What do I like better? A great hike in the forests and canyons of Northern New Mexico? …. or trying out interesting beers to quench my thirst after a great workout? …. or sharing either of those experiences with kindred souls? That is a hard one …. so I decided to combine all of these into one activity …. a “craft beer hike”.
My love of this kind of activity comes from years of living in Bavaria where there is a high concentration of small breweries that are fun to create hiking routes between. (read about beer hiking in Bavaria here) The growth of the craft beer movement in the
US and in NM got me to thinking about where there are opportunities to do a similar kind of hiking experience here.
A few Saturdays back, I led a small group of eleven on a craft beer hike in Los Alamos, culminating in a visit and orientation at Bathtub Row Brewery, one of New Mexico’s newest breweries. The other stops along the way were at tap rooms that feature a variety of craft beers. Between the beer stops were segments of gorgeous hiking through forest and canyon.
Sound like your kind of activity? Guided craft beer hikes are offered in Los Alamos on Saturdays. Pricing includes beer, snacks, and the services of a local guide. The next available dates are October 17 and 24 … should be prime time for fall colors. Details and booking are available at www.primepassages.com/travel
The scenery along the way is spectacular. We were ready for another beer by the end of each of the hike segments.
We sampled the equivalent of a pint selected from a variety of craft brew choices at each of three different stops along the hike.
Bathtub Row Brewery treated us to a brewery orientation before we tasted their latest offerings.
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