Your Comments, Criticisms and Contributions - April 2007
Hi Stephen.
My name is Jiri Maska. I am owner of small brewery on the island of Roatan, Honduras (www.roatanbrewery.com). I would like to sell my brewery. If any of your readers might be interested, please have them contact me. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jiri Maska
So, what do you say, readers? Anyone interested in owning a brewery in Honduras can drop me a line with the subject "Roatan Brewery" and I'll put you in touch with Jiri.
Steve, thanks for the great and quite informative website. I enjoy it immensely. I will be in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico next week and was wondering if you may have a brewery suggestion or two.
Thanks, Dan Carrigan
My New Mexico beer info being as sparse as it is, I directed Dan's question to Stan Hieronymus, Mr. Beer Traveler himself. Here's what Stan advised:
a) The best beer is at Chama River Brewing on Pan American (just off I-25) in Albuquerque. Not sure if the wit and dubbel will still be around, but if they are gone then the tripel should be on. Excellent IPA, and I usually start with Class VI Golden, which is basically a helles. This was previously called Blue Corn Cafe and served more New Mexican food. Now aims to be something of a steakhouse, so not cheap. Good (and less expensive) bar menu.
b) Almost across I-25 from Chama, but takes a little work to get from one to the other, is the Il Vicino Brewing taproom (on Vassar). Beer brewed here for two restaurants in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe (easy walk from the plaza). The taproom will have beer others don't, although you are just missing their Malt Madness (different beers each day, patrons voting for favorites, from their archives). No food. Nice place to sit outside. Regular working folks. The restaurants are good - order at the counter, excellent stone-fired pizza, calzones and salads.
c) Turtle Mountain Brewing in Rio Rancho, not far from Intel. Don't go on a Friday at 5-6 because parking is impossible. Stole the Il Vicino concept, but the pizzas are a little bigger and loaded with fresh ingredients. Basically a big and bold place, and that's reflected in the beers. Lots of hops, lots of Chinook. This is the second location. The original is down the hill, but now just for pool, darts, smoking and the beer.
d) Corrales Bistro Brewery. Not a brewery, although they will make small batches in order to keep their small brewer's license (allowing them to buy directly from other breweries). Opened not long ago. Food is basic but so far well done. Great patio. The attraction (other than the fact it's a nice one-mile stroll from our house) is that there are nine New Mexican beers on tap. Tend to be heavy with Tractor (down in Los Lunas) and Turtle Mountain. But usually one or two Il Vicino (the brewer lives here in the village) and a Chama River (has been the amber brewed for a steakhouse in Santa Fe, but Fritz picked up some IPA last week and that could be on). They own the pottery shop next door, in case you are looking for gifts to take home.
e) Best place in Santa Fe is Second Street Brewery (on Second Street - in a area trying to stake out artisan territory). Once a year Imperial Stout could be left and that's always worth a try. Another place for hoppy beers. Really good food, including the green chile cheese fries. Live music most evenings. Good if the weather is OK, otherwise noisy (because musicians are inside). Annually voted best place in Santa Fe for women to drink and a fine place to sit outside.
f) Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery is at the south end of town and also has a restaurant near the plaza (little over a block from Il Vicino) which will have the same beers on. Beer is much improved in the last year or so. They'll be taking the brewery out soon (because the company is opening a production micro).
e) Best beer stores are Jubilation in Albuquerque and Susie's Wines in Santa Fe.
Also in Albuquerque: Kelly's brewpub, which is a BOP, sells a lot of other people's beer on tap, is in an old filling station and is a popular placed to sit outside. Pass on the house beer. You might want to go by Assets/Isotopes on Montgomery to buy an Isotopes T-shirt but they've been brewing out in Moriarity (revived system may be in place, but not sure).
In Santa Fe, Santa Fe Brewing has a restaurant (so it looks like a brewpub) attached to the production brewery south of town. It was the first micro in the state; everybody wants to take home a Chicken Killer Barleywine shirt. Easily the coolest brewing system in the state - 30-barrels, four vessels. Check out the music lineup, an excellent venue.
Whew. Many thanks, Stan.
Enjoyed the article on mixing with stout. Although I love a good stout and my favorite is still porter, the thought of mixing kind of felt like some sort of sacrilege until.......we got this from an Irish band, Big Paddy, at a lager festival here in Manitou Springs, CO. It may not be that original, but at the time it was to us. A pint of Guinness, with a shot of Jameson Whiskey mixed in, a.k.a. Mother's Milk. Just a little addition to the list from some silly Irish American's in Colorado.
Chris Boughn, Peyton, CO
Thanks, Chris. I imagine that with a fuller bodied, roastier stout and a peated Irish like Connemara. Now THAT would be mother's milk...
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