As is our custom, we’ve sought out the movers and shakers in the local craft beer scene during our stay. Fortunately, Albuquerque has a vibrant and interesting range of breweries in the city and surrounding area. We haven’t gone thirsty.
We recommend hitting the local tap rooms for a flight or to fill up a growler; or gathering a selection of cans from a local bottle shop. We thought the single can choices at Jubilation Wine and Spirits were quite good, though found the build-your-own six pack option at Whole Foods met our needs, too. Bombers aren’t as popular in New Mexico, though you can find a few.
Bow & Arrow Brewing
Our favorite beers, hands down, were from Bow & Arrow Brewing. The brewery is owned by a Native American couple, and many of their titles give a cheeky nod to their heritage without resorting to kitsch. There are solid offerings like the Denim Tux Lager made with blue corn, or the Churro Bandito Imperial Stout, but Bow & Arrow really shines with its unique, barrel-aged sours. We couldn’t get enough of the funky Cosmic Arrow Saison or the fruity Bolos & Bling that featured a mix of oak barrel-aged goodness and a kick of dry-hopped Mosaic. The beers are exciting, check them out.
Marble Brewing
The brews from Marble weren’t quite as daring as Bow & Arrow, though still worth picking up. One of our favorites was Ringleader, a fizzy 10 year anniversary bomber of Double White finished with Brettanomyces that gave it a champagne-like pour. More typical was the less fizzy Double White or Desert Fog, a fruity IPA with a bitter finish. Solid brewery with strong range of mid-tier beers.
Tractor Brewing
We went to both of Tractor Brewing‘s tap rooms in Albuquerque and generally enjoyed the pours from the brewery a little more than the cans. Can’t really say why, other than the fresh pours seem better. Try the solid Farmer’s Tan — a malty red ale with a nice, bitter finish; or pick up Almanac IPA — the grapefruit cuts through green chilies with flourish. We didn’t find Chocolate Milk Stout in cans, but think it would pair well with most of the local cuisine. Borrow a growler to take home the goods.
Ponderosa Brewing
We stayed near Ponderosa Brewing, so popped over a few times for a small pour and a large green chili burger. The strong, German-styled beers were generally quite good, so we sprung for a bomber of Sour Belgian Brown to take home one night. Combining the best of sour and malt, it was $4 and probably the best beer value we had in Albuquerque. It’s rare when you can make both Jan and I equally happy with a beer, but success! The one brew from Ponderosa we found in stores was the Blood Orange Double Wit and it was the one we liked the least. Again, a better place to visit in person.
Cheers to the Rest
We found several beers from Santa Fe Brewing that we enjoyed including their vibrant 7K IPA and smooth Nuevo Blonde. You can find cans and six packs all over town, so it’s almost irresponsible not to pick up a few titles to try. There’s an Albuquerque tap room in a quirky complex made of shipping containers, but we regret we didn’t stop in while we went through Santa Fe.
Abbey Brewing features hot, glowering monks on their bottles of ale. We enjoyed the single, dubble, and triple Belgians.
We only tried one beer from Sierra Blanca Brewing Company but thoroughly enjoyed the De La Vega’s Pecan Beer. It’s the closest I’ve come to drinking pecan pie, even though it wasn’t sweet at all. I don’t know how they managed to cram so much desert into the nose of the beer, but kudos.
High and Dry is a balloon-themed brewery just north of the Nob Hill neighborhood that seems more like a local hang-out than a serious attempt at a brewery. Food trucks, shuffle board, and swarms of parents and kids round describe the vibe. Add them to your list to round out your Albuquerque experience.
Finally, Steel Bender Brewyard had a few interesting beers like Cinderella Story, a dry hopped Saison, and a lemony, doughy kolsch called Lloyd’s 3 O’Clock. And La Cumbre Brewing with their cheeky “elevate this end” printed upside down on cans, wins for their A Slice of Hefen wheat ale and excellent lager simply named, Beer.
It took us nearly two months to scratch the surface, so if you make it to Albuquerque, plan to spend some time delving into the craft beer scene. You won’t be disappointed.