), Denim Tux Lager, Nomadico IPA, Savage Times Sour IPA, Visionland Amber Ale; (Seasonal) Thirsty Land: Foraged Series (Grisette), Saison de Blanc, Roam Free DIPA, Cake Bandit, Desert Rambler Hefeweizen, Thief of Time (Barleywine), Rancho Bizarro (Sour red Ale). Bottles of Dark Mesa, a barrel-aged quad with brett, are still on sale at the brewery, but the supply is limited. Bottles of Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison are available, but it is no longer on tap. Cake Bandit, an imperial German chocolate cake stout, is a decadent treat available for a limited time. There are a limited number of bottles available of the Rancho Bizarro, the most recent addition on tap.

Events: Saturday—Pre-Mother’s Day Pop up, noon-4 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

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

Beers: Featherweight Session IPA, Sucker Punch DIPA, New Mexikolsch, Strong Arm Strong Pale Ale, Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout, Common Ground, Schwarzbier. The most recent additions are Common Ground, a California common, and Schwarzbier. Chocolate Milk Stout is back on the nitro tap.

Events: Sunday—Mother’s Day Celebration, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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, Pepe the Mule, Double Black, Raspberry Kolsch. 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 and Raspberry Kolsch are the most recent additions.

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: Irish Red, Marzen, Exodus IPA, Helles Lager, Hop Baller IPA, Raspberry Wheat, Laid Back Lager, PassGo Pale Ale. Welcome back Rapsberry Wheat and Laid Back, two returning favorites. The PassGo is new, a combination of passionfruit and mango.

Live Music (Brewery): Thursday—Silver String Band, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Tom Bennett One Man Band, 4-7 p.m.

Live Music (Taproom): Saturday—Nathan Fox, 5-8 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.

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Mon-Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds 4-11 p.m., Thurs-Sun noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Sour Raspberry, Idiot Sauvin, 505 Lager, Moloko Plus Milk Stout, Micro Hands Session IPA, Munich Dunkel, Blood Orange Gose, Stormy (Belgian Blonde), Jeff Wenzel Fights Fires Saison, King Salmon Lager. The new saison is named for Jeff Wenzel, Dialogue’s assistant brewer, since it’s his first recipe. The King Salmon Lager was made with Chinook hops (get it?).

Live Music: Thursday—YOU, Shitty & The Terribles, DJ Brandon Lum, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Digisaurus, 7 p.m.

Other Events: Saturday—Women in the Arts IV, 3 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Game Night, 7 p.m.

Flix Brewhouse — (505) 445-8500

(Open daily 11 a.m.-midnight)

Beers: Nebulas New England IPA, Dr. Brownstone, Stuntman Light Lager, Say It Loud Coffee Stout, OASIS Passionfruit Belgian Blonde, Hazeas Corpus Hazy IPA. The OASIS and Hazeas Corpus are the most recent additions. Enjoy them with Avengers: Infinity War if you can bring yourself to go back and see it again after that <REDACTED DUE TO SPOILERS>.

High and Dry Brewing — (505) 433-5591

(Mon closed, Tues-Thurs 2-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Liberty Crate IPA, Zest Out, Humble Affair Stout, Black Hole’s Son (Porter), Constable Reggie (Tart Amber), Swipe White (Tart Wheat), Mestia #3 (Table Sour). It has been a busy month-plus for the new brewery at 529 Adams St. NE, just south of Lomas. The Zest Out is an orange coffee beer made in collaboration with Steel Bender. This batch of Humble Affair Stout is the delicious coffee stout we were promised.

Hops Brewery — (505) 369-1378

(Sun-Thurs noon-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Dad Joke (California Common), Tipsy Cow (Milk Stout), Warm Scottish Nights, An Irish Tan (English Bitter), Honey Wheat, Chica (Pale Ale), Hop Hill IPA. Hops has started out with these seven beers on tap, but they also have 31 more guest taps, just in case you don’t find one to your liking.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

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

Beers: Helles Lager, Puddle Stomper IPA, Doppelbock, California Common, Pub Ale, Blond Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Irish Red, Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. The most recent additions include the Pub Ale, Blond Ale, Oatmeal Stout, and Irish Red.

Live Music: Friday—Sloan Armitage, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Ed Cohen & Band, 7 p.m.; Sunday—Blues Jam Sesh, 3 p.m.

Weekly Events: Sunday—The Desert Darlings, 6-8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Kaktus has several new weekday specials, 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, American Lager, IPA, Lobo Red Ale, Session IPA, Sleeping Dog Stout, 35 N Coffee Porter, Common; (seasonal) German Pilsner, Capspackler DIPA, Dortmunder, Oak-Aged Natalia. The lineup got a bit of a makeover, with American Lager and Common joining the regulars, bumping out the Blonde. The Natalia was originally made at Chama River and dear lord it was dark decadence in a glass. Get some quick before it runs out!

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

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

Kilt Check Brewing (formerly Drafty Kilt) — (505) 881-0234

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

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Outlamber Amber, Obliviscaris Oatmeal Stout. The Obliviscaris is back, having replaced the Covfefe Hefe, and boy does it taste good, as we proved with a fourth-place finish at our Stout Challenge. Take note, Kilt Check is now closed on Mondays.

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

La Cumbre Brewing — (505) 872-0225

(Open every day at noon)

Beers: Citra SMASH IPA, Blanche De Burque, Father Nelson DIPA, Common Eileen, Mystery Fruit Saison 3000. Get the Father Nelson before it disappears back into history. The most recent additions are Citra SMASH, Common Eileen, and this week’s top contender for best beer name in the Mystery Fruit Saison 3000.

Events: Saturday—Mother’s Day Market, noon-5 p.m.

Lava Rock Brewing — (505) 836-1022

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

Beers: All guest taps for now. Welcome to the listings, Lava Rock! We just wanted everyone to know that the kitchen is up and running and some unique guest taps from other local breweries are available now at 2220 Unser Blvd. NW. When the house beers appear, we will let everyone know.

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: Cholo Stout, Passionate Gose, Rita!, Marble Pale Ale, Pilsner Anejo, Fog Lite (Downtown only), Ringleader (Downtown only), Imperial Red (Downtown and Heights only), Kentucky Juleps (Downtown and Heights only), Tickle Factory (Downtown and Westside only), From the Wood Saison (Heights and Westside only), My Lil’ Jabroni (Heights and Westside only), Nitro Madera (Heights and Westside only), Session IPA (Heights and Westside only), Double IPA (Heights and Westside only), Session White (Westside only), Stout Americano (Westside only), BBBerry Gose (Westside only), Chocolate Pinky (Westside only), Smoked Helles (Westside only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. Ringleader, Marble’s 10th anniversary beer, is Double White with brettanomyces that has been bottle (and keg) conditioned. The Rita! and Pilsner Anejo have returned, while Kentucky Juleps and Fog Lite are new additions. Remember that Cholo Stout, Double IPA, and Imperial Red are now available in six-packs!

Live Music (Downtown): Today (Wednesday)—Citizens of Tape City, 6-9 p.m.; Friday—J Calvin’s Funk Express, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Le Chat Lunatique, 8-11 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Friday—Keith Sanchez, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—Sol De La Noche, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—Ray Anthony+Powerslyde, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Groove Time, 8-11 p.m.

Other Events (Downtown): Sunday—Marble Mouth Off Finale, 4-6 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: New Mexico Snow IPA, Hot Chocolate Porter, Irish Red, Lemon Wheat Ale. New brewer, new seasonals as Nexus has Snow IPA and the cayenne-infused Chocolate Porter available now, plus Irish Red is back for another run. Lemon Wheat Ale is the most recent addition.

News: The Silver taproom no longer has weekly music, but it does have an abbreviated menu to keep folks plenty happy.

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

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

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Pool Session Pale Ale, Cockness Monster (Scotch Ale), Switch Stance Stout. Palmer shares a building with Left Turn Distilling on Girard south of Candelaria. Stop by for some Cockness Monster or Switch Stance and make sure to wish Rob Palmer himself congratulations on becoming a married man.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

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

Beers: Hefeweizen, Triple IPA, Peach Wheat Ale, Hop-Mosa 2.0, Blood Orange Witbier. The Blood Orange Witbier and Hop-Mosa 2.0, a New England-style DIPA, are the most recent additions. This weekend they will be joined by Brewer’s Beard Bock, which thankfully was not made with yeast from brewer Antonio Fernandez’s beard.

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: Coco Orastie (Orange) Stout, Clark IPA, Dark Pedro, Test Batch #2 DIPA, Saiorse Hefe, Baltic Porter. A recent addition was the Test Batch #2, a New England-style double IPA. The popular Saoirse Hefe is back for another run.

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.; Wyoming 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: New England IPA, Lager Oscuro, English IPA. The New England IPA is the first recipe from new head brewer Matt Meier, and Franz Solo declares it to be a new favorite seasonal in town. His second new seasonal, English IPA, went on tap Tuesday. An old favorite, Blackberry Hefeweizen, returns Friday.

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

Weekly Events (Downtown Taproom): Today (Wednesday)—Paint it Black Open Mic Comedy, 7-9 p.m.; Thursday—Art at the Bar, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Sunday—Parents’ Day Out, noon-3 p.m.; 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, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Barrel-Aged Porter, Vanilla Porter, NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Level 3 IPA, Lemongrass Wit, Blueberry Mint Gose, Imperial Kolsch, Razberry Sour, Belgian IPA, Pink Boots Pale Ale, Marzen, Grapefruit Launcher IPA, Schwarzbier, Cherry Cuvee, Cascade Pale Ale, Porter 4 Humanity, Grab ‘Em By the Putin (Russian Imperial Stout). There are two barrel-aged beers on tap in the Porter and Putin. The Blueberry Mint Gose is the most recent addition. There are also guest taps featuring beers from around the state now available.

Live Music: Friday—The Boonies, 4 p.m., Tres Pendejos, 8 p.m.; Saturday—Good Morning Bedlam, 8 p.m.

Other Events: Thursday—Ticket Party for ABQ Blues & Brews, 5 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Loungy Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.; Friday—Headliners Comedy presents Friday Night Fools ($5 cover, event only), 9:30 p.m.; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo; Family Funday, 2-5 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Happy hour Monday-Friday, 2-6 p.m., $1 off pints

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: Co-Mo IPA, Buzz Bomb, Guera American Blonde Ale, Pilsner, Pinebox Pale Ale, Pub Ale. The Co-Mo and Buzz Bomb are the most recent additions.

Cask: The Co-Mo and Pub Ale are in the firkins.

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, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Phantom Limb Black Rye IPA, Don’t Fear the RIPA, Peppy Redlocks, Bloodshot, Dos Cabrones, Plaid Boy Boogie. The most recent additions are Dos Cabrones, a Mexican lager, and Plaid Boy Boogie, a Scottish Red. Before that came two other new recipes in Peppy Redlocks, a strawberry rhubarb ale, and Bloodshot, a blood orange wit.

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, Steel Bender Lager, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Out to Pasture (Saison), Zest Out, Raspberry Dynamite, The Goose is Loose, Yogi Beera. The most recent additions are the Goose (Berliner Weisse), Yogi Beera (Brett Saison), and Zest Out, an orange coffee beer made in collaboration with Humble Coffee and High & Dry Brewing. There are still bottles of Ingenio for sale, but the supply of The Judy and Bullet Reserve has run out.

The 377 Brewery — (505) 934-0795

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

Beers: (house) 377 IPA, Dieterhosen Hefe, El CuCuy (DIPA), Fat Brown Guy (Porter), Red Horse NM Lager, Schwarzbier, Berliner Weisse, Naked Ale (Pale); (seasonals) Loonies Lime Saison, Short Wee Heavy, Milk Stout, Peach Wheat, Kolsch, Scottish Ale, Say Juan Saison, Skin Walker Triple IPA, Plum Cherry Sour, Imperial Cream Ale, BBA (Barrel-Aged Dark Lager). A trio of new additions hit taps recently with Plum Cherry Sour, Imperial Cream Ale, and BBA, which is made with coffee, cocoa, and vanilla.

News: Bottles of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Milk Stout aged with dark cherries and Scottish Wee Heavy aged with sweet cherries are still available.

Live Music: Friday—Vintage Brew, 6 p.m.

Weekly Events: Sunday—Open Mic/Jam Session, 5 p.m.

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

(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; Four Hills: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m.)

Beers: Pete’s Porter, Gose, Tupac Cali Red Ale, Lemon & Honey, Explora G&T Cider, Coloring Night, Apricot Wheat, Thai Basil Mint Cider, Oud Bruin (Wells Park only), 2016 Stein Wine (Wells Park only), Belgo American Pale Ale (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Imma Pale Ale (Four Hills only), Cascara Cider (Four Hills only). All proceeds from the G&T Cider go to the Explora Science Center. The Coloring Night, a fruited wheat, plus Apricot Wheat and Thai Basil Mint Cider are the most recent additions.

News: After a temporary outage, Berry Cider is back on tap.

Live Music (Wells Park): Thursday—The High Desert Playboys, 8 p.m.; Saturday—The Boonies & Twin Cisterns, 7 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Society of Broken Souls, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Ryan Painter & Jake Phillips, 5 p.m.; Monday—Tom Bennett, 5 p.m.

Live Music (Four Hills): Saturday—RJ Perez, 7 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Saturday—Mudd Vollyeball Signup, 5 p.m.

Other Events (Nob Hill): Sunday—Mother’s Day Cider Mimosa Bar, noon

Other Events (Four Hills): Sunday—Mother’s Day Cider Mimosa Bar, noon

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Super Tractor Gamers Night, 5:30 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.

Weekly Events (Four Hills): Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.

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. 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.

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: Bocky Mountain High, Trivial Monstrosity IPA, Snakedriver Dry Irish Stout, Triple Play Pale Ale, Rainbow in the Dunkel. The most recent addition is Rainbow in the Dunkel. The Trivial Monstrosity is the latest in the series of rotating specialty IPAs.

Cask: Tuesday—Triple Play Pale Ale

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Australian Pale Ale, Katabatic Kolsch, Black Thought IPA, Santa Fe Especial. We are quite thankful that Blue Corn was willing to share some of the last of the barrel-aged Cosmic Darkness before it ran out. The Santa Fe Especial is a Mexican-style amber.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

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

Beers: El Jefe (Rauchweizen), Antonio Bandito (Dunkelweizen), Llorona Lager, La Bamba (Rauchbier), Stara Baba (Oak Smoked Polish Gratzer), Jacona Stout, P.G. (Pinche Guey) IPA. The Jacona and P.G. are the most recent additions.

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, Whistler (Blonde), Manikin (Small Scottish), Small Stout, Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Sans Titre (Sour Blonde), Fiction (IPA), Monomyth (DIPA), Titian, Dark Ryder, Grunewald, Goya. There has been a big tap turnover with the return of Whistler, Manikin, Sans Titre, Monomyth, and the new Small Stout. The Titian, Dark Ryder, Grunewald, and Goya (13.3% ABV) are the most recent additions, available on tap and in bombers.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Today (Wednesday)—Wikki Wednesday with DJ Wae Fonkey and Dave 12, 7 p.m.; Friday—Classics with DJ Clout, 9 p.m.; Monday—Beats & Beers, 7 p.m.

Other Events (ABQ taproom): Thursday—Drag Queen Trivia 80’s Cartoons Edition, 8 p.m.; Saturday—Mata Ortiz Pachanga and Raffale, 7 p.m.

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, Agent Scully – Season One, Episode Six (IPA), Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Petit Blanche, Saison du Sarlacc First Order (Imperial Saison), Fields of Rye Spring ’18, Kaffeeklatsch, Tea for Two (Saison), One at a Time – Galaxy, Sketches of Simplicity (Farmhouse Pilsner). The Agent Scully is a series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. Episode Six is the most recent iteration. The new Kaffeeklatsch is a mixed fermentation coffee Berliner Weisse. The RFA staff has taken a Belgian-style dubbel and aged it in Saint Croix rum barrels with an addition of Santa Rosa Plums, calling it Mixed Dubbels Curling.

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: Hipster Union IPA, Lustgarten Lager, Imperial Pastry-Free Porter, Twisted Root, Schneeball Imperial Pilsner. The most recent additions are Schneeball and Twisted Root, the latter a blonde ale with ginger and lemongrass. You can also find Twisted Root and Lustgarten in six-pack cans.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Thursday—Royal Hills, 6 p.m.; Friday—Rise of Seekalae, 6 p.m.; Saturday—Cornbread Gumbo, 6 p.m.

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, 2920 IPA, Agua Fria Pilsner, Rufina Amber, IPA 5000, Boneshaker Bitter, Crystal Persuasion IPA, Nova Pale Ale, Dragon’s Blood Sour. The benefits of having two brewhouses are now apparent as Second Street is loaded with more beers than ever. The Rufina Amber, IPA 5000, Boneshaker, Crystal Persuasion, Nova, and Dragon’s Blood are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Original location): TBA

Live Music (Railyard): TBA

Live Music (Rufina): Thursday—North by North, Sex Headaches, Bodies, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Detroit Lightning, 8 p.m.; Sunday—Liv Lombardi, Ten Ten Division, ppoacher ppoacher, 8 p.m.; Monday—The Native Howl, 8:30 p.m.

Other Events (Rufina): Sunday—2nd Annual Scavenger Hunt Bike Ride, noon

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: Hoppenheimer IPA, Wit Rock, Pennsylvania Swanky, Dunkel Bock, Flat Cap Brown, Little Bird Blonde, Lichtenhainer. With a new brewer in place, BRB shakes up the lineup. Old favorites Hoppenheimer, Wit Rock, and Little Bird are joined by some fascinating newcomers in the Dunkel Bock, Flat Cap, and Lichtenhainer, a sour ale.

Picacho Peak Brewing — (575) 680-6394

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

Beers: Picacho Lite, Keller Hefeweizen, Twisted Windmill IPA, Old Crawley, 575 Scotsman, Irish Xtra Stout, I Heart Porter, Smooth and Stout. Welcome to the listings, Picacho Peak! For the first time in a long, long time we have a Las Cruces brewery in here. Make sure to check it out the next time you are down south.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

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

Beers: Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA, Elcitmos IPA. Elcitmos is the newest addition to the seasonal lineup, and if you could not guess by the name, it features Eldorado, Citra, and Mosaic hops. Cherry Wheat is available in bottles and won a gold medal at GABF in 2017.

Live Music: Friday—Reverend E & The Vagrants, 6 p.m.

* * * *

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

The Week Ahead in Beer: Three big beers for 4/20

Posted: April 18, 2018 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
Tags: , ,
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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, one in Moriarty, and one in Las Cruces 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.

As anyone who can read a calendar knows, the infamous “holiday” of 4/20 falls on a Friday this year. While that might have a bunch of people enjoying a cousin plant of hops, most of beer lovers will stick to the brews. The good news is there are three (previously four) mondo-sized beers either debuting or returning this Friday. Bow & Arrow introduces Thief of Time Barleywine, for those who want to stick with the malt-forward beers a bit longer, while the others are going with hop-forward offerings. Red Door unveils its first New England IPA at all of its locations. (Editor’s note: It runs out Marble will not have DIPA Especial ready for Friday. This was corrected from earlier today.) Then there is the big daddy of ’em all, Father Nelson, the monstrous DIPA that will return at La Cumbre. Take your pick of any of those, then go watch the Desert Darlings at 8 p.m. for the Wizard of Oz edition of Hops & Dreams at Tractor Wells Park, and enjoy the “holiday.”

We also wanted to highlight an awesome metal show that is going down at Second Street Rufina on Saturday night at 8:30. Albuquerque bands Distances and The Coma Recovery are heading north to promote their new albums, joined by Americas and Antiphony. It’s just a $7 cover to see some great bands, while also enjoying the wonderful beers on tap. Hails!

On the new beer front this week, there are a few other options to check out. Boxing Bear brings back Strong Arm Strong Pale Ale by popular demand. Canteen has more North 14 Pale Ale and Strawberry Basil Gose, plus Rosie the Riveter Session IPA is available there as well. Flix has OASIS Passionfruit Belgian Blonde and Hazeas Corpus Hazy IPA back on tap. High and Dry rolls out Black Hole’s Son (American Porter), Constable Reggie (Tart Amber), Swipe White (Tart Wheat), and Mestia #3 (Table Sour with Cascade hops). Marble also has Chillsner, an export-strength German pilsner, and Nitro Madera is on at the Heights for a limited time, plus today (Wednesday) marks the release of the anniversary beer, Ringleader, on tap and in bottles. Ponderosa should have Hop-Mosa 2.0 on tap by this weekend. Quarter Celtic brings back Saoirse Hefe on Friday. Starr Brothers hopes to have Bloodshot, a blood orange wit, on tap by this weekend. Steel Bender resurrects Raspberry Dynamite on Thursday. Tractor taps the new Pomegranate Dry Cider and Chocolate Coffee Milk Stout. Turtle Mountain honors baseball season with Triple Play Pale Ale on Friday.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn is trying to lure the Crew to visit with Barrel-Aged Cosmic Darkness Imperial Stout. Rowley Farmhouse Ales will have Mixed Dubbels Curling on tap this Sunday, and bottle sales are already underway (see their entry for the link).

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of April 16.

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: Brune, Blonde, Strong Dark and Handsome, Eagle Claw, Tokyo Black, Single and Ready to Mingle, Bernalillo Weisse, Best Coast IPA. The Bernalillo Weisse is the most recent addition, and a tremendous name.

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 Hatchet, Cascade Grenade, Super Kreak, TruBlu Pilsner, Black IPA. The current seasonals include the Super Kreak, TruBlu, Black IPA, and Cascade Grenade, the newest addition. Zeus Juice White IPA is also coming back in the next few weeks on tap and in bombers.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Boese has 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.

Bombs Away Beer Company — (505) 554-3204

(Hours: Mon–Sat noon–10 p.m., Sun noon–8 p.m.)

Beers: BABC IPA, Willie Pete Wit, Low Order Porter, Operation Single Hop, Proximity Pilsner, Actuator IPA, SNAFU Oatmeal Stout, Hazy Chain DIPA, M1A1 ABQ Common, Imperial Session IPA, High Speed Low Drag Lager, The RED Ale, Wild Card, Spring Lager, Arsenal Amber Ale. The most recent additions are the Spring Lager and Arsenal, with The RED Ale and Wild Card going on tap shortly before that. Make sure to enjoy some of the delicious SNAFU when you get the chance.

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: Driftwood Oatmeal Stout, Down in the Hollow, Not Your Average Latte, Rosie the Riveter Session IPA, Dream Theory, Era of Discovery. Dream Theory, a Vienna lager, and Era of Discovery are the most recent additions. The latter is a pale ale infused with two types of green tea, with $1 from every pint sold going to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.

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 3 p.m.-midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–9 p.m.)

Beers: (House) Sun Dagger (Saison), True Aim (Scotch Ale), Denim Tux Lager, Nomadico IPA, Savage Times Sour IPA, Visionland Amber Ale; (Seasonal) Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison, Way Out West Sour Sumac, Thirsty Land: Foraged Series (Grisette), Saison de Blanc, Roam Free DIPA, Cake Bandit, Desert Rambler Hefeweizen. Bottles of Dark Mesa, a barrel-aged quad with brett, are still on sale at the brewery, but the supply is limited. Bottles of Cosmic Arrow are also available. Cake Bandit, an imperial German chocolate cake stout, is a decadent treat available for a limited time. Thief of Time Barleywine debuts Friday.

Live Music: Friday—DJ Breakaway, 8 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Bow & Arrow has happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Get $1 off pints.

Boxing Bear Brewing Company — (505) 897-2327

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

Beers: Featherweight Session IPA, Sucker Punch DIPA, New Mexikolsch, Bear Knuckle IPA, Red Knuckle Irish Red, Tropic Thunder IPA, Strong Arm Strong Pale Ale. The most recent additions are Strong Arm, New Mexikolsch, Tropic Thunder, Red Knuckle, and Bear Knuckle. Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout is now on the nitro tap.

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, Pepe the Mule, Double Black, Raspberry Kolsch. 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 and Raspberry Kolsch are the most recent additions.

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: Irish Red, Marzen, Exodus IPA, Helles Lager, Hop Baller IPA, North 14 Pale Ale, Strawberry Basil Gose, Rosie the Riveter Session IPA. Welcome back North 14 and Strawberry Basil Gose, the most recent additions to the lineup. Rosie the Riveter was made to raise funds for the Pink Boots Society and is on tap at breweries across town.

Live Music (Brewery): Thursday—Fabulous Martini Tones, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Trevor Green, 4-7 p.m.

Live Music (Taproom): Saturday—Melissa Rios, 5-8 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.

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Mon-Tues 4-9 p.m., Weds 4-11 p.m., Thurs-Sun noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Sour Raspberry, Idiot Sauvin, Belgian Cherry Wheat, Coffee Lager, 505 Lager, Moloko Plus Milk Stout, Micro Hands Session IPA, Munich Dunkel, Blood Orange Gose, Stay Golden Gose, Stormy (Belgian Blonde). The most recent additions are Stormy, Stay Golden, Dunkel, and Blood Orange Gose.

Live Music: Friday—Baked Beats, 7:30-11:30 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Encuentros Intimos con Engine, 7 p.m.; Monday—Service Industry Night, 6 p.m.; Tuesday—Game Night, 7 p.m.

Drafty Kilt Brewing — (505) 881-0234

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

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Outlamber Amber, Obliviscaris Oatmeal Stout. The Obliviscaris is back, having replaced the Covfefe Hefe, and boy does it taste good, as we proved with a fourth-place finish at our Stout Challenge. Take note, Drafty Kilt is now closed on Mondays.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—X-Ile Open Mic and Acoustic Jam, 7 p.m.; Saturday—Karaoke with Tobyriffic, 6-10 p.m. (every other week); Sunday—Karaoke with Tobyriffic, 3-7 p.m.; Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 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: Nebulas New England IPA, Dr. Brownstone, Stuntman Light Lager, Say It Loud Coffee Stout, OASIS Passionfruit Belgian Blonde, Hazeas Corpus Hazy IPA. The OASIS and Hazeas Corpus are the most recent additions.

High and Dry Brewing — (505) 433-5591

(Mon closed, Tues-Thurs 2-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-10 p.m., Sun noon-9 p.m.)

Beers: Liberty Crate IPA, Zest Out, Humble Affair Stout, Black Hole’s Son (Porter), Constable Reggie (Tart Amber), Swipe White (Tart Wheat), Mestia #3 (Table Sour). It has been a busy month-plus for the new brewery at 529 Adams St. NE, just south of Lomas. The Zest Out is an orange coffee beer made in collaboration with Steel Bender. This batch of Humble Affair Stout is the delicious coffee stout we were promised.

Hops Brewery — (505) 369-1378

(Sun-Thurs noon-10 p.m., Fri-Sat noon-midnight)

Beers: Dad Joke (California Common), Tipsy Cow (Milk Stout), Warm Scottish Nights, An Irish Tan (English Bitter), Honey Wheat, Chica (Pale Ale), Hop Hill IPA. Hops has started out with these seven beers on tap, but they also have 31 more guest taps, just in case you don’t find one to your liking.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Open Mic, 7-9 p.m.; Friday—TJ the DJ, 9 p.m.-midnight; Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

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

Beers: Helles Lager, Puddle Stomper IPA, Doppelbock, California Common, Pub Ale, Blond Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Irish Red, Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. The most recent additions include the Pub Ale, Blond Ale, Oatmeal Stout, and Irish Red.

Live Music: Friday—Spiral Pilots, 6 p.m.

Weekly Events: 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, 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, American Lager, IPA, Lobo Red Ale, Session IPA, Sleeping Dog Stout, 35 N Coffee Porter, Common; (seasonal) German Pilsner, Capspackler DIPA, Dortmunder, Oak-Aged Natalia. The lineup got a bit of a makeover, with American Lager and Common joining the regulars, bumping out the Blonde. The Natalia was originally made at Chama River and dear lord it was dark decadence in a glass. Get some quick before it runs out!

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: Helles Lager, HBC 438 SMASH, Orange Choco Nitro Milk Stout, Imperial Saison, Regional Fetish IPA, Blanche De Burque. This Friday marks the return of the hop bomb of all hop bombs, Father Nelson. It comes on the heels of the recent additions of HBC 438, Imperial Saison, Regional Fetish, and Blanche De Burque.

Lava Rock Brewing — (505) 615-2802

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

Beers: All guest taps for now. Welcome to the listings, Lava Rock! We just wanted everyone to know that the kitchen is up and running and some unique guest taps from other local breweries are available now at 2220 Unser Blvd. NW. When the house beers appear, we will let everyone know.

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: Ringleader, Stout Americano, Cholo Stout, Passionate Gose, Session White, Session IPA, White Out, Imperial Red, Chillsner, BBBerry Gose (Downtown and Westside only), From the Wood Saison (Downtown and Westside only), Nitro Madera (Heights only), Double IPA (Heights and Westside only), Chocolate Pinky (Heights and Westside only), Marble Pale Ale (Heights and Westside only), Jarrylo Red Ale (Westside only), Smoked Helles (Westside only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. Today (Wednesday) is the release day on tap and in bottles of Ringleader, Marble’s 10th anniversary beer, which is Double White with brettanomyces that has been bottle (and keg) conditioned. The new Chillsner, an export-strength German pilsner, and Nitro Madera are the other recent additions. Stout Americano is back at all locations, on tap and for sale in bottles. Remember, too, that Cholo Stout, Double IPA, and Imperial Red are now available in six-packs!

Live Music (Downtown): Today (Wednesday)—The Dirty hades, 6-9 p.m.; Thursday—Blitzar, 7-8 p.m., Tesque Revolt, 8:15-9 p.m., Blue Hornets, 9:15-10:30 p.m.; Friday—Pherkad, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—10th Anniversary Festival: Silver String Band, noon-1 p.m., Tres Pendejos, 1:15-2 p.m., Concepto Tambor, 2:20-3:20 p.m., Reviva, 3:40-4:40 p.m., Baracutanga, 5-6 p.m., Mondo Vibrations, 6:30-8 p.m., Red Light Cameras, 8:30-10:30 p.m.; Sunday—Squash Blossom Boys, 3-6 p.m.

Live Music (Heights): Thursday—Gleewood, 7-10 p.m.; Friday—Ray Anthony and Powerslyde, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—Stan Kee and Step In, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—The Deal, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Frankly Scarlet, 8-11 p.m.

Other Events (Westside): Thursday—80s Prom, 7-10 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: New Mexico Snow IPA, Hot Chocolate Porter, Irish Red. New brewer, new seasonals as Nexus has Snow IPA and the cayenne-infused Chocolate Porter available now, plus Irish Red is back for another run.

News: The Silver taproom no longer has weekly music, but it does have an abbreviated menu to keep folks plenty happy.

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

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

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Pool Session Pale Ale, Cockness Monster (Scotch Ale), Switch Stance Stout. Palmer shares a building with Left Turn Distilling on Girard south of Candelaria. This batch of Cockness Monster is fresh and tasty.

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

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

Beers: Hefeweizen, Gold Medal Pilsner, Triple IPA, Toasted Cinnamon Stout, Peach Wheat Ale. Yes, the Toasted Cinnamon Stout was made with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal made in collaboration with the local General Mills facility. Triple IPA and Peach Wheat Ale are the most recent additions. Hop-Mosa 2.0 will join the tap list by the weekend.

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: Coco Orastie (Orange) Stout, Clark IPA, Dark Pedro, Test Batch #2 DIPA. A recent addition was the Test Batch #2, a New England-style double IPA. The popular Saoirse Hefe goes back on tap Friday.

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.; Wyoming 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: Putin on the RIS, Strong Scotch Ale. The Strong Scotch is back on tap. Putin on the RIS is a Russian Imperial Stout, in case you couldn’t guess, and it’s quite tasty. New England IPA debuts Friday.

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

Weekly Events (Downtown Taproom): Today (Wednesday)—Paint it Black Open Mic Comedy, 7-9 p.m.; Thursday—Art at the Bar, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Sunday—Parents’ Day Out, noon-3 p.m.; 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, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Barrel-Aged Porter, Vanilla Porter, NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Level 3 IPA, Lemongrass Wit, Blueberry Mint Gose, Imperial Kolsch, Razberry Sour, Belgian IPA, Pink Boots Pale Ale, Marzen, Grapefruit Launcher IPA, Schwarzbier, Cherry Cuvee, Cascade Pale Ale, Porter 4 Humanity, Grab ‘Em By the Putin (Russian Imperial Stout). There are two barrel-aged beers on tap in the Porter and Putin. The Blueberry Mint Gose is the most recent addition. There are also guest taps featuring beers from around the state now available.

Live Music: Thursday—David Garcia, 6 p.m.; Friday—Trevor Green, 6 p.m.; Saturday—Blame it on Rebekkah, 7 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Loungy Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.; Friday—Headliners Comedy presents Friday Night Fools ($5 cover, event only), 9:30 p.m.; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo; Family Funday, 2-5 p.m.

Happy Hour/Discounts: Happy hour Monday-Friday, 2-6 p.m., $1 off pints

Sidetrack Brewing — (505) 832-7183

(Mon–Thurs 3–11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.–midnight, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–6 p.m.)

Beers: Co-Mo IPA, Railhead Red, Guera American Blonde Ale, Dark Engine Stout, Buzz Bomb, Pilsner, Rosie the Riveter Session IPA. The Pilsner and Rosie are the most recent additions. Buzz Bomb is a delicious coffee pale ale made in collaboration with the folks next door at Zendo.

Cask: The Pilsner and Railhead, with orange zest, are in the firkins.

Events: Today (Wednesday)—Movie Night with The Sandlot, 7:30 p.m.

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, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Starrphire Pilsner, Phantom Limb Black Rye IPA, Don’t Fear the RIPA, Peppy Redlocks. The most recent additions are Don’t Fear the RIPA and Peppy Redlocks, a strawberry rhubarb ale. Bloodshot, a blood orange wit, will be on tap by the weekend.

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, Steel Bender Lager, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Steel Can Stout, Out to Pasture (Saison), Zest Out, Rosie the Riveter, Raspberry Dynamite. The most recent additions are the Out to Pasture, Steel Can, and Zest Out, an orange coffee beer made in collaboration with Humble Coffee and High & Dry Brewing. Raspberry Dynamite returns Thursday. There are still bottles of The Judy, a peach saison aged in Chardonnay barrels, along with the anniversary beers, Ingenio and Bullet Reserve, for sale at the brewery.

The 377 Brewery — (505) 934-0795

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

Beers: (house) 377 IPA, Dieterhosen Hefe, El CuCuy (DIPA), Fat Brown Guy (Porter), Red Horse NM Lager, Schwarzbier, Berliner Weisse, Naked Ale (Pale); (seasonals) Loonies Lime Saison, Short Wee Heavy, Milk Stout, Peach Wheat, Kolsch, Scottish Ale, Say Juan Saison, Skin Walker Triple IPA, Plum Cherry Sour, Imperial Cream Ale, BBA (Barrel-Aged Dark Lager). A trio of new additions hit taps recently with Plum Cherry Sour, Imperial Cream Ale, and BBA, which is made with coffee, cocoa, and vanilla.

News: Bottles of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Milk Stout aged with dark cherries and Scottish Wee Heavy aged with sweet cherries are still available.

Weekly Events: Sunday—Open Mic/Jam Session, 5 p.m.

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

(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; Four Hills: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–2 a.m.)

Beers: Pete’s Porter, Blood Orange Cider, Explora G&T Cider, Tupac Cali Red Ale, Lemon & Honey, Rosie the Riveter Session IPA, Chocolate Coffee Milk Stout, Pomegranate Dry Cider (nitro version only at Wells Park), Oud Bruin (Wells Park only), 2016 Stein Wine (Wells Park only), American Wild Ale (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Belgo American Pale Ale (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Chocolate Milk Stout (Four Hills only), Imma Pale Ale (Four Hills only), Cascara Cider (Four Hills only). All proceeds from the G&T Cider go to the Explora Science Center. Blood Orange Cider and Tupac have returned, plus the new Lemon & Honey is available. Chocolate Coffee Milk Stout and Pomegranate Dry Cider debuted recently.

News: Do not fret, Berry Cider is still on tap, but since it is now a year-round offering, we will no longer be listing it with the seasonal/specialty brews and ciders here.

Live Music (Wells Park): Today (Wednesday)—Singer Songwriter Showcase, 8 p.m.; Thursday—Macadoo, 8 p.m.; Friday—Alex Maryol, 5 p.m.; Saturday—Julian Dossett, 7 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Sloan Armitage, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Nathan Fox, 6:30 p.m.

Live Music (Four Hills): Saturday—RJ Perez, 7 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Friday—Hops & Dreams: Wizard of Oz Edition, 8 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Monday—Super Tractor Gamers Night, 5:30 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.

Weekly Events (Four Hills): Today (Wednesday)—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.

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. 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.

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: Bocky Mountain High, Total Malarkey IPA, Marzen, Snakedriver Dry Irish Stout, Amnesia Ale. The Bocky Mountain High was a most recent addition. Triple Play Pale Ale will replace the dwindling supply of Marzen this Friday.

Cask: Tuesday—Hopshell IPA

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Australian Pale Ale, Katabatic Kolsch, Black Thought IPA, Barrel-Aged Cosmic Darkness. Forget the warming weather, it’s time to go back to the darker days with some Barrel-Aged Cosmic Darkness, a decadent imperial stout.

Chili Line Brewing — (505) 500-7903

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

Beers: El Jefe (Rauchweizen), Antonio Bandito (Dunkelweizen), Llorona Lager, La Bamba (Rauchbier), Stara Baba (Oak Smoked Polish Gratzer), Jacona Stout, P.G. (Pinche Guey) IPA. The Jacona and P.G. are the most recent additions.

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, Marcel, Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Duchamp (Sour Wit), Cezanne Magnifique, HMWWA FIACFW, Cezanne Verite, Fiction (IPA), Lourd of Funk, Titian, Dark Ryder, Grunewald, Goya. This batch of Cezanne Verite is barrel aged and it is also for sale in bombers. The Titian, Dark Ryder, Grunewald, and Goya (13.3% ABV) are the most recent additions, available on tap and in bombers.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Today (Wednesday)—Wikki Wikki Wednesday with Wae Fonkey, 8 p.m.; Thursday—RJ Perez, 8 p.m.; Friday—Silver String Band, 8 p.m.

Live Music (SF brewery): Saturday—Ethan Eckert, 7 p.m.

Other Events (ABQ taproom): Saturday—Y2K 90s Dance Party, 9 p.m.

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, Agent Scully – Season One, Episode Six (IPA), Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Petit Blanche, Saison du Sarlacc First Order (Imperial Saison), Fields of Rye Spring ’18, Kaffeeklatsch. The Agent Scully is a series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. Episode Six is the most recent iteration. The new Kaffeeklatsch is a mixed fermentation coffee Berliner Weisse. The RFA staff has taken a Belgian-style dubbel and aged it in Saint Croix rum barrels with an addition of Santa Rosa Plums, calling it Mixed Dubbels Curling. You can purchase bottles in advance online for $28 and then pick them up Sunday, when a limited amount will also go on tap.

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: Hipster Union IPA, Lustgarten Lager, Imperial Pastry-Free Porter, Twisted Root, Schneeball Imperial Pilsner. The most recent additions are Schneeball and Twisted Root, the latter a blonde ale with ginger and lemongrass. You can also find Twisted Root and Lustgarten in six-pack cans.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Thursday—Dos Gatos, 6 p.m.; Friday—Vintage Brew, 4:20 p.m.

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, 2920 IPA, Low Winter Sun Sour, Vienna Lager, Winter Warmer, Agua Fria Pilzner, Rod’s Steam Bitter, Rod’s Best Bitter, The Last Passion IPA, LVL Stout. The benefits of having two brewhouses are now apparent as Second Street is loaded with more beers than ever. The Rod’s Steam, Rod’s Best, Last Passion, and LVL Stout are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Original location): Friday—Kitty Jo Creek, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—The Busy McCarroll Band, 6-9 p.m.

Live Music (Railyard): Friday—Red Ninja, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Greg Butera, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—Pigment, 4-6 p.m.

Live Music (Rufina): Saturday—The Coma Recovery, Distances, Americas, Antiphony, 8:30-11:30 p.m.

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: Hoppenheimer IPA, Wit Rock, Pennsylvania Swanky, Dunkel Bock, Flat Cap Brown, Little Bird Blonde, Lichtenhainer. With a new brewer in place, BRB shakes up the lineup. Old favorites Hoppenheimer, Wit Rock, and Little Bird are joined by some fascinating newcomers in the Dunkel Bock, Flat Cap, and Lichtenhainer, a sour ale.

Picacho Peak Brewing — (575) 680-6394

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

Beers: Picacho Lite, Keller Hefeweizen, Twisted Windmill IPA, Old Crawley, 575 Scotsman, Irish Xtra Stout, I Heart Porter, Smooth and Stout. Welcome to the listings, Picacho Peak! For the first time in a long, long time we have a Las Cruces brewery in here. Make sure to check it out the next time you are down south.

Live Music: Friday—Line Five, 7 p.m.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

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

Beers: Interstella Vanilla, Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA, Natalie Portman. The Natalie Portman is a, well, you can probably guess. It is the newest addition to the seasonal lineup. Cherry Wheat is available in bottles and won a gold medal at GABF in 2017.

Live Music: Friday—Stanlie Kee, 6 p.m.

* * * *

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

Clear vs. Haze: Debating the future of the IPA style

Posted: March 30, 2018 by cjax33 in Beer Polls, Commentary/Analysis, News
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The haze craze is alive and well in nearby Tucson, but is it here to stay, or just another passing phase among craft beer drinkers?

An interesting article about craft beer trends was shared to the New Mexico Lets Talk Craft Beer page on Facebook this morning. It asked if a brewery could be considered a sellout if it goes all-in too heavily on hazy IPAs, putting profit ahead of variety and quality.

Well, leaving out the fact that the entire article is purely regional to the New York City/New England area (save for one quick mention of Monkish Brewing in Torrance, California), it does raise the point of whether or not it is a good thing for breweries to follow the current popular trends. I recall years ago at a Marble Septemberfest (yes, a while ago) when someone told me that saisons/farmhouse ales would supplant IPAs as the most popular beer styles. Then we all heard how sour ales were the future, and would likewise replace IPAs. Now, in essence, we have (hazy) IPAs replacing (clear) IPAs as the new great standard of craft beer.

Are hazy IPAs truly ascendant over their clearer brethren? Well, maybe yes, maybe no. New Mexico craft drinkers are a different breed than those on the East Coast. We have long been a much more hop-forward-loving bunch, and by sales figures alone, we are still an IPA-centric bunch. Other than Marble, where Double White is number one, the other major breweries in New Mexico all still feature IPA as their top selling brand.

Then again, down in Tucson, hazy IPAs are all the rage. Some of that can be attributed to the younger population centered around the University of Arizona, which is larger than UNM and armed with wealthier students more willing to spend on craft. Crooked Tooth Brewing only featured hazy IPAs and pale ales, as did Pueblo Vida Brewing (both had non-IPAs, too, it should be noted). Dragoon Brewing, the largest in Tucson by barrel production, still features a classic West Coast-style IPA that remains its top seller, even in the face of the cloudy competition. Conversations with the customers and staffs at the various breweries showed a clear divide, with a mostly younger, trendier crowd favoring the haze. There were few people who seemed to like both styles.

In that regard, then, one could argue that the hazy IPA trend is not an IPA trend at all. Rather, it is another style, with distinct differences in flavor as well as appearance. The Brewers Association has now created hazy categories for pale ales, IPAs, and double IPAs. It will be interesting to see if the National IPA Challenge creates a separate bracket for haze next year, as those were mixed in with the regular ones this year.

All of this really just comes down to personal preference. It is fun (sometimes) to debate the merits and qualities of various craft beer styles. It is all subjective in the end, and that goes for the hazy IPAs as well as just about every other style that has come across our palates. The Crew has lots of varied opinions about the haze craze, ranging from mild annoyance to downright dislike. We are not trendy types, favoring music that has largely disappeared from the mainstream. As beer writers, though, we are obligated to try everything and give it a fair shot. Sometimes we do like the hazy IPAs, when done well, just like any other beer. Other times we would rather just stick to the originals.

Today (Friday), La Cumbre is releasing Make IPA Clear Again, a collaboration made with the excellent Comrade Brewing of Denver. This comes after La Cumbre released a popular series of hazy, single-hop, double-dry-hopped DIPAs. Whether this all sparks some renewed local debate about the haze-vs.-clear, or people just take it all in stride, we are intrigued to know what do all of you think. Take the poll below and leave a comment as to why you feel the way you do.

See you all at La Cumbre.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

La Cumbre hops across the river with its first taproom

Posted: February 10, 2018 by cjax33 in News, Taproom Preview
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Suite C1 in the new retail complex on the 5600 block of Coors will be home to La Cumbre’s first off-site taproom later in 2018.

After years and years of rumors, it is official — La Cumbre Brewing is opening its first off-site taproom. Rejoice, West Side residents, for it will be on your side of the Rio Grande.

I sat down with owner Jeff Erway, marketing director Cory Campbell, and taproom manager Jenn B to confirm the pending off-site small brewer license now listed on the New Mexico State Regulation and Licensing Department website. It is indeed true that La Cumbre will open its first taproom in the new development built around the Sprouts Market on the southeast corner of Montano and Coors.

“First off, the landlord and the anchor tenant kind of approached us and actually wanted us there,” Jeff said. “The location obviously really worked for me, from a traffic-flow business standpoint. There’s just a ton of traffic there. We feel like it’s a fairly underserved market. There are some good craft beer spots in the area, but no truly great taprooms in that area.”

Jeff had spoken in the past numerous times about how many factors had to be in place for him to even consider opening a taproom.

“We looked around at a lot of places and there was always one reason or another that the place didn’t work for us,” he said. “This one, there were a couple negatives to it, but they were few and far between. In all the time I’ve been looking, and I’ve been looking for a long time, there has not been a spot that came even kind of close to this, even places that I signed letters of intent on, there hasn’t been another spot … this is perfect. There’s all these apartments right behind it. There’s double that number of apartments going up in the next couple years. You’ve got by far and away the most amount of growth in the population of Albuquerque is over there.”

From an aesthetic standpoint, it will also be hard to beat the surrounding area.

“It’s a beautiful spot right by the Bosque with the river, the bike trails,” Cory said.

The anchor tenant helps, too.

“Obviously, Sprouts, there’s going to be a lot of cross consumers,” Jeff said. “Now we’ve got to work on getting the best partner restaurants we can to go in there.”

Getting the beer across town will not be a problem for La Cumbre, which has been distributing for seven years now. There could be other unique challenges that present themselves in the future, though.

“We’re not worried about that,” Jeff said. “Unique challenges, we’ve never really tried to run a business in a completely different location. We’ve basically had kind of three different businesses in one, but all in the same location — a brewery, a distributorship, and a taproom.”

La Cumbre customers will not have to worry that the new taproom will take anything away from the original. In fact, it will likely only enhance the beer portfolio, which is the reason so many people pack the old joint on Girard every week.

“I feel like one of the things that I’m most excited about is being able to produce a good-sized volume of each one of these specials that we produce all the time and actually be able to move it all much more expediently,” Jeff said. “That means when you brew a 30-barrel batch of that kick-ass IPA, it’s not going to be on tap for a month, it will be on tap for half that amount of time, if that.

“This space is going to be a bit bigger than the current taproom space. I don’t see much reason why it’s not going to be as busy if not busier than this taproom. For me, the ability to hopefully have more beers on tap while also moving through them quicker is going to be, from my standpoint, a beer quality standpoint, I’m extremely excited about that.”

Or, as Cory summed it up, “From a beer geek standpoint, too, it’s lots of cool styles on, fun stuff.”

Being able to keep seasonals and specialties on tap in greater quantity, while making sure to keep them fresh at all times, is the biggest trend in craft beer.

“It’s part of the new world order in our industry right now,” Jeff said. “People want to come into your place and see completely new set of rotators every time they come there. This will help with that.”

The look of the new taproom will be both similar to and different from the current brewery. The original taproom has a rustic feeling, from the reclaimed wood to the light fixtures made out of old license plates and the rows of growlers on the support beams. Some of that was intentional, Jeff said, but some was merely out of necessity.

“My wife was very pregnant-slash-brand-new-mother when we were building this taproom,” he said. “I literally had a budget of maybe $25,000 to get it done, everything. That meant that there were a lot of things that had to be compromised. There just wasn’t money to do it. Slowly over the last seven years, we’ve made improvements here, but there’s no getting around the fact that this place was hob-cobbled together. The thing that gives it its feel in a lot of ways is that it’s unabashedly all about the beer but it’s also very rustic. We’re going to do our best to keep a somewhat similar feel to that in the new taproom space, but we’re also going to make it a lot … I don’t know the word, spiffy?”

“Maybe updated?” Cory added. “Maybe that’s not the right word, either.”

“Polished?” Jenn asked.

“Polished, maybe that’s the right word,” Cory replied. “We’re still going to have lots of warm woods like we have here. We’re going to make it a comfortable place.”

“There’s still going to be a lot of reclaimed wood, basically,” Jeff interjected with a laugh. “By the end of my career I’m going to be the biggest purchaser of reclaimed wood, that’s my goal!”

Jenn said she is confident that even with the need to likely double her front-of-house team in size, that they will be able to get things done with little fuss.

“We’re really unsure of what exactly we’re going to need as far as that’s concerned,” she said. “OK, we start off with this (number). I imagine we’re going to need at least the same amount of staff over there. As far as me going back and forth, initially I anticipate I’ll be over there a lot. We’ll see how it goes.”

As for the ultimate question, when will the taproom open, the La Cumbre team is smart enough to know better than to answer that. The City of Albuquerque has never, and likely will never, move quickly through the inspection and permitting process.

“That’s the million dollar question,” Cory said. “Honestly, we don’t know. At this point, the lease has been signed (but) we don’t have the building yet.”

Jeff said the furniture for the building has already been ordered. All the La Cumbre staff can do is make sure everything is ready to go on their end. Much of what has to happen is out of their hands.

“We’re actively purchasing and getting bids for things,” he said. “We’ve hired an architect. To try to predict when we’re gonna open would be to try predict when another company is going to be able to get another company to deliver their certificate of occupancy to them so that they can deliver our initial to us so that we can get another company to get the permits and then complete their portion of the buildout so that we can go in and put in the finishing touches so we can get our certificate of occupancy. It will be open in 2018! I am very confident it will be open in 2018.”

All of us in the Crew, especially Franz Solo (he lives up the hill), are looking forward to being among the first to visit the La Cumbre taproom when it opens later this year. We are pretty sure a lot of you on the West Side are excited as well. As further updates come in, we will share them with all of you.

A huge thank you to Jeff, Cory, and Jenn for giving us the opportunity to break this news.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

The big and beastly beers stood out at WinterBrew

Posted: January 16, 2018 by cjax33 in WinterBrew 2018
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The Crew had just a wee bit of fun at WinterBrew.

After taking Monday off due to the holiday, we are back today with a look at what were the best beers that we tried up at WinterBrew back on Friday. It was another outstanding event, one that every craft beer lover in New Mexico should attend at least once. The sell-out crowd of 700 was a jovial bunch, enjoying the many unique beers being poured from 18 New Mexico breweries.

As for the Crew, well, we all had our favorites. If the others want to chime in here at some point, I will add them to the story. In the interest of not going two weekdays in a row without content, here are a few of my picks for the best of the fest. (Note: Due in part to the Rail Runner arriving in Santa Fe about 10 minutes late and then the decision by security to close all booths 30 minutes before the event was supposed to end, I did not get to all 18 breweries.)

A crowd of 700-plus enjoyed beers from 18 breweries.

La Santa Oscura, Blue Corn: This is a delightful spiced holiday black lager that is still on tap at the brewery in Santa Fe. Flavors of chocolate and cherry mix in with the Chimayo red chile for a nice, warm kick at the end.

Coyote Waits, Bow & Arrow: At last, I got my hands on the barrel-aged version of this imperial mole stout. It is a big, thick beast of a beer, and the barrel effects bring out more and more of the spice, yet it never overwhelms the palate. It is still available at the brewery.

Galactica DIPA, Marble: Apparently this single-hop, double IPA thing is becoming a trend. Even with just Galaxy, this is a complex, wonderfully big beer. It is not yet on tap at any Marble location, so drink up the rest so a handle becomes available.

Sin Barreras, Rowley Farmhouse Ales: Alas, this specialty imperial stout does not appear to be available at the brewery, but everyone can hope for its eventual appearance. Big flavors of coconut and maple left us all wondering, is it a breakfast beer or a dessert beer?

14K IPA, Santa Fe: This one was a bit of a one-off joke, but it still leaves us hopeful for a future edition of an imperial-strength version of the hugely popular 7K. We would also like to thank the SFBC staff for donating a couple of sixers of 7K to our beer fridges.

XX ESB and Breaking Plaid Scotch Ale, Second Street: A pair of big, malty brews from the new Rufina brewhouse caught our eye. The latter is more sweet than peaty, akin to a heftier version of the Scottish at Nexus. The best news, besides being on tap, is that some of the Plaid is being saved for barrel aging.

Dark Engine Stout on cask, Sidetrack: If you have never had any of the cask beers at Sidetrack, now is the time. There is a batch currently available with dark chocolate added to the beer for an even more decadent flavor.

The Judy, Steel Bender: At some point a break was needed from the big malts and hops, so this seemed like a perfect time to try this sweet saison made with peaches and brett, then aged in Chardonnay barrels. There are still a few bottles left for sale at the brewery, so get them fast, as they are quite worth it. Drink this and dream of spring.

2017 Barleywine, Taos Mesa: Our friends from the north came down not with White Walkers, but instead a different beast. It is big, boozy, and not for the faint of heart. On your next ski trip (assuming we ever get snow), make sure to check this one out.

Infinitesimus Imperial Stout, Turtle Mountain: One of the first big beers we tried was this heavy, chocolate-y behemoth. This is more than worth the trip out to Rio Rancho for anyone living on the East Side of Albuquerque. Or the West Side. Or the South Valley. Or, really, anywhere in the state.

We’re pretty sure Karim liked most of the beers he tried.

As for the rest of the Crew, as their thoughts trickle in, I will share them here:

Jerrad: WinterBrew 2018 was certainly a memorable night, perhaps a bit fuzzy after tasting a few of the killer imperial/double styles available. The libations that stood out for me at this event would have to be Bow & Arrow’s Coyote Waits BA Stout, with its smooth touch of spicy heat on oak and dark/roasty malts. On the other end of the spectrum, Bombs Away Brewing Company’s B.A.B.C. IPA was wonderful with its hazy, softer NE-style IPA approach. A few other notable mentions would go to Rowley Farmhouse Ale’s Aromatherapy IPA, Steel Bender Brewing’s The Judy saison, and Rio Bravo Brewing’s Grab ‘Em by the Putin Imperial Russian stout.

Kristin: While I couldn’t try that many beers since I was working the event, I loved Second Street’s Breaking Plaid Scottish. The smooth malty flavor masked its 9.1-percent ABV. This is both a good and bad thing.

* * * * *

That is all from us. Hope those of you that went enjoyed it as much as we did, while for the rest of you, make sure to get those tickets for 2019!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Rowley Farmhouse Ales restarts Pulls for Pups

Posted: January 12, 2018 by cjax33 in Beer in Santa Fe, Events
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Help out our furry friends by enjoying a pint or two this Sunday!

We have noted before that sometimes stories slip past us. This latest edition of The Week Ahead in Beer, we focused on Tractor restarting its Beer For Burque program, while missing out on Rowley Farmhouse Ales preparing to restart its charity endeavor for 2018. Let us rectify that.

Pulls for Pups kicks off again this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The basic setup is that RFA sets aside one tap handle where $1 from every full pour will go to a charity involved with animals. The charities change on a quarterly basis throughout the year. The first one this year will be New Mexico Pets Alive/NextGen Animal Shelter Project.

As RFA wrote on its Facebook page: “This is a truly remarkable, progressive organization that helps more animals find forever, loving homes through innovative means. Their methods are truly exciting, and we can’t wait to introduce them to Santa Fe!”

La Cumbre is donating a keg of Elevated IPA, as well as other beers (including La Negra!) for a tap takeover. All sales from the Elevated keg will go to the charity. For the rest of the next three months, there will be the one designated tap handle rotating between numerous standout beers.

Oh, and there will be animals available for adoption from 1 to 5 p.m., just in case you wanted to take a furry friend home, too.

Get out there and do some good this weekend while still enjoying some great beer.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

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