Restaurant
Unclaimed profileSteel Bender Brewyard
Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Steel Bender Brewyard runs a serious house beer program: a New Mexican IPA dry-hopped with four hop varieties, a double IPA with lychee and guava notes, and a raspberry kettle sour share the taplist with rotating German-style lagers. Wines stay local with Casa Rondeña and Milagro offerings by glass or bottle. Canned cocktails from Safe House Distilling cover the mixed-drink niche. A brewpub that treats its own beer as the main event.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Brewyard IPA, dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Centennial, and Amarillo for orange zest and pine. For more punch, the Mañana DIPA brings lychee and guava. If you prefer tart, the Raspberry Dynamite kettle sour is brewed with raspberry puree.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Beer drinkers will find plenty of range, especially IPA fans—the lineup includes a double IPA and a black IPA, and customers frequently praise the hop-focused flavors. Wine drinkers can stay local with Casa Rondeña and Milagro selections.
- What should I expect to spend?
- House beers run $6.50 to $7.50 a glass; rotating taps are $7 to $8. Canned cocktails are $9 each. Wines by the glass start at $7 for a mimosa and $9 for a Viognier, with bottles up to $52.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The beer list is built around house IPAs using local ingredients, including the Brewyard IPA's New Mexican hop bill. The wine list stays equally regional, featuring only New Mexico producers like Casa Rondeña and Milagro. Canned cocktails come from local Safe House Distilling.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Cocktails come exclusively as canned offerings from Safe House Distilling: a blueberry lavender lemonade, a cherry limeade, and a margarita with salt rim. Each is $9 and served with a citrus wedge.
Menu strengths
- — Local distillery connection gives the canned format a regional angle.
- — Three distinct flavor profiles cover fruity and classic margarita territory.
Standout selections
- — Mariachis Margarita, a canned cocktail with lime wedge and salt rim.
- — Teller Blueberry Lavender Lemonade, served with lemon wedge.
Pricing: $9 per can
Wine
The wine list is entirely New Mexico–focused, with whites, reds, bubbly, and rosé from Casa Rondeña and Milagro. Pours come in 6-oz or 9-oz glasses, plus full or half bottles. Prices stay accessible.
Menu strengths
- — All wines are from New Mexico producers, giving the list a strong local identity.
- — Offered by the glass in two sizes, making single pours flexible.
Standout selections
- — Casa Rondeña Viognier, a white wine at $9 for 6 oz.
- — Mission Cabernet, a red wine available by glass or bottle.
Pricing: Glasses $7–$18; bottles $21–$52
Beer
House-made beers span IPAs, a wheat beer, a pilsner, a kolsch-style ale, a lager, an amber, and a raspberry sour. Rotating taps include a German-style lager. Customers consistently praise the IPA selection, including double IPAs and black IPAs.
Menu strengths
- — Deep IPA program with detailed hop profiles and rotating double and black IPAs.
- — Range of styles from a kolsch-style ale to a raspberry kettle sour.
- — Customers call out standout stouts and a pumpkin beer as exceptional.
Standout selections
- — Brewyard IPA, dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Centennial, and Amarillo.
- — Mañana DIPA with Bravo, Citra, and Lotus hops.
- — Raspberry Dynamite, a kettle sour brewed with raspberry puree.
Pricing: House beers $6.50–$7.50; 6-packs $11–$13; rotating $7–$8
Nonalcoholic
Non-alcoholic options include Athletic Brewing Non-Alcoholic beer, with the current selection available upon request. A root beer float is also offered.
Menu strengths
- — Athletic Brewing is a recognized non-alcoholic craft beer brand.
- — The root beer float adds a dessert-style non-alcoholic option.
Standout selections
- — Athletic Brewing Non-Alcoholic beer, ask server for current selection.
Pricing: Not listed
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