ALBURQUERQUE TROLLEY

Bed & Brew guests are served local suds from the comfort of a historic ‘Alburquerque’ Trolley, known as the Ghost Light Saloon. But first, a history lesson. Originally founded in 1706 as ‘Alburquerque’ (note the extra ‘r’), the superfluous “r” was dropped sometime around 1880. No longer called 'Alburquerque,' the first “R” in the city’s name was discarded over time. There are many theories. Was it to make the city’s name easier to pronounce for nobility and Europeans who had trouble rolling their tongues and pronouncing those arduous “R’s”? It also could have happened via a typo on a sign. English-speaking travelers arriving in the early 19th Century began to drop the first 'R.'

 

The most noted reappearance of the original spelling was in 1995, when former Mayor Martin Chávez, in his administration during the last century, put the name with the second “r” on trolleys. He said the extra “r” would “create dialogue.” The City of Albuquerque sold these trolleys to various entities sometime in the early 21st Century. Interestingly enough, Bed & Brew owner, Jesse Herron, saw one way down in Belize in January of 2016 (see photo above and right). He also remembers riding on these trolleys during his teenage years and also while working at the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau between 2003-2005.

 

Fortunately, one of the Trolleys stayed close to home, making its way to the tiny village of Estancia, New Mexico. Receiving a tip in 2017 about an old city trolley resting in a yard, Herron contacted the owner and purchased the Trolley on December 29, 2017. The Trolley was delivered to the Painted Lady Bed & Brew on August 4, 2018. It then began transforming into a unique, micro taproom exclusively for Bed & Brew guests.

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