Porter at Albuquerque brewery wins national award

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For seven years, Starr Brothers Brewing has been brewing beer in New Mexico. This year, their porter is getting some national attention.

From a full kitchen to local craft beers, Starr Brothers Brewing prides itself on having a little something for everyone.

“Having the ability to come in our place and get served food and craft beer in the same place, welcome sports fans with the TVs and that sort of thing,” said John Starr.

Starr and his wife, Heather, started out in the business just as the New Mexico beer scene was taking flight.

“As a whole, it is a very collegial community where everybody is very accepting of each other,” Starr said. “We have the ability to call our friends down the road when we need a box of hops or something we need that they have, that we ran short on.”

Now, they’re turning heads with their Lampshade Porter that just won big at the World Beer Cup.

“This year it was in the U.S. in Nashville, and we got word last night through text and that sort of thing that we won a silver medal for our porter,” Starr said.

The cup brought in big competition, with more than 10,000 entries. Their porter came out on top out of 66 entries in the strong porter category.

“To be a winner alongside the folks that did win this time is great company,” Starr said. “There’s some really, really good breweries around town that didn’t win in this particular contest and that doesn’t say anything about them – there are some great beers and some great breweries that have won a whole lot of medals.”

Win or lose, Starr says they’re always in good company and looking forward to the next competition.