Home New Mexico Albuquerque, NM: Craft Breweries Guide

Albuquerque, NM: Craft Breweries Guide

New Mexico had never struck me as a state friendly to microbreweries; I had always thought of states like California, Oregon, and Colorado as the meccas for craft beer.

The New Mexico Brewers Guild already boasts some 36 member breweries across the state, and I've found several others that are not members.

And being an aficionado of microbrewed ales and lagers, it was difficult for me to not visit the local breweries for tastings of their recent batches. Albuquerque, being the state's largest city, naturally boasted the most choices. There are some really good one in town, and some not all that exciting. But it's like anything else you might be fascinated with; you have to try it just in case it might be awesome.

I found that many of the breweries are still trying to find their niche. The craft beer industry in the Land of Enchantment is still a young industry. They all produce the basic staples of Pale Ale, IPA, Red Ale, Hefeweizen, Porter, and Stout. But not many go into the extreme where they brew over-the-top ales, like Barley Wines, Imperial Stouts, Belgian Style Triples, or Double IPAs.

For those of you who love to ride to motorcycles and drink really good beer, I've put together a list of craft breweries I visited in Albuquerque, and what I thought of them. Even if beer is not a big deal for you, some of these places serve awesome food too...

Marble Brewery - My pick as the best brewery in Albuquerque. Their Anniversary Ale is more like a Double IPA, with a rich floral and fruity aroma, a sweet malty overload, a clean bitter hop flavor, and a strong alcohol kick. I found their Belgian Style Double to rival many of the same variety back in San Diego where craft brewing is pretty much king. The pub fare is a nice collection of old staples, but done up New Mexico style, with helpings of green chiles. There's also a food truck that parks outside and whips up Mexican fare.

Tractor Brewing - My second favorite brewery. The Barn Storm Ale, which is an American Strong Ale, is downright awesome. It's almost like drinking a Barley Wine, but lighter on the malt and alcohol. The Goat Head Hador is also wild. It's a Doppel bock with a sweet dark roasted malt and a high ABV. It's said they serve up some mean chow too, but I didn't have any.

Chama River Brewing - My third favorite. I particularly enjoyed their microbar in downtown on 2nd Ave and Central. Their Pale Ale is very good on a hot day, lighter drinking, lower hop, and goes down really fast. They have another location further north that serves up some really good food and dessert.

Il Vicino Brewing - My fourth favorite, not so much for the beer but for the food. Their location in Nob Hill is a pizzeria that bakes some really eclectic pies. Beerwise, I had their E Steam Beer, which if you're familiar with Anchor Steam, is very much the same, but theirs is more hoppy. I also had their Pilsner, which I found good, but nothing to write home about. Il Vicino also has locations in Colorado and Kansas.

Kelly's Brew Pub - My fifth favorite. Their Brewnette was actually pretty good, a brown ale with a nice sweet body and light hop. I didn't get a chance to sample any other beers, but they offered a large menu of craft beer varieties. They also have good food here, I had their beef nachos, and was impressed with the size of the meal, with real melted cheese all the way through to the bottom. Kelly's will actually let you home brew your own beer using their facility.

Nexus Brewery - My last favorite. I wasn't all that impressed with their beer. I had the Red Ale and the Irish Red Ale, both of which I felt was rather ordinary. The Red Ale was lighter on the malt, and stronger on the hop, while the Irish Red Ale was about the same, but a little less hop. The food was probably the better deal at Nexus. Sash had a burger, and said it was good. But that's about it.

505 Collaboration Ale - This beer is a collaborative effort between Chama River, Nexus, Il Vicino, Marble, and La Cumbre Brewing companies. It's listed as an American style Strong Ale, and it tastes strangely similar to a Stone Arrogant Bastard.

If you're serious about making a motorcycle ride out to Albuquerque to chug down some craft brews, pick up a Beer Guide from the New Mexico Craft Brewers Guild: http://www.nmbeer.org