3 Best Bars in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Come to this longtime, low-key destination for brew fans for live music Sunday afternoons (and most Thursday nights). Picture casual picnic seating (indoors and out, where there's plenty of shade) and a sweet choice of IPAs (try the Flashback), a good red ale, a steady brown (Pecos Trail), or a briskly cold 2016 World Beer Cup–winning High Plains Pils. Don't miss the Canteen's hard ciders, wines, and seasonal selections as well.

This outstanding venue programs an inspired, eclectic slate of genres, from local nuevo folk to techno, jazz, and traveling East Indian beats. Some big names—especially from the jazz world—show up at the compact, comfortable space (perfect for serious listeners), which is a key player in bringing the world-class New Mexico Jazz Festival to the state every September.

Usually an annual affair in late September, ¡Globalquerque! is a dazzling two-day multistage (indoors and out) world music festival that firmly places Albuquerque on the global music map. The National Hispanic Cultural Center has been a perfect home for it since it launched in 2005. In addition to three evening performances, a full day is devoted to (free) family-focused programming.