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Great Minds Drink Alike

What fun is Zoom cocktail hour without the cocktail? With all this downtime saved from cleaning up your spilled pints in the pub, they’ve had time to experiment with some pretty amazing offerings that the beer aficionado on your list probably hasn’t tried.

Most breweries have adapted their membership pint discounts to online savings programs for COVID-safe pickup of your favorite offering—now available by the case to keep those beer runs to a minimum! Here are a few of our favorites.

Tractor Brewing & Troubled Minds Distillery

Sure beer is great, but what if your secret santa loves the liquor? Enter Tractor Brewing’s sister company, Troubled Minds Spirits, to the rescue. This holiday season they are offering two limited-edition cocktail kits with everything you need to show your favorite mixologist you care.

Pumpkin Spice Cocktail Kit. This kit is a fall killer, and a perfect gift for yourself or someone else! It features everything you need to make this very special cocktail including a special tray to make six giant Old Fashioned cubes, 3.5 ounces of handcrafted pumpkin spiced tea simple syrup infused with cinnamon sticks as well as angostura and peychaud bitters, two very limited Troubled Minds rocks glasses and, finally, a bottle of their amazing bourbon.

Cosmos for Christmas! This delicious Cosmopolitan cocktail is the true source of Christmas cheer. The kit features everything you need to make this very special cocktail, including: a festive red tote bag, two very limited edition Troubled Minds shaker pint glasses to mix your cocktail in, gourmet Rokz Cranberry Cocktail Sugar Rimmer, a bottle of TM’s house cosmo cocktail mix and a bottle of their amazing vodka. 

They’re available on Black Friday at the Wells Park and Westside locations until supplies run out!

They were among the first to implement online ordering and curbside pickup for their beer and spirits. Use this handy, safe option to keep your holidays full of cheer.

A $35 annual membership comes with free beer you don’t have to share. New members get a free growler ($12 value) of their choice (it’s up to you whether you keep this for yourself or add a bow for gifting) and discounts for in-store and online purchases. 

Wells Park, Nob Hill, Westside and online at getplowed.com

Bow & Arrow

This Native- and women-owned brewery is offering up holiday specials for every palate. Saison fans will be happy to receive Bow and Arrow’s new Sunbloom, an American Saison featuring prickly pear and juniper berries. The Scenic West is perhaps the best Hazy IPA available right now. If you can’t decide, just give a gift card and let the recipient pick their own! 

North Downtown and online at bowandarrowbrewing.com

Boxing Bear

Boxing Bear is sending a 2020 message with their highly anticipated “Eat the Rich” double imperial stout (10% ABV), available, appropriately, on Black Friday.  If you know an imperial stout fan, set your reminders to reserve yours before it’s are gone. Black Friday, Small Biz Saturday pickup hours are available online.

Tramway, Corrales and West Downtown and online at boxingbearbrewing.com

Bosque Brewing

For the beer drinker on your list who has tried it all, drop by Bosque for a sixer (or a case!) of their new Ricing in the Yeast rice lager. (The Far East meets the Southwest in this lager made from sushi-grade rice and real pomegranate.) The new Parlour Games brown has caramel undertones and roasty flavors that lend themselves to cozy evenings near the fireplace. The popular Elephants on Parade has a new hazy cousin available just in time for the holidays. If you can’t decide, give it all by stuffing stockings with 2021 Mug Club memberships for just $35—available online. 

Nob Hill, Bernalillo, Las Cruces, Santa Fe and online at bosquebrewing.com

Sidetrack Brewing

Back in the normal times, hipsters would trade up from their morning lattes for afternoon pints without ever leaving the back patio shared with next door’s Xendo coffee. Now downtowners are stuck with walkup service, which is super easy with Sidetrack’s online order and sidewalk pickup program. 

For the gift lister who can never make up their mind, get them a growler of the new Sidetrack cider-beer mix. Malt n’ Apples is just what it sounds like: a malty beverage with a cider base.  And when you check out, be sure to use their nifty “Buy a Friend a Beer” option where you can prepay for your friend’s next pint (when that’s available). It’d be nice if you’d add one for your favorite local underpaid reporters, too … hint, hint.

Downtown and online at sidetrackbrewing.net

Steelbender

During North Fourth Holiday Stop & Shop, the weekend of Dec. 5 and 6, Steelbender is giving you free beer when you gift beer to someone else. Buy a $50 Gift Card for someone awesome, get a $10 Gift Card free (because you’re equally awesome).  Steelbender also has regular deals on all kinds of branded hoodies, hats and warm things to fill up your locally branded apparel shopping list.

8305 2nd St. NW in  Los Ranchos and online steelbenderbrewyard.com