Learn where you can find the limited-edition Zozobra 101 beer cans
The Burning of Zozobra is a longstanding tradition in Santa Fe that dates back more than a century.
The drinking of Zozobra, however, is just getting started.
Santa Fe Brewing Company and the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe have collaborated to unveil a special Zozobra beer that will be served in taprooms and canned for limited distribution at retailers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe leading up to the festival. The 101st Burning of Zozobra is scheduled for Aug. 29 at Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe.
In the past, Santa Fe Brewing sold its own beers at Zozobra. Last year marked the first official collaboration, with Santa Fe Brewing offering three beers on tap in conjunction with Kiwanis Club. The most popular of those, now dubbed Zozobra 101, is making a return with a special can featuring commemorative art of the giant marionette known as 鈥淥ld Man Gloom.鈥� The image was created by artist Jim Vogel, who is renowned for his paintings of New Mexico landscapes and culture.
Not only is the can eye-catching, but it has a different feel.
鈥淭he nice part about it is it gives some texture to the can,鈥� Brian Lock, Santa Fe Brewing CEO, said. 鈥淪o when you hold it, it almost feels like the graphic is raised a little bit because there鈥檚 kind of a thicker ink in that area.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 almost like three-dimensional in a way, because when you grab it, you feel some texture to the can. It鈥檚 really nice.鈥�
The beer itself is a dark Mexican lager, described in a press release as 鈥渃rafted to evoke the bold flavors of a Negra Modelo but with a little extra 鈥榦omph.鈥欌��
鈥淭he reason behind choosing that style this year is because we had such a great response from our regulars and all the customers that tried the three beers (at Zozobra last year) across the board,鈥� Lock said. 鈥淎nd the dark Mexican lager was by far the most people鈥檚 favorite.鈥�
According to Lock, approximately 500 cases will be distributed to grocery stores, liquor retailers and the Santa Fe Brewing taprooms. While those collectible cans will likely sell quickly, the beer is expected to be on tap at brewery locations all the way through the festival.
鈥淚f we need to, we鈥檒l probably brew another small batch just for kegs,鈥� Lock said. 鈥淭hat will get us through that time frame, and then also obviously (we will) be serving it at the actual burning.鈥�
The plan is to continue the collaboration in the years to come. For now, the dark lager is the favorite to remain the beer of choice.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 fully decided yet on the idea of changing the style of beer. We鈥檝e got such great feedback from this particular style that I鈥檓 leaning more and more towards just keeping it the same kind of style of beer because it鈥檚 been so well received 鈥攁nd people know what to expect every year,鈥� Lock said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 still going to be a limited run, so they can plan on releasing it around the same time. But definitely the can graphic will change. So there鈥檒l be a series of Zozobra (cans) that people can collect over the years.鈥�
A portion of the proceeds from the beer sales will go toward community initiatives supported by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to partner with Santa Fe Brewing to bring Zozobra into a new form that showcases both our local artistry and community spirit,鈥� Ray Sandoval, Zozobra event chairman of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, said in a release. 鈥淭his collaboration is a celebration of our city鈥檚 vibrant culture, and we鈥檙e excited to share it with the community and beyond.鈥�
