Albuquerque Beer Guide - 2018

Since @ONovoMexicano is out of state and decided to have himself a life outside of this site, I figured its time to up date the local beer guide. Lots of changes to our beer scene since he came out with his thread and while all this information can be found within that thread its all spread out over hundreds of pages, which could make things difficult for someone to find it. Seems like a revamped, updated thread could be of benefit.

I don't know New Mexico's beer scene, so I am just sticking with ABQ here. And as a disclaimer, everything I am posting below is just my opinion. You don't have to agree with anything I say, I won't take offense. My opinions are my opinions and often my opinions do run counter to the norm, so feel free to stick up for someone/something that I might be more negative towards, or visa versa.




Tier 1: Best of the city



La Cumbre Brewing. Most consistent, best beers in New Mexico, IMO. In a state with some great IPA’s, these guys continue to offer the best. If you like West Coast styled IPAs, you are doing things wrong if you come to New Mexico and don’t try Elevated. And don’t forget about Dank. They have also jumped aboard the hazy train and people love that stuff too. I really can’t speak to it as I don’t care for that style and have given up trying those offerings, for the most part. And not to get lost in the shuffle are their lagers, which are always great. I just wish they could do more with the style(s), because don’t think I could ever get enough of them, especially their South Peak Pilsner. Their pilot offerings are a little more limited than others breweries, but that has allowed the quality of the beer to remain high, quality over quantity. I continue to think they outgrew their taproom but that is not an issue that should ever deter someone from hitting it up. And they do have a second location on the West side coming up. For now, I say, just go expecting it to be lively and likely crowded. Service is fine, no issues with them.



Marble Brewing. My introduction to New Mexico beer, so I have a soft spot for them. I think they offer the best flagship lineup in the state, personally. I have drank more of their Pilsner than any other beer since living here (maybe Elevated can give it a run for its money). They are always offering a wide selection of pilot offerings and they seem to be carving a niche for themselves with goses. Like with the hazy IPA’s I am not much of a gose drinker so can’t attest to their quality so much. In general, not everything they release is a winner, there can be some duds, but the good and really good and great is plentiful. Another brewer that can nail the lagers, which makes me very happy. The taproom can be just as crowded and lively as La Cumbre’s, maybe even moreso when the weather doesn’t allow for the rooftop patio to be open but I really like the set up they have. I find it warm and aesthetically pleasing. They also offer a couple TV’s with sports always on which I like to pair with my beer, personally. And the rooftop deck, weather permitting, can offer the best views from any brewery in the city. Service is fine, no issues with them.



Bow & Arrow Brewing. Welcome to the club. Ever since bringing on their new head brewer, these girls and guys have taken their beer to the next level. They continue to impress me with the new stuff they put out, they win me over by refusing to stand still with their flagships and tweaking recipes of their staples and/or dumping them to bring in new, better offerings. Obviously, I don’t want them to mess with a good thing (I might cry if La Cumbre were to ever give Elevated a facelift, or Marble with their Pilsner), but Bow & Arrow’s beers were in need. On a consistent basis, they have the most varied beer lineup in town. Important for me, is that they do saisons and they are starting to do them well. You can always expect some standard styles such as a lager, an amber, an IPA, etc as well as some of the more trendy styles likes hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, sours, bretts, and barrel aged offerings. Often, you can find an example of each style on tap at the same time. And I think the quality ranges from good to great. Only dud for me is their blue corn lager. I definitely dig their taproom/beerhall and the service is generally good. This is the taproom I hit up the most frequently these days.



Tier 2:

Canteen Brewing. Some great beer comes from these guys, but not all. Exodus remains one of my favorite IPA’s, High Plains Pilsner is a great example of a Czech styled pilsner, for an amber Dougie Style Amber is a very respectable offering and hits the spot. 4 or 5 pilot offerings usually available, expect the quality of each pilot offering to vary. Occasional sours, even had a brett beer from them, but expect more standard beer offerings in general, both ales and some lagers. I really dig their taproom which is more old school in its aesthetic IMO. If they were close(r) to me I’d visit much more frequently, but given their current location, often times if I want to travel that far to a brewery I usually go to Bow & Arrow, La Cumbre (which is right around the corner from them, FWIW), and Marble. Service can vary between fair to poor from my experiences.

Santa Fe Brewing (ABQ Taproom). They used to be the definition of mediocre, but now I really like them. Across the board I think the new stuff they put out is decent to really good, with their Pilsner and 4K being great. I tend to think of them as the local economical brewery as I think they design their recipes to allow for their beer to be a couple dollars cheaper than most other craft beers, which they are, and I am pleased with those results. For the past year+, I have not tried anything bad or poorly made from them and think their past reputation is holding them back a bit in the beer world. For me, I don’t care for the container yard in ABQ so I don’t care for their ABQ taproom and that really limits my visits. As does the fact that half the time I visit they are out of their Pilsner AND 4k IPA and that always pisses me off. Service is fine.



Note: They are building a new taproom up in Sante Fe that should be awesome.


Sidetrack Brewing. One of my favorite places to drink a beer in Albuquerque. Personable service with a casual, relaxing atmosphere. Definitely a neighborhood bar/brewery. Beer is solid, with cask offerings. Small tap list with small production batches. What is on tap from one week to the next is rarely the same. I think they are a tough place to promote to a traveler as I think their beer, as @oNovoMexican has so accurately stated, lands on the mellow and low-key side of things and that creates understated first impressions. I think it takes a couple visits (or at least it did for me) to fully understand and appreciate what these guys bring to the table. And I can only imagine coming here after having first visited another brewery, one that likes to go big in their beer. As much as I have enjoyed the CoMO IPA, try drinking that after having your first Elevated IPA. No way it can stand up to that. End of the day, I have become a fan and think they deserve to recognized for one of the best options in ABQ. If visiting, set your expectations accordingly and maybe make them your first visit of the day?



Boxing Bear. Sometimes I forget about these guys because they are so out of my way. Is that really still Albuquerque? People dig them, I always leave and say to myself I would drink a lot more of their stuff if they were closer. Putting them in Tier 2 for others, I probably enjoy them more along the lines of those in Tier 3. Taproom is middle of the road for me, not bad but nothing specific about it that I like. Service is fine.


Tier 3


Bosque Brewing. This will be my most controversial pick. These guys produce some of the best beer in the state. Their Lager is fantastic, Scale Tipper can justifiably be argued as being the best IPA in the state (though I continue to give that title to Elevated). Perhaps if Scale Tipper was always available rather than just being available a couple weeks per year, I’d put them in the second tier. However, it isn’t and the only beer you can count being on tap as being great at any time is their Lager, IMO. The rest of their stuff? There was a period where I’d put them in the top tier and argue they were putting out the best beer on the most consistent basis in Albuquerque, but that period is while back now. Sorry but, IMO, the beer they have been putting out for the past year (if not longer) is generally not any good. Hopefully, the issues stems from them having put all their attention and creative juices into the planning and opening of the now expanded Nob Hill taproom and just opened destination brewery in Bernalillo and with those projects now complete can return their attention back to the actual beer. But I’ll be honest and say that with how poor their beer has recently been, with how poor the service and experiences have become at their local taprooms, I am not sure I care if they return to their past glory or not. If they do, yay, more good beer to be had. If not, no worries on my end, as there are plenty of other quality options in town to go to instead.



Dialogue Brewing. They can produce some great beer, they can produce some bad beer. If they could get themselves to be a little more consistent, it would be huge for me. What they have done that I have enjoyed, I have really enjoyed though. And I dig their taproom and outdoor space. Service is fine.


Tier 4

Steelbender Brewing. Like the others in this tier, there beer can be solid, can also be forgetable. Another place that feels more restaurant than brewery, which never works in my interest. Service is generally quite spotty. Once in a while I like hitting them up, but never pushed to return back any time soon. Location wise, another one who is not convenient to me, FWIW.


Ponderosa Brewing. Their beer can be solid, their beer can be forgettable. And the place feels more generic restaurant than taproom to me, which doesn’t really sell me. As a traveler, I probably don’t bother going out of my way to come here. As a local, worth an occasional visit. If I lived in the neighborhood, I would be happy with this as a neighborhood option and probably stop in somewhat regularly. As is, its tough to make the trek there when I could hit plenty of better options that are closer.


Tractor Brewing. They really aren’t my thing but their stuff seems on par with Ponderosa’s. Their beer can be solid, more can be forgettable, some can be a dud. I prefer their Wells Park location to their Nob Hill one. Service was fine.



Tier 5


All the rest. Quarter Celtic has their following. They did a dortmunder last year that was great. Not sure I care about anything else I tried from them. High & Dry is a new kid in town and still need some time to figure things out but I really dig the brewery/taproom, so if the beer can improve they will be fast on my radar. Red Door, been a while since I last bothered with anything from them. Back when I did I was happy when something was fine, too often it was a miss for me. Boese Brothers never worked out for me. Same with Duel. Bombs Away was also a newer one when I checked them out, seemed like they were off to a solid start for being so new, but I never went back to see how things might have evolved. Nexus is a miss for me, people love the food there but if you want some chicken & waffles and southern styled comfort food, go to Frank’s Chicken & Waffles instead, worlds better, IMO. Toltec is the newest kid on the block, another place I thought I might need my Passport to get to. Former head brewer for Nexus, others had better first impressions of it than me (we also tried different beers, FWIW).


Beer Stores: Jubilation is where I shop. Total Wine is here too.

Bars: Don't come here for the bars, stick with the breweries, IMO.

 

https://nmdarksidebrewcrew.com/2018/08/17/la-cumbre-westside-will-open-in-grand-fashion-this-monday/

Speaking of La Cumbre and their westside location, looks like it opens this Monday, August 20th. Looks like a big taplist and a really cool space. Jealous that the westside gets this!

Since the article somehow managed to not give us the address of the new location, here you go: 5600 Coors Blvd NW Suite C1, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87120.

 

Looks like Scale Tipper will be available 8/31. $15 a 4 pack.

Better get through my Full Nelson, asap. Shouldn't be an issue, this batch is awesome. Actually don't remember it being this good last time I tried it.

 

Hit up Bosque North earlier. Grabbed a 4 pack of Scaletipper and a pour. Tasting great. Really great.

As for the facility, had done a quick walk through previously as I drove by it on my way up to Durango few weeks ago but didn't actually drink while there as they were out of the Lager and that's all I wanted. But returned today to drink some Scale Tipper, which they fortunately did have on tap. Thoughts on the experience are that its a really nice facility and a great environment to drink some beer. Some beautiful views of the Sandias, the Bosque River, and the open space of New Mexico, though on a main and busy road.. 2 levels, with seating inside and outside on both. Some TV's going on downstairs with sports. 2 bars, only 1 was open today when I was there (which was early). Service was quite slow, one bartender for a lot of drinkers. Hopefully they aren't done working on the place though, because if they don't take advantage of the surrounding land to construct a beer garden than they are doing it wrong/cheaply. The selling point to this facility is its in a beautiful setting, maximize it. Right now there is a lot of concrete, they really would benefit from constructing a drinking area built on the natural soil, to truly encapsulate the setting it is in. At least, IMO.

I will say that Bosque went big with the faciltiy and the production line. Is the demand there for what they want to produce? I question that big time. Maybe if Scale Tipper becomes year round that can support them to some degree, but I just don't see the demand for the rest of the lineup to warrant production on the capacity they have built for. Maybe I am wrong, maybe they do have a beer (like Elephants on Parade) that people will/do buy the crap out of, but I guess I just don't see that myself. And not sure their beer is priced in a way to do them any favors. I love their Lager but I am certainly not spending the extra $1 or $2 for a six pack of that when Marble's Pilsner can be had for cheaper. Especially when I prefer Marble's Pilsner to it.

I don't know. New spot is nice and offers a great drinking experience. Do I want to drive 20+ minutes to drink there when I could much easier drive a mile or two to one of their ABQ breweries, and drink the same beer? Probably once in a while, but definitely not usually. If I lived closer, would love its intro to my community though.


Also hit up La Cumbre's West Side Taproom. Nice job with the place but it convinced me that the Westside of ABQ is not for me.

 

La Cumbre's Oktoberfest released.

I never enjoyed Oktoberfests until I tried theirs last year. This years is just as good.

 

Marble's Smoked Helles is back on tap, too. Most sessionable smoked beer I believe I have ever tried. Broke out the growler for the first time in well over a year for this one.

 

Yeah, Scale Tipper (at least this batch of it) reminds me in concept to what Station 26's Juicy Banger is (or at least what I think of it to be), a classic West Coast IPA with an additional hop variety added to it (Mosaic here?) bringing some fruit forwardness to it. I love the classic West Coast IPA, but I also love this approach. I really wish this beer could be available year round, that would go a long ways to keeping my frustration with the company at bay.

Bow & Arrow's Roam Wild is a very solid offering. I agree, the malt bill plays a big part to that beer and does a nice job.Maybe a wild amber ale or red? Actually just drank a bottle of it tonight and its getting better with some age, I have one bottle left and hoping I can hold on to it for a little while to see how it is doing with a little more time on it. And their Peach Cosmic Arrow drops this Saturday. I always get suckered into checking out the latest peach beer. 9 out of 10 times I remember why I didn't like the last peach beer I tried. Will give this one a shot for sure, but definitely going to buy a pour of it before committing to bottles.

And, yeah, can't go wrong with La Cumbre when it comes to German styled beers or hoppy beers. Full Nelson in 4 packs has been as nice a treat as Scale Tipper for me.

 

Wet hopped Elevated in 4 packs? That just made my week.

 

@Franfab

Some beer makes it to the stores, others don't. Lately more have than haven't (LC"s Full Nelson, Oktoberfest and Project Dank have all hit distro) but not all (Mood was taproom only, I believe). Wet Hopped Elevated did hit distro last year, but was in bombers, not cans. Check La Cumbres Facebook page, that might have your answer.

 

4 packs of Bosque's Wet Hopped Acequia IPA out today. Not sure if it hit distro but still plenty of Wet Hopped Elevated available at La Cumbre's taproom.

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-mexico-beer-guide-2016-updated.387849/

That's probably the thread you remember.

Add another vote for Rowley Farmhouse. Anyone know how their beer has been since they brought on the new brewer?

I also like Santa Fe.

Sounds like I need to check out Tumbleroot. How long have they been open?