Skip to main content

NM Fermentation Festival - Funny Name, Fun Time

Move over, Balloon Fiesta. Albuquerque has another up-and-coming event that you won't want to miss. 

My husband and I were pleasantly surprised to discover that the New Mexico Fermentation Festival, in its 4th year and the first of its kind in the Southwest, is popular with locals and tourists alike. It's sponsored by edible New Mexico and is held at the Gutiérrez-Hubbell House, which is dense with cottonwood trees and is a lovely place to spend a Saturday with or without a festival.

NM Fermentation Festival
What the heck is a fermentation festival? You know we're big fans of New Mexico wine festivalsbeer festivals, and even green chile cheeseburger and wagyu beef festivals. (Yay, NM!) We'd never been to a fermentation festival though and weren't sure what to expect.

Although you might think a festival dedicated to fermented foods and drinks sounds a little odd (we did), so many irresistible treats fit within that category. In addition to kimchi and kombucha, the New Mexico Fermentation Festival offered samples of pickles, cider, salami, chocolate, cheese, mead, bread, sauerkraut, hot sauce, honey, prickly pear jelly, and more, all included in a low $15 admission price. More than 30 vendors were on site to turn you into a fermentation expert.

Antiguas Del Norte Honey and Bee Rescue
We discovered some great companies. Antiguas Del Norte Honey rescues bees that would otherwise have been exterminated, such as hives located at a home or business. They have the best slogan, "We help honey bees with people problems."

Bosque Brewing
There were also ample pours of beer, wine, and liquor available from local favorites, including Bosque Brewing and Santa Fe Spirits. Where else can you try a key lime pie ale?   

Gutierrez-Hubbell House
Of course, sampling was just a small part of the New Mexico Fermentation Festival. Want to learn how to create your own kombucha in any flavor imaginable? Or do you need a sourdough starter to take your homemade bread to the next level? 

Albuquerque fermenation workshops
Maybe you're seeking ways to improve your health naturally and have heard that a pickle a day keeps the doctor away.

You can even buy a bottle of Gut Shot Garlic Dill juice to drink, which tastes exactly like it sounds. I tried it so you don't have to. (You're welcome.)

How to make your own kombucha (and pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc)
With premium hands-on workshops, known as mobs, plus food trucks, child-friendly activities, lectures, and a "culture and ferment swap," the New Mexico Fermentation Festival offers something for everyone.

Fall events in NM
Eager to attend the "Fermented Milk = Cheese!" discussion, my cheeseaholic SN donned his dapper old man hat and headed out into the sunshine. Other demos of interest included "Neomexicanus Hops," "Gin & Tonic: The Sum of its Parts," and "Miso."

The Kombucha Project
I pledged to try kombucha in every fizzy flavor...before receiving some greatly appreciated advice that you should only drink a small quantity until your stomach is used to it. That was a close one.

Folks who are accustomed to it came prepared with growlers to fill with their top kombucha.

Santa Fe Stargazer Kombucha
The team at Santa Fe's Stargazer Kombucha couldn't have been nicer. Try their Assam, Cota, and Tieguanyin varieties, made with tea. 

In fact, everyone at the festival was friendly, to the point of ridiculousness. I'd remark that I'm going to try brewing my own kombucha to the people trying to sell me kombucha (my social awkwardness strikes again!) and they always had the same response, which was to insist it's so easy to do and give me pointers.

Side note: I need a name for our scoby. My aunt in Australia has already taken the best-ever name for hers, Scoby Doo.

Los Poblanos bakery
Los Poblanos was selling and sampling their incredible baked goods, including green chile bread and sourdough cookies. I was on my best behavior and left a few samples for other guests, even though I wanted to yell, "Hey, look over there!" and run off with the entire baskets.

rye brownies
I'd never had a rye brownie before. Just when you thought the food in NM couldn't possibly get any better! We really need to sign up for a Los Poblanos cooking class.

Recycling in ABQ
My eco-warrior, SN, brushed up on ways to optimize our recycling and composting strategy. Thanks to him, we've been in our new home in the east mountains for more than 2 years and still have not needed to sign up for trash service.

Yes, we totally judge our neighbors when we drive past their trash cans each week. (To be fair, their trash cans are often knocked over with garbage spilled everywhere because they do a poor job of bear-proofing. You would judge them too.) 

Kimshe Kimchi
I recognized Kimshe Kimchi from the Rail Yard Market. Their kimchi is a great addition to eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and even Bloody Marys. Full of probiotics, you can even snack on kimchi straight from the jar.

Drinking Horn mead
The New Mexico Fermentation Festival is worth traveling for. A flagstaff company, Drinking Horn, was providing tastes of their mead, which is raw honey that has been fermented into alcohol.

Arizona Sake review
Our NM event was also visited by Arizona Sake, which is authentic Japanese sake made in Holbrook. I was excited to see them because this was my first-ever time trying sake! 

I enjoy the message on their Facebook page:

I had been working for sake industry for 10 years in Japan. Always I was having dream to be independent somewhere in the world. Finally I had a luck in Holbrook, Arizona to start making sake 2017. Friendship, love and peace are the goal of my business.

How sweet is that? They're my #1 source for sake from now on.

New Mexico food and wine festivals
Speaking of friendship, love, and peace, that could have been the theme of the 2019 New Mexico Fermentation Festival. It had a laid back, farmer's market vibe, with friendly people to chat with wherever you went. That's how we are in Albuquerque.

Sheehan Winery
My personal favorite of the event was Sheehan Winery, which was providing generous pours of their award-winning wines. They even have a white port, which is something I'd never tried before. Funny enough, it is made with grapes that were thought to be past their prime and of no value. I've promised SN a bottle of it. He owes me a bottle of their Cabernet Sauvignon. They frequently host backyard tasting events and I can't wait!

Award-winning NM wines
Actually, Sheehan Winery wasn't just my favorite. Everyone smiles at the wine booth.

From their website:

In 2017, Sheehan Winery submitted 18 wines to the New Mexico State Wine Competition and won 18 medals (14 of the 18 Gold or Silver). We were also awarded the Premier Award for our Chambourcin making it the best wine in New Mexico for 2017. 

In 2018 we did even better…submitting 31 wines and winning 31 medals! We are located in the Vecinos del Bosque neighborhood of Albuquerque, just 2 miles from historic Old Town.

Oni Noodles ABQ
Even the food trucks got in on the fermentation action. Oni noodles offered a $4 kimchi sampler with apple, corn, beets, and cabbage. Another vendor was selling "tots from around the world, showcasing their fermentation delicacies." You couldn't possibly leave this event hungry.

dog-friendly places in albuquerque
Everyone (and I mean everyone, cute pups and all) enjoyed the New Mexico Fermentation Festival. For future events, I'd love to see the addition of walk-in wellness sessions, such as short yoga classes and guided meditations. Information on urban farming (hello, pet chickens!) would also be appreciated. I think this is one of those events that is going to grow in popularity every year.

New Mexico Fermentation Fest photos
I hope to see you there in October, 2020!

Popular posts from this blog

Cake Mix Pancakes

This reader-favorite recipe is *almost* as popular as my Cake Mix Cookie Bars recipe .  When making Cake Mix pancakes , the scrumptious possibilities are endless. Red Velvet cake mix pancakes. Chocolate cake mix pancakes. Butter Pecan cake mix pancakes. Funfetti cake mix pancakes. (Yes, Funfetti cake mix pancakes!) With this 2-ingredient recipe, you can turn your favorite cake mix into your favorite pancakes. Pancake making at its finest. Cake Mix Pancakes Personally, I think my funny napkin is the icing on the (pan)cake. It's Sunday morning and you're planning to do all the things today - scrub those grody baseboards, polish your quartz countertop that was supposed to be low maintenance but actually isn't at all, sort through the disaster that is the freezer.  While on your superhuman kick, you think I'm going to make my family pancakes for breakfast. Not just any pancakes - the best pancakes ever. I may even serve them as breakfast in bed! You pu

10 Canned Cinnamon Roll Hacks

You're in for a treat. Today I'm sharing my best canned cinnamon roll hacks and improvements for turning store-bought cinnamon rolls, like the Pillsbury Grands ones or even the store brand, into something special.  Dry cinnamon rolls? No thank you. They need to be OOEY and GOOEY. That's just Cinnamon Roll 101. All of these ideas keep Pillsbury canned cinnamon rolls soft, company-worthy, and delicious. These are also great for taking homemade cinnamon rolls up a notch, but what a pain that is. With these better-than-homemade canned cinnamon roll hacks, you'll never bother to bake them from scratch again. Test out some of these ideas tomorrow. Won't it be nice to dig into a mouthwatering cinnamon roll for breakfast? You can't get a better start to your day than that. Canned Cinnamon Roll Hacks Actually, make that 11 easy ways to improve store-bought cinnamon rolls: you can top them with homemade coffee whipped cream . Yum! Nope, make that 12 canned cinnam

Chemical Peel Before & After

This article has been updated! My new chemical peel post, which includes pricing, Jessner peel before and after photos, product recommendations, and a helpful timeline for scheduling your treatments, is at the bottom. My original Jessner peel post (one of the most popular on my site of all time) is at the beginning. Original Chemical Peel Article Considering a chemical peel? I recently underwent my first Jessner peel and thought I'd share my results, post a Jessner peel review, and answer some frequently asked chemical peel questions. (I'm guessing that "Does a chemical peel hurt?" is a biggie!) I'd been planning to order an over-the-counter peel when we were in Iceland , but my computer led me a different direction. I decided to do this on a whim after Groupon greeted me one morning with a great $40 chemical peel deal. Now, I can read your mind. You just gasped in horror and thought  You trusted your face to a  discount  chemical peel?!  You're wondering w

How to Move a Mattress

My site is popular for reviewing memory foam mattresses. With today's bed-in-a-box options lasting much longer than the traditional 7 years of a spring mattress, there's a good chance you'll eventually need to move one. But how? This is  how to move a mattress  without damaging it - even by yourself!  When we were faced with the challenge of moving our beloved Amerisleep AS3  to our new home, it seemed like my readers would enjoy the details. This handy tip should work for any memory foam bed, including Casper, Leesa, and Nectar.  I'm happy to report there is an extremely simple way to do it. Apartment and dorm dwellers rejoice! How to Move a Mattress At first, I wasn't sure how to move our king-size mattress down a flight of stairs. It's a problem we've dreaded solving ever since we made the decision to build a new house.  The answer? It was right in the back of our truck.  Ratchet straps . This solution could also serve as a 'How To' for returning

Hello Fresh Complaints

Hello, my bloggy friends. I have a HelloFresh complaint and believe they are pulling a scam. Yours truly came *this close* to falling for it.  Maybe scam is too harsh of a word. Sneaky? You can decide for yourself. The fact that there are so many Hello Fresh complaints online does seem suspicious. My main complaint about Hello Fresh has to do with their promotional rate, which seems like it is set up to be intentionally misleading (more on this below). Despite so many people complaining about being charged more than they thought they'd agreed to, Hello Fresh maintains this as part of their business model and continues to mislead. So it's intentional, right? I do not recommend Hello Fresh. For starters, the service is just ingredients-by-mail with recipes, not meals. You can buy your own ingredients for much less, especially now that most grocery stores conveniently offer pickup and delivery. Excellent recipes are easy to find.  Click here for a list of top-rated, reader-favorit

Window Seat Idea - Dream Home Inspiration of the Day

See it? Waaay at the back of the photo?  I like how the window seat extends past the window all the way to the wall. How about you? If that's not your style, how about one of these lovely window seats? I'll seat you, my pretty, and your little dog too. How perfect would this be in a home office? I'd swap out that wimpy rug with a larger one.

My Instant Pot Explosion!

Like many new Instant Pot owners, I've wondered, How many Instant Pots have exploded?  (Eeek!) I'm happy to report that my research on Snopes and other sites has shown that these do not explode, at least not when used properly. There is a lawsuit between a woman in Texas and the Instant Pot manufacturer, but she admits she had thrown a towel over the steam vent. Do NOT do this.  Still concerned? Consider that on Prime Day of 2018, Amazon sold more than 300,000 Instant Pots. That's more than a quarter of a million sales in only 1 day! If these things were not safe, you would see news stories every day about someone being injured. Still, things can go wrong. We love our Instant Pot, the digital pressure cooker that seems to suddenly be in every home. You can't mess up - just throw in random ingredients and you'll get something yummy every time. It's foolproof. At least, that's how I used to feel about our Instant Pot, until the explosion... Inst

3 Minute Toaster/Convection Oven Smores

These are perfect when you're craving a quick, sugary treat. They work equally well in a toaster oven and a convection oven. Best of all, compared to eating an entire bag of Oreos (something I have never  done), they're quite healthy. What's that, you say? You already know how to make s'mores in the toaster oven? Well then, sit back and enjoy the ooey-gooey marshmallowy photos. (And if you're someone who works with me, please keep the "I've seen her polish off an entire bag of Oreo cookies" nonsense to yourself.)  Step 1: Put desired amount of graham crackers on a toaster oven/convection oven-safe pan.   Looks like it's time to clean this pan, Sexy Nerd Optional 1st step, which is Sexy Nerd's favorite: Spread peanut butter on each graham cracker (I'm not much of a peanut butter fan - WHAT?!? - so I skip this step.) Cover with yummy marshmallows. Top with chocolate chips. Place in the toaster o

Christmas Memes and More

Inspired by the popularity of my other memes posts, Funny Memes and Dog Memes , I have a new collection of memes for you to enjoy. I waste my life on the internet so you don't have to. Bookmark this post because I'll be adding to it as I find new memes for Xmas. Christmas Memes and More Fair warning that some of these are in poor taste. Isn't that usually the funniest meme?

Reuzel: Grooming Tonic Industry Review

I'm looking out for you, my bloggy friends. At my last haircut, the hairdresser shared his favorite hair product of all time, REUZEL (which I'd never heard of), with me and I had enough sense to get the details to share with you. He didn't even have a bottle of it to sell me. It was a genuine, honest review. Also, are they still called hairdressers? Is this the equivalent of calling your flight attendant a stewardess? Stylist? Barber? Reuzel  Grooming Tonic Review You know those men who have the softest, most perfect hair and it seems so unfair because most men don't even care about their hair? (Or so they say.) I think this is their secret. While you're here, be sure to read my  funny haircut story . Geez, I'm awkward. The fact that I was brave enough to ask to take this photo at the salon is proof I love my blog readers. Never heard of it? That's probably because Reuzel Grooming Tonic is marketed toward men. From reading their endless 5-star reviews, men