Distillery tours
Distillery Tours in New Mexico
Plan a distillery tour in New Mexico: 7 distilleries to visit, with tastings and experiences you can book directly. Expect Craft Spirits, Gin, Bourbon and more. Highlights include Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, KGB Spirits, Dry Point Distillers.
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About distillery tours in New Mexico
New Mexico distils at altitude, and it shows. The Land of Enchantment's high desert, dry air and mountain water give its spirits a character all their own, and a trail here links Albuquerque, Santa Fe and the country north towards Taos. Santa Fe Spirits is the scene's elder statesman, the state's oldest and largest craft distillery, best known for its Colkegan single malt smoked with mesquite rather than peat, a true taste of the Southwest. In Albuquerque, Hollow Spirits Distillery works grain-to-glass from a historic downtown building using New Mexico red corn and local botanicals, while Left Turn Distilling helped pioneer the city's craft scene. Further afield, KGB Spirits near Alcalde and Rolling Still Distillery draw on northern New Mexico's mountains and water, and Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery and Dry Point Distillers add to the spread. The reward of this trail is its sense of place: spirits shaped by sun, sage and elevation, tasted against some of the most striking landscapes in the American West.
Following the New Mexico trail
The trail naturally falls into three zones. Albuquerque is the busiest, home to Hollow Spirits Distillery in the historic Wells Park area and Left Turn Distilling, the city's craft pioneer, with Dry Point Distillers in the wider region. An hour north, Santa Fe offers Santa Fe Spirits and Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, the latter with both a distillery and a separate tasting room in town. Continue into northern New Mexico for KGB Spirits near Alcalde and Rolling Still Distillery, which draws on high-mountain artesian water up towards Taos. A sensible plan bases a couple of days around Albuquerque and Santa Fe, with an optional scenic push north for the mountain producers.
Distilleries worth prioritising
Santa Fe Spirits is the essential stop, both for its standing as the state's oldest and largest craft distillery and for the mesquite-smoked Colkegan single malt that captures the Southwest in a glass. Hollow Spirits Distillery is the Albuquerque highlight, a grain-to-glass producer using New Mexico red corn and local botanicals across whiskey, agave spirits, rum, gin and more, with an inviting pour room. Left Turn Distilling earns its place as the city's first distillery. For travellers heading north, KGB Spirits and Rolling Still Distillery show how mountain water and elevation shape clean, distinctive spirits. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery and Dry Point Distillers round out a varied trail.
Where to stay & eat nearby
Santa Fe and Albuquerque both make excellent bases, with a deep choice of hotels and some of the most distinctive food in the Southwest, from green-chile classics to refined Southwestern cooking. Santa Fe's compact centre puts you within easy reach of its distilleries and tasting rooms, while Albuquerque's Old Town and downtown areas pair well with Left Turn and Hollow Spirits. If you continue north towards Taos for Rolling Still, the town offers atmospheric lodging and dining amid the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Tumbleroot's tasting room in Santa Fe is a relaxed spot to eat and drink in one place.
Getting there & around
Albuquerque International Sunport is the main gateway and a convenient starting point for the southern half of the trail, with Santa Fe about an hour's drive north. A car is essential for linking distilleries, particularly the northern producers near Alcalde and the Taos area, where mountain roads are scenic but slow. Remember that you will be tasting at altitude, often well above a kilometre and considerably higher towards Taos, so pace yourself, drink plenty of water and always arrange a designated driver. Fuel up before longer drives into the northern country, where services thin out.
Frequently asked
- How many distilleries are on the New Mexico trail?
- Seven: Dry Point Distillers, Hollow Spirits Distillery, KGB Spirits, Left Turn Distilling, Rolling Still Distillery, Santa Fe Spirits and Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, spread across Albuquerque, Santa Fe and northern New Mexico.
- Which New Mexico distillery should I visit first?
- Santa Fe Spirits is a natural starting point as the state's oldest and largest craft distillery, famous for its mesquite-smoked Colkegan single malt. In Albuquerque, Hollow Spirits is the standout.
- What makes New Mexico spirits distinctive?
- High-desert conditions, dry air, intense sun and altitude influence both maturation and character, while local touches like mesquite smoke, New Mexico red corn and mountain water give the spirits a strong sense of place.
- Can I do the trail without a car?
- It is difficult. A car is the practical way to link distilleries across Albuquerque, Santa Fe and the northern mountains, especially the more remote producers near Alcalde and towards Taos.
- Does the altitude affect tasting?
- It can. Much of New Mexico sits well above a kilometre in elevation, rising higher towards Taos, so alcohol may feel more pronounced. Drink water, pace yourself and use a designated driver.
- Are there options beyond whiskey?
- Yes. Alongside whiskey you will find gin, vodka, rum and agave spirits across the trail. Hollow Spirits, for example, makes a broad local range, and Tumbleroot produces beer, spirits, liqueurs and canned cocktails.