Who doesn’t need a drink to get through the holiday season? Gifts from the city’s ever-growing number of craft breweries and wineries will keep friends and family happily tipsy while sleigh bells ring and jingle. Most of the breweries in town offer some sort of club membership that includes discounts, treats and access to special events. Here are a couple of our favorites.
Marble
Il Vicino Brewery Canteen
Victor’s Grape Arbor
Hours: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.victorsgrapearbor.comOne of Albuquerque’s only supply stores for home brewers and vinters, the Grape Arbor has supplied the city’s alcohol-lovers since long before the craft-beer craze hit the city. The shop offers easy starter kits for beginning brewers or more advanced equipment and supplies for those who prefer hand-selected hops and grapes.
St. Clair
Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.stclairwinery.comThis Deming-based winery has a small bistro in Old Town where you can choose from its entire line of reds and whites. You will also find specialty bottles, including the Wine A Rita, red and green chile-infused varieties, and a sangria. The St. Clair Mimosa, which makes breakfast drinking far too easy, is a surefire crowd-pleaser. The bistro’s shop also offers other wine-inspired gifts.
Casa Rondeña
Hours: Monday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.casarondena.comThis sprawling vineyard in Los Ranchos has an assortment of monthly club memberships and a wide selection of wines. And with a charming location blissfully removed from the hordes descending on malls at this time of year, you will likely leave in a better mood than when you arrived.
