Breaking News: Toltec Brewing closes its doors after 4 years on Westside

Normally, when one of us gets a text from a brewer, it pertains to a beer release, or perhaps a question about something related to his/her brewery. On Thursday afternoon, it was a text from eagle-eyed Ponderosa head brewer Antonio Fernandez that let us know about a surprising Facebook post from another brewery here in…

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: Small breweries grab the big spotlight

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 eight breweries, one in Los Alamos, one in Moriarty, one in Red River, one in Silver City, and one in Truth or Consequences also joining the party….

Even more fresh-hop beers are on the horizon for New Mexico breweries

As we noted the other day in our first story about fresh-hop beers coming from New Mexico breweries, only a handful of places had responded before I hit publish on ye ole WordPress. Since then, three more breweries (two in collaboration, technically) shared what they have coming up, another hinted a beer might be coming,…

Toltec Brewing brings its new head brewer full circle

Brandon Venaglia is back in his old neighborhood. The well-traveled brewer, who went from Back Alley Drafthouse to Cazuela’s to Bathtub Row, has taken the open job at Toltec Brewing on the West Side of Albuquerque. “I went to Cibola High School,” he said, shaking his head. “I went all around the United States and…

Four New Mexico breweries bring home five medals from 2020 GABF

The fastest Great American Beer Festival Awards ceremony in history — these things happen when it is all virtual — saw four New Mexico breweries claim five medals on Friday night. Two golds, two silvers, and one bronze are all coming home from the annual competition, which was still held even as the festival itself…