New Mexico Beer Guide 2016

Been a lot of movement in New Mexico---especially Albuquerque---since I put up the original guide for visiting New Mexico, so an update is in order.

Some general drinking info:

* I'm not sure what official laws are, but most New Mexico breweries will fill any growler. (And assuming the governor signs the bill, we'll soon be able to get growler fills at liquor stores and grocery stores!)
** A 50 minute to 1 hour drive separates Albuquerque and Santa Fe. 2 and a half hours separate Albuquerque and Taos. 3 hours and 15 minutes separate Albuquerque and Las Cruces.
*** Most breweries in New Mexico (if not all) are open daily and generally starting at noon. Breweries with restaurants often open even earlier.
**** There's no place in Albuquerque or Santa Fe in which you can walk from brewery to brewery, but biking to Marble, La Cumbre, Il Vicino, Tractor, Bosque, Chama River, and Nexus is common. Similarly, biking from Second Street to Santa Fe Brewing in Santa Fe is a good bike ride.
***** La Cumbre, Santa Fe Brewing, Marble, Bosque, Second Street, Duel, and Tractor package their products and they are available on-site or in stores (except Second Street). Canteen does crowler fills. All others do growler fills.



New Mexico's Must-Hit Breweries:

Bosque Brewing (Albuquerque, NM)- Their head brewer John Bullard has racked up IPA medals in state and nationally. They are releasing bottles on what appears to be a monthly basis and in general are just killing the game. Bosque has two Albuquerque locations (San Mateo & Nob Hill) as well as a taproom in Las Cruces (for all y'all that are driving I-10). In my eyes, these guys can do no wrong right now (okay, Scale Tipper bombers are still too expensive, haha). Plus, Bullard is one of the most approachable, cool brewers in the country (no disrespect to any other local or national brewers).

La Cumbre Brewing (Albuquerque, NM)- Chances are this brewery is why you even know New Mexico is a state. I won't bother to list the accomplishments and I don't need to tell you you should visit here if in Albuquerque.

Marble Brewery (Albuquerque, NM)- They've been doing lots of expansion and I've personally neglected their taprooms and beers, but these guys are still titans here in New Mexico and a must-visit. They have a West Side taproom, downtown location, and will eventually be opening a taproom with a pilot system on the East Side of Albuquerque.


Worthwhile-Visit Breweries:

Second Street Brewery (Santa Fe, NM)- Pretty damn close to a must-hit as far as I'm concerned. Great food, first of all (get the Alien Burger). They also make some consistently good beers that suffer from being styles that the BA crowd doesn't fawn over (bitters are their bread and butter and they make German-style brews too). The Railyard location in Santa Fe is a must-stop for me. They have two Santa Fe locations.

Canteen Brewhouse (Albuquerque, NM)- These guys were once a must-hit for me and many others, but their long-time head brewer set off to open his own brewery and that seemed to disrupt some of the creativity and highly-desired beers the place was once known for. The quality of their beers, arguably, has remained true. However, Canteen just took on a new brewer with a proven track record (and some notable beers) at Chama River, so I'm convinced this ship will right itself. Oh, and the food here (sandwiches and soups and munchies) is always on point.

Santa Fe Brewing (Santa Fe, NM)- Again, these dudes were once a must-hit for me. A big factor in that is their veteran and pioneer status in the state. I think they still make some great beers, but I think they leave a lot of New Mexicans expecting more in that they have stuck religiously to their core lineup and have been eclipsed by various newcomers. They have a taproom in Albuquerque now and it is worth a visit for the cool setup (reused boxcars) and excellent food options in the same structure.

Nexus Brewery (Albuquerque, NM)- Great soul and New Mexican food. The beer runs the gamut from good-but-unremarkable to good. Word is they'll soon have a new location on Albuquerque's West Side.

Chama River Brewing (Albuquerque, NM)- A long-time presence in Albuquerque. They don't have the elite reputation or command weekly visits, but they do have a strong core lineup and do experiment enough to keep folks interested. Their location has an extreme chain feel and this can be a deterrent to visiting and as can be the pricey food.

Blue Corn Brewery (Santa Fe, NM)- If you're in Santa Fe, these guys are worth a visit. They have full restaurants at both of their locations (downtown near the plaza and on Santa Fe's south side) serving decent pub food and the beers are consistent and diverse enough to pique occasional interest. From time to time, they will knock it out of the park with a certain beer.

Tractor Brewing Company (Albuquerque, NM)- Some might consider this a generous inclusion. I think they do some solid beers and they've indisputably improved with the opening of their Wells Park location. The brewery itself is one the most pleasant to drink at and they manage to always have some event or another going. These guys have two locations, Wells Park and Nob Hill (which I personally would avoid like the plague).

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company (Rio Rancho)- They are way out in Albuquerque suburbia, so I can't speak much to the beers. However, their brewer is a Chama River Brewing alum and his beers tend to get good response on Untappd (and he's a good dude).


All of the Rest:

Well, first off Duel Brewing gets a big downgrade. I had high hopes for these guys and do think highly of Goya Imperial Stout (I consider it a must-try), but otherwise, I can't say much positive about them (I haven't even heard great things about their new taproom in Albuquerque).

Kaktus Brewing started in Bernalillo and has taproom in Albuquerque across from Bosque's Nob Hill taproom and the University of New Mexico.

Also, I will say that Albuquerque is now home to The Firkin Brewhouse, Starr Brothers Brewery, Side Track Brewing, Rio Bravo Brewing (they blocked me on Twitter, haha), Bow & Arrow Brewing (I hear the brewers include a Siebel Institute grad, so that's good) and will soon have Quarter Celtic Brewing (the old Canteen brewer who knows his stuff). Visitors to Albuquerque will have to let me know how these places are because I have not been yet.

If you're in Taos, you have Taos Ale House, Taos Mesa Brewing (definitely a cool venue and they get some great live shows) and Eske's Brewpub. On the way to Taos (from Santa Fe/Albuquerque), you can stop in Española or Embudo at Blue Heron Brewing.

Farmington has Three Rivers Brewing. If for some strange reason you're in Las Cruces and don't want to drink at Bosque's taproom, you can visit High Desert Brewing.

There are other breweries I may have failed to mention, but for that, there's this beer map.


Best Liquor Stores:

Jubilation (Albuquerque, NM)- Head and shoulders above the comp. They collab with Bosque, for chrissakes. They will have all the beers you want, from New Mexico or otherwise.

Susan's (Santa Fe, NM)- Apparently they have new ownership or some other shenanigans and that's made for some really odd posts on their Facebook page, but this is still the spot to go in Santa Fe.

The Whole Foods on Cerrillos in Santa Fe and the Carlisle and I-40 location in Albuquerque are also excellent spots to buy beer. There are two Total Wines in Albuquerque if you really must. Trader Joe's in Albuquerque and Santa Fe have good local selections (Marble, La Cumbre and Santa Fe brewing), though they don't refrigerate.

Celebration in Las Cruces is the spot(s) to go down there. There's one place in Farmington that will have La Cumbre but I forget the name.


Best Beer Bars and Gastropubs:

Nob Hill Bar and Grill (Albuquerque, NM)- Great selection here that includes some locals and lots of good out-of-state stuff. Probably appeals more to locals looking for one-offs or draft stuff from elsewhere. Grub is okay but way too pricey for my blood (and Albuquerque in general).

Violet Crown Cinema (Santa Fe, NM)- Great selection of beers that includes local and national. Plus you get to watch a movie. Grub ain't bad. Right next to Second Street's Railyard location too.

Draft Station (Santa Fe, NM)- All New Mexico beers and usually has Chama River and Blue Corn beers on heavily, as the owner for all three is the same. They are right next to a good pizza spot that will deliver to the bar and it overlooks Santa Fe's plaza (used to be a Marble taproom).

New Mexico Hard Cider (Santa Fe, NM)- Just visited for the first time recently and was impressed. Great beer selection of New Mexico beers in addition to their house ciders. Wines too. Bang Bite food truck posts up outside (great burgers) and it's right next to O'Hori's Coffee (excellent brewed coffee and roasted beans).

Fire & Hops (Santa Fe, NM)- Surprisingly good tap and bottle list and good food. Close to the plaza (kinda).

Anodyne (Albuquerque, NM)- Hipster flow on 100. Solid taplist and great bottle selection. Occasionally they'll get a really cool keg of something (Baladin Baciami Lipsia!) and they'll serve it to you, no matter what the beer, in a 16 ounce shaker for a pretty cheap price. Pool tables and hipster music, also.

Sister (Albuquerque, NM)- Right below Anodyne. Solid beer list, though similarly dispassionate about the beer. Good music venue and a good spot to see young folk.

Whole Foods Piñon Pub (Santa Fe, NM)- Really awesome lineup of beers inside this Whole Foods on Cerrillos in Santa Fe.

I had previously mentioned O'Niell's (Albuquerque) and Cowgirl Hall of Fame (Santa Fe), but feel things have improved enough that I think visitors can skip both for better options.

 

Regarding Bosque, most of their flagship beers predated John Bullard. Before his arrival, the verdict was very much still out on Bosque and he has completely launched the brewery to greatness. BUT, I agree with you, the brewery's appeal is in the one-offs and seasonals and not necessarily the core lineup. For me, this is fine as I generally gravitate to the one-offs and seasonals no matter the brewery, city or state. Elevated IPA is the ONLY beer I drink with relative frequency.

Anyway, as I said, Bosque's core lineup predated Bullard and it is highly possible that he simply hasn't tweaked them much. Either way, I agree with you that I would like some of the stellar one-offs or occasional beers to be worked into their core lineup. Just yesterday, I asked them if Simcoe Pils would return or ever become a regular and a staffer said he doubted it. Unfortunate to be honest, but perhaps the inclusion of Simcoe hops makes brewing it regularly to costly.

 

Oh and you absolutely need to try Bosque's Southwest Session. I would venture to say it's the best IPA in the state right now. I have to take advantage and fill as many growlers as possible before it too, sadly, disappears for good.

Oh and yes, I was remiss to mention Boese. I have not visited their yet either though. Clear glass growlers is bizarre and disappointing.

As far as Nexus, the food is more of the draw for me than the beer but I still think they do some decent beers. The brewer is a La Cumbre alum for what it's worth and is, to my knowledge, the only female head brewer in the state.

 

Something I think would be fun to add to this guide and I'll get it started:

New Mexico Beers You Must Try While Here (February 2016):

These are one-offs and seasonals (of which Dank and Elevated are neither, so I won't mention them here).

Bosque's Simcoe Pils
Bosque's Southwest Session
Bosque's Scale Tipper
Marble's Brett IPA
Second Street 4 Hour Lunch
La Cumbre Grange's Session

 

Shame on me for not including Boxing Bear. I almost feel like I should restart a thread and include that and Boese as well as the other information you and @denver10 covered. Or we can leave it as is. I'll defer to you all.

@Oktoberfiesta you're walking/biking part is on point. I will add this bike ride I've done many, many times:

Start at Marble Brewery. Bike to the diversion channel on Indian School (you can always take Broadway all the way to Candelaria too, but more exposure to traffic) and head north until Candelaria to cover your Brewery District. Get back on the Diversion Channel to Nexus. After Nexus, back on Diversion and bike to Balloon Fiesta Park, cut through it via the bike path and hit Bosque San Mateo. After Bosque, back through the Balloon Fiesta Park and catch the Alameda path westward. Take it to Boxing Bear. After Boxing Bear get on the Bosque Trail south and take it to Mountain. Head east on Mountain and stop in at Ponderosa or continue on to Marble.

Which reminds me, I ommitted Ponderosa too. I think they're worthwhile, especially for a dad, since they have the children's play area. I really need to reboot this thread. Hope you both don't mind. I'll add all you guys mentioned and my above comments and give proper credit. Cool?