‘Difficult decision’: Bosque Brewing closures hit two Albuquerque locations days after sweeping Santa Fe

Bosque Brewing Co. has rolled out further closures, this time in Albuquerque, as one of New Mexico’s largest brewers continues to face financial challenges.

The affected locations include the San Mateo Public House at 6220 San Mateo NE and Bosque West at 2220 Unser NW, which both opened last year, according to company blog posts. The closures are effective immediately, Bosque spokesperson Natasha Souther told the Journal Monday. 

Bosque officials said the move, which will affect 32 employees, was a “difficult decision.” The company said the closures allow it to “focus our resources better and support the long-term health of the organization.”

The Albuquerque closures come just a week after Bosque shuttered its two Santa Fe locations — which affected 26 employees — and several weeks after the company filed for Chapter 11 protection, a bankruptcy process that allows a business to remain operational while restructuring its finances through a plan approved by the court and the company’s creditors. 

The October filing showed the Albuquerque-based brewer had accrued $10 million to $50 million in liabilities compared with less than $10 million in assets and roughly 190 unsecured creditors.

Filings continued in November when Bosque co-owners Gabriel Jensen and Jotham Michnovicz each filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which involves selling assets to repay creditors.

The bankruptcies halted a court case in which a New Mexico limited liability company filed a complaint against Bosque Brewing Co. for failing to pay more than $67,000 in rent for property in Santa Fe as of Oct. 1, court records show.

The Chapter 7 filings did not change the company’s Chapter 11 status or process, which Bosque leaders expect to fulfill by February, said Bosque co-owner and chief operating officer Jess Griego. 

Before the filings and subsequent closures, Bosque had established a statewide footprint of 11 stores across Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Santa Fe and several brand names, including Restoration Pizza and The Drinkery. Bosque now has seven locations — five in Albuquerque and two in Las Cruces.

The company is also a majority owner of Smothered, a brunch eatery with two locations in Albuquerque, including one lone-standing store on Central Avenue and one that shares space with a Bosque taproom on the city’s West Side. Bosque opened the latter in recent weeks, launching a dual-restaurant concept officials hope will further maximize its leased space amid the Chapter 11 restructuring.

Opening Smothered at the Cottonwood Public House taproom isn’t the only creative experiment Bosque has explored this year. A few months ago, Bosque partnered with Marble Brewery, which now handles the brewing, production and distribution of Bosque’s core beers.

Bosque continues to sell its products in stores across New Mexico — one of many states experiencing a contraction hitting craft beer markets across the country. Griego has said the ability to pivot and adapt will be essential for companies like Bosque to persevere through the coming years.

Though the industry is changing, Bosque officials said the company remains “deeply rooted” in Albuquerque and Las Cruces and “committed to navigating this restructuring process with care and transparency” in hopes of creating a more sustainable future for the New Mexico brewer, its employees and customers.

“San Mateo and Bosque West were meaningful parts of our Albuquerque presence, and we are thankful to the guests and neighbors who supported these public houses over the years,” Bosque officials said in a statement. “While these locations were not able to continue operating sustainably, the relationships built there will always be part of our story.”