Experience before you go . . .
Have you ever heard of Marfa, Texas? And yes that's pronounced Mar Fa and it's very important you get the Fa or else you might be looked at as being a foreigner.....as in not being from Texas.
My older brother Larry who lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and his life long best pal Tim who lives in the Phoenix area chose Marfa to meet because it was smack dab in the middle! Just like the song, "Smack Dab in the Middle" by Proto-Punk band member Buster Poindexter. And get this....once Marfa was chosen as the local, Tim finds out that his niece Micelle and her
husband own some property in Marfa and one is a 7 bedroom, 4 bath boarding house that usually rents for a grand a nite but we’re staying for free.....I like free, don't know too many folks that don't. So anyhow I'm getting ahead of myself, we visited Spotted Dog Brewery on the drive to Marfa, and we stopped in Las Cruces New Mexico for a wonderful evening of eating authentic Mexican food and stopping at the Spotted Dog.
Now Spotted Dog Brewery like many breweries across the country in this pandemic has had to be flexible, follow the mandatory rules of engagement and then try to still focus on the customer who ultimately decides their fate. Now for years the number of breweries across the country has been doubling, tripling maybe even a quad-tripling with the guesstimate as of two years ago being around 10,000. And since the pandemic has been so brutally hard on small businesses it's always inspiring to see a thriving survivor such as Spotted Dog Brewery. Once inside Spotted there were two or three tables with 6 feet between them and then directly to the bar which had no barstools and a sign saying order here. Now as you know from reading previous tours that barstools are my warm and fuzzy place so it's been kind of tough to adjust during this crazy year. Now with limited inside seating most of the beer connoisseurs were outside on the front porch sitting in kind of a fenced in area with nice tables and of course 6 feet apart.
So as I was ordering the beer from Adrian our friendly bartender, Kat was outside marking her territory no pun intended being since the place is called Spotted Dog. So out the window I see Kat has found a table with two chairs. I ordered a Spotted Dog flight consisting of four luscious very refined cold, 4 ounce craft beers, that Kat and I would share. I started with the Irish Red Ale - Pale Ale (6.4%, 25 IBU), next up was the Belgium Wit - Wheat Ale (6.5%, 28 IBU), followed by the Yokie Pale Ale (6.7%) and bringing up the rear we had the I.P.A. (7.1%). Now as we sat at our table drinking our beers, right next to us and of course 6 feet apart there was another table with two couples and a very cute cattle dog occupying the 6 feet space between the tables. As I reached out to pet the puppy dog he lunged towards me and proceeded to scratch my right forearm. I said, "No problem I've cut myself worse shaving".... as blood starts to form and proceeds to run down my forearm and off my elbow. Apply pressure, apply pressure is what Kat said as I was ahead of her with a paper napkin in route. After a few minutes everything was fine as we continued to drink beer and enjoy the Dog.
It was September 2014, the Spotted Dog Brewery opened, run by Jerry and his wife, Susan. The brewery is named after Ryleigh, the family's bluetick hound. Their beers have been enjoyed in many states by family and friends, from California to New York.
Spotted Dog is a local favorite as the friendly smiling customers prove that to be true. If you're ever driving through Las Cruces New Mexico please stop a minute and have a cold craft beer at Spotted Dog Brewery. It’ll make an lasting impression, quench your thirst and you’ll wanna come back again.
Until next time and remember.....
Go get'cha one!!!
