T-minus one week till WinterBrew

It has to be said: It does not feel like winter out there. Hopefully that does not end up jinxing us all to a week of wind, snow, and ice, but this has been one mild winter. Nonetheless, in keeping with the spirit of what should be the season, the New Mexico Brewers Guild will…

Turtle Mountain plans for more parking and new beer styles in 2014

Welcome to our tenth entry in the Look Back/Look Ahead Series for 2013-14. This series is designed to give a recap, from the breweries themselves, of 2013 while also previewing all that is to come in 2014. We have already visited La Cumbre, Bosque, Kaktus, Marble, Sandia Chile Grill, Broken Bottle, Tractor, Nexus, and Il…

Membership has its benefits at New Mexico breweries

It was around this time last year when a fan of the Brew Crew told us that we should write up a post about all the brewery memberships/mug clubs around town. To us that sounded like a great idea and then, well, something happened. We got busy and 2012 sprinted to such a sudden end…

Stout (Day) philosophy: What makes a great dark beer

Howdy, all. It’s Stoutmeister. My personal holiday that I totally came up with is upon us. Yes, Friday is International Stout Day. Wait, you mean I don’t get credit for that? Oh. Well, can I get a free pint of stout? Please? Pretty please? Anyway, it really is International Stout Day, so get on out…

NM Brew Fest in review: Beaten up by barley wines

The remnants of Stoutmeister and Brandon greet you all on this weekday after an enjoyable weekend at the fourth annual New Mexico Brew Fest. Sure, we ended up a little sunburned and a little hungover, but that’s what outdoor beer festivals are all about, right? With our friends Dan, Jessica, and Adam in tow, we…

The Balloon Fiesta tourist’s guide to beer in Albuquerque

It’s that time of year again, when lots of folks from outside Albuquerque and New Mexico descend upon the Duke City for the Balloon Fiesta. While a lot of us locals grumble about the increase in traffic, even we’re big softies for the Fiesta (assuming we wake up in time). Well, we are, our dogs…

Feeling festive about the lineup at Brew Fest

Beer festival season hits its highpoint in October both in New Mexico and nearby, starting with the fourth annual New Mexico Brew Fest this Saturday at the Villa Hispana on the state fairgrounds. With Valhalla (aka The Great American Beer Festival) and then Hopfest later in the month, beer drinkers will be kept awfully busy…

Kaktus Brewing brings good craft beer back to Bernalillo

Just up the road from Albuquerque along I-25 sits the small, sleepy town of Bernalillo. Back in the day it had the Milagro Brewery, but that place did not last. Amid the post-2010 brewery boom in New Mexico, Bernalillo had been left behind until now. Kaktus Brewing is now undergoing a “soft opening” before a…

Meet me at the Fair for another beer competition

Before the actual NM State Fair kicks off — and come on, you know it’s coming soon since friend of the Crew Lauren Poole is playing Lynette in the commercials again — they hold a Pro-Am competition where a bunch of judges figure out some of the best beers in the land. Our friends at…

IPA Challenge: And the winner is …

For the first time in the 12-year history of the IPA Challenge, a brewery outside of the Albuquerque metro area will take the trophy home. Blue Corn’s Resurgence captured the title with a resounding victory after the fourth and final round at Marble’s downtown pub on Saturday afternoon. “It’s pretty good,” said Blue Corn brewer…