Las Cruces breweries share unique craft beers, food pairings
With the growing number of breweries in Las Cruces, the selection of craft beers can be overwhelming. To make your choice a little easier, and perhaps tempt you to try something new, we've put together a list of unique beers — and the dishes that complement them — offered at local distilleries.
Bosque Brewing Company
Where: Las Cruces Public House, 901 E. University Ave., Bldg. 945, Ste. 3-A; Las Cruces Beer Bar, 901 E. University Ave., Ste. 3-B
Unique brew: Bosque IPA (16 ounces - $5.50)
Paired dish: Green Chile and Chicken Poutine ($13)
John Bullard, director of brewing operations at Bosque, explained how their namesake beer came about.
Read:Bosque offers mix of classic and gourmet pub food
“We wanted to make an IPA that showcased some of the best hops available," he said. "After making nearly a dozen different variations we settled on a recipe and named it Bosque IPA. It's fairly balanced for an IPA, so it's a good introduction to hops without being overwhelming."
Bullard is right, the Bosque IPA wasn’t an overwhelming hoppiness. It had a citrus taste with a nice mouth feel — it starts in the same measure all over your tongue, and it was refreshing against the gravy of the chicken poutine.
High Desert Brewing Company
Where: 1207 W. Hadley Ave.
Unique brew: Peach Wheat (pint - $3.75)
Paired dish: Nachos ($5-11 depending on size)
High Desert Brewing Company looks like a house with a tad larger parking lot, and inside, it has a classic pub feel but with light wood.
Dave White, head brewer at High Desert, said the Peach Wheat is one of their house recipes that “appeals to college students to bikers.” High Desert is a family restaurant, and the Peach Wheat is a beer that works well for those who haven’t quite made it into full-fledged craft beer drinking because of it’s peach aroma.
It's a very aromatic peach-flavored American-style wheat beer, with only hints of really bitter of flavor. It also has a crisp taste and goes great with the piled-high nachos covered in an overflow of cheese, spicy jalapeños and salsa.
“It’s a great starter because it wins over lots of different people,” White said.
Pecan Grill and Brewery
Where: 500 S. Telshor Blvd.
Unique brew: Hop N'Wheat Session IPA (16 ounces - $4.75)
Paired dish: Chef’s Nosh Plate ($15)
Pecan Grill head brewer David Allan’s love for brewing is infectious. He explained that for brewers, a lot of the love goes into the process and the driving question of “What if?”
“What if I play around with the hop profile, or add adjuncts like rose hips, cherry or hibiscus?” Allan said.
More:NMSU unveiling its own beer: Pistol Pete's 1888 Ale
The Hop N'Wheat is a session IPA, meaning that it’s a beer you can drink with enjoyment throughout an afternoon. It has a clean, clear taste with perhaps a hint of honey. Allan said when it comes to brewing, it’s a matter of the season.
“How will it make you feel at the time that you drink it?" Allan said. "In the summer, you go for the light beers to keep drinking, and the darker beers come out with a bit more alcohol to keep you warmer in the winter.”
Picacho Peak Brewing Company
Where: 900 W. Picacho Ave.
Unique brew: Pumpkin Oktoberfest ($4.50)
Paired dish: Taco Tuesdays (The special will include two beef tacos and a pint for $6.)
Xavier Mendoza, owner of Picacho Peak Brewing Company, said he is excited about the craft brew market in Las Cruces, which he believes is still in its infancy — “untapped tastes yet to be explored,” he said.
John “Carnie” Bevz, Picacho Peak brewing manager/brewing engineer, said the fun of creating a new brew comes in all the different batches and experiments that happen, such as with the Pumpkin Oktoberfest.
It won’t last long, but should be tasted while it’s in stock. It’s a batch that was created by the pumpkins from the neighboring Mesilla Valley maze, which were smothered in brown sugar and cooked to a golden brown perfection.
“People think, 'Oh, not pumpkin,' because they are over it in everything,” Bevz said. “But that’s not how it turned out.”
He’s right; the pumpkin is very light, an afterthought to the tasting experience. It’s the pumpkin flavor that brings up a memory of an uncarved pumpkin sitting on a kitchen table as a decoration waiting for the season, rather than of a punch of pumpkin and spiced saturation. It’s sweet, and it’s nitro version is incredibly smooth.
Spotted Dog Brewery
Where: 2920 Avenida de Mesilla
Unique brew: IPA (English pint - $4.50; 12 ounces - $3.50)
Paired dish: Green Chile Philly ($8.95)
Garrett Denmark, assistant brewer at Spotted Dog, said the brewery's signature beer is their IPA. It’s subdued hoppiness, with a malt-forward and toastier flavor than what you’d find on the west coast. Denmark explained that their beer tends to go toward the historical and classic, with a wide variety.
We talked a little bit about the beer industry and how, instead of going for intense bitterness, more brewers are now playing with aromas and flavor enhancements.
“Craft beer is more distinguished than what you’d find in a large-scale corporate beer,” Denmark said.
The Spotted Dog's IPA leaves a pleasing hop aroma floating through your nose and hits the bitter buds on the sides of your mouth, but still feels light. It’s the perfect bitter to stand a fight against the bite of the green chile from the philly.
Cassie McClure is a freelance writer and may be reached at cassiemcclure@gmail.com.