BREWERIES
New Mexico River Adventures, Santa Fe Brewing Co. team up for a craft beer whitewater experience
For New Mexico River Adventures owner Matt Gontram, it was as simple as visiting a neighbor.
As it turns out, the headquarters of the adventure outfitter is located directly across the street from the hop farm owned by Santa Fe Brewing owner/CEO Brian Lock. Gontram and Lock got to talking, and a collaboration was born.
On May 15-16, Beers and Cheers on the Chama with Santa Fe Brewing Co. will celebrate its fifth year with a three-day, two-night trip down a 31-mile section of the Rio Chama just outside the town of Tierra Amarilla. According to Gontram, it鈥檚 one of the most popular trips NMRA offers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a huge time commitment being just two nights and three days. But in that short amount of time and over 31 miles, you鈥檙e able to experience some incredible and pristine wilderness 鈥� just one of the prettiest Southwestern river canyons that you can float down,鈥� Gontram said.
While NMRA offers that trip throughout the year, the addition of craft beer offerings adds an extra element to the experience. Usually at least one Santa Fe Brewing staff member 鈥� and sometimes more 鈥� will take part in the trip to present a variety of the brewery鈥檚 latest and most popular offerings once camp is made on the riverside in the evenings.
鈥淥ur consumer that we target is active,鈥� Lock said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e into the outdoors. One of the benefits of the cans is the portability. So I feel like it really aligns with our brand identity. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 really exciting about collaborating with New Mexico River Adventures, because it鈥檚 an outdoor activity that people are interested in, and a lot of these people also are probably interested in craft beer.鈥�
Santa Fe Brewing will have a few of its newer releases on hand for the trip. According to Lock, this will include its summer seasonal, the Premium Pilsner, the Watermelon Kiwi Hard Cider and the Freewheeler, a new hazy IPA. Some of these have already been in the Santa Fe Brewing taprooms, with a full-scale retail release expected in the coming weeks. Additionally, Lock says attendees can expect to enjoy a few staples like the NMX Standard, 7K IPA and the Social Hour.
The menu is planned ahead of the trip so that the meals complement the drinks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the typical menu that we use on all of our normal Rio Chama launches,鈥� Gontram said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a special menu that we put together. Brian and his team pair appropriate beers for each evening. Everything is specifically tailored to the beer and the river trip itself. It鈥檚 all about highlighting the beer with the amazing meals that our staff makes. This isn鈥檛 hamburgers and hot dogs and camping in the back of the truck; these are gourmet meals.鈥�
The Beers and Cheers trip typically sells out each year. In addition to food and drink, NMRA provides any additional camping equipment one might need at no extra charge. River transportation can also vary depending upon user preference.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a variety of crafts that we utilize for the trip, so people can enjoy it in rafts, kayaks or whatever they like,鈥� Gontram said. 鈥淥ur guides are the best in the business, the most knowledgeable in that river canyon itself 鈥� just in terms of interpretive discussions and pointing out all of the points of interest as well as keeping everybody safe and comfortable.鈥�
