PIGGING OUT!
Pork & Brew offers the best in barbecue and beers
Get high on the hog during one of Rio Rancho’s biggest events, Pork & Brew.
Dig into barbecued and smoked eats from about 10 barbecue vendors, as well as ice cream and other non-barbecue treats from several other vendors. Wash it down with a mixed drink or domestic beer available inside the Star Center or yummy local craft beer from Cazuela’s Brewery, Red Door Brewing Co. and Tractor Brewing Co.
This year, Tractor canned its Big Sipper IPA featuring the Pork & Brew logo on its label.
“Tractor has been a great partner for us,” said Alex Archuleta, Santa Ana Star Center’s director of marketing. “It’s called Big Sipper IPA, and it’s branded with the Pork & Brew logo. It has event information and all that on the back, which is nice. They’re selling it at the Total Wines, Smith’s stores and a couple other locations. That was a big added thing for the event, and it’s also publicity we can get out of that. Tractor has been great working with us on that because we’ve never done that before. We’re pretty happy about that.”
Eventgoers also have their chance to be on TV. One of the Cooking Channel’s most popular shows, “Carnival Eats,” will be filming both days and talking to vendors and guests.
There is not a barbecue competition at this year’s Pork & Brew, but there is still plenty to see and do. The event will feature 15 entertainment acts, including Bosque Blues, The Gershom Brothers, The Noms, Toby McBrooks, Twist & Shout and others. The Texas Rib Rangers, made up of world champion barbecue competitors Barbara and Bill Milroy, will be doing demonstrations from 3 to 4 p.m. both days of the event on how to make certain kinds of barbecue. Attendees also can watch the pig races and enjoy a petting zoo presented by Galloping Grace Youth Ranch.
“Their big thing is they teach kids how to raise livestock, grow crops, explore the outdoors,” Archuleta said of Galloping Grace. “They’re kind of a community enrichment program. I think a lot of kids are going to come that are going to be showing their animals at the Sandoval County Fair and the New Mexico State Fair as well.”