Albuquerque Beer: Duke City History on Tap

Albuquerque’s commercial brewing scene dates back to 1888, when the Southwestern Brewery & Ice Company was launched. It later churned out thirty thousand barrels of beer per year and distributed throughout the region. Nearly thirty years later, Prohibition halted brewing save for a brief comeback in the late 1930s. In 1993, the modern era emerged with a handful of breweries opening across the city. However, Marble Brewery’s 2008 opening revived Albuquerque’s dormant craft beer scene. Since its opening, the city has welcomed dozens of breweries, brewpubs and taprooms. Writer Chris Jackson recounts the hoppy history of brewing in the Duke City.