16 Breweries To Visit During Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta holds the Guinness World Record for the greatest hot air balloon ascent. During the 2019 edition of the annual event, 524 hot-air balloons were launched during a morning mass ascension.

The mass ascension is just one of the events attended by hot-air balloon enthusiasts from around the world at the Balloon Fiesta, held over the first week of October each year, this year running from October 4 to 12, 2025.

The Balloon Fiesta started in 1972 with just 13 hot-air balloons. In the five decades since, the Balloon Fiesta has grown to have its own 365-acre park—appropriately named Balloon Fiesta Park—featuring a 78-acre launch field, roughly the size of 54 football fields. Mass ascensions from this launch field now regularly feature over 500 hot-air balloons, though there are other launch events, including special shapes, and evening static events where balloons are lit up, but do not ascend.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta claims to be:

• the largest ballooning event on Earth
• the most photographed event on Earth, and
• the largest annual international event in the United States

For beer lovers, New Mexico boasts just under 100 breweries serving a population of just 2.1 million people, according to Ebbie Edmonston, executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild. The highest concentration of those breweries is in Albuquerque, though the oldest brewery in the State is Sante Fe Brewing, named after its hometown.

In the 37 years since Sante Fe Brewing mashed into the New Mexico beer scene, the popularity of craft breweries has exploded in the Land of Enchantment. Sante Fe Brewing itself now has six locations, two of which are in the Albuquerque area.

Edmonston notes that New Mexico breweries have been bringing home awards from the largest beer competition in the world and the largest beer competition in America. “New Mexicans are fiercely proud of their breweries,” said Edmonston in a telephone interview.

Here are 16 breweries to enjoy while attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, or at another time you are visiting Albuquerque.

Early Mornings

For morning sessions, gates to Balloon Fiesta Park open at 4:30 a.m. In addition to enabling the enjoyment of the sunrise, morning weather tends to be cooler and calmer, which is better for ballooning.

Steel Bender Brewyard is located in the North Valley of Albuquerque, not far from Balloon Fiesta Park. They open early on select mornings during the Fiesta for balloon viewing. Featuring award-winning house beers, house-made cider and wine, along with non-alcoholic options and a full menu, Steel Bender is a great place for beer lovers to enjoy the Fiesta.

Tin Can Alley is a food hall located near Balloon Fiesta Park. It hosts viewing parties from its second-floor deck. Sante Fe Brewing, New Mexico’s oldest and the State’s largest craft brewery, has an outlet at Tin Can Alley. Sante Fe Brewing also has another Albuquerque location and four locations in Sante Fe.

Corrales is a community north of Albuquerque and Ex Novo Brewing has an outlet there, from which balloons can be viewed. Ex Novo’s most popular beer is an IPA called Mass Ascension, introduced in honor of the Balloon Fiesta. Mass Ascension is a West Coast IPA brewed with Simcoe, Mosaic, and Centennial hops with notes of citrus and stone fruit. The other Ex Novo location is in downtown Albuquerque which is great on Sundays to take in the “Central Cruise” when lowriders cruise Central Avenue.

Another New Mexico craft beer stalwart is Bosque Brewing. Since opening in 2012, Bosque now boasts 11 locations. The location at Bernalillo, about 15 minutes drive north of Balloon Fiesta Park, can be a great viewing location for balloons, depending on which direction the wind takes the balloons. Otherwise, Bosque boasts multiple locations throughout Albuquerque and elsewhere in New Mexico.

Late Nights

While the balloon flights occur in the mornings, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta also features static evening events. Known as “Balloon Glows,” hot air balloons are lit up from within, creating a visual display at night, enhanced by fireworks displays.

After enjoying these visual delights, there is ample opportunity to visit more Albuquerque breweries to enjoy culinary delights.

Bow & Arrow Brewing is the first Native American, women-owned craft brewery in the United States. While many breweries mimic each other, brewing the same on-trend hazy IPAs and amber lagers, Bow & Arrow incorporates indigenous ingredients and cultural heritage into its craft beers. This includes sometimes brewing with foraged hops, a landrace variety known as Neomexicanus. Beers brewed with these foraged hops are featured at Bow & Arrow after the hop picking season which is, as luck would have it, just in time for beers to be available during Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta each year.

One of the most award-winning breweries in New Mexico is Quarter Celtic Brewpub. With two locations on the eastern side of Albuquerque and a full food menu, Quarter Celtic serves up Celtic influenced beers such as Kill Or Be KILT Scotch Ale and Crimson Lass Irish Red Ale, but also makes popular styles like stout and Mexican lager. They even have a house-made mead.

Boxing Bear Brewing also has two locations and boasts a long list of awards. One of the Boxing Bear locations is at the northern end of Albuquerque, just south of Balloon Fiesta Park and the other is at the eastern edge of town. Regardless of which location you go to, great beer is available, but Boxing Bear is also a well known location for pinball. Good beer and fun for the whole family!

Gravity Bound Brewing is a small brewery in downtown Albuquerque. It brews just five barrels of beer at a time, but what Gravity Bound lacks in size, it makes up for in full-flavor beers. Gravity Bound is known for hazy IPAs and quirky small batch beers. They also make their own kombucha.

For beer lovers, there is no better hotel to stay at than Painted Lady Bed & Brew which, as the name implies has its own brewery. Beers are made on a tiny one-barrel brewhouse and served at the Ghost Light Saloon, located in a repurposed trolley car sitting on the property. For non-hotel guests, The Saloon is only open from Thursday to Sunday.

Around Albuquerque

New Mexico is famous for its desert landscapes and no trip to the State would be complete without some road tripping. For those visiting Albuquerque, for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta or otherwise, a couple of hours of driving per day will allow exposure to beautiful vistas and more great breweries.

Ruidoso

Ruidoso is about three hours southeast of Albuquerque. Ruidoso offers an alpine escape with over a million acres of wilderness and national forest surrounding this charming town. Visitors can enjoy the town’s highly walkable Main Street shopping district for unique clothing, art and Native American jewelry. Ruidoso is also home to several local breweries, each offering a unique experience: Downshift Brewing Company, Lost Hiker Brewing Company and Bonito Valley Brewing Company (just outside of Ruidoso).

Las Cruces

Las Cruces is just two hours southwest of Ruidoso and is the State’s second-largest city. Las Cruces boasts a vibrant arts and cultural heritage as well as culinary delights spanning centuries-old recipes. There is a strong agricultural industry in Las Cruces, and it is the second-largest producer of pecan nuts in America. Several local breweries offer a diverse range of handcrafted beers: a location of Bosque Brewing, Pecan Grill & Brewery and Spotted Dog Brewery (just south of Las Cruces, in hostoric Old Mesilla).

Truth or Consequences, with a stop in Hatch

From Las Cruces, the drive north to Truth or Consequences is just over an hour long, leaving plenty of time for a stop in Hatch along the way.

Hatch is known as the Chile Capital of the World, famous for its production of the iconic Hatch green chile. Hatch is also home to Icebox Brewing’s Hatch Valley Taproom (there are five other locations of Icebox in the region). Among the beer offerings is a green chile beer and a seasonal red chile beer.

In Truth or Consequences, which is known for its natural hot springs, Truth or Consequences Brewing is located in the historic hot springs spa district downtown. Spaceport America is nearby, prompting Truth or Consequences to create some space-themed beers.

From Truth or Consequences the drive back to Albuquerque is just over two hours long. The road trip is so manageable, it is possible to complete it and catch the final weekend of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.