We went for a quick beer and enjoyed it. Unfortunately they were out of their IPAs which is what I like to drink but their Irish Red was decent. My husband loved their bock! We enjoyed sitting outside and they have a large outside area. You do have to order your beer at the bar so if you want to be waited on, this probably isn't a place for you. The bar tender was very nice. read more

This spot has a laid-back, hipster vibe and feels like a real local hangout. They also got a pool table and a dog-friendly outdoor patio. For drinks they have everything from house taps and cocktails to non-alcoholic options, including mocktails. They also make their own house infusions like beet vodka, coffee liqueur, and cucumber gin, which I thought was interesting. The service was friendly although it was busy so I wouldn't say they were fully attentive. Differential Brewing does seem like a chill spot to grab a drink and hang out with friends. My only issue was that the bathrooms were not clearly labeled and the heavy metal playlist was not my cup of tea. Still, if you are into unique drinks and a casual local scene, this is a good spot for that. read more

Differential Brewing - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Pretty interesting place, the building itself is kind of cool. Theres a main bar, an indoor patio on one side, and a large outdoor patio on the other. Lots of doors and roll-up windows allow them to combine or separate spaces. I'm not sure if it's a New Mexico thing, but this might be the first brewery we've been to that doesn't do flights. Too bad too because there were several we wanted to get. We ended up tasting four beers. The Bock was ok, and the Stout was pretty good. I had a pint each of the Blue Corn Lager and the Irish Red, while my wife had two pints of the Irish Red. Both were quite good. Had I had another, I would've ordered the Stout. The one knock on the place was the service. It was friendly enough. There just wasn't enough of it. Every time we needed something, it was around a 10-min wait in line. To order, to close out, etc. Not really because it was overly crowded. It just took a really long time for those in front of us to be helped by the one person tending bar at the time. Oh well. The beer was good and not overpriced. Even though the alcohol content wasn't too high, it hit the spot. read more

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Differential is honestly a really great space, it took me years and years of living in Albuquerque to ever make my way over but I'm glad I finally did. The inside is nice but the patio is great too. The drinks are really strong in my opinion but I am really glad they have a good amount of options beyond just beer. I'm not a beer drinker so I'm usually thankful just when a brewery has a cider or two but these guys have a really good selection of drinks. They don't have food but they do have a rotation of food trucks. Service is friendly and relatively fast depending on how busy they are. read more

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Awesome vibes, good drinks, and great lighting. I love this bar for hanging with friends on the patio.

I love this brewery! Order at the bar (sometimes the line is very long, as they do craft cocktails that take a lot of time). Grab your beer and head outside to the massive outdoor area! You don't even feel that you are in the city! Dog friendly and people friendly! read more

Asked for a water after 15 minutes after having a beer. Got told to show my ID for a water, (after waiting for 10 minutes) Asked why, no answer. Asked to show id again. Showed it to the bartenders face. Got told im an asshole for doing so. Said sorry I didn't mean to be rude. I'm shocked wondering wtf, I would actually go to this place again, the vibes were cool considering the fact that I'm asshole apparently. Either way fuck this this place. read more

We are so glad we discovered this bar. Really off the beaten path. It has great beer choices. We received good service at the bar. And despite two lines of customers, we were still served rather quickly. Outside seating was covered, which we greatly appreciated.  Seating wasn't particularly comfortable, but it didn't drive us to leave fast either. This is a solid bar. I recommend it. read more

Differential Brewing - two glasses of beer on a table - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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We were mostly interested in the vegan food truck (reviewed separately) that parked here on the Thursday evening when we visited. But thankfully the beer was pretty good and it worked well with the food from the truck. I'm not sure I would come back for the beer, but I would if that food truck is here. Call it a symbiotic relationship that works. read more

Differential Brewing - Beer! - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Love this neighborhood bar! It has great vibes, good prices, and good drinks! The outside "backyard" is my favorite.

This place has great drinks great atmosphere free pool and Kelly is amazing! I love the health tonic and the art and the events and the cool markets. Go check it out read more

We remember coming to Differential Brewing back in 2019 soon after they opened. We were back today and the beer is just as good, if not better. We got to chat with Tony, the owner, and he assured us that their goals are the same as when they started. Brew great, low alcohol beers with a great atmosphere. They still have the dive bar vibe, while carrying a solid list of brews. We recommend the Earl Gray Cream Ale (a seasonal selection), the Blue Corn Cream Ale (one of their original beers), and the current Stout. There was only so much time to sample! One of my favorite pubs in a city loaded with good ones. read more

Differential Brewing - Blue Corn Cream Ale - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

All I can say is "Blue Corn Cream Ale!" Underground music. Dark and interior. Nice courtyard. read more

This brewery has a inviting rustic ambiance. The different seating arrangements are awesome. You can choose to sit outside on the shaded front/Back patio, inside at one of their spacious booths, or by their classy pool table. I ended up ordering the Blue Corn Cream Ale. Made with local organic blue corn, this cream ale is light, crisp, with a faint earthy sweetness, and just a hint of fresh roasted corn on the nose. Great year round; pairing especially well with spicy foods. Great service and beer!! Highly recommended! PS: They also have Boozy Italian Sodas!! With countless flavors!!! read more

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Was in recently and had a great time! Johnathon was great, friendly, fun and a genuinely nice bartender! Fun convo, looking forward to seeing him again. And plenty of space in the bar, pool table and outside space. Really cool place. read more

Nice variety of drinks and cocktails! Local beers, wine, even kombucha. I enjoy their French 75. In the summer they had so many flavors of hard slushees and now they have a seasonal menu with warm cocktails like Mulled Wine (on the drier side but my friends really liked it). Great service every visit so far! We enjoy playing a round of pool now and then. Local art featured on the walls. Pretty chill atmosphere overall. read more

Differential Brewing - Cocktail menus- top is the usuals and the rest are seasonal - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT A: Principles of American Democracy 1. What is the supreme law of the land? the Constitution 2. What does the Constitution do? Defines the government 3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? We the People 4. What is an amendment? a change (to the Constitution) 5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? Bill of Rights 6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? speech read more

A mellow, unpretentious neighborhood bar where most of the people know each other, but still welcoming to strangers. The building is nice for choosing your setting- the front patio is warm, bright, and quieter for those who are cool blooded or want to be able to read or work. The main bar always has music and conversation, free pool, an arcade machine and board games, and feels very social and lively. The back patio has a heated bar area for those who smoke, and a pretty expansive open area with tables and cornhole. The bathrooms are un-gendered with stalls, just wash your hands and be respectful. They have special drinks to match the seasons and lots of NA choices, food trucks almost every evening, and hot cup noodles for when the trucks don't come around. It's a nice safe place to be if you're out on your own, the employees and regulars are always keeping an eye out for everyone. read more

I have been here numerous times at this point and I really enjoy it. I myself am not a beer drinker but don't let the word brewery scare you away because they have plenty of fun non beer options. I have had a few different drinks here but the one that stands out in my mind is one they had on their mocktail list which was pistachio flavored that I then had them spike with vodka. I know it sounds super odd but it was delicious and one of the most unique cocktails I've ever had. The two things that bring my rating from a 5 down to a 4 is ghat they allow people to smoke cigarettes in the backyard/outside space and people do as well as the fact that there is often only one bartender so sometime it can take a minute to order and/or they are busy so they are not always as attentive as they could be. I love how the building is kind of divided so that certain seating areas have slightly different vibes and I love how the windows open in the front of the building. Overall I thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere of this bar/brewery. read more

Differential Brewing - Pistachio Mocktail - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Nice dive with beer & wine. Great patio, serving spirits and sports bar! Oh and pool tables & games! The bartender are the best! read more

Differential Brewing - Beer and other stuff! - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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If you read what I write about breweries, you know how much I love European pubs. I have some great, and rather blurry memories of walking to and from British, Irish, Belgian and German pubs, with any assortment of old friends, new acquaintences and pissed strangers, never worrying about how much I drank, never stressing about driving. Albuquerque could learn a great deal from this model. Hence, my favorite breweries in this city tend to be modest operations in neighborhoods with friendly beertenders and comfortable, dark places to sit. Differential is one such locale. Cool, down-to-earth people, decent craft beer that could get a lot better, a fair cocktail program and plenty of guest beers that represent the best of New Mexico. A perfect patio for hot summer nights, a vintage cigarette vending machine, food trucks when and if they even show up... This place is making the ol' student ghetto a better place to live. Nice job, guys. read more

This place was recommended by a friend due to its vibe and the draft options that they have. I tried the watermelon cider and it was delicious! The bartenders were friendly and service was very fast. read more

We came here after a United game that was rained out so that we could continue the party. Unbeknownst to us, the staff would move at a snails pace. Enjoying the rain outside and being on the front porch of the establishment, we had a good time commiserating with each other. Trying to get additional drinks what have members of our party absent for roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Texting is a nice place and under better circumstances could be better but the service is absolutely horrid. It takes a very long time with two bartenders behind the bar to get drinks for the minimal amount of people present on a Wednesday evening. I doubt very seriously will ever come back. read more

So I need to do an updated review at the end of the summer when I have actually tasted their beer. They have ALCOHOLIC SLUSHIES people!!! They make their own hard seltzer, throw it in a old school slushee machine and add any combination of flavored syrup you want. It's like Disneyland for adults. My favorite is cucumber-lime-Tajin. It's ridiculously good. My first one was lime-coconut and I felt myself longing to be on a beach somewhere. Note that these are not overly sticky sweet and just taste like fruit and heaven. (You can also just get plain.) For my sober friends, I also like to note that they have NM ferments on tap! I always go before United games and there always seems to be a food truck outside. I'm sure there is a schedule somewhere. Staff is cool and friendly. There is an ample patio and they have a pool table. What else could you ask for? Cheers! read more

The service is terrible. One bar tender in particular Is very rude, she definitely does not make customers feel welcome. read more

Differential opened last month in a former auto garage on Yale and Garfield. Part of the Quarters family of businesses, Differential offers a selection of their own brews and a dozen or so local taps. The prices are generally $5 to $5.50, with some specialty beers priced a little higher. The house beers include a dark lager, an Irish stout, a cream ale, and a couple of others that always seem to be sold out when I come by. Generally I'll sample around the menu but it's also fine to pick one beer and stick with it. There are booths and tables inside, as well as bar seating. A big draw is the large backyard outdoor area: plenty of tables spread out over a comfortably wide space. There are ashtrays for smokers and it seems to be dog-friendly as well. Curbside Pies has been operating their food truck here, though I haven't had the best of luck getting my orders correct from them. I'm excited to see how they step up their beer game over time. This is a promising new bar and a welcome newcomer to the scene. read more

This is a must try for any local or visitor. The Blue Corn Cream Ale was delicious. My boyfriend loved the metal music.

Went there on a whim with a friend. The co-owner showed us the menu of drinks they can make with their hard seltzer. Wow they did not disappoint. Also impressive was the owner talking about their product and engaging. Some other breweries could learn from this cool place. Check it out. read more

Differential Brewing - Hard seltzer cream drinks. I had tigers blood. - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Went out with some friends for a drink, was a great experience. Bartender was welcoming and super accommodating, asked us if we were ready and didn't make us feel rushed. Even when we had questions, she answered them helpfully. There's also a menu on their website, I love that it also shows what is in the drinks, made it a lot easier. The environment was laid back with enough space inside and outside. There was a shelf of games that we were able to choose from. Loved that they had a variety. There's also a pool table inside. They don't serve food but there is a food truck outside. read more

I visited Differential Brewing on a Sunday afternoon. My friend and I sat at one of the tables with our dogs. It almost seemed like the server was annoyed when he came to our table and get our drink order. I would have understood that if they were busy, but there was 3 people sitting at the bar, and two servers. I realized after that, it said on their online menu "please order at bar", I made it clear to the server that I hadn't seen it until after the fact and he straight up walked away from me as I was still speaking to him. The beer quality isn't all that great. I tried the red & the pale ale, which he even "warned" us about the strong flavor it had, there was no flavor. read more

This place is great, I always get treats and some great beer! Will return! RJ knows what treats I like! read more

Differential Brewing - Wheat Ale! - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

If there is anything that is truly worth the visit, it is the slushees! Using their own hard seltzer's, they can make the ABQ heat go away while your there. Shading? They upgraded theirs so you don't melt. Beer? They carry their own low ABV beer while carrying other local favorites from La Cumbre to Rowleys. read more

We stopped into Differential last night for a couple of drinks and had a great time! The space was nice and dog friendly. There was also a great outdoor patio as well that would be great when it gets a bit warmer! Our server was great too and there was a food truck parked out back! We'll definitely be back! read more

Differential's owner, Tino, absolutely knows what he is doing. In addition to offering his own beers which are great, he offers great local beers at a fair price. Unlike a lot of other options nearby, Differential is never packed and thus you will enjoy very fast service. I'm definitely excited for the spring and summer to roll around as maybe the best-kept secret of Differential is their massive outdoor space that I know Tino is going to keep improving. Oh, and this place has free pool ;) read more

Friendly staff and owner. Best part besides the good beer? Charging stations at the bar! This little hide-a-way is best visited on non-game days or while a game is on because it's the go-to location for a beer or two before the game if you're not already tail-gating in the parking lot! Nice little brewery, we'll be back! read more

Differential Brewing - Brewpubs Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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I like big beers and I cannot lie! That's why I was underwhelmed when I first walked in to Differential Brewery. No house IPAs, no big bold stouts/ porters. What's a woman to do? We were greeted by the owner. Friendly, energetic, welcoming. He could sense my displeasure (snobbery) that there weren't any house made IPAs. But guess what? There's no beer shaming there...he carries a few select guest taps and featured Elevated by La Cumbre, one of my favs. I happily ordered that and my wife ordered the Blue corn cream ale. As I sipped my IPA I couldn't help but notice the happy face on her and the ohs and ahs being extolled. My interest peaked. After proclaiming my devout dedication and love of all things bold and beautiful would I dare ask for a taste?! Hell yes I would! What can I say? I fell in love. This blue corn ale is uniquely New Mexican. It sits low in Abv (4ish %) and certainly not a face slapper at 9 IBUs. But it was smooth and crisp and hazy and delicious! So I think the owner was watching me. Lol. He clearly saw he was in the brink of a convert. He casually strolled on over to our table and presented a taster of their Orange Chocolate Braggot, a 9.7% limited edition beer made with malt and honey that tasted like those little chocolate covered orange slices we used to eat as kids. Well the rest of the night was spent visiting with him and getting one of the most fascinating history lessons in beer/alcohol. Think anthropology meets beerology. Differentials shtick is lighter beers are nothing to be afraid of. I'm a believer! read more

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Great service! Enjoyed the pop up market!! Love the coconut seltzer!!! Great outdoor area and thank you for the dog bowls!!

So happy for this neighborhood place on Yale! So close, great layout, decent beers. There's also a large back patio for the masses --- can you say IMPENDING RAGER?! Don't be fooled by the small ex-garage building. Speaking of the building, MAJOR style points as it used to be a car repair shop back in the day. NICE front patio area. Love it. GREAT vibe. Friendly and knowledgeable service, good variety offered besides their own beers. Local support! There's also a food truck that sometimes makes an appearance, usually dinnertime. My friend had a brat on a bun. The staff are new neighborhood friends and that makes this place all the more special. read more

Very chill establishment, knows how to treat their customers and employees right. Extra pale is very palatable and clean. Overall a top rate establishment. Best patio in Albuquerque! read more

Nice new startup brewery. Currently they have five of their own beers on tap. I had a sample of each and they weren't bad. I didn't find any of them super flavorful, or making me want to have a second. They are all pretty low alcohol content as well, ranging from 3.5 to 4.5. Luckily they do have some guest brews such as Bosque. The atmosphere was great. It's very hipster industrial vibe. Alt music playing, and all concrete. They have a front patio and a huge back patio. This place would be great for groups. The best thing is they are dog friendly! They also had a food truck out back for snacks. I'll be coming back here again. read more