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N8, is the Tractor Brewing Company a good place to stop? I've almost gone there a few times but haven't yet. I finally made it to Two Fools and they had a great nut brown!
Note to self: have to try nut brown at Two Fools. I'm a fan of Slow Down Brown at Il Vicino.
In between the beers, check out the happy hour at the new Zacatecas taco and tequila place in Nob Hill, where Bumble Bee's used to be. They have happy hour from 4 to 6, really good margaritas for four bucks.
Tractor's beer is good and getting better (definitly much better than Kelly's in Nob Hill)
I urge anyone interested in Albuquerque's beer scene to try Kellys. I respectfully disagree about the quality of Kellys versus Tractor (though I admit the atmosphere and clientele at Tractor are much more to my liking), but then, it is all a matter of subjective taste. I simply prefer what I perceive as greater depth and nuance in Kellys' recipes.
Kellys has long been the red-headed stepchild of the Albuquerque brewing scene due to a couple of factors: A really bad run under mismanagement in the mid 2000s during which quality suffered -I actually studied for my CBJ exams by analyzing off flavors at Kellys :-) - and the slowness to upgrade equipment and procedures demanded in a market that has become very competitive in the years since. These combined have created a negative reputation oft reinforced by people with no experience with Kellys' beer who are looking for 'street cred' through beer snobbery.
These issues are long corrected and while not my favorite brewery in Albuquerque, Kellys beers are welcome on my table anytime.
Like I said, it is really a matter of taste. I am not going to argue that one is better than the other on some objective standard (both breweries use the same processes and source the same ingredients), but as a Certified Beer Judge and an advocate for a supportive and competitive local beer scene in New Mexico, I would rather people explore all their options to imbibe New Mexico brews than engage in clubbishness.
I admit that I haven't been to Kelly's in the last 18 months, so perhaps my comment is a bit dated. I frequented Kelly's quite a bit from 2009/2010 since I lived in the vicinity. Once more breweries opened in the ABQ market, I didn't have a reason to go back.
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