Sunday 12th of June 2011 10:59:42 PM

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Stopped in Las Cruces on the way to San Diego for the National Homebrewing Conference with two buddies. It's nothing fancy but the beers were great and the prices were good too. We had an American Pale, IPA, Brown Ale, Bohemian Pilsner, Wheat Ale and a Barleywine. We especially like the APA and the IPA followed by the Brown Ale, BoPils, Wheat and the barleywine. The barleywine may be a little young but it was tasty. We shared a large plate of nachos which the three of couldn't finish.
It's a great little neighborhood brewpub. Wish I had one like this close to my house.

Wednesday 11th of May 2011 07:54:36 PM

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Pulling into Las Cruces, the last stop before bedding down and crossing into Arizona manana, we discovered two (2) brewpubs in town.

High Desert got rave reviews (here @ Beer Mapping) so we decided THAT was the place.

As Indiana Jones was told in "Last Crusade", we chose wisely.

10 beers on tap including a seasonal (although a bit "off-season) Oktoberfest which was delightful and a delicious brown that might give Moose Drool a run for its money. They make a Scotch which wasn't available (dammit!) but a WONderful American Pale Ale. I thought the Wheat was much too dry and grainy, the Peach Wheat left me with an "eh" feeling, the IPA a good introduction to that type but not quite hoppy enough and the Porter was a bit too watery.

Now my biggest complaint is apparently not many ask to sample all their beer so I was given approximately 2-ish ounces in small plastic "ketchup" cups so, although I could savor the aroma, it was impossible to judge the legs or lace. Perhaps they don't have 2 or 4 oz. glasses. If that's the case, they need to purchase some. I want to enjoy everything about a beer wherever I go. Otherwise I feel a bit cheated.

The food (almost all of it) was infused with green chiles so, just to be ornery (and live up to my name), I ordered the regular chili which still packed a good wallop along w/ the jalapeno corn bread.

Our server (who was outstanding) explained that the other brewpub listed actually did not brew their own beer but brought it in from "Santa Fe" he thought...so High Desert is the only place in town.

The atmosphere was very laid back -- the building had character but a bit small and they could do more with the decor but I didn't go there to admire there photos and memorabilia. I went there to drink beer.

I was not disappointed.

Monday 15th of February 2010 08:29:51 PM

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Take it from a local. Try this place.

While Las Cruces, New Mexico may not be the best town to acquire a good brew, it does contain, in my opinion one of the gems of New Mexico's brewing industry.

Upon walking into the cozy, uniquely styled, adobe brewpub, one gets the immediate feeling that there might not be the best selection on tap. It's a welcome surprise when you hear that theres an annual selection of around 25 beers, not to mention that the current selection is any one of 11 wonderful craft beers. For my selection, I tried the holiday ale, a full-bodied ale with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon hidden under a great head. I also sampled their Irish Red which is a paragon of its style, no exaggeration. Last, and this is just because I love to see how off they can be, I tried the porter. While not the absolute best I've ever had, still quite an amazing treat for the distinguishing palate.
Moving on to the place itself. A little cozier than most brewpubs, High Desert Brewing Co promises a delightful mix of great local music, a friendly, welcoming clientele, and great service. Were I to give the owner a single tip, it would be to expand the seating area to accommodate more people.
One of the greatest things you will find when revisiting the High Desert Brewing Co a few times is it's great food menu. The green chile cheeseburger is to die for, they have the largest platter of (in my experience, delicious)nachos I have ever seen, and sweet potato fries which will compliment any brew selection in the house.

I give High Desert, with no reservations, my absolute endorsement.

Friday 1st of January 2010 01:35:24 AM

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Not a lot to add that hasn't been said already. A really good variety of beers on tap (10+), especially for a place this size. Over the past couple weeks I've managed to try most all of them, and I really like most of them. Some "standards" sit right alongside some really nice beers that you don't get to see at small breweries all the time. Highly recommend the Barleywine, Octoberfest, IPA, Irish Red, and for a full on Christmas in a glass, the Holiday Ale. That one is over the top! Only ate here a couple of times, but the food was always good. Nice to see all the veggie options! Sun/Mon they have a happy hour from 5-7 with $2.50 pints. Good bluegrass once in a while too. Atmosphere leaves a little to be desired... I don't need fancy, but this place has an authentic hole in the wall feel to it. Not sure if the place has gone downhill since the other folks reviewed the place, but there's NO WAY I'd give 'em a passing grade on ambiance. I think they could do more with the space they've got with a little effort. I do think the beer makes up for it, but my score drops a bit because of it.

Wednesday 29th of July 2009 12:47:46 AM

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This week was my second trip to High Desert Brewing Co. in about a years time. I found it last year thanks to BeerMapping.com and I made it a point to stop again this time. AS with last time the beer and company were great. Tight place, but everyone gets along.
This go around I had the IPA and the Octoberfest, both were good but the IPA seemed a tad off this visit. In talking wit hthe wait staff they attributed it to the increase in brewing capacity might have altered the mix this batch. Noe the less a good beer if not more of an APA. The Octoberfest was dead on. Light brown, malty, with a hop balance.

I also ordered food this time and it was alright. I'm a sucker for green chili, so how could you go wrong with green chili/cheese fries! The green chili stew was a new take on a classic to me. It had more veggies than pork for my taste, but it was still a good stew.

Wednesday 2nd of April 2008 05:15:20 PM

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This has become my favorite brewpub in New Mexico. Very homey, local atmosphere, good beers and excellent food.
The place is really obscure and hard to find. On a residential street on the outskirts of town, it appears as if it's actually part of an apartment complex. It's very small, so it fills up quickly, especially on busier nights.
Beer: good selection. The IPA is decent, one of the better porters I've had in the Southwest, and their lighter stuff is even good. They have samplers, but the bartender will you give you a few tastes if you're nice about it.
Food: my favorite is the nachos, which is enormous and made with Velveeta. The sandwiches are also all excellent and come with the option (for an extra charge) of sweet potato fries. And, of course, it wouldn't be New Mexico if there weren't green chiles on almost every menu item.
There's live music (nothing too loud because of the size of the place) on Saturday nights, starting about 8pm.

Sunday 30th of March 2008 08:29:18 AM

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was in almamogordo, and decided to hop over and see some of the sights in las cruces, including the brewery.

decent selection of beers on tap, all served a little too cold for my tastes. my favorite was the barleywine, which you couldn't get in a sampler or a pint, but only in an 8oz glass.

the wife got a plate of vegetables, which had a nice array of fresh veggies, pita, and hummus. other people in the bar section were ordering nice looking hamburgers and other pub food.

the brewery was a little off the beaten path, and either wasn't well marked or i wasn't paying attention, because it took two tries to find.

Friday 28th of March 2008 03:05:14 PM

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This is a comfortable local’s pub with a small L-shaped bar and additional table seating in two adjacent rooms. As previously reviewed, there are 11 house brews on tap and I enjoyed the Anniversary Ale (DIPA), the Irish Red and the Imperial Stout. All were very good but not exceptional. But, you gotta like a place whose motto is “None of Our Beers Suck”. From my sample, I’d say it’s true. There is a small kitchen and the southwest flavor of the menu looked interesting, but I was between a big lunch and an upcoming dinner reservation. All in all, it’s a great little brewpub and I’ll stop in again when I get the chance.

Tuesday 27th of November 2007 04:36:46 PM

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This is the last brewpub on my I-25 tour from Las Cruces to Buffalo, Wy. The brewpub is located in a unpretentious building off a main road and within 2 miles of I-25. They brew 25 or so beer and have 11 taps. When I was there 10 beers were on tap, from wheats to barely wines. One gage of the sophistication of the patrons is the most popular beers. I am glad to say the IPA and APA were the top sellers.

The bar/brewery holds 56, is low ceilinged with exposed beams with 600 or so coasters hanging from them. If one can find a duplicate coaster, one gets a free pint. I was in the pub for 2 hrs at noon with about 10 or so other people. The ‘regulars’ come in about 4pm( it is after 5 somewhere).

The sweet aroma of a wort boiling occasionally wafted across the bar. The brewer, Bill took time from his duties to chat with me about the beers. (One of 4 brewers, Matt (head brewer), Dave, Andreas and Bob, semi retired owner.) They brew every other day. Plans are to expand the brew facilities.

I had 6 of the beers on tap, Peach wheat, IPA, APA, Irish Red, Stout and Barley Ale. All were faultless, but a little to the middle of the style. All were very drinkable, the Irish Red would be a really great beer to drink a lot. The Peach Wheat had a really clean wonderful peach nose. Stout looked great, creamy head (CO2 charged) dark, sweet.

I had only one of the food items, a green chile stew. It was ….er… intense, but very good. The prices on the menu were reasonable as was the beer price. Donna is food manager.

All in all, I would recommend High Desert. It is a local bar, with good beer, friendly staff, and good food.

Mike Kiester