Carmen Duran is enjoying a sandwich and alcoholic drink at Resource Brewing this August. (Courtesy Carmen McClelland)
Carmen Duran was Instagram famous without knowing what an Instagram is.
Some called her a legend, but everyone who knew or knew of her loved the fact that even at the exuberant age of 102, she seemed to be leading her best life.
Brewery-hopping grandma’s physical life came to an end last month, but her memory and inspiration lives on in the brewing community.
Duran stepped into the spotlight in 2019 when her granddaughter Carmen McClelland, 27, started taking her to local breweries and created an Instagram page to document it all. Known by her Instagram name, Hoppygrandma, she gained a local fan base. She became a waiter’s favorite, and they didn’t even mind that she asked for salt with every beer.
The duo were affectionately known as the Carmens.
McClelland, named after her grandma, was one of Duran’s caregivers and sat with her two to four times a week. One of those days was always Saturday and instead of sitting at home, she decided to take her grandma to visit local breweries. At first Duran was resistant to the excursions, and then she expected it.
“She said, ‘It’s Saturday night. Where are we going?’ “Said McClelland. “And then we would go.”
Shelby Chant, marketing director and co-owner of Steel Bender Brewyard, said the Carmens brought a lot of warmth and smiles to the taproom. She admired the relationship between the two women.
“Hoppy grandma threw her arms around craft beer and the special community that surrounds it, and we all threw our arms around her and her granddaughter,” said Chant. “… She became a willing and fun celebrity who apparently takes so much pleasure in just enjoying a pint while being adored by the innkeepers.”
Duran was born on July 1, 1919, grew up on a farm in Mesilla, and became a smuggler at a young age, according to her daughter Gerri Duran. Though, depending on the day, she might not admit it.
“She even had an uncle who went into the big house,” said Duran. “She was a runner. There she was, 12 or 13 years old, driving a dual-clutch truck. She said, ‘I was ready to do anything to stay out of the house and not make diapers.’ ”
Duran came from a large family and anyone who stayed home was expected to help with household chores, including looking after the younger siblings.
She came to Albuquerque in her late twenties, got married, and started a family, but that didn’t detract from her feisty personality.
Her son Gilbert Duran said his mother pioneered her and would not hesitate to put someone in her place. He remembers the time when his mother hung clothes outside and heard the dogs bark. She never locked the front door and when she got back inside a man tried to steal her purse.
“She ran after this guy,” said Gilbert Duran. “And she got her handbag and he ran away.”
When Duran turned 102, Ex Novo held her birthday party. Gilbert Duran said the place burst into clapping and cheering when she arrived.
“She turned to me and said, ‘I don’t know these people. Did you invite her? ‘ “Said Gilbert Duran. “I said to her, ‘They know you from Instagram and they buy you drinks.’ She said. ‘Oh, OK, that’s good then.’ ”
McClelland called her grandmother her best friend and said the two had met almost every local brewery in Albuquerque. They had started to migrate to Santa Fe and the East Mountains. Duran didn’t really understand the internet, let alone Instagram, so she didn’t quite understand how people knew about her.
That didn’t matter.
When she died there was a flurry of support on Instagram from her followers and local brewers. The Tractor Brewing staff said they were heartbroken and that she was their favorite customer. Many others talked about how their adventures inspired them.
“Your influence will always be with us,” wrote Bosque Brewing. “Thank you for sharing it with all of us.”
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