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Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. President and CEO Shyla Sheppard was tending to some yardwork on an otherwise ordinary Tuesday when a flurry of Instagram notifications interrupted her clipping and pruning.

It was a welcome distraction, as dozens of Bow & Arrow followers tagged and messaged the business and its owners to congratulate them on earning a spot as one of this year’s James Beard finalists for best bar in the U.S.

“It’s still sinking in. We are so thrilled to be recognized and just really excited,” said Sheppard, who co-founded Bow & Arrow with her wife, Missy Begay, 10 years ago.

Bow & Arrow was one of two New Mexico awardees that the James Beard Foundation announced as 2026 finalists on Tuesday. The other is Chef Steve Riley of Mesa Provisions.

“I’m very grateful,” Riley said, adding he learned of the news from another Albuquerque chef who messaged him. “It’s quite a surprise to me, but it’s amazing.”

The annual awards recognize chefs and restaurants from across the country who the foundation says “embody exceptional talent and leadership within the independent restaurant industry.”

The list of finalists comes two months after the foundation announced this year’s semifinalists. That first round featured six local restaurants and chefs, including Daydream Rum Bar, The Burque Bakehouse, Bow & Arrow Brewing Co., Steve Riley, Graham Dodds, and Danny Calleros.

Bow & Arrow and Riley, both in Albuquerque, are now one step closer to receiving one of the nation’s top culinary honors. The foundation will reveal and celebrate the winners at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 15 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight hailed the news Tuesday, saying this year’s finalists “reflect the talent, creativity and resilience that make New Mexico such a special food destination.”

Wight also commended U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who received a James Beard Impact Award for his work in shaping U.S. hunger, agriculture, climate change and land-use policy.

“My work to protect and improve federal nutrition programs is driven by the folks back home in New Mexico working tirelessly to fight hunger in our communities every day,” Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, said. “To these advocates in New Mexico and across the country — thank you for informing the work I do.”

It is Bow & Arrow’s first time as a finalist, after being named a semifinalist in 2024. Riley, on the other hand, is a repeat finalist from 2024.

Bow & Arrow is representing New Mexico in the “Outstanding Bar” category, sharing the national spotlight with four other bars in Pennsylvania, California, Arkansas and Oregon. Riley is being recognized in the “Best Chef: Southwest” category, competing against four other chefs in Nevada and Oklahoma.

“I think it says a lot about the talent we have here,” Sheppard said. “We have such a rich history and culture here in New Mexico, and I think we are very much inspired by that.”

Sheppard launched Bow & Arrow in 2016 after decades of working at a social impact investing firm, aiming to bring her experience as an Indigenous woman into the craft beer industry. Now, with taprooms in Albuquerque and Farmington, Bow & Arrow incorporates Indigenous ingredients into its Southwest-inspired beers, including some sour options.

Being a smaller business owner in a “highly competitive” industry that has experienced contraction in recent years has been challenging, Sheppard said. But the brewery’s team and a genuine joy for the craft have kept the business going, she added.

“Day in, day out, we love what we’re doing. We work really hard and we strive to be exceptional,” she said. “This is definitely a milestone in our journey.”

With this being Riley’s second time as a finalist, he’s hoping to take it all the way this year and become the first Albuquerque chef to be named a “Best Chef” winner — but the moment goes beyond just him, he said.

“I think it helps solidify my whole team’s work,” Riley said. “It says my name on there, but this does not happen with just me. The only way this happens is with my entire team, and it is everybody’s joint work together that really makes this possible.”

Riley started Mesa Provisions, an upscale New American restaurant in Nob Hill, in 2021. The venture has grown in popularity since then, prompting Riley to relocate the restaurant to the larger, former Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro space last year.

Riley’s journey to becoming an award-winning chef started with his late mother, who saw the joy Riley got from cooking and pushed him to pursue it.

“She really is one of the people who kind of told me, ‘You can do this,’” Riley said. “I don’t think she ever really got to see me become the chef I have, but I think she would be very, very proud.”

For both Riley and Bow & Arrow, the James Beard recognition has prompted them to take a moment to look at what they’ve built and breathe out a sigh of relief for making it work in an industry Riley described as “sometimes a little unforgiving.”

It’s also a moment for the Duke City to relish as well, he said.

“I think it’s about time that Albuquerque gets a little bit of recognition,” Riley said.

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.