<\/p>\n
FARMINGTON \u2013 When you enter Lauter Haus Brewing Co., it\u2019s easy to wonder if you\u2019ve traveled back in time. Neon lights flicker behind the taps, pinball machines line the walls, bold graffiti catches the eye, brightly colored furniture is scattered throughout, and cornhole boards line the far wall. It\u2019s casual, fun and reminiscent of the 1970s and \u201980s, experienced in a 21st century world that seems filled with reboots and sequels.<\/p>\n
But Lauter Haus<\/a>, which opened on the north side in late October, is a welcome original in a town of more than 45,000 people that for the past couple of decades has boasted one brewery.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no place like it in Farmington,\u201d Varissa Dehoyos said. Dehoyos and her friend, Stephanie Archuleta, said they like to visit the brewery after working out at the nearby gym. \u201cThe bartenders know you when you first walk in, and there\u2019s stuff to do,\u201d she said, referencing the pinball machines, dartboard and cornhole boards.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the vibe owner and brewmaster Brandon Beard wanted to cultivate. As craft breweries pop up throughout the Southwest, owners have more freedom to define their niche. Beard chose an aesthetic influenced by nostalgia for the \u201970s and \u201980s out of a desire to be \u201ccompletely different from anything in Farmington.\u201d<\/p>\n Antonio Martinz, who was visiting the bar for the first time, said the atmosphere was an unexpected draw. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty chill,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Beard also knows how to cultivate good brews. For the past 15 years, he worked as a bartender and head brewer at Three Rivers Brewery before leaving in January to establish Lauter Haus.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t go into it blind,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n But the process hasn\u2019t been without struggle. The 2019 government shutdown, which lasted 40 days, delayed federal licensing, pushing the July opening into autumn.<\/p>\n Beard\u2019s fondness for nostalgia didn\u2019t stop with the pinballs and graffiti. Although he appreciates a good IPA, he wants to expand beer options beyond the popular beer of the moment. \u201cI\u2019m going to try to revamp or bring back styles that are classic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n This includes German-style lagers. The name of the brewery originates from the \u201clautering\u201d process \u2013 separating the mash into the clear liquid wort and the residual grain \u2013 and is a nod to Beard\u2019s love of German brews. \u201cI want to be a German-influenced brewery as much as I can,\u201d he said, adding he hopes to have at least three German beers on tap.<\/p>\n He likes the challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I grew as a brewer, I learned that lagers are the hardest beers to make because you can\u2019t hide anything behind the hops,\u201d Beard said.<\/p>\n The brewery has been busy its first month, especially on weekends. \u201cWhen there\u2019s not very many bars in town, they\u2019re going to find you,\u201d he said. But to help ease the transition from new business to a community staple, he plans a monthly teacher appreciation night and regular pinball tournaments with Durango Pinball<\/a>. Although the brewery doesn\u2019t serve food, a couple of local food trucks park outside, and Beard said customers may bring their own food.<\/p>\n The growth of Farmington\u2019s craft brewery scene reflects \u201ccommunity-based\u201d growth in New Mexico, according to Leah Black, executive director of New Mexico Brewers Guild. Many brewers consult one another, and some breweries collaborated.<\/p>\n While the brewers guild has 81 members, more than half are in Albuquerque, Black said. But breweries are popping up in small communities that previously didn\u2019t have much of a craft brewery scene.<\/p>\n