Where to Drink at MDW

On a layover in Chicago and deciding you need a drink at 9:30 in the morning? Sometimes I feel the same way. Must have something to do with flying Southwest, where I paid the $25 for early-bird and still ended up in the B group. Another problem with Southwest is the rinky dink airports you're stuck flying into to get somewhere else: Houston Hobby, Dallas Love Field, Chicago Midway. Yes, there is the advantage of not having to take a train to another terminal, but the dining options tend to be limited in both cuisine and hours of operation (looking at you, Hobby, with Wendy's the one place open at 8:30 at night). And at Midway, with the ONLY coffee shops being the world's busiest Dunkin' Donuts at the end of Terminal B and Big Shoulders Coffee at the end of Terminal C, you may have to consume an alcoholic beverage whether you meant to or not. So where are you gonna go?

Reilly's Daughter is one choice; rather, three choices, as there is one in the mini food court location in Terminal A and a two-part location in the main food court area that is separated by a seating area (pro tip- it's supposed to be seating for Reilly's but people sit there with food from other places all the time, so keep that in mind when seating elsewhere is scarce. That main food court has lost the good Greek food place and the Vienna Beef Chicago food place, and the place that sold CDs is gone from the airport as well, which I can't say is a surprise. But back to Reilly's Daughter: The Terminal A location has ten beers on tap, some of which you might even drink. Beers include Bud Light, Goose Island Green Line, Modelo, Hazy Little Thing, Coors Light, Blue Moon, Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin', and Sam Adams Summer Ale. There's not much ambience here, but most airport bars are rather soulless places.

The Reilly's Daughter in the Main Food court looks more the part of an Irish Pub. I could see myself forgetting that I was drinking in an airport.Fewer taps than in Terminal A, but they've got Stone IPA like all proper Irish Pubs. And much like a true Irish pub, you're bound to be stuck next to someone telling a story you don't care to hear. Interesting food options, like the $12.39 brussels sprouts with honeyed raisins and an "Irish quesadilla", which must mean it contains ginger.

Located at the beginning of Terminal B in the former Portillo's location, Gene's Bistro is a sleek, well-lit option with lots of TVs and a varied food menu. I don't care for a bar that bright, but at least it might keep you from falling asleep and missing your flight.

Windy City Taproom looks like an inviting bar you might find in any airport in the country. What I found ironic about this place is that this "taproom" has few tap options. Plenty of macro cans to choose from and not overly lit, unlike some of the patrons.

Situated in the middle of the councourse in Terminal A like an Albuquerque ART bus stop, Harry's is the highlight of the MDW beer drinking experience, especially for the draft selection. Bright, cramped, and busy, Harry's is still worth the visit for the true craft lover as well as for sports fans, as there is a huge display of Chicago sports memorabilia that is worth checking out. This is also the only airport bar to offer Chicago area beers that aren't made by Goose Island. Twelve draft beers include the usual found at the other spots, as well as Revolution Anti Hero IPA, Maplewood Son of a Juice hazy IPA, and Three Floyds Gumballhead.

Expect to pay $9 to $11 for most draft offerings. And please, act appropriately once on the plane so they don't take away our drinking privileges again. I miss the days when a water bottle full of gin and tonic was considered a carry on.

Hazy Kings Keep Em Coming

The boys over at Gravity Bound aren't satisfied with being the champions of the NM IPA Challenge. Or maybe they are. It's a pretty big deal, being the first brewery to win in the storied history of the event, after all. But being the champs hasn't stopped them from cranking out quality hazies, though perhaps fans of the brewery wish they'd turn the crank a little faster. Jacinda, Gravity Bound's latest IPA, features a 100% lineup from a country I would love to visit, but have neither the money nor the patience of a 20 hour plane ride for: New Zealand. Pacific Sunrise, Nelson, Riwaka, and Motueka grace the hop bill for this 7% beer that, in typical Gravity Bound fashion, drinks with the mouthfeel of a DIPA. Not sure how they hit that mallowy smoothness in their hazies, and I don't wanna. Let the magicians have their secrets.

NM Brew Fest: Reasons to Go

The NM Brew Fest returns to Albuquerque after a two year hiatus, bringing back the beer, music, and food that made it such a memorable event. Remember?

On the fence about going? Why? Gotta make a Costco run instead? Those aren't the memories you'll be cherishing as the years go on. Drink wisely, and you may even be able to remember the fest. Here's a few reasons to attend the NM Brew Fest: 1. The location. Villa Hispana at Expo New Mexico is a perfect location for an outdoor beer festival, with plenty of man-made shade as well as some big ol' trees you can relax under. The hard part is getting back up. 2. The beers, of course. With 20+ companies pouring, there's going to be festival stalwarts like Marble and Tractor and Palmer, but also newbies like Old Town by way of Ruidoso's Downshift, as well as your chance to try Jun, the alcoholic tea and honey-based drink from Leaf and Hive Brew Lab. 3. The time. With the festival going from 1-6, you have five hours to taste, nap under the trees, and taste again. It's like two fests in one day. And that's for the $30 general admission ticket. Go VIP for $45 and get in at 12. 4. The other stuff. If you need music, food, and games to get you to go enjoy great beer, then this checks all the boxes, big time, with musical performances from The Big Spank and Red Light Cameras. Tickets are available here

You'd Be In Much Worse Shape At Wine Festival

A welcome return to the beer festival scene, ABQ Blues and Brews makes its return to Sandia Casino on Sunday, May 29th. The festival that started in a parking lot (as many of us likely did) and grew up to fancier digs is likely the most ambitious beer festival we have in NM with the mix of breweries, bands, and vendors. And it's indoors, with air conditioning. Though the writing of this post is quite last minute, tickets are still available, and reasonable, in this cheap person's opinion. Abqbluesandbrews.com/tickets has the breakdown. General Admission is 3-6, with tickets $35 ($40 at the door day of fest), but you can opt for the $55 ($60 day of) ticket that goes from 1:30-6 for that important extra hour and a half of sampling. "Anyone with half a brain" tip: Uber or Lyft to the event, if you can find one. Somehow, Albuquerque has become a the hardest place to catch a ride. It was easier to get one in Amarillo recently. I even got so tired of staring at "searchng for a driver" on my phone while downtown in ABQ the other night that I asked a complete stranger to take me home. And they did. For five bucks. I saved $4.66 off retail rideshare price and lived to write about it. Stupid, yes, but it felt like a safer prospect than being out on the street when the bars on Central all let out. But back to Blues and Brews- yes, get a ride, because you're looking at unlimited 2 oz. samples. You won't find that at any other festival that isn't held at a casino in NM. And two ounces may not seem like a lot unless you've ever been to the Great American Beer Festival, am I right?? One ounce samples, yet it's the rare person who walks out of there sober. Something about the smaller pours pushes all the alcohol into those little sips, I'm pretty sure. It's science. And with dozens of purveyors from both local and national brands, you'll get all the samples you can handle, and hopefully no more than that. Those casino bathrooms are nice, but not when you're laying on the floor with your head hanging over the toilet. Know your limits. There will be the long-timers such as Alaskan, Bell's, Stone, Avery, Founders, Rogue, and Firestone Walker. Intrigued to see what they will bring. Going out on a limb, I'm gonna guess Left Hand will be pouring Milk Stout and Stone will bring some variation of an IPA. Locals that I've admittedly had little of will be there as well, including ReSource, Brew Lab, Enchanted Circle, and Rumor Brewing. And yeah, I'm gonna visit the Hoplark table. 0.0% Double Dry Hopped Citra water? I'm curious at least, aren't you? All of this plus eight different bands performing throught the fest should make for a day to remember, though you possibly won't. Finally, did you know Blues and Brews will be making donations to 12 charities, including locals like All Faiths and nationals like the American Cancer Society and Make a Wish Foundation? That's worth the ticket cost right there. Drinking for a cause is better than just because, though just because tastes pretty good too.

Stay and Drink at Home Extended

Want a stranger rubbing you down for an hour? Come to a New Mexico massage parlor. Want to breathe heavy around other people breathing heavy in a closed environment? Come work out in New Mexico. Want to drink at a brewery in New Mexico? Whoa, you have a fricking death wish or something??? This is not an opinion piece, but like our governor, I try to use science as a guide. Can you explain to me how either of the two scenarios I listed are safer than drinking a beer at a brewery (besides the alcohol not being great for you part, lets not think about that ever)? Doesn't the gov know we have a Beer Week going on right now?

Luckily, there are things planned to get us through even if we have to do it at home. And now you can get your beer delivered curbside, nearly a month after peak infection numbers in the state. Hey, sometimes it takes a few days to read everything in the capitol suggestion box. And if you really want to see other people drinking around you and talk about beer, take part in the NM Brewers Guild NET SESH FEST II on Friday, May 29th from 5-7ish. Don't know why they have to yell the title at us. The fest hosts a number of local brewery people who will cover a variety of subjects, give presentations, tours, give some dirt on the breweries they don't like* (*they won't). It all happens from the comfort in front of your computer screen. The Guild asks that you show up with beer that is from a NM craft brewery if you're going to be drinking. Durango beer doesn't count. Show up with something from Utah and your info is sold on the dark web. Presenters are as follows:
Nate Jackson (Marble Brewery)
Bert Boyce (Santa Fe Brewing)
Zach Guilmette (Canteen Brewhouse)
Dana Serio (Red Door Brewing)
Ted O' Hanlon (Bow and Arrow Brewing)
Bill Arnold (575 Brewing)
Rob Palmer (Palmer Brewery)
John Rowley (Rowley Farmhouse Ales)
Tickets are available here

Your Saturday Beer Week Options

How's your Virtual Beer Week treating you? Ex Novo has to be pretty happy with it so far, as their Dress Code cherry pie kettle sour was a quick sellout. Hopefully their All Together take on Other Half's open recipe lasts longer.

In other Corrales Beer Week news, Casa Vieja Brewery is hosting a digital guided tasting from 1:30 to 3 today, the catch being you have to get out there and get a four-pack from the brewery in order to participate. Head Brewer Gary Socha will lead the tasting.

This sounds fun: Tractor Nob Hill is hosting a mystery beer contest from 2-6. Participants purchase an unlabeled four-pack of beer and are given the ABV and IBUs of the beer as the only clues. Participants are then given one hour to pound the beers and try to navigate their way out of the taproom. No? That's not how this works? My bad. It seems that participants have until Monday to try to figure out the style of the beer and then write a description of it. The winner gets to name the beer and also wins a Tractor prize pack. Great way to get people involved. Beer Week in dire times may leave fewer options than TV channels in the days before cable, but there are some very creative events.

The Show Must Go On, Sort Of

In a decision that we figured was coming but weren't prepared to face, GABF has been cancelled for 2020. The Brewers Association is planning an "immersive online experience" for October 14-16, but come on. What can compare with that Thursday evening excitement when they unleash the thousands of people on the Colorado Convention Center with the bagpipers playing and 4,000 samples awaiting you? GABF had been scheduled for Sept. 24-26 (and everybody knows that September GABF is better because the weather is better) but the Colorado Convention Center is one of the alternate care sites slated for Covid 19 overrun. The BA's plan for a tweaked version of GABF is still in planning, but will feature "Beer tastings, conversations with brewers, local brewery activations, and at-home food and beer pairing deliveries" according to the BA's press release. I'm most interested to find out just what the hell a local brewery activation is. And for the beer tastings, will I be allowed to pour more than a one ounce sample?

In more jovial news, ABQ Beer Week, the city's longest running celebration of all things beer, returns largely in spirit this week. We could call this To Go Beer, Week 8: A Continued Celebration of Drinking in Solitude, but at least we've got something going on. Beer Week this year consists mostly of special releases around town, including a few today:
Marble releases Marble Porter today, a style that is often requested but rarely made by Marble. Ask, and Beer Week giveth.
Road trip? Red River releases Desperado Mexican Lager today. Red River: come see our street.
High and Dry is listed to be releasing Bruised Knees IPA and Helles in a Handbasket but these beers have been on for a few days now.
Finally (finally?), Kilt Check is releasing Lockdown Lager today.
Events will run through June 3rd.

Road to GABF

I know the annual story on my GABF experience is up there on the reading list with Michelle Obama's "Becoming", or at least Ellen DeGeneres' "Home". What's that? She's no longer welcome in our home? Ok, whatever you say. Let's just get on the road to GABF 2019.

What do you know about Colorado Springs? I know there's a good liquor store and a lot of chain restaurants. I know it's home to the Air Force Academy. I know it's home to some of those mega churches that have their own TV shows. Interesting sounding city that I had never spent much time in. What's Chipotle like in another city? Let's find out.

I did the usual drive up I-25 towards Denver, usual in the way that I was questioning my decision to drive about the time I passed the St. Michael's Drive exit in Santa Fe. But one of the great things about GABF is the chance to get cans (and bottles, I guess?) of beers not normally distributed to CO. With this in mind, I made my first stop in search of these goodies at Big Bear Liquor in Pueblo. And it turned out to be a bust. I made this place a must stop because I had been impressed with the selection on a previous GABF trip but it didn't seem like the special distribution made it to Pueblo. I did happen to pick up some Augustiner Edelstoff that ended up tasting like soda. I suspect it was very old, though I haven't been able to find any help deciphering the bottling date. Thanks, internet.

By the time you make it through Pueblo, it feels like a pretty quick drive to Colorado Springs. Congested, maybe, but not the worst drive. I had a room booked at the Hilton Garden Inn downtown because I wanted to be where all the action is. Of course, we all know that downtown in some cities is the last place to find anything good going on. Imagine your first time in Albuquerque and walking from the Doubletree down to Central at 11 pm on a Monday night. You might look around and think, "What the fuck is wrong with this place???" Your only entertainment could be the guy playing guitar outside Anodyne and the strung out people watching him. But anyway, I was willing to take my chances. And the hotel was less than a month old, so it was pretty sweet except for those damn harsh LED lights that are going in everywhere. I want warm light.

As always, I paid a visit to Coaltrain Liquors. A very boutique-y liquor store, it never lets me down until I get the final bill. But such is the price you pay for a good selection that isn't totally picked over, which is something you may have to deal with once in Denver along with thousands of other people doing the same thing. I picked up some Toppling Goliath King Sue and Intergalactic Warrior, Old Nation Boss Tweed, and a few other hotel beers. Spent less than normal, so I had money left over to hit the Colorado Springs nightlife.

One reason I chose the hotel I did was because it is only 0.3 mi from Brewer's Republic, a reputable beer bar downtown. Did you know Colorado Springs is over 6,000 feet above sea level? It certainly felt like it, because I was already freezing on the short walk over there. Kind of a sparsely decorated place but with a decent tap list of about 15 beers, including BA Rusty Nail from Fremont and Bubblestar Princess from Odd 13. Oh, and Blind Pig from Russian River. Funny how that's almost an afterthought when like 45 states can't even get that beer. Brewer's Republic also had a good food menu, from which I ordered a salad. That's about all I have on this place, get a beer and a very good salad. Riveting.

The excitement is just beginning. Next, I walked all around downtown looking for the next hot thing. I passed a Chipotle that I stole a bottle of Tabasco sauce from in 2008 because they didn't warn me that guacamole was an upcharge. I turned my head as I walked by just in case. One bar looked like it was packed but Geeks Who Drink was going on so I steered clear of that, thanks. I ended up finding a cool arcade bar called Supernova. They had Punch Out, Street Fighter 2, Tron, Defender; about 20 in all plus pinball machines. Kind of like Sister but with more games and without plastic cups covering half the empty taps before a Thursday beer delivery. I spent the night there until my quarters ran out and headed back to the hotel for a forgetful night's sleep.

Duke City, Meet Cigar City

Welcome the newest player in the IPA shelf game in New Mexico: Cigar City Jai Alai. Probably the biggest drop to hit since Dogfish head. Cigar City is brought to us here in NM thanks to being part of the CANarchy group that includes Perrin, Squatters, Wasatch, Oskar Blues, Three Weavers, and Deep Ellum. Cigar City was one of those almost mystical names we'd bring up when discussing great beer some years back. The question I asked back when DFH hit here I'll ask again: Is it too late? While the Jai Alai is more citrus-forward and thus more "modern" than DFH 60 Minute, it doesn't stand up to the better west coast style IPAs brewed locally, or so I'll believe until I do a blind tasting, which I will. In a week or so. Check back. Reputation is a good way to get people to try your beer once, but will people keep coming back? The price per sixer for Jai Alai and the Guayabera Citra Pale Ale is comparable to locals at $9.99. And I did get a little tinge of excitement when I saw it sitting at Jubilation, I will admit. Reminded me of the Cigar City event at Freshcraft on a Saturday during GABF in, oh, 2013. I got excited then as well. Possibly the last time I was excited. I drank that Jai Alai like there was no other beer out there except for the upcoming Surly event. Anyone in the mood for a Surly Furious?

Everybody Gets a Vote: IPA Challenge Round 2

Tumbleroot hosted the Santa Fe leg of the 2019 NM IPA Challenge, which saw some breweries make huge leaps in votes from the first round. For instance, Rio Bravo received 6 times the votes that they did in the first round. Yup. Only problem is their total went from 1 vote to 7. But things could always be worse: Marble only received 3 votes in the second round, bringing their 2 round total to...3. Tough competition this year, though it looks as if Boxing Bear can dust off the Apollo Creed trunks and get ready to receive the trophy if Albuquerque voters continue the trend. Boxing Bear picked up another 32 votes in round 2, giving them 49 total. Bosque had a strong second place showing with 23 votes, though the only 7 votes in round 1 could hurt their chances in the final. Icebox's following thawed a bit in the second round, going from 16 votes in the first to only 4 in the second. Peculiar. That would put Ex Novo in the position to be Rookie of the Year, though having a pedigree of years in the Portland market earns them an asterisk. It may take a Buster Douglas-type upset to unseat Boxing Bear this year. My office pool was messed up from the beginning: I had Santa Fe as my dark horse winner.

Icebox Can Be My Wingman Anytime

It's a good day for ice. I was talking about "The Iceman" George Gervin earlier today. And then we have the results of the first round of the NM IPA Challenge, where Icebox came in a strong second place to multiple winner Boxing Bear. Pretty skewed results overall, with five breweries getting zero votes, defending champ Blue Corn getting one, and Rowley and Starr Brothers getting two apiece. A landslide for the top two, with Boxing Bear amassing 17 and Icebox only one behind. Knowing nothing of tonight's actually event other than the tally sheet and the overall history of NM Challenge in general, I will say that there have been some strange numbers to come out of the non-Santa Fe and Albuquerque events over the years, with relative unknowns doing really well. Interesting to see that has happened again.

NM IPA Challenge: A New Hope

A format change from last year put the elimination round of the NM IPA Challenge in the mouths of the brewers this year, which could be seen as a blessing if you tried some of the beers last year. I did kind of enjoy going to previous events with a couple of people and sharing from both (or in last year's case) all three trays. I can see that people would be bummed they didn't get to try all the entries and decide who made the finals. It also seems like the Guild would welcome the cash flow from a public elimination event but I've been worn out from getting one keg for a party. I can't imagine the fun of organizing 45 kegs and trays for a million people. Yeah, 45. That's the astounding number of breweries who competed in 2019. The usual favorites were all represented, with some first-timers like La Reforma (home of the traditional Mexican IPA!), Ex Novo, and Icebox on the list as well. And who better to judge who got to the final round than the people who brewed the beer, or at least represented a brewery who entered? Well, me for one, but that's another argument. The judges were tasked to narrow the field to 15, which will compete on July 17th in Las Cruces, July 20th in Santa Fe, and wrap up with the finale at Bow and Arrow on July 27th (tickets available here. And the results...

Wow. Missing anyone? You'd expect Marble, Bosque, Boxing Bear, 2018 champ Blue Corn. But Rowley? IPA is not their strong suit, or so I thought. Icebox and La Reforma??? Good job guys! Rio Bravo is in, but not Canteen? No Quarter Celtic, whose brewer won this competition at least five times by my count. But probably the biggest upset (with some of the most upset followers) is La Cumbre not making the finals. The GABF gold winning, two-time National IPA Champion is out. Hard to believe, especially considering that their entry was the current Project Dank, which I thought was one of their best versions. In years past, I would have argued that the people who did the voting were dopes, and that would be mostly true. But who are we to blame if brewery people do the judging? Blind tasting eliminates all biases, unless you are biased against hazy/clear/darker IPAs. So does it suck that some of our favorites didn't make the finals. Yes. Is it fair? I'll leave you with this from a brewer whose beer didn't make it to the finals, "I like the way we did this and if that's how the judges voted then cool. Good luck to all that made it."