travel guide : where to drink in Santa Fe and Taos, NM
Where to drink in Santa Fe and Taos, NM
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Last November, my husband and I decided we needed to get out of town. It had been a wild year and a half, and a particularly overwhelming summer and fall as we had just bought a house, got married 7 days later, returned to work immediately after that, did renovations (planned and unplanned) on the house, and that’s just to start. We hadn’t had a moment to relax in months. So we took off on a road trip to New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment.
We visited the Very Large Array, explored Santa Fe and some surrounding small towns, and really got away in Taos. Along the way we had some delicious cocktails, some of which you can likely only find in New Mexico!
The Pink Adobe, home to the Dragon Room Bar in Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico is a diverse and beautiful place where many cultures intersect, and it was such a rich and invigorating place to visit during a stressful time. They have everything - skiing, desert, large cities, ghost towns, hiking, white sands, small towns, and forests. New Mexico is a pretty big state with a relatively low population. However, the people in New Mexico are varied, and Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and American cultures blend in ways that impact the food and architecture to create something beautiful and unique. It reminded me a bit of New Orleans and Miami, two other US cities whose histories with various intersecting cultures give them a particular energy that cannot be found anywhere else.
Best Cocktail bars in Santa Fe
Cocktails in town
The first place we stopped in Santa Fe was coyote cantina, where we quickly befriended the bartender and were rewarded by having the chance to try their house infused rum, which was unreasonably delicious. The margaritas were probably the best we had the whole time we were in town.
Of all the places we went in New Mexico, Secreto Lounge was trying the funkiest things and we were here for it. A dimly lit hotel bar, Secreto was busy when we arrived and never quieted down. We got the Infamous monk, so named for its inclusion of two spirits created by monks - benedictine and chartreuse. The cocktail also included saffron infused mezcal, aperol, and local red chile oil. A bunch of things I wouldn’t immediately put together, but a smooth, delicious, and interesting drink.
Many people ordered the smoked sage margarita, which they smoked right in front of us at the bar by burning sage and placing cocktail shaking tins over it as it smoked. It was absolutely gorgeous and smelled amazing and added a ton to the experience.
smoking the cocktail shakers for the smoked sage margaritas
Infamous monk
Sazon Restaurant in Santa Fe, NM
Sazon was one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. The decor, the food, the cocktails, it was all divine. The chef, Chef Fernando Olea from Mexico City, blends traditional mexican cooking with global ingredients and modern techniques to create beautiful and delicious food! Plus, they treat dinner as a learning experience, which I love. We started out by tasting three different moles with tortillas and honestly I would have been thrilled if I could have just kept eating them - they were so delicious and complex. Chef Olea often came around to visit with guests and he was such a charming man!
Anyway, to the cocktails! Sazon offered lots of incredible mezcal and tequila drinks, and we stuck to mezcal. We went for the La nueva viejo (meaning “new old”) which includes Madre Espandin mezcal, agave, Angostura bitters, and a lemon Twist. We also tried the El Caballero (the knight) which has Yuu Baal añejo mezcal, Giffard vanilla, chipotle Bitters, muddled Cherry, and an Orange Twist. Both were absolutely delicious. Apparently I need to get some chipotle bitters for the home bar! I hope I can go back sometime for their special Spirits of Mexico nights, where you pay a fixed price for flights of spirits and mole and learn about their histories and distilling processes.
Can’t forget to mention Tomasitas, a local spot for anyone and everyone that serves New Mexican cuisine and a solid margarita. It is right by the amtrak station, so if that is how you are journeying to Santa Fe it’s a good place to grab a quick lunch or dinner.
The bar at La Reina
hearth at La Reina
art at La Reina
fireside mezcal negroni at La Reina
What to say about La Reina? This place was my most anticipated spot - how is a girl supposed to resist a woman-owned and run mezcal bar with a queer night and live music? It is a bar in the El Rey Court hotel and it just happened to be right across the street from our absolutely adorable airbnb. It. Was. Dreamy. The bar is small with an area for traditional table seating in an attached room to one direction and a cozy living room type space in the other direction. We grabbed our drinks at the bar and opted for the fireside seats, where we enjoyed a mezcal negroni and a play on the last word. The art was compelling and the space was the kind of place you just never want to leave.
Finally, no cocktail adventure to Santa Fe would be complete without a stop at the Dragon Room Bar at the Pink Adobe, a funky little spot with a lot of history and a tree growing up through the floor. Good cocktails and ambiance!
The Dragon Bar in Santa Fe, NM
Prickly Pear Margarita at The Dragon Room in Santa Fe, NM
The Dragon Bar in Santa Fe, NM
Cocktail Bars just Outside Santa Fe
We also ventured outside of Santa Fe a bit some days. One of our absolute favorite places we stopped was the Mineshaft tavern in Madrid, NM, a town of about 200 residents. We went out to Madrid for the burgeoning arts scene, but also specifically for this bar, which originally opened in 1897 and features a long, forty foot bar specifically created for miners to stand at after working bent over for many hours in the mines.
However, Tina really stole the show for us, she was just the most charismatic and animated bartender with stories from her years traveling the country. Basically, she was exactly who you want to run into in an old divey bar. Normally in a dive bar I grab a beer or a whiskey coke, but I was so charmed by Tina I decided to go for a fresh jalapeño margarita. The ingredients were fresh and balanced and it was the perfect lunchtime cocktail.
We had hoped to visit Mary’s bar in Cerillos, NM, but unfortunately found it closed when we arrived. The woman running a nearby shop mentioned she thought they needed to fix the roof. It was cool to see it though! Cerillos was definitely pretty much a ghost town, with a sign describing the history of the town and the Western films shot there.
Cocktails in Taos
Next up, we took a journey to on High Road to Taos. The High Road is a 105 mile scenic byway through the mountains that takes one from Santa Fe to Taos. It includes awe-inspiring views and remote towns where people remain deeply tied to their traditions. There are galleries and shops off the highway where artists work in their studios and homes. If you take this road, definitely give yourself some extra time to talk to the folks around. Whether their families have been there woodworking for many generations or they moved to the area for the incredible beauty, they are fascinating people!
We stopped by Santuario de Chimayo, a gorgeous church in the forest that is a Catholic pilgrimage site with healing soil that many seek out to cure their ailments.
An altar in the forest next to Santurio de Chimayo
In Taos, we found a small vibrant city with lots of unique shops and restaurants. We stopped by The Lounge by Rolling Still Distillery, a tasting room for the woman-owned distillery dedicated to locally grown botanicals and spices. We drank down the macho mule and the hot n dirty gladly. We also tried a local single malt whiskey called Colkegan which was really good!
hot n dirty at The Lounge by Rolling Still Distillery
manly mule at the Lounge by Rolling Still Distillery
The Lounge by Rolling Still Distillery
We also ventured up to Taos’ ski valley. It is off season, so it was mostly deserted, but it was fun to hang out in the quiet mountains and peer over an empty ski town. Luckily for us, partly down the mountain was Medley, a delicious restaurant with modern American cuisine, lots of veggie options, and great cocktails. We tried the gin and tonic of the day which included carrots of some kind and was divine! I also went for the Jailbird, a riff on the jungle bird that subbed mezcal ilegal joven for rum alongside campari, lime, and pineapple juice.
Jailbird at Medley, Taos, NM
G&T of the day at Medley, Taos, NM
Other places we loved in Santa Fe and Taos
Ikonic - we went to multiple ikonik coffee shops while we were in town and they all had amazing menus, vibes, and coffee!
Georgia okeefe museum - did you even go to Santa Fe if you didn’t go to the Georgie Okeefe museum? It was small but of course lovely, and it was neat to learn about her history with Lake George, NY, a small lake town near where I grew up!
Collected works - Just an unreasonably lovely bookstore - We both left with piles of new books to read!
Meow Wolf - yeah I mean I know everyone knows about this by now but this place is really freaking cool. They even had a bar - we skipped it this time but would love to know if you’ve been!
Op. Cit. Bookstore in Taos - a mix of new and used books this place was a neverending dream with a great reading room!
Chokola - an incredible independent coffee shop featuring some of the best small batch chocolate from around the world. Perfect place to pick up something special for a friend!
Have you been to New Mexico? What were some of your favorite places? Let me know in the comments below! New Mexico was a fascinating and laid back spot to road trip to for a week. The depth and variety of the histories and cultures made me sure that it would be worth returning to over and over again.
Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe, NM
Lun + Ojo shop in Taos, NM
Vaxxed, masked, and ready for adventure!
Op.cit reading room in Taos NM
