WinterBrew 2026 expands with 18 breweries, heated patio

With the holidays in the rearview mirror and a few months of cold weather still on the horizon, it seems that WinterBrew 2026 arrives at just the right time to provide a diversion for beer-loving New Mexicans.

Entering its 14th year, WinterBrew is, along with the summer IPA Challenge, one of the longest-running events held by the New Mexico Brewers Guild. Not only is it a catalyst behind NMBG fundraising efforts, but it’s a chance for people to get out during what is typically a more quiet time of year.

“We purposely have this event during one of the slowest quarters of the year because we’re not trying to compete with any of the events that the breweries might be putting on themselves,” Ebbie Edmonston, NMBG executive director, said. “So this is really just a way to get people to come out, maybe try beer from some breweries that you haven’t been to before.

“And yeah, it’s still winter. The holidays might be, quote unquote, ‘over,’ but there’s still reasons to get out and do stuff. So we’re just trying to kind of fill the slow calendar season with something to do.”

By moving food trucks to a heated outdoor patio, the latest iteration will be able to expand from 16 to 18 participating breweries. The breweries will remain indoors at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.

“We’ve used this venue for multiple years, but it’s the first time that we have tried to do a patio,” Edmonston said. “… We love the venue so much, but it just gets really congested. So we are trying to figure out a way to help ease that congestion. We figured by moving the food outside and offering a little bit more space, hopefully, people would kind of spread out.”

WinterBrew typically sells out each year, and Edmonston anticipates approximately 1,000 people — including brewery representatives — will be in attendance over the course of the four-hour period. Given the season, there will be a prevalent theme regarding the beers that are served.

“So there’s always going to be like a winter warmer — porters and stouts and barley wines,” Edmonston said. “All of those big beers that are ripe for the cold climate. Of course, there’s going to be lagers and IPAs as well. The breweries are told to put on the rarer beers at the very start, so that VIP session at 5 p.m., that’s when the most rare beers will be tapped. And then hopefully there’s still some left over for the general admission. That’s definitely the perk of having that VIP ticket.”

Entry — whether it’s VIP, general admission or late admission — comes with a 16-sample ticket, a full-pour ticket and a commemorative 2026 WinterBrew glass, which was designed by Second Street Brewery’s Mariah Cameron Scee. Coat check will be offered at the event, and for those who purchased tickets by Jan. 9, there will be a raffle to award two attendees with a special necklace that allows them to skip the lines at each respective brewery.