Business Profile: Rio Bravo Brewing Company

\ Sep 17, 2015

5 min read

Why did you choose this business?

We wanted to do something new we could share. We have a passion for socializing with people and enjoy traveling.

What are your strongest business traits?

We have owned and operated DRB Electric since 1986. We went through a recession and other incidents yet are still going strong in the community.

What do you offer that the competition doesn’t?

RBB built the brewery with the intention of expansion and being an attraction for the community. Our open windows from the bar, patios and upstairs conference area allow patrons to watch the brewing process live and in action, from the bringing in of the grain and hops to canning/bottling and packaging process once phase II is complete. We are currently working on our Bier Garden and have a large parking area to the south of the building off Haines NW.

In what area of your business do you invest the most energy?

Now that the building is done, I would say marketing and social networking.

What’s your favorite saying or quotation?

“Serendipity.” We finally bought the building at a price we wanted and decided to lease it out until we found a brewer. That next week Randy was meeting with the plumber who brought along a friend who knew about breweries; it turned out to be Ty Levis, recently departed from Santa Fe Brewing after 22 years. We hired him as our Head Brewer. Then his friend and mentor, John Seabrooks, decided to come out of retirement—from Miller Brewing with 26 years experience—as our Director of Operations. That was another serendipitous event. We had the “Dream team”, the building and everything else kept falling into place. Next we added Chad Dotson as our General Manger who had just become available. The following week Admiral Beverage Company signed RBB to distribute our beer.

If there is one thing about Albuquerque or New Mexico that you could change, what would it be?

I would streamline the process for starting a business and getting the coveted Certificate of Occupancy so that the City, State and Federal levels utilized the same data and network; there is a great deal of replication and hurdles to jump in order to start a business in our state.

As Randy and I traveled through Ireland in 2004 on our 12th Anniversary trip we decided once the five children were out of the house we were going to open a brew pub. A small, intimate bar very much like Cheers where “everybody knows your name” where the atmosphere is relaxing, has excellent beer and a fully viewable brewery area—from the grains coming in the door to bottling and packaging for shipment or take home. Randy could tell his endless stories and jokes and I could serve while visiting with our patrons.

Well, I am thrilled to announce that our dream has finally come true this year. Rio Bravo Brewing Company is now OPEN. The schedule will be as follows:

Our Grand Opening will be held September 23, 2015. We will also have an Oktoberfest with a band from Helmstedt, Germany performing October 1st and 3rd. More details soon.

Rio Bravo Brewing Company has pints, growlers, kegs, food trucks and plans to have live music in the bar and future Bier Garden. We also have New Mexico wines, root beer, sodas and our General Manager Chad Dotson’s specialty non-alcoholic beverages. A full kitchen will open either late 2015 or early 2016. We have a dynamic team of brewers: Ty Levis and John Seabrooks who have a combined experience in the beer industry of 49 years. This fall we will have our bottling/canning system operational in the brewery and start distribution throughout the area with Admiral Beverage Company.

Check us out on our Face Book Page to “like” our page and invite your friends. or visit www.riobravobrewing.com

Rio Bravo Brewing Company is the brainchild of Randy and Denise Baker as well as their genuine love of people. The brewery not only continues a family tradition of service to the local community, but also provides the opportunity for Randy, a seasoned home brewer, to take his passion for craft beer to the next level.

The brewery, located in a historic warehouse, will provide a bold, energetic, friendly environment for friends and family to gather, socialize and share stories while enjoying world-class beers and great food.

The pub-style bar, meeting areas & beer garden surrounding the brewery provide a welcoming atmosphere for locals & tourists.

Our Vision

Within the next five year, Rio Bravo Brewing Company will be the leading provider of innovative, world-class craft beers in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

At Rio Bravo Brewing Company we understand our success is a result of being customer-centric in all of our endeavors. To that end we will partner with our customers and local businesses to better understand their needs in an effort to ensure our products and services continually result in an exceptional customer experience.