New Mexico’s craft beer industry grapples with Bosque Brewing closure, industry headwinds

When Bosque Brewing Co. filed for bankruptcy last fall, the New Mexico craft beer scene rooted for the company to pull through, said Ebbie Edmonston, executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild.

Last week, the brewer announced it was closing its six remaining taprooms statewide after a federal judge threw out the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, which would have allowed Bosque to continue operations while it repaid its debts. 

“The ultimate decision from the judge — that was surprising, but we did kind of see the trail leading up to this,” Edmonston said.

Times are tough for the craft beer industry. More than 434 breweries nationwide shut down last year, due in part to the rising cost of doing business and the changing drinking habits of Americans, according to the Brewers Association, a Colorado-based trade group.

Local brewers and craft beer lovers say that the loss of Bosque is indicative of deeper challenges.

“Tariffs, inflation and the changing drinking habits of consumers, particularly young people — I think it’s all played a part,” said Chris Jackson, who runs the blog New Mexico Dark Side Brew Crew under the name “Stoutmeister.”

The company’s bankruptcy filings showed Bosque had accrued $10 million to $50 million in liabilities, compared with less than $10 million in assets and roughly 190 unsecured creditors.

Bosque’s rapid expansion across the state led some in the industry to speculate on whether the owners were racking up debts, though nobody anticipated that its debts were as substantial as they were, Jackson said.

“It’s just sort of a sad, cautionary little tale about, sometimes there’s such a thing as getting too ambitious. Just from the outside looking in, that seemed to be what happened here,” Jackson said. “You don’t rack up that much debt in like, two or three years.”

Management at Bosque did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday, though Natasha Souther, the brewer’s now-former spokesperson, said last week that the closures were a result of the court’s decision to dismiss Bosque’s bankruptcy case.

“Bosque has been built on community, and we are forever grateful to everyone who supported our taprooms, shared a pint with us, and made our spaces feel like home,” the company said in a social media post.

When the company filed for bankruptcy in October, Souther told the Journal that Bosque intended to restructure its finances while keeping its locations open.

In early December, Bosque closed locations in Santa Fe — a bar called The Drinkery and a Restoration Pizza restaurant — before shuttering two Albuquerque locations the following week. Bosque closed the rest of its locations during Christmas week. 

“It’s an interesting situation in that Bosque was pretty upfront with the struggles they were facing,” Edmonston said. 

Bosque beers will continue to be offered in stores and will be brewed at Marble Brewery in Albuquerque, the company said on its website. Bosque announced the partnership with Marble before the closures in September.

“As difficult as it is to see the Bosque taprooms close, we’re grateful for the opportunity to keep Bosque beer alive and available in stores across New Mexico,” said Jarrett Babincsak, a Marble managing partner, in a statement. “Bosque has meant a lot to this city, and keeping it brewed locally is our way of honoring that connection and the community that built it.”

Babincsak said Marble had hired some of Bosque’s production team to help with the brewing. Marble will continue to brew Elephants on Parade, Scotia, Salt Money, Up North, Riverwalker, and Weekend Trails — beers from the Bosque repertoire.

In 2025, brewery closings outpaced openings nationally for the second year in a row and openings declined for the fourth consecutive year, according to a December report from the Brewers Association. 

Craft beer production is down slightly, too. As of July, the group reported that American breweries had produced 5% less beer than the year before.

“The tariffs are impacting all of your costs — your kegs, your fermenters, your ingredients. The cost of labor has definitely gone up,” Edmonston said.

Whether driven by a focus on health and wellness or a lack of disposable income, Gen Z is also drinking less and opting for other drinks instead of craft beer when they do.

“I think a lot of the 20-somethings probably aren’t going out anymore. It’s not because they don’t want to go out and have a drink,” Jackson said. “It’s because they’ve got to pay rent and car insurance and stuff like that first.”

Industry contractions nationwide have an extra effect on small businesses that don’t have the same large volume margins as big chains, said Scott Salvas, owner of Brew Lab 101, a Rio Rancho-based brewery that opened an Albuquerque location in late 2023.

Salvas is offering free one-year memberships to Brew Lab 101 for members of the Bosque Rewards Club.

“I think everyone was surprised when one of the largest breweries in the state closed,” Salvas said. “It’s certainly sad (for) everyone in the community.”