Hitting the Micro-Brewery Circuit: A Day in New Mexico

I no longer categorize myself as a beer drinker.

Sure, I still drink some beer from time to time, but it's not my stimulating beverage of choice. I like it, but it fills me up long before I get any stimulating benefit from it; if you know what I mean.

I still like a beer or two when I'm hot -- like just finishing mowing the lawn; and I will have one or two poolside at the home of one of my Florida friends when visiting, but I just don't consume beer in the volume I once did.

When consuming in greater volumes, I prefer Sol. I developed a taste for it while working in Cabo San Lucas 10 years ago. I followed up my time there with a week on a boat in the Keys where we also drank Sol. After that, I was Sol'd. I had been a Bud drinker before then. I will only drink Bud now when it's all that's available. And I mean, when it's all that's available.

However, I'm still a big fan of microbrews. I love going to a microbrewery when out of town and sampling its wares. It's sort of an experiment and I'm a big supporter of science. It's intellectual curiosity and I'm all for it.

I have been on such an intellectual pursuit today. I'm in the Albuquerque area and there are a surprising number of microbreweries here. I've had a couple of remarkably good porters and a very decent brown ale.

I do have a beer or two a week at the Blue Ridge Brewery in Greenville. Mostly it's a relaxing hour or two sitting at a table in front of the joint sipping a beer out of my "ugly" mug and reading. Once in a while I'll pop into Smoke on the Water at some point other than my usual Tuesday night and have a beer or two on those occasions. They have a couple of pretty good micro brews on tap.

Generally, however, I'm a wino. I'll have a margarita or two if eating Mexican, but usually I drink wine.

While in New Mexico and Arizona, though, I'll be drinking more micro brews.

When in Rome…..