It’s been several months since I’ve posted and, although I both drank and thought about good beer, a move from Edmonton, Alberta to Albuquerque, New Mexico, took a great deal of time and most of my energy.

The immigration process including filling out long and complicated forms and making a trip to the west coast for a medical exam and to Montreal for the visa interview. Then there was sorting through, discarding, and then packing, and the 18 hundred mile trip from Edmonton to Albuquerque.

I did, during the process, have a chance to enjoy some good beer. After the medical exam I had a chance to visit two of my favorite Chuckanut Brewery in Bellingham, where I enjoyed one of the best Reuben sandwiches I’ve ever had and Will Kemper’s superb kolsch. Along with Mount Begbie’s kolsch, it’s one of the two best examples of the style I’ve ever tasted.

Then it was on to Victoria, where one of my visits was to Moon Under Water, where I enjoyed a fine pilsner, along with a very interesting and tasty chicken Caesar salad. In a city that has so many fine versions of English style beers, it’s a treat to enjoy a brewery that specializes in German styles. Well done, Clay Potter.

The long drive through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Northern New Mexico was broken by trips to award-winning breweries in Sheridan, Wyoming, and Fort Collins, Colorado, along with a side excursion to three breweries in northern New Mexico. I’ll be writing about these visits in upcoming posts.

My new home won’t be without exciting beer excursions. Albuquerque, the largest city south of Denver on Interstate 25, is the home of 12 microbreweries and brewpubs. In fact, I’ve recently signed a contract with the History Press to do a book called HIGH DESERT BEERS — THE MICROBREWERIES AND BREWPUBS OF NEW MEXICO.

Now that I’ve unpacked, I will be getting back to posting two or three times a month, focussing on breweries visited in my travels and Friday’s with Barley, a record of tastings of different beers.