Bring out your pint glasses, dust off your beer goggles and tap into your inner Bostonian.
Fourteen microbreweries, including nine locally owned ones, will offer beer directly from their tap room during the inaugural New Mexico Brew Fest taking place Saturday at Expo New Mexico.
“It’s our Octoberfest,” said Aaron Moore, Marble Brewing sales manager.
The event is presented by Local IQ Magazine and sponsored by Marble Brewing Company and the Santa Few Brewing Company. Gates open at noon, and tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate.
Marble will offer five of its classic beers including the IPA, Red and Amber Ale. The site also has two specialty beers, the Imperial Stout and the Bourbon Barrel Ale, available on tap at Expo New Mexico.
“The Bourbon Barrel Ale is a strong ale, distilled in a bourbon barrel,” Moore said. “What that does is it brings out variations of the oak barrel. You can taste toasted vanilla. It makes the flavor come out and the alcohol goes up.”
Other breweries expected to showcase their beer include Sierra Blanca/Rio Grande (Moriarty), Tractor (Los Lunas), Chama River Brewing (Albuquerque), Blue Corn (Santa Fe) and others.
“Micro brews started off with Chama River, and it’s grown in many towns. Albuquerque is putting itself on the map as a city of brewing,” Moore said. “Come next calendar year, you will see more breweries in Albuquerque.”
Rich Weber, Sierra Blanca/ Rio Grande Brewing Company owner, said the Brewfest is a great event that allows local brewers to meet and sample each other’s beer. Since the event takes place during the Balloon Fiesta, he said out-of-state visitors will get a special opportunity to try some local flavor.
“The micro crowd lives to try new stuff. The event is a great time to taste New Mexico-produced products,” he said.
The Moriarty brewery will sample nine beers, including its famous Alien Amber Ale and its new spin-off, the Alien Wheat.
“It’s an American style wheat beer. We use bitter orange flavor, coriander, a lot of wheat. It’s 45 percent wheat. It’s a very smooth, light, drinkable beer,” Weber said.
Hargis has been the brew master at Tractor, located in Los Lunas, for two months. He said drinkers have a distinguished palate when it comes to beer.
“New Mexicans are really experiencing their tastes to what they like,” he said. “I’d credit it to the success of the microbrewers.”
Justin Hamilton at Chama River said the state’s breweries have high standards.
“The Brewfest is a great opportunity for a lot of people to taste great beer and for brewers to get feedback,” Hamilton said. “You will have a lot of people coming out of state and it helps people realize that there are great beers in New Mexico.”
*2010 New Mexico Brew Fest & Music Showcase
Saturday
Noon-7 p.m.
Villa Hispana at Expo New Mexico
300 San Pedro Drive N.E.
$25 advance, $30 day of event
*
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