Free Honey Tasting & Bee Celebration: June 26

Free honey tasting, meet the beekeepers, and learn all about making your garden bee-friendly, or even keeping bees yourself, on June 26, 2010.

Oh yes, it’s a free bee freebie! (Do you know how many years I could wait for a pun like that to come along? I’ve got to take it where I can…)

So no, you don’t get free bees, but when you buzz down to this bee celebration at the Open Space Visitor Center you do get to taste and compare different local honeys, explore the parts of a bee hive, see and learn about pollinator-friendly plants you could grow in your garden, and meet the Albuquerque beekeepers to find out how you could do it yourself!

• When: Saturday June 26, 2010

• Time: 10 am to 1 pm

• Where: Open Space Visitor Center

• Cost: Free!

Governor Bill Richardson has apparently declared the week of June 21, 2010 to be New Mexico Pollinator Week, as part of a national initiative to raise awareness of pollinator species vital to our food systems and economy. We love the bees here at Albuquerque on the Cheap, so kudos to all, including the Albuquerque Beekeepers Group which is a partner in this event.

As an aside, we don’t know if any places are still available, but the restaurant Jennifer James 101 is holding a honey-themed dinner tonight, Tuesday June 22 and tomorrow Wednesday June 23 for $40 covering three courses and drinks, with seating at the community table at 6 pm.  Tax and tip are extra. Call pronto if you’re interested to find out about available spaces.

–Tania

Free Beer Tasting and Hot Dogs

Details are sketchy, but who cares — it’s FREE BEER! On Friday, September 4 (2009), time unknown, head over to Jubilation Wine & Spirits for a beer tasting extravaganza, featuring Breckenridge Brewery beers, free hot dogs, and a live remote by 102.5FM Coyote radio!

Jubilation also is hosting a wine tasting, again with free hot dogs (which kind of wine goes best with Oscar Mayer All Beef ?), on Saturday, September 5. We know even less about this one. Details are to be forthcoming, and we’ll update this post when we get ‘em.

Meanwhile, mark your calendars!

Jubilation Wine & Spirits is located at 3512 Lomas Blvd NE, at the corner of Lomas and Carlisle, Albuquerque.

–Elizabeth Hanes

Friday Food Freebies and Deals for 7/10/09

Got a sweet tooth? A yen for fish? Or simply a yen for “cheap”? We’ve got all three covered!

• Free Baja Fish Taco Day: Well, yo-ho-ho and a baja fish taco! On Tuesday, July 14 (2009), sail on over to Long John Silver’s before 2:30pm to score a free fish taco. No coupon required, no rigamarole. Limit one per customer. Participating locations only. Nine LJS locations in New Mexico to serve you. (Thanks, Barb!)
• $10 off: Buca di Beppo offers this coupon for $10 off a $30 purchase. Simple. The offer looks to be good on carryout, as well as dine in, since the coupon doesn’t limit the offer. Valid through 7/21/09. There’s one Buca in the Q, and it’s over by Coronado Center.
• Free food tasting: Who knew Osuna Nursery did gourmet foods? We didn’t. But they’re hosting a tasting Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, from 11:00am – 3:00pm both days. Sample Jalapeño Candied Jelly from Third Coast Gourmet & Gifts, soup mixes from The Plentiful Pantry, and Artisan Chocolate Fudge Balls from Cocopotamus. Yum! In the North Valley near Osuna and Edith.
• Free pint of Starbucks ice cream (maybe): We added the caveat because this is a giveaway through Facebook. So, first, you have to be able to log in to Facebook (thereby eliminating everyone who doesn’t use the site). Second, they’re only giving away 800 coupons per hour (sounds like a lot, until you figure how many thousands of people are vying for them). Still, if you’re into the thrill of the chase or you just can’t live without Starbucks ice cream, this may be worth a shot! Every day through 7/19/09.
• Free wine tasting: Jubilation Wine & Spirits has been hosting several beer tastings lately, but finally here’s one for wine lovers. Tomorrow, 7/11/09, from 2:00 – 4:00pm, stop by Jubilation to taste “wines that are best to drink in the summer heat.” Varieties will include orvietos, torrontes, pinot noir, malbec, a sparkling wine, and several others. Located near UNM at Lomas & Carlisle.
• BOGO Sub: Check out this coupon for BOGO Quizno’s sub sandwich. Buy one combo meal, get a second sub free! Note it’s good only at the 4411 Montaño Rd location.
• Half off dinner: Here’s one for our amigos en el valle sur. Kathy’s Carryout is legendary! Use this coupon for 50% off second dinner with the purchase of one dinner and two drinks. ¡Qué rico!
• Half off beverages: We know some of our Twitter followers are Bad Ass Coffee Co. devotees, so here’s one for them. Use this coupon for half off hot, iced, or frozen blended drink with purchase of another. Scroll down the page for other Bad Ass Coffee Co. coupons, too! Located up in Bernalillo.

Hopefully that list, along with the separate post about all the breakfast foodaliciousness occuring at Chick-fil-A will hold you until next week!

–Elizabeth Hanes

Free Chef Demonstration and Tasting

As if you needed another excuse to go up to Santa Fe for a day: free gourmet chef tasting.

Have you ever tried to make risotto? Especially at this altitude, where “the boiling point” falls well short of 212°F, and rice takes for-EV-er to cook?

Well, don’t give up. Instead, take a scenic drive up to Bishop’s Lodge, where Chef Brian Shannon offers a cooking demonstration and class every Saturday at 11:00am. This Saturday, July 4 (2009), Chef Shannon will be preparing a wild mushroom and leek risotto. He’ll discuss ingredients (arborio rice, anyone?), steps in preparation, and proper techniques. PLUS, you’ll get to try a sample of the finished producto. (Either that’s Italian for “product,” or else we just made it up.)

While the event is free, reservations are required by calling 505-983-6377. Ask for further instructions on where to meet up, since Bishop’s Lodge is a sprawling place.

Bishop’s Lodge is located in Santa Fe, fittingly enough, on Bishop’s Lodge Road.

–Elizabeth Hanes

Beer Tasting plus Prizes and Giveaways

Let’s clear one thing up right away: there will be NO beer giveaways! Sad, we know. But this event still rocks!

Just in time for 4th of July weekend, Jubilation Wine & Spirits is having a beer tasting, complete with prizes, giveaways, and a live broadcast by 94 Rock! Stop by today, Thursday, July 2 (2009) between 5:00 and 7:00pm to taste a slew of Odell Brewing Company beers, including:

• IPA
• Red Ale
• 90 Shilling
• Cutthroat Porter
• St. Lupulin
• and others!

Doug Odell has been brewing beer in Fort Collins, CO, since 1989. Besides crafting great brews, they strongly believe in green business practices and in philanthropy.

But we know you’re mainly interested in the free beer tasting. So, head on over to Jubilation and pick up some brewskis for Independence Day.

Jubilation Wine & Spirits is located in the university district at 3512 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque.

–Elizabeth Hanes