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Posts Tagged ‘Palmer Brewery and Cider House’

Oktoberfest: Welcome to the mountains of Red River

Posted: October 18, 2018 by Luke in Events, Out-of-Town Brews
Tags: Bombs Away Beer Co., Colfax Ale Cellar, Comanche Creek Brewing, Enchanted Circle Brewing, Lost Hiker Brewing, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Red River Brewing, Rio Bravo Brewing, Santa Fe Brewing, Starr Brothers Brewing, The 377 Brewery

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Raise ’em high to celebrate the season!

In mid-October, in the mountains of northern New Mexico, a certain familiar sound can be heard through the little valley of Red River. It’s not the rustling of the wind through glimmering gold, fresh-changed aspens, nor the honking of the horns of people-packed caravans. It’s the chorus of clinking glasses and the raising of toasts. It’s the deep brass bellowing of an Oom-pah band that lets us know that Oktoberfest has once again returned, and has completely transformed this sleepy Alps-esque village into a one-of-a-kind experience that will keep you coming back for more, time and time again.

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The weather was decidedly warm for this year’s event.

Though it is worth the travel for the changing leaves alone, just a brief but beautiful stop along the Enchanted Circle, Red River is much more than that. And, beyond the picturesque views, the many outdoor activities, and the deer that will walk right up to you without batting an eye or flicking an ear, there’s beer, and plenty of it here.

In the past few years I’ve been attending the festival, there were only about five breweries and about the same count for wineries. This year, however, there were far more breweries than I’ve ever seen at this event, making it more of a brewfest than I was expecting. I don’t even believe that I got a final count.

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The sun did not deter the crowd.

Set in Brandonburg Park, as well as the Red River Conference Center just behind, there was much ground to cover, and I’m sure we didn’t make it to every brewery in attendance, so I apologize if a brewery was there and didn’t get a mention. There’s only so much time and so many sampler tickets, and so much room after a delicious brat with sauerkraut.

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A man cannot live off beer alone.

The Red River Oktoberfest veteran breweries included neighbors Comanche Creek and Enchanted Circle, plus Santa Fe Brewing. I didn’t see Taos Mesa, Eske’s, or Abbey Brewing, but I’m sure they were representing somewhere.

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One of the great partnerships of our state.

New to Red River’s Oktoberfest this year (to my knowledge) were The 377, Bombs Away Beer Co., Lost Hiker from Ruidoso, Palmer Brewery & Left Turn Distillery, Rio Bravo Brewing, Starr Brothers Brewing, and the new hometown heroes, Red River Brewing Company, plus my dark horse of the festival, Colfax Ale Cellar.

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Rio Bravo brought the beer and the merch.

While I had some great beers from many of the breweries (very few bad ones), my favorites were fun, exciting, in some cases surprising, and in some cases not surprising at all. My picks are as follows:

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What else can I say? “Dammit, Dave.” Ha!

Santa Fe Brewing’s Pepe Loco: To me, it’s a perfect recipe for a Mexican Lager. While it may seem somewhat out of season, it was perfectly refreshing in the unusually warm weather. I wouldn’t be surprised if that limited beer finds its way into cans some time soon.

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Comanche Creek served up a winner!

Comanche Creek brewed up an Oktoberfest that stood out for all the right reasons.

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Ginger Beer from The 377 FTW!

The 377 made the first Ginger Beer that I’ve ever really enjoyed. It reminded me of a Ginger Ale, and then I thought, wait … is the beer made after the soda, or is the soda made after the beer? Either way, wow! Excellent stuff! Cheers!

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Enchanted Circle closes out the festival with smiles.

Enchanted Circle is doing some great things with their beers these days, but they get my Gold Medal for best name: Glory Hole IPA. That’s all I’ll say about that.

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That’s one hefty pour of bronze medal-winning Lampshade Porter!

Starr Brothers brought their GABF bronze medal-winning, heavy-hitting Lampshade Porter, which was just a joy to drink. Luckily that’s on tap at their brewery, year-round, so head in anytime and rent that blockbuster hit.

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Red River Brewing head brewer Chris Calhoun raises a toast.

Special mentions go to Lost Hiker and Red River Brewing Company. I don’t think they make a bad beer between them, and certainly deserve a special trip to see them in their beautiful towns.

My “Best of the Fest” award goes to Colfax Ale Cellar, up in Raton. They had so many wonderful, interesting, and creative (yet perfectly executed) beers, on draft and in bottles.

Brewmaster Jim Stearns stands beside his wife Karen Stearns and brewdog Pippen, as well as their excellent beer selection.

“The Red River Oktoberfest was our first time at that event,” said head brewer and owner Jim Stearns in a follow-up email. “We brewed three lagers specifically for that event. We sold very little. Unfortunately, we probably sold less than 10 percent of what breweries who were located outside sold, but we weren’t alone in that position along with Starr Bros, 377 and Rio Bravo Brewing Co.”

In my opinion, I think that’s because no one knew there was beer in the conference center. That kind of thing is tough to deal with as a former brewery event coordinator. The struggle is real. At least Colfax brought enough interesting beers to gain some new fans.

Maxwell Pils (5% ABV) — an international pilsner style, very mildly hopped

Fest Lager (4.6% ABV) — a Vienna-style amber lager, also very mildly hopped

Yülbock (5.25% ABV) — a rauchbier made with 20-percent beech-smoked malt, also mildly hopped

Karaiba (3.3% ABV) — a Berliner White ale, lightly sour, with essence of passion fruit and mango, no hops

In 22-ounce bottles:

Double Tipple (8.7% ABV) a blended double stout with a portion aged in rye whiskey barrels

Chicorica (8.3% ABV) — a strong golden ale brewed with trappist ale yeast

La Belle Otéro (6.5% ABV) — classic Wallonian saison ale, dry and peppery

Banks of Orkney (8.2% ABV) — a strong Scotch ale, light toffee and bread pudding

I have no hesitation in saying that they are a must visit on the road to or from Denver. Forget Colorado Springs or Pueblo and stop there instead for lunch and enjoy something that will surprise you. Colfax Ale Cellar should be on everyone’s radar this year and in the years to come.

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And one Double Tipple for the Dark Side, please!

The Colfax Ale Cellar taproom was recently closed due to inclement weather, as apparently winter has come early. For that, I blame the Starks, Target, and Kohls.

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Blue Corn head brewer Paul Mallory “Captains” to another great festival.

It was another great festival of beer and food in the mountains. I only wish folks had known there was a brew fest attached to the usual festivities. I believe it’s now my job to reach out to the organizers to get the word out. I was certainly surprised to find a whole group of new vendors/breweries in the conference center, in which there had never been before. But, if you missed them this time, or missed the festival this time around, there’s always next year and next time.

Until we meet again, Red River! For now, I will be counting the days until one of my favorite festivals rolls back through town. I should probably book my cabin now to be safe. To another unforgettable Oktoberfest in the mountains!

Prost!

— Luke

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For more #CraftBeer info, and @nmdarksidebc news, follow me on Twitter @SantaFeCraftBro. Untappd: SantaFeLuke. My birthday is today (Thursday). You know what to do! I’m kidding.

GABF 2018: New Mexico breweries bring home 7 medals

Posted: September 22, 2018 by cjax33 in GABF 2018
Tags: Bosque Brewing, La Cumbre Brewing, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Quarter Celtic Brewpub, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Sierra Blanca Brewing, Starr Brothers Brewing, Turtle Mountain Brewing

A lot of tired brewers and brewery owners came to life when their names were announced at the GABF Awards Ceremony!

DENVER — The 2018 Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony was another good one for New Mexico breweries. The Saturday morning event saw 2,404 breweries enter 8,864 beers, judged by 193 people, and spread across 102 categories, plus a new collaboration and the Pro-Am competition.

Eight New Mexico breweries shared in seven medals, a significant improvement from the World Beer Cup earlier this year, when only Quarter Celtic brought home a single bronze medal for its Pedro O’Flanagan.

“It means we make good beer still,” said John Gozigian, the executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild. “What did we win (at WBC), one medal? It was an anomaly. We always tend to medal disproportionately to our population.”

We were lucky in that Turtle Mountain head brewer Mick Hahn, left, found us at the session after the awards ceremony.

Turtle Mountain earned its first gold medal in the International-style Pilsner category with Wooden Teeth. The year-round offering is a huge win for brewer Mick Hahn and owner Nico Ortiz, beating out 85 other entries.

Mick was not in attendance when the award was announced.

“I was at our AirBnB, not quite sipping the champagne yet, but enjoying the hell out of it,” he said. “We didn’t go to the awards ceremony but we were streaming it at the house. When they announced it we just exploded. It was fantastic. I couldn’t be happier. There was a liquor store right across from the house so I ran across the street to get some champagne.”

After 19 years in business, this was the first major competition medal for Turtle Mountain.

“That’s just awesome,” Gozigian said. “For a new brewery to win is great, but to see one of the stalwarts of our brewing scene to come out of the woodwork and win in a very competitive category, I’m very happy for them.”

Mick said he was over the moon after hearing his beer’s name called on the internet broadcast.

“It means so much,” Mick said. “Turtle deserves so much more (praise) than what they have right now, in my opinion. I hate hearing people say, ‘I love it, but I never go out to Rio Rancho.’ It’s a drop in the bucket, I’m sure, but every little bit helps. A gold medal for our house lager? Yeah.”

La Cumbre’s Jeff Erway chews on another silver medal for his Malpais Stout.

There were two silver medals awarded to local breweries. La Cumbre’s Malpais Stout took second in the Export Stout category, while Rowley Farmhouse Ales earned its first medal with Germophile in the Berliner-style Weisse category, which had 115 entries.

“Always the runner up,” said La Cumbre owner/master brewer Jeff Erway. “It’s my third silver. I’m really stoked to not go home empty handed. I tasted this batch and said this is about as good as that beer ever gets. I’m really pleased with the whole team. It gets increasingly harder as the brewery gets bigger to make sure that every person back there is engaged. I’m kind of in awe of Daniel (Jaramillo) and Alan (Skinner) and how they manage the team back there. I’m real proud of everybody. Probably 20 people touch this beer. The fact that no one screwed it up is awesome.”

Bronze was the color of the day with five breweries bringing home four medals. How did that work? Well, Quarter Celtic and Palmer Brewery earned bronze in the Collaboration Beer category with Mocha Hipster Bomb.

“Brady (McKeown, head brewer) is battling in that brewhouse and it’s starting to show,” said Quarter Celtic co-owner Ror McKeown. “We’re fortunate that Rob (Palmer) was a super cool guy and has some talent himself. He was willing to jump in with us. I told him, first GABF, first beer you entered, first medal, you set the bar real high. It was a good time, but unfortunately Brady will never get to come again, since we figured out the trick was to take his cutout instead of him.”

Yes, Quarter Celtic really did take a cardboard cutout of Brady up on stage.

The Brady McKeown cutout made it to the stage at the awards ceremony, courtesy of his brother Ror.

“You never expect to win, but you want to come prepared,” Ror said. “I took that cutout. It was nice, especially since this is (Charlie) Papazian’s last year. It was our last chance to get a fist bump from him.

“(Papazian) was laughing. We went up early enough so he wasn’t tired. He told us that’s awesome. Usually you can’t get too many words out of him. He had a pretty big grin on his face.”

For Palmer, this was his first major award.

“I’ll probably never enter another beer again,” Rob said. “First beer, medal, done.”

He was actually luck to even make it into the awards ceremony at all.

“I didn’t expect the collab category to be (early), I thought it would be in the middle somewhere,” Rob said. “I’m all hungover as shit. We were at the gentlemen’s club last night. I didn’t have a pass to get in. Canteen gave me an extra pass. I sat down, tried not to throw up, and then I heard the name called. It was fucking awesome. Getting to fist bump Charlie Papazian, man, best thing ever. I’m super stoked.”

Rob Palmer’s hangover disappeared quickly thanks to his bronze medal.

Starr Brothers brought home its first medal with a bronze in the Other Strong Beer category with Lampshade Porter, another year-round beer.

Sierra Blanca’s Cherry Wheat medaled for the second straight year, this time taking bronze in the Fruit Wheat category (it won gold last year).

Bosque’s Pistol Pete’s 1888 finished third out of 127 entries in the Golden or Blonde Ale category.

“It’s awesome,” said Bosque co-owner/director of brewing operations John Bullard. “We did the same thing with Bosque IPA (medaling), that was cool, too. That really drove sales. I’m really hoping this will continue to drive sales. We’re having a hard time keeping up with this beer already, but it can’t hurt, right?”

The Crew will try to catch up with the other medal winners while we are all here in Denver, but just in case we cannot find them, we will interview them upon our return to New Mexico this coming week.

Congrats to one and all, and thank you for always representing New Mexico in such a positive way.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Day Ten keeps it cool even in the sweltering heat

Posted: June 2, 2018 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2018
Tags: Bosque Brewing, Bow and Arrow Brewing, Canteen Brewhouse, Dialogue Brewing, Kellys Brew Pub, Marble Brewery, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Ponderosa Brewing, Quarter Celtic Brewpub, Red Door Brewing, Santa Fe Brewing, Steel Bender Brewyard, Tractor Brewing

Gear up for one last big Saturday before it all ends for this year.

As we approach the end of Beer Week for 2018, the temperatures are a rising, so staying cool in the shade with a good pint or two is a must. Thankfully, there will be plenty to try today at events across town, from special releases to food pairings to even a mini lager festival.

Take note, however, the Crafts, Crops and Hops Beer Farmer’s Market scheduled for Canteen today has been postponed until later this summer. The special beer release set for today is still on, thankfully.

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: Mini Lager Fest. Where: Ponderosa Brewing. When: Noon-4 p.m. Cost: $15.

Details: Seven breweries are gathering at Ponderosa for this festival celebrating the (underrated?) style. Your ticket gets you a sample of all the lagers, plus a pint of your favorite and a commemorative pint glass. Choose between Bosque Lager, Bow & Arrow’s Denim Tux Lager, Dialogue’s Maibock, Kellys’ American Pilsner, Marble’s Dortmunder Export, the Steel Bender/Flix Brewhouse collaboration Schnitz N Giggle, and a TBA lager from the hosts. There may also be an eighth brewery on hand, though that was not yet confirmed.

Why you should go: Lagers are perfect in these hot, dry days. Now you can either confirm that your favorite is the best in town, or discover a new lager that demands to be kept in your fridge via bottle, can, crowler, or growler.

All the other great events

What: Steel Bender Tap Takeover and Wild & Sour Charcuterie Pairing. Where: M’tucci’s Market and Pizzeria. When: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: A slew of big, funky beers are heading to the restaurant, including Ingenio, The Judy, and Bullet’s Reserve. They will be paired up with charcuterie boards. Why you should go: Satisfy your craving for some perfectly paired beers and food items.

What: Lawn Ninja Collaboration Beer Release. Where: Quarter Celtic Brewpub/Palmer Brewery. When: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Lawn Ninja is a rice ale, an easy-drinking beer that’s perfect for summer. Why you should go: Keep encouraging more collaborations between breweries by drinking their combined offerings.

What: Zafado Groove Beer Release. Where: Canteen Brewhouse. When: Noon-3 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Enjoy this Belgian ale with passionfruit aged in chardonnay barrels with brettanomyces. Why you should go: It’s big, sweet, and funky. Perfect for the patio.

What: Third Annual Food Truck Battle. Where: Red Door Brewing (Candelaria). When: Noon-4 p.m. Cost: No cover charge. Details: Five food trucks will be going head to head for the title of the Best of Albuquerque. You try the food and decide the winner, all while washing it down with some delicious Red Door beers. Why you should go: Who doesn’t like a good competition where the audience is the biggest winner? Because that’s what this is.

What: “Breakfast with the Boiz” Beer Release and Bash. Where: Santa Fe ABQ Taproom. When: Noon-3 p.m. Cost: $12. Details: Come enjoy brunch with two of Santa Fe’s top brewers, Bert and Dave, as they present a new beer made in the style of a traditional brass monkey. There will also be a Bloody Mary beer bar. For the ticket, you get a pint glass, one beer, and either a breakfast burrito from Chumlys or a stuffed, beer-battered jalapeno from Rockin’ Taco. Why you should go: Beer, bloody beer, food, and a chance to talk with the brewers. Sounds like a good start to the day.

What: 90s Beer Prom. Where: Tractor Wells Park. When: 8 p.m.-midnight. Cost: $25. Details: The theme is Under the Sea, dressing up 90s style is highly encouraged, and dancing like a fool is pretty much a requirement. It all supports TEDxABQ. Why you should go: Oh, just get goofy and let loose. Though the first of you to say “how old were people who went to prom in the 90s” gets dragged out and shot in the parking lot. (Kidding, just kidding. … Maybe.)

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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

Palmer Brewery looks to build on busy first full year of operation

Posted: March 12, 2018 by amyotravel in Look Back/Look Ahead Series 2017-18
Tags: Palmer Brewery and Cider House

Twas a mighty spirited anniversary soiree at Palmer last year!

After a few missed attempts with other staff members, I finally sat down with head brewer and co-owner Rob Palmer for a very brief interview about the year in review for the first full year of Palmer Brewery. It is easy to see why it was difficult for us to find a time to meet — the place is totally slammed.

I was ushered into the back, where I found Rob furiously mopping while listening to Willie Nelson cranked up on a tablet plugged in to an old Technics receiver, just like one that I had growing up. It was a fun and humorous way to start things off. Rob immediately went and grabbed me a delicious pint of stout and we began to talk about the last year.

The biggest Palmer news for 2017 was the one year-anniversary in November. It seems like so much longer than a year to me, mostly because it was also the four-year anniversary of Left Turn Distillery, which shares the same space. I was able to attend the anniversary party and it was quite the crowd and experience. They had karaoke on a makeshift patio out front, and everyone, staff included, joined in on the fun. In fact, Rob said they have decided to do karaoke and open mic on Wednesday nights now.

I asked Rob about the first year and he seemed pretty blown away by the brewery’s popularity. He said it gets better every day, every week. The staff sets numbers they think they need to achieve; they hit that number and it seems like it is at capacity. Then a couple of weeks later, it feels like they double that number.

Since co-owner and distiller Brian Langwell is a machinist, they recently built a kitchen and now have a space available if or when they want to make food. They have been getting great feedback on their Taco Tuesday nights. They always have five-plus types of tacos. Rob said people were wary of the Spam and pineapple tacos, but they always sell out first. Unfortunately, Rob is way too busy and does not want to run a kitchen, so they still rely mostly on the fantastic local food trucks.

The other big push from last year is that they attended many festivals. I told Rob it seemed like I did see them everywhere. Rob said he enjoys the festivals and getting out in the sunlight instead of being stuck inside the brewery or bar all day.

Rob’s focus over the past year was to keep consistent beers on tap and keep up with demand, he said. I told Rob I was a big fan of the double IPA — the “Bro” — but it has been out the past couple of visits. He said that it’s because he cannot get the hop supply for the hop they were using in the Bro. It was made using Nelson Sauvin hops, and they are very hard to get; now they need to try again with a different hop.

As for what’s new at Palmer, last week the brewery launched their first production lager called Lowcard Lager in collaboration with Lowcard skateboard magazine. On the launch day, Palmer had some skateboarding pros in house and premiered their tour video.

Also, they are working on building an outdoor patio, which they really need because seating inside their building is often at a premium these days. As usual, the stumbling block is dealing with the City. The City wanted them to open in that part of town, and now says parking is a problem. But, the majority of Palmer’s operating hours (evenings and weekends) are outside the hours of the other area businesses. There is plenty of street parking. Hopefully it is settled quickly, because prime patio season is approaching fast.

For my off-the-wall question, I asked Rob if a pile of money landed on him and he was not allowed to keep it, only to use it in the brewery, what would be the first thing he would do with it? He immediately responded, “More equipment.” This week he is getting a couple of grundy tanks from a colleague, so that will help him keep up with some of the demand. The other thing, he said, is he would build a rooftop patio. The current building would not be able to support it, so they would have to do something like Marble did.

Look for more and different ciders from Palmer in the near future. They have some cider barrel aging right now. They hope to expand their barrel aging — after all, they co-exist with a distillery, so it’s a natural fit.

Congrats to Palmer on one hell of a first year, and to Left Turn Distilling for turning four as well.

Since it is March now (wow, already!), I will sign off with …

Slainte!

— AmyO

The Week Ahead in Beer: Dive deep into the wood

Posted: November 15, 2017 by cjax33 in The Week Ahead in Beer
Tags: Bow and Arrow Brewing, La Cumbre Brewing, Marble Brewing, Palmer Brewery and Cider House

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

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

This is one of those beautiful weeks for wood-aged beers. Of course, how much do you really know about what aging beer in a barrel does to the beer? Well, Marble wants to help educate you with Beer 301, which is dedicated to everything from the wood, tonight (Wednesday) from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Heights Taproom. Tickets cost $25 in advance and can be purchased at the taproom only, so head up early if you still hope to grab a spot. Brewers Josh Trujillo and John Heine will take you through a course featuring 111 Farmhouse, Rouge Maverique, 2016 Imperial Stout, and this year’s batch of Reserve Ale. There will be some snacks provided to help cleanse your palate. If you cannot make it to the Heights, or tickets sell out, fear not, for today is also the release day for Reserve Ale. This beautiful beast of a beer is a Crew favorite, year in and year out, and you can also buy it in bombers to go. To keep the barrel-aged theme going, also head over to Bow & Arrow on Saturday for Coyote Waits (10.5% ABV), their imperial mole stout. It has been aged in Wyoming Whiskey barrels for three-plus months. The non-aged version was a big hit earlier this year, so hurry down before this version runs out. Look for even more barrel-aged beers from multiple breweries later this year and into early next year. It is truly the best time of year to be a fan of big, burly beers!

If big and burly is not really your thing, and you are still clinging to the hops of summer, then fear not. La Cumbre and San Diego’s Modern Times are teaming up for the special release of Postcards From Hell, a new IPA that will debut at the brewery on tap and for sale in cans on Friday.

Oh, and we can’t really go a weekend without an anniversary party. Palmer Brewery is celebrating its first anniversary, which coincides with neighboring Left Turn Distilling’s fourth anniversary. The party runs this Saturday from noon to close. There will be happy hour prices all day, with a car show featuring Daniello Productions at noon, Whisk of Doom Pie Company’s pie eating contest at 3 p.m., Apocalypse Karaoke at 4 p.m., and Sorry Guero will headline live music starting at 8:30 p.m. Look for Left Turn’s first bourbon to be available, plus there will be a Bloody Mary bar, and Kitsune and La Rivas food trucks will be on hand.

On the new beer front this week, there are a few options to check out. Bosque has some fun with Chocolate Mint Stout, plus Pale Ryder is back for another run. Boxing Bear is feeling a little hoppy in this warmer-than-average weather with Bulldog English IPA and Simcoe SMASH. Canteen rolls out a new Social Capital kettle sour, this time with peaches and plums added in. La Cumbre also has some delightful Mochavation on nitro, plus a small amount of the smoky Gracias Por Fumar is on tap. Marble also unleashes some Dry Oaked Stout, Golden Ale, Tripel, Cereza! Cerveza!, Prickly Pear Gose, and another batch of the gold-medal-winning Cholo Stout. Nexus unveils Dunkelweizen on Thursday. Quarter Celtic decided it was time to Come to the Dort Side. Rio Bravo has a big ol’ Barleywine on tap, plus Cherry Wheat Cuvee, a barrel-aged blend of the regular Cherry Wheat and the Barleywine. Sidetrack has a fresh batch of Railhead Red. Starr Brothers decided it’s time to take a A Roll in Ze Haye again. Tractor has its new Cranberry Ginger Cider on tap at Wells Park, soon to be at the taprooms as well.

Up in Santa Fe, Blue Corn has the new La Santa Oscura, a dark lager, available.

Continue reading for all the news that is fit to blog for the week of November 13.

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, Diablo del Oro, Single and Ready to Mingle. The most recent addition is the Single and Ready to Mingle (5.5% ABV, 30 IBU), a Belgian-style ale.

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: El Jeffe Hefeweizen, Friars Belgian-Style Single, June Bock German Lager. Rejoice, for Blue Grasshopper is brewing again! The Friars and June Bock are the more recent additions.

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, Grapefruit Pale Ale, Oktoberfest, Sour Strangehop, Double Dead Red. The Double Dead Red returned recently, so enjoy it while it’s still fresh.

Weekly Events: Saturday—Downtown Growers’ Winter Market, 10 a.m.

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

Bombs Away Beer Company — (505) 554-3204

(Hours: Mon–Fri 2 p.m.–close, Sat–Sun noon–close)

Beers: Short Fuse Blonde Ale, BABC IPA, Willie Pete Wit, Low Order Porter, High Speed Low Drag Lager, Wild Card Spiced Ale, Brisance Bitter, Bag Drag BPA, Arsenal English Amber, Proximity Pilsner, MKDeuce Pale Ale, Primer Pub Ale, Actuator IPA, Stockpile Stout, Phil’s Incendiary IPA. Welcome to the listings, Bombs Away! The newest brewery in the Southeast Heights is now open at 9801 Acoma Road SE. The Phil’s Incendiary IPA was brewed up for a great cause, so head over to try it soon. Stockpile is a nice, robust beer that is perfect for the season.

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: Scotia Limited, PSA (Pumpkin Spiced Ale), Chocolate Mint Stout, Pale Ryder, Olde Bosky Porter, Cumulus Wheat IPA. Welcome back, Pale Ryder, Cumulus, and Olde Bosky Porter! Scotia Limited is Bosque’s fifth anniversary beer, aged in Taos Lightning barrels for a year. The Chocolate Mint Stout is the latest delectable dessert beer on tap.

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

Bow & Arrow Brewing — (505) 247-9800

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

Beers: Sun Dagger (Saison), True Aim (Scotch Ale), Hoka Hey (IPA), Jemez Field Notes Lager, Wayward Arrow Hefeweizen, Cosmic Arrow Brett Saison, Hoodoo Monster Imperial Red, Way Out West Sour Sumac, Black Chandelier (Belgo Stout), Desert Dynamo IPL, Fast Luck Dry-Hopped Pale Ale, Wolf Eyes (Oktoberfest), Nomadico IPA, Visionland Amber Ale, Sweetfetti Weizenbock, Thirsty Land: Foraged Series (Grisette). The most recent additions to the lineup are the Thirsty Land, Sweetfetti, Visionland, Nomadico, and Wolf Eyes. The sheer variety of styles on tap is quite impressive. Look for Coyote Waits, the barrel-aged imperial mole stout, this Saturday.

Events: Saturday—DJ Garronteed, 6-8 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: Crystal Kolsch, Oso Otono, Black and Blue Sour, Iron Lung Smoked Porter, Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout, Bulldog English IPA, Simcoe SMASH. The most recent additions are the Bulldog, Simcoe, Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout, Iron Lung, Oso Otono (brown ale), and Black and Blue Sour. Chocolate Milk Stout is also on tap on nitro.

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, Trailworks IPA, Dogtoberfest. OK, fine, Pepe the Mule counts as a beer, even though it is basically a Moscow Mule, but it was made with beer. Dogtoberfest is the most recent addition.

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

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

Beers: Exodus IPA, Panama Joe Coffee Stout, Grundy Thunder, Oompa Lupulin DIPA, Falconer’s Arm Pale Ale, Laid Back Lager, Social Capital. The most recent addition is a new version of Social Capital with plums and peaches in the mix. Get yourself some Panama Joe before the Crew drinks it all up.

Live Music: Thursday—The Moves Collective, 6-9 p.m.; Sunday—Squash Blossom Boys, 4-7 p.m.

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

(Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m.)

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

Dialogue Brewing — (505) 585-1501

(Open daily noon-midnight)

Beers: Belgian Citrus IPA, Berliner Weisse, Sour Raspberry, Sour Pale, Oktoberfest, Dry Irish Stout, O.D.B., Pine Sap Pale Ale, Biere de Mars, Amber Ale. The most recent additions are the Biere de Mars and Amber Ale. Sadly, the recent batch of Das Palabra lager has run out.

Live Music: Friday—Chris Dracup, 7-9 p.m.

Other Events: Thursday—HandCrafted with DJ Buddha Funk (music), Mia Rivera (artist), and All Chola (vendor), 6-10 p.m.

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

Drafty Kilt Brewing — (505) 881-0234

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

Beers: Groundskeeper Willie Cream Ale, Wee Beastie Scottish Ale, Campbell Toe IPA, Covfefe Hefe, Outlamber Amber. The Outlamber is the most recent addition. Take note that Drafty Kilt needs our help picking a new name due to a trademark issue. You can send your suggestions to our email and we will pass them along to the brewery.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m.; Thursday—Blues Jam with the Rudy Boy Experiment, 7-10 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: Tart and Soul (Guava Berliner Weisse), Tripel Whammy, Pilsner? I Barley Know’er!, January Embers Barleywine, Eater of Worlds Pale Ale, The Agitator Doppelbock. The most recent additions include the return of January Embers, while Eater of Worlds and Agitator are new.

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. The Hop Hill (7.1% ABV, 69 IBU) was the most recent addition.

Live Music: Saturday—Sloan Armitage, 8 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Open Mic, 7-9 p.m.

Kaktus Brewing — (505) 379-5072

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

Beers: Porter Auf Deutsch, Cucumber Ale, Bavarian Golden Ale, Ctrl-Alt-Drink, Basil Lager, Helles Lager, IPA, Walnut Cider, DjinnJar Kombucha. The most recent additions include Cucumber Ale, Basil Lager, and Helles Lager.

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

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

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

Kellys Brew Pub — (505) 262-2739

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

Beers: (house) Apricot Ale, Blonde, Farm House Ale, IPA, Red, Scotch Ale, Session IPA, Sleeping Dog Stout; (seasonal) Hefeweizen, Farmhouse Apricot, Mars DIPA, Lobo Red Ale. The recent change in ownership at Kellys has led to some seriously improved beers and food, so we decided it was high time to add it to the listings. The Lobo Red was brewed for the University of New Mexico athletic program, if you could not guess. Yes, that is Sleeping Dog Stout, formerly of Chama River, now back in all its dark glory.

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: Ales for ALS IPA, Pecos Porter, Gracias Por Fumar, Mochavation. The amazing La Negra has already run out on tap, so if you can find more for sale in bombers, get it now. This Friday, Postcards From Hell, a new IPA made in collaboration with San Diego’s Modern Times, makes its debut.

Live Music: Saturday—Julian Dossett Trio, 6-9 p.m.

Weekly Events: Tuesday—Loteria (every other week), 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Lizard Tail Brewing — (505) 717-1301

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

Beers: Contact the brewery for an updated list.

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

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

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

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

Beers: Gin Barrel Brett, Amarillo Pale Ale, Barrel-Aged Amber, Dubbel, NM State Fair Pale Ale (Downtown only), Simcoe IPA (Downtown only), Golden Ale (Downtown only), Dry Oaked Stout (Downtown and Heights only), Joe Pumpkin on nitro (Downtown and Westside only), Rouge Maverique (Downtown and Westside only), Raspberry Nitro Stout (Heights and Westside only), Cereza! Cerveza! (Heights and Westside only), Cholo Stout (Heights and Westside only), Tripel (Heights only), Prickly Pear Gose (Heights only), Abbey Brett (Westside only). There are so, so many beers between the three locations. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get to them all. The Dry Oaked Stout, Golden Ale, Cereza! Cerveza! (a sour), Tripel, Prickly Pear Gose, and Cholo Stout are the most recent additions.

Live Music (Downtown): Music is done for the colder months, but will resume at 111 in the spring!

Live Music (Heights): Friday—Delphia, 7-10 p.m.; Saturday—Lenin & McCarthy, 7-10 p.m.

Live Music (Westside): Friday—Tres Pendejos, 8-11 p.m.; Saturday—Issac Aragon and the Healing, 8-11 p.m.

Other Events (Heights): Today (Wednesday)—Beer 301, 6-8 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: Bird of Prey IPA, To Boldly Gose, Honey Dubbs, Equinox, Irish Red, Imperial Pilsner (Silver only), Beam Me Up Scotty (Silver only). The most recent additions are Irish Red, Equinox, Bird of Prey, To Boldly Gose, and Honey Dubbs (Imperial Honey Chamomile Wheat). Dunkelweizen joins the lineup Thursday.

News: Nexus Silver now has food! Rejoice and check out the menu on their main website.

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

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

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

(Tues–Sat 3–9 p.m.)

Beers: MWA (Malt With Attitude), Guero (Belgian Wit), Poolside 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.

Events: Saturday—First Anniversary Party, noon (see our intro above for details)

Ponderosa Brewing Co. — (505) 639-5941

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

Beers: Imperial Red, Topaz Pale Ale, Red Chile Chocolate Porter, Dry-Hopped Saison, Amber Ale. The new Topaz Pale Ale is the latest in a series of single-hop beers. The most recent additions are the Amber Ale, Imperial Red, and Red Chile Chocolate Porter.

News: You can now find India Pale Lager 2.0 for sale in cans, at the brewery and at local liquor stores, including Total Wine, Bird of Paradise, Jubilation, Kelly’s, and Quarters!

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: Fresh Hop Clark, S’More Than a Beer, Mangose, Imperial Clark, Baltic Bollocks, Come to the Dort Side. QC has brewed up a delicious monster in the Baltic Bollocks Porter. The Imperial Clark is not for the faint of heart. S’More Than a Beer was made with graham crackers, lactose, and chocolate.

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

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

Beers: Imperial Red IPA, Plum Gose, Oktoberfest, White AF IPA (downtown only). The Imperial Red IPA was the first in a series of beers to celebrate Red Door’s recent anniversary. The Plum Gose was second and Oktoberfest was third.

Events (Taproom): Saturday—Watermelon Mountain Ranch Puppy Adoption, noon

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

Weekly Events (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, Randy’s Shandy, Dirty Rotten Bastard IPA, Snakebite IPA, Roadkill Red Ale, La Luz Lager, Old Town Porter (regular and barrel-aged), Vanilla Porter, NM Pinon Coffee Porter, Oatmeal Stout, Barrel-aged Belgian Strong Golden, Level 3 IPA, Imperial Russian Stout (regular and barrel-aged), Lemongrass Wit, Peach Gose, Cherry Sour, Kolsch, Hibiscus Mojito, Penguin Lager, Belgian Blonde, Cherry Wheat, Belgo IPA, Pink Boots Pale Ale, Oktoberfest, Grapefruit Launcher IPA, Schwarzbier, Rubus Ruckus, Barleywine, Cherry Wheat Cuvee. A portion of the Penguin Lager proceeds are going to the new exhibit at the ABQ Bio Park. There are now three barrel-aged beers on tap in the Porter, RIS, and Belgian Strong. The Cherry Wheat Cuvee is a barrel-aged blend of Cherry Wheat and Barleywine.

Live Music: Today (Wednesday)—The Moves Collective, 6-9 p.m.; Thursday—The John Adam Smith Experience, 6-8 p.m.; Friday—Beloved Band, 6-9 p.m.; Saturday—Higher Ground Bluegrass, 6-9 p.m.

Weekly Events: Today (Wednesday)—Movie Night (now outside), 7 p.m. or later, weather permitting; Thursday—Girls Pint Out, all day; Friday—Headliners Comedy presents Friday Night Fools ($5 cover, event only), 9:30 p.m.; Sunday—Pints & Planks with Yoga Zo

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: Switchgear IPA, 3:10 to Belen Brown Ale, Railhead Red, Dark Engine Stout, 2926 Steam Lager, #91 Pale Ale. The most recent additions are the Railhead, Switchgear, and 2926 Steam.

Cask: The Switchgear and 3:10 to Belen 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, Starrphire Pilsner, Brown Chicken Brown Cow, Foggy Monocle (Oatmeal Stout), Oakey Smokey, Jack Tooth Grin, Citra Grin (Pale Ale), A Roll in Ze Hay (Hefeweizen). The most recent additions are A Roll in Ze Hay, Citra Grin, Jack Tooth Grin, and Oakey Smokey, which goes down in history as the last collaboration brew with Chama River.

Steel Bender Brewyard — (505) 433-3537

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

Beers: (house) Skull Bucket IPA, Red Iron Red, Sparkfitter Amber, Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock Kolsch, Blue Bullet Stout, The Village Wit; (seasonals/specialties) Smith Hopper Extra Pale Ale with Dr. Rudi, Cow Plow Brown Ale, V.M.O.M.G. (Marzen), Figgy Pudding, Plymouth Rock & Rye Saison, Who’s Brett IPA. The most recent additions are the Who’s Brett, Figgy Pudding, and Plymouth Rock & Rye Saison.

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) Secret Squirrel (Best Bitter), Black Ops Hops, Kolsch, Full Booty Stout, Scottish Ale, Say Juan (Summer Saison), Plum Sour, Peach Wheat, Oktoberfest, Spiced Wild Red Ale, Milk Stout, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Porter. This inaugural batch of Oktoberfest from The 377 hits the right notes, with some malty breadiness without too much sweetness. The Spiced Wild, Milk Stout, and BBA Pumpkin Porter are the most recent additions.

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: Chocolate Milk Stout, Berry Cider, Scout Golden Ale, Javi Lager, Jack the Sipper, Belgo American Pale Ale, Three-Two Amber, Goathead Hador Doppelbock, Turkey Drool, Cowboy Coffee (Wells Park batch is on nitro), Cranberry Ginger Cider (Wells Park only), Plum Spice Berliner Weisse (Wells Park and Four Hills only), Cascara Cider (Nob Hill and Four Hills only), Minute-4 (Nob Hill and Four Hills only), Big Sipper IPA (Four Hills only), Delicious Golden Dry Cider (Four Hills Only), Holstein & Hops (Four Hills only). Recent additions to the lineup are the Cranberry Ginger Cider, which should be on tap at all locations soon, as well as the Turkey Drool and Goathead Hador.

Live Music (Wells Park): Thursday—Holly Durante, 8 p.m.; Saturday—Hurdle, 8 p.m.

Live Music (Nob Hill): Today (Wednesday)—Garry Blackchild, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday—Russell James Pyle, 5 p.m.

Live Music (Four Hills): Thursday—Rose Quartz Terrarium, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday—Still Closed For Repairs, 7 p.m.

Other Events (Wells Park): Today (Wednesday)—Adult Coloring Night with Carla Bryant, 3 p.m.; Friday—Hops & Dreams: Rick and Morty Edition, 8 p.m.; Sunday—Women in the Arts IV, 4 p.m.

Weekly Events (Wells Park): Tuesday—Kamikaze Karaoke, 7 p.m.

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

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

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

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company — (505) 994-9497

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

Beers: Lil’ Shelly (Pale Ale), Cosmic Yum Yum, Can’t Catch Me Copper Lager, Arsenal Porter, Pour les Abeilles, S.O.S. (Wet Hop Pale Ale), Depravity Barleywine. An archived keg of Depravity has been tapped for a limited time. The Can’t Catch Me and Cosmic Yum Yum are the most recent additions. Arsenal Porter has replaced the SCH Scotch Lager.

Cask: Tuesday—TBA

Santa Fe breweries

Blue Corn Brewery — (505) 438-1800

(Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.)

Beers: Oktoberfest, Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter, Apparition Pale Coffee Ale, La Santa Oscura. The most recent addition is La Santa Oscuar, a holiday spiced dark lager.

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, WWWMD (Barrel-Aged Whistler), Marcel, Fantin (Double Pale Ale), Duchamp (Sour Wit), Cezanne Magnifique, HMWWA FIACFW, Cezanne Verite, Fiction (IPA), Lourd of Funk. This batch of Cezanne Verite is barrel aged and it is also for sale in bombers. The WWWMD acronym stands for What Would Whistler’s Mother Do. Old favorite Fiction is back, and Titian and Whistler will return soon.

Live Music (ABQ taproom): Friday—Nick FurioStylz, Zack Freeman & Jonathan Grimes, 9 p.m.; Saturday—Moonhat, 9 p.m.

Other Events (ABQ taproom): Thursday—Drag Queen Trivia: Friendsgiving, 8 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, Saison du Sarlacc, Agent Scully – Season One, Episode Four (IPA), Germophile (Berliner Weisse), Meier (Meyer Lemon Gose), Fruhschoppen (Hefeweizen), Little White Lies (Belgian Blonde), Conduit (Belgian IPA). The Agent Scully is a new series of IPAs which will vary by hop combinations. Episode 4 is the most recent iteration. This batch of Germophile was dry-hopped with Motueka and Simcoe.

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: Adobe Igloo, Hipster Union IPA, Oktoberfest, Bobcat Dynamite (Kolsch), Wet Hop Pale Ale (ECS). With the colder weather almost upon us, Adobe Igloo makes its annual return. Hipster Union is also back, while Bobcat Dynamite is the most recent addition.

Live Music: Saturday—Vintage Brew, 6-9 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, Coffee Porter, XX ESB, 2920 IPA, LVL Stout, Nova Pale Ale, Breaking Plaid Scotch Ale. The most recent additions are the Nova and Breaking Plaid, the latter of which was the first beer brewed at the Rufina location.

Live Music (Original location): TBA

Live Music (Railyard): TBA

Other Events (Rufina): Thursday—Almost FaMIX, 6 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: Kutthroat Kolsch, Kaboom Quad, Wit Rock, Catherine’s Historical Stout, Little Bird Blonde, Anderson Amber. Well, look at that, an updated beer list for BRB. The Wit Rock and Little Bird are old favorites, the rest are more recent recipes.

Sierra Blanca Brewing — (505) 832-2337

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

Beers: Oktoberfest, Cherry Sour, Interstella Vanilla, Cherry Wheat, Single Hop IPA. The Whiskey Stout will return in a week-and-a-half. The Cherry Sour is back for another run. Oktoberfest is now available on tap. Cherry Wheat is available in bottles and won a gold medal at GABF this year.

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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 Crew survived to tell the tale of NM Brew Fest 8

Posted: October 17, 2017 by cjax33 in NM Brew Fest 2017
Tags: Abbey Brewing Company, Blue Corn Brewing, Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Canteen Brewhouse, La Cumbre Brewing, Marble Brewing, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Ponderosa Brewing, Steel Bender Brewyard, Turtle Mountain Brewing

Hello, NMBF, you were wonderful again!

While I was at work Saturday afternoon, a trio of Crew members joined a gaggle of our friends and other beer lovers at the eighth annual New Mexico Brew Fest. Held at Expo New Mexico, it moved back out to Main Street instead of being in the more cramped Villa Hispana. Here are their thoughts and a few photos from the fest I missed (at least agreeing to work Saturdays came with a raise).

AmyO: I really like this particular brew fest, and I am always sad when I can’t go because it often conflicts with a Lobo game or a trip out of town. Happily, I was able to attend this year. I love the super local feel of this one. It reminds me of some of the smaller brew fests in Portland back in the day before they began to get out-of-control crowded. Some people even wore costumes, and many of the attendees seemed pretty beer savvy.

The weather sure cooperated; although it was starting to get pretty warm in the late afternoon, there is always some shade at this venue. I appreciated the food selection this year. I ate the “special” at the barbecue food truck (Nomad’s BBQ). This was a hot link in a bun covered with a TON of pulled pork. It’s exactly the kind of food you need to soak up so much beer. And, it went really well with some of the spicier/fall-style beers. I also saw someone with a really great looking poke bowl. Very different, and a healthier option!

Raise the horns!

My overall favorite beer was probably the Raspberry Nitro Stout from Marble. First of all, having nitro at a festival always rates high for me. The beer was heavy on the raspberry, but not at all sweet. There was a cocoa powder flavor and mouthfeel that also added to the uniqueness. The Tripel Reserve from Monks’ did not disappoint, either.

The best name has to go to Canteen’s Oompa Lupulin DIPA, but it’s even harder to say after you have had some!

Surprises for me as far as beers I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did were the Das Roggen Weiner from Marble, and Palmer’s Double IPA (because there was much less sweetness to it than I thought there would be). A really great palate cleanser after multiple heavy beers was Ponderosa’s Ecliptic Wet Hop Ale.

My big disappointment was that I never got to try Blue Corn’s Imperial Stout. Blue Corn was late to arrive because sadly they had a tire blowout on the way down to Albuquerque. When they finally did get set up, they held the stout to a 4 p.m. tapping. Everyone was ready to leave by that time, so I never got to try it. I did have their oak-aged Scotch and that was lovely.

Franz Solo found his fellow vikings.

Franz Solo: What I loved best about this particular festival was just how local and friendly the whole thing was. Drinking beer under cottonwoods on the old fairgrounds with a great crowd of people and some fantastic local offerings, both beer-wise and food-wise, was simply magical. Highlights for me were Turtle Mountain’s Depravity barleywine which has aged extremely well since last winter; Canteen’s Oompa Lupulin DIPA, which was simply a hop screamer straight out of the gates of hop heaven; Monks’ Tripel Reserve, which is incredibly smooth and clear for a monster of a beer; and the pair of ludicrous offerings from Blue Corn, which brought its ’16 Scotch and ’15 Russian Imperial Stout, which were both stupendous. Having so many Oktoberfest Marzens as well was a real treat to cleanse the palate between some of the bigger brews, and on the whole they were all quite tasty. A grand event for the NM Brewers Guild and for local breweries and local food offerings alike. I look forward to returning to this wonderful NM Brew Fest.

The Crew and friends did a good job of wiping out that ’15 Imperial Stout from Blue Corn.

Brandon: The brewery list seemed smaller this year, but I can’t blame more places for not participating in this event, with just having wrapped up GABF and all. That being said, the breweries in attendance made sure to bring some standout brews, so here’s what popped for me:

Featherweight Session IPA, Boxing Bear: Fresh off a bronze medal at GABF. Lighter but crisp malt backing, with grassy, floral, and citrus zest notes. The low ABV made this one a good choice for the warm weather of the day. Who says session beers can’t pack a flavor punch?
Depravity Barleywine 2016, Turtle Mountain: Not a palate-crushing, hop-forward incarnation, like some versions of the style. Tons of caramel, burnt caramel, and toffee. Chewy as all hell, but not a lot of alcohol warmth. A deceptively dangerous barleywine, loved it.
2015 Imperial Stout, Blue Corn: “Oh what a surprise, the DSBC liked a dark beer”… if you expected less, you don’t know our lives. This beer is a beast, it has about four different types of chocolate notes present — dried fruit, oak and vanilla, and warms you to the core. We want more of this black fire in a glass!
V.M.O.M.G., Steel Bender: This one was released a few days prior to NM Brew Fest, but this was my first chance to taste it. Was quite surprised. Not that I thought it would be a bad beer, but I didn’t expect this to be THAT good. A damn fine take on a traditional seasonal style. Crisp, sweet malt, good spice from hops. Very solid.
Oktoberfest, La Cumbre: I’m going to be blunt here … if you missed this one, you’re f****d. Cans are gone or close to gone, and all kegs are already gone in distribution. If you find any of this lovely beer, drink it while you can.

That is all from us. Thank you to Kevin Hopper for the tickets, and thank you to all the breweries for bringing some of their finest offerings!

Cheers!

— The Crew

Palmer Brewery’s Unsung Hero fills in all the gaps

Posted: September 1, 2017 by amyotravel in Unsung Heroes Series
Tags: Palmer Brewery and Cider House

Chris Medina, right, helps out everyone at Palmer Brewery, including his head bartender.

I made my way through a weeknight happy hour crowd in the expanded bar seating area at Palmer Brewery/Left Turn Distillery to interview Chris Medina, assistant distiller and sales manager. Chris started on the distilling side at Left Turn about two and a half years ago. When the brewery opened in November, he began helping out there as well.

Prior to his employment with Left Turn/Palmer, Chris worked at a profit management firm for bars. He would calculate pour costs and help with the accounting and inventory, as well as loss prevention and marketing strategies for local establishments. He said this really helps him with the sales side of this job. I have to say that Chris does not seem like a typical sales person. In fact, when I asked him why he thought Rob Palmer nominated him, he said, “Because he knows I’m shy.”

I jokingly asked him if Rob was trying to get him more exposure or just yanking his chain. Chris said probably a little of both. We indulged in a couple of pints of Cockness Monster, a superb new Palmer seasonal Scottish ale brewed in collaboration with CockFight Skateboards. And then, magically, shy guy Chris began to open up. Ah, the mighty power of beer!

In the back-of-the-house production side, it is really just three of them for the most part — owners Brian Langwell (head distiller) and Rob (head brewer), with Chris working between the two of them. They are swamped (hey, business is good!), so his nomination might have something to do with all the hard work that comes with this unique type of setup. Between the festivals they attend, the increased demand on site in the expanded bar, and distribution, this small staff has a lot on their plate; or is it in their bottle?

The Cockness Monster there in the center tends to go quickly once poured.

Speaking of Brian, he is a very hands-on kind of guy. With his experience as a machinist in his “former life,” he builds all his own equipment himself. If something breaks or they want to change how it works, they don’t have to wait because they can take care of it in house. In a true example of build it and they will come, they expanded what was originally an extremely intimate (read: tiny) tasting area into a wholly inviting full bar with much more ample seating. Since then, their customer base seems to have grown exponentially.

Chris said it was hard building it out because they did everything themselves by hand. Although Chris attended Eastern New Mexico University on a baseball scholarship, he was also a welding program student at CNM, so it all sort of fell into place. Because he said he has more of a passion for the bar industry than welding work, this makes for a good mix.

As I have in previous stories in this series, I asked Chris who (besides the owners) at Left Turn/Palmer he would nominate if he was asked to do so. Chris said it would be the head bartender, Ray. He is personable, makes awesome cocktails, and he goes the extra mile all the time, Chris said. Ray has been working there about a year and a half.

I have been trying to ask the “hero” a different question each time as well. I asked Chris to tell me about his best day and worst day. He said his best day is coming up with new spirits like the limoncello that he just made. He gave me a sample. He did an outstanding job (and peeled each and every lemon by hand himself!). It was not too thick or syrupy, or too bitter from pith. It was light and lemony and perfect on a hot day. Chris also helps with infusions, and said there is free run on ideas. Eventually, they would like to make all the mixers and liqueurs, and market their ginger beer. Chris makes the ginger beer for Left Turn/Palmer, but said he does not aspire to become a head brewer.

As for his bad day, it was about two months after he started working there. They were making rum and left a big barrel drum of molasses out in the sun to get it softened up to make it much easier to work with. Chris tilted it to open the lid, but it had expanded under pressure and it exploded like an oil gusher — as tall as the ceiling. It was everywhere. It took five hours to clean that day and when he left it was finally spotless. Then, when he came back the next day, molasses was crawling up the walls and coming out of the ceiling. It took a week for that to stop happening. To this day, he can occasionally see a spot. It makes me wonder if he has nightmares about it. It’s not the Cockness Monster, it’s the Molasses Monster you need to worry about!

The bar area at Palmer/Left Turn is an inviting place.

Since he grew up in a small town in northwest New Mexico, I asked Chris what his favorite part about living here is. He said it’s the locals. I would not have expected that answer, but his explanation makes sense. He said the sense of community here in Albuquerque was unexpected. Yet, it’s a big enough place that people don’t stay in your business. It’s a good balance, he said.

I asked Chris to tell me his current favorite beers from other breweries around town. He lives downtown, so in his rare time off work, this is where he spends most of his time. Right now he is into Boese’s lager. He said that he likes all beer styles, but usually leans toward clean, crisp beers.

“The staff members go to La Cumbre a lot because it’s close by,” Chris said. “And Quarter Celtic is awesome. The community is so great — you walk in anywhere and they recognize you.”

I asked if that’s hard for a “shy guy” and he replied, “Those guys aren’t strangers anymore, and, well, there’s beer to loosen you up!” There’s that magic again.

I wanted to know if Chris had to leave this bar industry and could do anything else, what would that be. He said he loves the outdoors and would like to be a fishing and/or rafting guide. However, Chris told me he is building a pizza oven that is similar to a horno. He likes making bread and might someday have a food truck, if not a brick and mortar establishment. I joked about going from one yeast to another.

Following the interview, I pinned down Rob and asked him his actual reason for nominating Chris.

“Chris wears all the hats in the brewery/distillery,” Rob said. “There is nothing that he doesn’t do or won’t do. I am the one making the beer. Brian is the one making the sprits. And Chris is the one helping us do everything. Without Chris, we couldn’t do it. And everywhere he goes, he’s fighting for us.”

Rob also let me know that coming up in the fermenters is an imperial pale ale. Also, they may soon have a barrel-aged MWA (malt liquor). Seriously, if that happens, where else in the world could you get that?

I would like to thank Chris for letting me interview him, even though it was well outside of his comfort zone. Also, thanks to Rob and Ray for being so welcoming and gracious. It is no wonder the people have come to Palmer/Left Turn, and even more importantly have stayed. Congratulations, and we wish you continued success.

Cheers!

— AmyO

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

Posted: June 22, 2017 by cjax33 in Events
Tags: La Cumbre Brewing, Marble Brewing, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Santa Fe Brewing, Steel Bender Brewyard

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

ABQ Beer Week: Tractor sticks with tradition and rolls out multiple events

Posted: May 23, 2017 by cjax33 in ABQ Beer Week 2017
Tags: Mother Road Brewing, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Red Door Brewing, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Tractor Brewing

Tractor is gonna be packed with events all throughout ABQ Beer Week, but then again, what else is new?

No local brewery dives into ABQ Beer Week quite like Tractor, which once again will load up on the fun throughout the 11-day series of events. To make sure I had all the necessary information, I was able to sit down with the incredibly busy dynamic duo of Jeremy Kinter and Carla Bryant to go over all 11 events at both Tractor locations.

Thursday at Wells Park

First up is the Big Sipper IPA can release. As I recently discussed with Tractor co-owner Skye Devore, this session IPA is the official beer of the upcoming Pork & Brew in Rio Rancho. The July event is a ways off, but Tractor is already releasing the new 16-ounce cans to the public. The event kicks off at 7 p.m., with the Silver String Band providing entertainment from 8 p.m. Onward. Nomad’s BBQ will be parked outside for all your culinary needs.

Friday at Wells Park

We have said before how much we love when our breweries join forces, but we have to admit, it has been a while (if ever) that we have seen one brewery host another. Rowley Farmhouse Ales will be bringing down some of its finest creations for Sour Hour starting at 5 p.m. There will be six featured beers from Santa Fe, plus Tractor will have some of their own.

“We’re going to be featuring our Flanders Red and Berliner Weisse and then we might have a special sour that we put on tap as well,” Jeremy said. “That will go until the kegs run out.”

After the sours have left everyone plenty puckered out, sit back and enjoy the rhythmic excellence of the Desert Darlings as they present Hops & Dreams: Beer Week Edition. If we haven’t sang their praises enough in the past, let us say again that these amazingly talented dancers put on one truly amazing show.

Saturday at Wells Park

Oh, collaboration beers, how much do we love thee? Tractor and Flagstaff’s Mother Road Brewing have joined forces to create two excellent new beers that will make their debut at 7 p.m. Look for an altbier and a unique take on a double IPA on tap throughout the night.

One of our longtime favorite local bands, Le Chat Lunatique (we first saw them at Septemberfest in Marble’s old back parking lot in 2010), will provide the tunes starting at 8 p.m.

Saturday at Nob Hill

In a late addition to the schedule, Tractor will be hosting another edition of Crafternoon starting at 3 p.m. Attendees will be making special beer cozies and coasters. The Yarn Store will provide the kits, or you can buy your own at their store across the street. This is a free event and open to crafty types of all skill levels.

Sunday at Sandia Resort & Casino

Tractor will join around 70 other breweries for the annual ABQ Blues & Brews Festival. We will have an in-depth preview of who’s taking what later this week.

Monday at Nob Hill

OK, it’s shameless self-promotion time again! The Dark Side Brew Crew is hosting Beer Geeks Trivia starting at 7 p.m. The event is free to all, and there will prizes provided by Tractor. There will be five rounds total, including a special tasting round in the middle where you get to try and correctly identify which Tractor beer you are drinking. Prior to that, Round One will focus on general New Mexico craft beer knowledge, Round Two will focus on national craft beer, and then after the tasting round, Round Four gets tough with New Mexico beer history, and Round Five caps it all with questions submitted by 10 different breweries around town.

Tuesday, May 30 at Wells Park

In what’s becoming an annual tradition, Tractor and Cheesy Street are teaming up for more beer-and-fried-cheese pairings. For $13 you get a tray of six different mini-fried cheese sandwiches, each paired with a different small pour of a Tractor beer. We promise, you will have a gouda time. (OK, wait, sorry, that was a terrible pun. Terrible.) It will start at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, May 31 at Wells Park

Tractor is teaming up with Gruet Winery and Cheese & Coffee for a special five-course dinner starting at 7 p.m. This is not a ticketed-in-advance event, so patrons can buy each pairing separately, meaning no one has to eat and drink more than they want.

“It’s no longer Beer vs. Wine, that was just a glitch,” Carla said of the renamed event, which is different than what is on the printed Beer Week fliers. “We’ll have for each course for sale individually the night of and we have them until they run out.”

Thursday, June 1 at Wells Park

The fourth annual Battle of the Beer Geeks takes center stage as the Crew (inaugural champs) tries to reclaim the title from two-time winner Babes in Brewland. Of course, you could all show up and end up voting for the Worthogs or Dukes of Ale or the other competitors, but hey, we’ll understand. (Maybe) This year we flipped it up a bit with a theme, as everyone had to brew to a style corresponding to a wheat beer. Don’t worry, the Crew still went ridiculously overboard, but I am happy to report that we did not clog the heat exchanger this year and cause head brewer Josh Campbell to lose any hair.

It costs $10 for a tray of the five beers, but you will not know who brewed what. You then get a pint of your favorite, which counts as your vote. The winner will be announced around 8 p.m.

Friday, June 2 at Wells Park

If you have never been to an Art Fight before, this is the one time to go check it out. It kicks off at 7 p.m. and admission is free.

Friday, June 2 at Nob Hill

Even we had to ask what the heck Night Out Cards was all about. Basically, as Jeremy explained it, it is a special deck of cards with “truth or dare” style questions. A deck and two wristbands costs $20, and you can add up to five additional players on your team for $5 apiece. Each wristband gets $1 off beers, and there will be special prizes and contests every 30 minutes. WhichCraft will also be on hand to help you choose which beers you want to drink.

“Basically they’re brewery truth or dare cards, you get a deck and you have to do things like fake a break-up in a bar and you get so many points,” Jeremy said. “The team with the most points at the end wins a big old prize.”

Saturday, June 3 at Nob Hill

The annual Cider Day Night Fever gets kicked up a notch this year, with Tractor bringing in guest ciders from Santa Fe Cider Works, New Mexico Cider Company, Palmer Brewery and Cider House, Skarsgard Farms, and Red Door. It all starts at 5 p.m., with DJ Wae Fonkey providing the dance tunes starting at 7 p.m.

“They’re bringing some cool stuff,” Jeremy said. “Red Door is going to have a blood orange cider and their Unhinged. There will be an Enchanted Cherry Cider from Santa Fe. We’re going to have a Cranberry Ginger Cider and our Golden Dry Cider. Those two will be very limited.”

Saturday, June 3 at Wells Park

Speaking of ciders, the Triple Berry Cider will make its debut in concert with the Jodie Herrera Art Opening and Glass Release. A touring band from California, The Blank Tapes, will perform starting at 8 p.m.

* * * * *

After all of that, we just hope Jeremy gets to go home and sleep. For a week. Thanks, dude, you earned it!

Carla will soon be moving on to the next chapter, and we thank her for all her time and patience with us over the past year. Her successor gets to start up just in time for all the fun!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Palmer pops onto the scene in 2016

Posted: December 6, 2016 by cjax33 in Look Back/Look Ahead Series 2016-17
Tags: Palmer Brewery and Cider House

Palmer Brewery held its grand opening back on November 5.

The concept of a combined brewing/distilling operation was not limited to one location in Albuquerque, as Palmer Brewery opened alongside Left Turn Distilling this year. Unlike Broken Trail, a few blocks to the west, technically Palmer and Left Turn are separate businesses, they just share the same taproom/tasting room. Brewer Rob Palmer and distiller Brian Langwell are good friends, which is how it all got started at 2924 Girard Blvd. NE.

Rob, a professional skateboarder with a home-brewing background, said it all came about in August 2014.

“Brian called me and he had a tenant on the other side of the building,” Rob said. “This used to be a big block wall here. The tasting room was just that tiny room. We decided we wanted to do beer. We had been hanging out a bunch, helping him with his stuff in the distillery. He said how about we do some beer? That’s where it was born.”

Going from concept to operation took time, as the space, formerly occupied by a local artist, had to be renovated and rebuilt for brewing in the back (east) side, while the front (west) side was converted into a full-service taproom, offering up both the spirits and beers.

“We sat down and found a system that we could buy,” Rob said. “We did it without any investors or anything like that. It was me, him, and my girlfriend, Crystal (Sims). We went from there, started buying up equipment, buying what we couldn’t build and building what we couldn’t buy.”

The 7-barrel brewhouse and additional tanks arrived first. Getting everything else proved to be a bit of a challenge.

The 7-barrel brewhouse is ready to go.

“We’ve had the equipment for a bit,” Rob said. “Locally, we bought a five-ton glycol unit to chill the fermenters, but the pump was missing. We’ve been fighting the guy for months, trying to get him to pay for the pump. We finally just bought a pump ourselves and put the unit up on the roof, got it ready to go.”

Rob said he also bought a used heat exchanger that he ultimately had to replace after it quite literally fell apart the first time they had to use it. With the main system not fully ready to go, a pilot system was used instead. The problem was that it simply could not produce enough beer to keep up with the customer demand.

“That and we’ve been fighting problems on the big system, so a lot of beer has been coming from the pilot system,” Rob said. “I could brew five days a week and still not have enough beer. We’re brewing the blue corn malt liquor (M.W.A.) on the big system. We should be alleviating our running out of beer problem.”

The pilot system has gotten plenty of work.

Rob said he has been brewing since he was 19 years old, living in California. He had a 1-barrel brewing system at home, where he loved to brew up some pretty big beers.

“I find myself having to reel myself in a bunch, because all of my beers have been in the 8-to-10-percent range,” he said. “I’ve always brewed in the higher gravity range and now that I’m offering it to the public, that’s where I came up with the Belgian Wit being 4.6-percent (ABV). Even the session beers I would make were seven percent, at least those were session beers to me.”

The brewery sits in a crowded area for beer, with La Cumbre just across Candelaria, and Canteen and Broken Trail not far away. Rob said his goal is “just try to be a little different” from his neighbors.

“We do blue corn malt liquor, which is a pretty different beer, it’s our flagship beer,” he said. “A lot of people seem to love it. I don’t want to copy anybody else or do what anybody is doing. I haven’t been into doing an IPA. I know they sell really well, and I do enjoy IPAs, but we’ve got a couple of the best IPAs in the world in this city.”

Customers should expect a lot of beers of a certain genre thanks to Rob’s recent travels around the globe.

“I like Belgians,” he said. “I went to Belgium for 10 days a couple years ago, just to hang out, drink beers, experience the culture. It’s (now) one of my favorite places on Earth. I’ve traveled a bunch through skateboarding, but Belgium is definitely one of my favorites. I want to play around with the Belgian strains.”

You can stop by and enjoy a beer while watching Brian do the distilling, too.

Rob said his main goal for 2017 is a pretty simple one.

“I just want to be able to stick to a fairly rigid production plan and make sure I’m not running out of any beers at anytime,” he said. “We are still going to run the pilot system all year so we can play with a lot of fun stuff, still make some mistakes, dump some beer if we need to.”

He also has a crowler machine ready to go so customers can take their beer home. There are also some packaging ideas in store in conjunction with Left Turn.

One of the more popular beers at the grand opening was Cockness Monster, a rum-barrel-aged Scotch ale. Obviously, having Left Turn right next door will open the door to a lot of different types of barrel-aging projects in the future.

“We’re going to focus a lot on the barrel program, because we have barrels on hand,” Rob said. “We can pull the spirit out the same day the beer goes in.”

A barrel-aged Scotch ale was sighted amid the chaos at Palmer Brewery's grand opening.

The Cockness Monster was a big hit at the grand opening.

Palmer Brewery is still early in its existence, but so far, so good.

“The feedback on the beers have been pretty good,” Rob said. “The negative feedback we get is that we don’t have all the beers all the time. The biggest hurdle has been getting the beers on consistently, (but) I think we’ve turned that corner.”

All of us in the Crew wish Rob a lot of luck going forward. We are certainly ready for some unique new barrel-aged offerings.

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister

Dark Side Brew Crew

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Posts Tagged ‘Palmer Brewery and Cider House’

Oktoberfest: Welcome to the mountains of Red River

GABF 2018: New Mexico breweries bring home 7 medals

ABQ Beer Week: Day Ten keeps it cool even in the sweltering heat

Palmer Brewery looks to build on busy first full year of operation

The Week Ahead in Beer: Dive deep into the wood

The Crew survived to tell the tale of NM Brew Fest 8

Palmer Brewery’s Unsung Hero fills in all the gaps

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

ABQ Beer Week: Tractor sticks with tradition and rolls out multiple events

Palmer pops onto the scene in 2016