NM Brewers Guild IPA Challenge finals are set for July 26 — find out who made the cut

Hops enthusiasts are abound in the Land of Enchantment, so it’s no surprise that securing top honors in the annual IPA Challenge is kind of a big deal.

The New Mexico Brewers Guild has been handing out trophies to IPA Challenge winners since 2002. Competition is more fierce than ever in the latest iteration, with 16 breweries vying for first place in a contest that concludes on Saturday, July 26, over three two-hour sessions (noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.) at Canteen Brewhouse. The first two rounds of the competition took place on July 12 at the Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing in Santa Fe and on July 19 at Icebox Brewing in Las Cruces.

“It’s huge bragging rights,” Ebbie Edmonston, NMBG executive director, said. “Just like how if you look at the Great American Beer Fest or World Beer Cup, the IPA category is one of the biggest entered categories that they have.

“So it means a lot to be the king of IPAs. And even if it’s just for a year, that’s something you get to brag about and something you get to put on social media, make T-shirts, just live it up. Because for whatever reason, the IPA is still king and people are going to come. They’re going to want to try that beer.”

The competition began with 28 entries being narrowed down to 16 semifinalists in a brewers-only tasting event held at Gravity Bound Brewing — last year’s IPA Challenge winner — on July 5. It’s all business during these preliminary rounds.

“It is really quiet,” Edmonston said. “The way that we do it is we break them into four judging tables. And it’s a double-blind tasting, so nobody knows what they’re drinking. But we do take the extra step to make sure that each of the breweries that submitted a beer, they aren’t going to be sampling their own beer at that table.

“So it’s really quiet because all the breweries are taking it very seriously. I also discourage what we call table talk. I don’t want a brewer to talk about the beer on the first sip they have of it. I want them to go through their flight, make their notes, and then once everybody at that table has gone through the flight, that’s when table talk is open and you can start talking about it. Because I don’t want the conversation, like one person’s opinion, to sway other people.”

When the IPA Challenge switches to public judges, the same principle of blind tasting applies. By the time the final round reaches the Duke City, those who buy a ticket to participate will be aware of the standings, but the ultimate result will be about taste — not brewery preference.

“It really is one of those competitions where it’s just the taste test is what’s important,” Edmonston said. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, I love this one brewery and they have my loyalty.’ You don’t know whose beer you’re drinking, so just tell me if you like it or not.”

Many breweries like to go into the lab and submit a one-off entry for the challenge. Last year, for example, Gravity Bound was victorious with its Monic, a hazy IPA that was created specifically for the event.

Those who purchase a ticket will receive a commemorative pint glass, samples from all 16 finalists, and a full pint of their choice. Perhaps most importantly, they’ll have a hand in determining the state’s best IPA — at least for this year.

“I use it like a test to see what the public is interested in at any given time,” Edmonston said. “I think the brewery should really, on the back side, take that into account … (For example) you might not necessarily like a heavy IPA, but obviously the public does.

“So maybe try that out, test it out and see if you can make a good one going into the IPA season. We do it in July every year. So the breweries should hopefully have a good recipe in their arsenal.”