Just before the winter winds whipped through New Mexico earlier this week, I trekked west to Lava Rock Brewing at 2220 Unser Blvd. NW to catch up with head brewer Dan Cavin for our Look Back/Look Ahead Series. We were the first to arrive in the brewpub that day, so Cavin did not mince words…
Tag: Lava Rock Brewing
NM Brew Fest returned in all of its glory much to the delight of most of the Crew
We set a record Saturday afternoon: The most Crew members at a single festival. Yes, we actually got Franz Solo (and Mrs Solo) out of the house (they have an adorable small child) for the New Mexico Brew Fest at Villa Hispana. We got Luke to come down from Santa Fe. And, neither AmyO nor…
Nexus takes the lead after 2nd round of NM IPA Challenge in Farmington
The second-place finisher in 2021 will head into the final round of the 2022 New Mexico IPA Challenge with a slim lead as Nexus Brewery tries to win its first trophy. It was a clean second round at Lauter Haus Brewing in Farmington on Wednesday night, with Nexus picking up 14 votes to give it…
Lava Rock leads the NM IPA Challenge after a controversial first round
One, five, six, 16 … many (beer) numbers were heavily deliberated, as the public gathered to vote for their favorite IPAs in the 2022 New Mexico Brewers Guild IPA Challenge at Second Street Brewery – Rufina on Saturday afternoon. Just around 2,080 tasters were poured for around 130 guests in total, and zero people had…
ABQ Blues & Brews returns with varied lineup of local and national breweries
The centerpiece event of ABQ Beer Week has always been ABQ Blues & Brews, and that festival is back this Sunday at Sandia Casino. Tickets are still available, ranging from general admission ($35 advance, $40 day of) to early access admission ($55/$60) to VIP admission ($70/$75). The latter two allow you to start sampling at…
New breweries update: Things might be stirring up again at long last
It has been quite a while since we did an update on any forthcoming new breweries or offsite taprooms, mainly due to the simple fact that there have not really been any to report on since the pandemic brought industry growth to a screeching halt in 2020. So have things started to pick up again?…
Lava Rock Brewing regains its footing and now aims to open a new taproom
Back in the midst of the more restrictive days of the pandemic, a change in brewers went down on the Westside, and none of us in the Crew was able to head over and get the lowdown. I finally rectified that on the final day of 2021, catching up with Lava Rock head brewer Dan…
This guide to brewery Halloween happenings filled up awfully fast
Anytime Halloween falls on a weekend, and the world is not in full COVID restrictions mode, one can expect breweries to jump on board with a whole slew of parties, costume contests, and more. Well, Halloween is this Sunday, so the weekend is as chock-full as one would expect. Here is just about every Halloween-themed…
The Week Ahead in Beer: Local music takes center stage at Lava Rock
It is only fitting that I, Stoutmeister, decided to write this edition of our weekly roundup of beers on tap and special events … and Comcast knocks out the internet for my entire neighborhood. Good thing the wi-fi at Canteen is working! What, did you expect me to go to Starbucks? Anyway, on with the…
Lava Rock Brewing erupts with updated beer lineup and kitchen partnership
Greetings and prost, fellow beer aficionados! Franz Solo here after a bit of a hiatus due to the arrival of my daughter over the summer. I began my part of our yearly Look Back/Look Ahead Series with a quick trip over to my neighborhood (Taylor Ranch) brewery, M’tuccis at Lava Rock Brewing. For those unfamiliar…
DARK SIDE BREW CREW 