The southwestern city of Albuquerque, NM is known for its cultural diversity, authentic landscapes and genuine characters – and that extends to its brews. Residents here enjoy mostly sunny days and have their pick of micro-breweries that always have fresh beer on tap. Among the best are:

Chama River Brewing Company serves up six house beers, several of which have picked up awards at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. The River is a step up from your casual neighborhood brew pub with prime rib, quail and Ahi tuna on the menu. It's ginormous copper-clad bar is a great place to check out the scene and see what other folks are drinking.

The barrel-aged Belgian ale called From the Wood landed Marble Brewery a spot on Draft Magazine's "Top 25 Beers of the Year" list in 2010. That's no small feat considering the brewery opened in 2008. Marble Brewery offers seven house beers and a variety of others.

At Kellys Brew Pub you can make your own beer while you drink their beer. There are more than 20 micro-brews on tap at this large sports bar with a patio and plenty of historical objects to wonder about.

And just outside Albuquerque, but close enough to claim, is Turtle Mountain Brewing Company in Rio Rancho, NM. The beer menu here is always changing as the staff brews more than 40 different beers throughout the course of a year.

See more fun things to do in Albuquerque, NM.