ABQ Beer Week 2019 BEGINS

I say it year in and year out, which may be why I stopped listening to myself years ago. But this year may be the best lineup for ABQ Beer Week events since at least last year, and possibly ever. If this year's Beer Week doesn't have something to make you happy, you may not like beer.

The week kicks off with a number of chances to drink beer for free. Samples, of course, but who's stopping you from having more than one, at more than one location? Albertson's Market hosts a Sierra Blanca beer and cheese event at the 6200 Coors location from 3-5. The 2910 Juan Tabo location hosts a similar event but with Isotopes beer, also from 3-5. Stone Face Liquor (where I found two lone bottles of Cantillion few years ago) will host a Firestone Walker tasting from 4-6. Jubilation welcomes Bell's Brewery for a tasting from 4-6. That's a day's worth of drinking you can get in at no charge.

Straight from the ABQ Beer Week Website, since I can't state the facts any better: "Bubba’s 33 will be hosting an ABQ Beer Week kickoff event with Alaskan Brewing from 4-7pm on Thursday May 23rd! Giveaways include swag from Alaskan Brewing Co, and a VIP Blues & Brews package with 2 VIP tickets, a one night stay at Residence Inn, dinner at Bubba’s and a roundtrip ride from zTrip to the festival!" Bubba's is quickly becoming a place where the craft beer lovers flock, so this should be a good event. And the Alaskan beer cooler looks sweet.

Tractor and Rowley Farmhouse Ales team up for a Sour Hour at the Tractor Wells Park location beginning at 5. Come sample some of Rowley's award-winning sours. Tractor sours will be available as well. Musical performance by Alex McMahon. Alex is quite the beer connoisseur so hopefully he will be ok to perform after trying all those beers.

Beer, Cheese, and More, one of Beer Week's original events, returns to Marble Heights at 5. $25 gets you five carefully selected cheeses paired with 5 Marble beers. As the name promises, the $25 also gets you More.

Pay money to run! $5, or only $1 per K, gets you into the Laid-Back Lager Jogger 5K run put on by Canteen and Heart and Sole Sports. I'll pay you $10 to run in my place. Meet at Canteen to register at 5 and start running at 6. Finish in time for last call.

A Drinking Songs Themed Karaoke?? It's all capitalized, so it must be a real event. Red Door hosts this unique event from 7-11. Will they have "Beer" by Murphy's Law or "More Beer" by Fear available to sing? I bet not. But you should listen to those songs. And break stuff.

Learn how beer is made with the head brewer at Casa Vieja Brewery. For $20 you can hear how it is brewing on one of the nano-ist of Albuquerque's nano breweries, located in a very Corrales-like setting.