Beer Notebook: Local stores are getting Elevated

Stoutmeister here. Shilling has kept track of some local beer news of note while E-Rock and I were in Durango. Speaking of Durango, we will have our next post (Ska Brewing) up shortly. We hit three breweries on Wednesday alone and were not in shape to do much in the way of write-ups that day….

ABQ Beer Week arrives at long last

Today is like Christmas Eve for craft beer lovers. Yes, here on May 16, an otherwise average Wednesday, the community braces itself for the start of ABQ Beer Week on Thursday. The NMDSBC is preparing for the onslaught of flavorful delights that are coming our way over the next 11 days (which, yes, I realize…

Tractor passes penultimate hurdle

Tractor Brewing took another big step toward being able to sell growlers again after the Environmental Planning Commission approved an amendment to the Nob Hill zoning plan Thursday afternoon. The EPC voted unanimously in favor of altering the Nob Hill Highland Sector Redevelopment Plan as there was no public opposition during the meeting. The key…

Tractor Brewing’s Pilsner: The taste of summer

Ah, spring time.  Warm weather, shorts, sunlight till 8 p.m., hurricane-force winds, and intense sneezing attacks (when in NM … sometimes).  After a freak snow storm earlier this week, the weather is warm again with a slight breeze, which means local watering holes now have patios, which also means summer beers are coming on tap….

Trekking to Taos and the four northern breweries

After a really busy week, just about every member of the Crew is looking forward to this weekend. Anyone that reads this blog probably realized that, considering we did not come with a single post since the previous Beer Weekend entry that went up last Friday. Rest assured, Shilling and Cryptogrind will have multiple posts…

Quick review: La Cumbre gets its Irish on

La Cumbre is at it again. Just when beer lovers thought the hops were in full command of the brewery, Jeff Erway and company flipped the script and concocted an Irish red ale and an oatmeal stout, perfect for March. With Shilling and the Professor Emeritus of Beer in tow, I dropped on by LC…

Beer Weekend—On the road again

This week has been just a tad chaotic. At least for the sports writer in this group, who has barely had a chance to breathe while spending hours at the Pit and Santa Ana Star Center. The good news is the weekend is almost upon us, which means the high school basketball tournament is almost…

Shadow boxers, milk mustaches and more midweek beer joy

It’s been a busy week already, but before I became a semi-permanent resident of both The Pit and the Santa Ana Star Center for the state basketball tournament, I managed to trek out to try a couple new beers here in ABQ. First up was the Shadow Boxer Black IPA at Chama River. It appears…

Beer Mondays and other notes

Clearing out the beer files… In case you haven’t noticed, every Monday members of the Crew gather at various watering holes to kick off the week the right way.  Why Mondays? Well, who honestly enjoys that first day back to work after a two days away? (and Stoutmeister’s freelance gig for the local paper doesn’t…