BREWERIES
Still riding High: Brewery hopes to encourage community atmosphere with updated beers, renovated space
While High and Dry Brewing celebrated eight years in business just a few weeks ago, the neighborhood taproom is approaching the one-year anniversary of another significant milestone.
Last June, High and Dry held a grand reopening party to commemorate its updated beer recipes and newly renovated space. The changes began in earnest when local architect Mark Baker assumed full ownership of the establishment from business partner Andrew Kalemba, who was largely the face of the business prior to his departure. From there, Kyle Gaston was promoted from bartender, a position he held since 2022, to general manager. Gaston then hired Cami O鈥橞rien as High and Dry鈥檚 new head brewer.
鈥淚鈥檓 very optimistic for where this could be going,鈥� Gaston said. 鈥溾�� I try my best to make it so we鈥檙e all working sort of side-by-side with a shared of vision of what we鈥檙e trying to do here.鈥�
Prior to taking the reins at High and Dry, O鈥橞rien went through Central New Mexico Community College鈥檚 brewing program, did an internship at Sidetrack Brewing Co. and worked with the team at Boxing Bear Brewing Co. for multiple years. Her first order of business as head brewer was to revamp all the beer. So while some of the names 鈥� like the Special Shapes IPA 鈥� are familiar, the recipes will differ from the brewery鈥檚 early days.
For O鈥橞rien, there were challenges beyond updating the beer lineup.
鈥淣ot necessarily coming up with the recipes, because the staple beers that they wanted at first were not out-of-the box beers 鈥� West Coast IPA, the pale ale and the amber. They鈥檙e pretty common beers. But I did put my own spin on it, obviously,鈥� O鈥橞rien said.
鈥淏ut it was more the equipment back there and how it was set up. Every brewery is different. I didn鈥檛 have anyone to show me what was what. Kyle didn鈥檛 know. He knows a lot about a lot, but not about brewing. So it was a lot of trial and error. I think I literally had to fix almost everything within the first (few weeks). It鈥檚 just a lot of these things you don鈥檛 know until you鈥檙e in there. So I just had to get in there and figure it out.鈥�
O鈥橞rien鈥檚 process was aided significantly by the acquisition of a new brew kettle, which helped with both the overall consistency of the beers and the amount she was able to create. Still, High and Dry will remain a small operation by design, with six staples and two to four rotating seasonals. Before the transition, the brewery had as many as 12 beers available at a time.
鈥淭he idea is, we鈥檙e trying to simplify the beer offerings,鈥� Gaston said. 鈥淚 think less is more.鈥�
One of O鈥橞rien鈥檚 current favorite brewing endeavors is tart beers, the most recent of which was the Tropic Like It鈥檚 Hot, which contains flavors and aromas of both pineapple and passion fruit.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing a quarterly release, essentially,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 the same recipe, but I鈥檒l do different fruits, different hops, different flavors. So each one has been unique in its own way. I don鈥檛 put anything unnatural in the beer. It鈥檚 all just grain and hops and pure fruit.鈥�
High and Dry鈥檚 offerings aren鈥檛 limited to beer. There鈥檚 a trio of signature craft cocktails 鈥� pink lemonade, mojito and gin and tonic 鈥� that utilize spirits from Moonwalk Distilling. The brewery also has wine and nonalcoholic options that include a house-brewed hop water and a rotating kombucha from New Mexico Ferments.
Meanwhile, Gaston and Baker collaborated to give High and Dry a new look with significant renovations that included upgraded furniture, new paint, more available seating and a refurbished patio area.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to feel comfortable in a place,鈥� Gaston said, 鈥渁nd I think that鈥檚 one of the biggest things that the remodel accomplished was making this place more comfortable to be in. Not just physically, but I don鈥檛 know 鈥� it just seems just a little bit more polished.鈥�
Beyond that, High and Dry was always designed to be a neighborhood bar. Gaston has worked diligently to keep it as such with a robust live music program, trivia, karaoke, music bingo and on occasion, even guest speakers. Outside, the Tikka Spice food truck operates for the majority of the brewery鈥檚 business hours. The only things missing are TVs 鈥� and that鈥檚 by design, because Gaston wants to encourage community within the establishment.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to make this so it鈥檚 like there鈥檚 always something to do here,鈥� Gaston said, 鈥渁nd at the same time, it鈥檚 not always so busy that you can鈥檛 just be like a regular that wants to come in and read a book, too.鈥�
