Boxing Bear to open 2nd location Downtown
West Side brewery to expand next year with Central SW tap room
Boxing Bear Brewing Co. is expanding from its West Side Albuquerque location to a second spot in the Downtown area, head brewer Justin Hamilton said Tuesday.
Hamilton said the local brewery has signed a lease to take over the former 2,800-square-foot Five Star Burger at 1710 Central SW in West Downtown. The new location will be a taproom only but is partnering with neighboring business Amore Pizza.
“Since we just signed the lease, I see us opening late winter, early spring,” Hamilton said.
The location will offer 20 taps, which will allow Boxing Bear to create new beers for patrons to try.
“Right now we have 16 taps, but with the added four taps we can expand our product to offer aged brews and new stuff,” he said.
Hamilton said Downtown Albuquerque has always been a draw and is doing well enough to catch Boxing Bear’s attention.
“The feel of the area was a shoo-in for us …” Hamilton said.
Some of the added bonuses the new building offers, he said, are more accessible parking and added space.
“We will most likely be taking out the wall where the kitchen was and make room for a pool table or a foosball table since we don’t need a kitchen for this location,” he said.
It’s just the beginning of Boxing Bear’s plans to expand, Hamilton said.
“We are currently in talks to acquire an East Side location but haven’t set anything in stone,” he said. “The more beer we can produce, the more we can expand.”