Beer Towns » Santa Fe
DRAFT Beer Town: Santa Fe
By Jonanna Widner
Peaks and valleys, hiking and biking, views and brews: You can find it all in the City Different.
Appeared in: March/April 2009 Issue
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Beer Bars:
Bars:
Sleep:
Dine:
Do:
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Bars
Rio Chama414 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe NM
The bar at Rio Chama is dimly lit and heavy on the dark wood/ leather/cowhide ambiance, which is fitting for a cigar bar that often hosts politicos like Governor Bill Richardson. The bar menu evokes classic ’70s man-food: It’s savory, hearty and carnivore-centric, pairing perfectly with the selection of regional drafts.
www.riochamasteakhouse.com.
The Cowgirl BBQ
319 S. Guadalupe St
Santa Fe NM
A rootin’, tootin’, raucous hangout, The Cowgirl’s adobe walls, amazing collection of cowgirl memorabilia, and inundation of live music has always attracted locals. However, it’s the abundance of brews on tap that keep ’em coming back—especially to the storied front patio during spring and summer.
Mine Shaft Tavern
2846 Hwy 14
Madrid NM
This is a famous old dive, populated by bikers, hikers and hippies in the old mining town of Madrid, a 30-minute drive from Santa Fe. Stay on alert for bar fights, rattlesnakes and extra-hot green chili.
El Farol
808 Canyon Rd
Santa Fe NM
Lore has it that this dark, centuries-old adobe structure in the heart of historic Canyon Road has bullet holes in the walls and ghosts in the back rooms. No matter where legend ends and truth begins, El Farol’s sangria, flamenco shows and bohemian atmosphere make it a must-visit.
Dragon Room Lounge at the Pink Adobe
406 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe NM
Housed in an old adobe on a storied street, the Pink, as it’s known, has a giant tree growing in the middle of its festive environs and a happy mix of the young, the beautiful and the drunk.
Brewpubs
Second Street Brewery1814 Second Street
Santa Fe NM
Grab a table on the patio, and order one of the many English-style ales on tap, fresh from the brewery. Try the kicky IPA, which leans toward fruity but with a sharp undercurrent of hops. Other standouts include a thick stout and the popular ESB.
Santa Fe Brewing Company
35 Fire Place
Santa Fe NM
Home of the potent Chicken Killer Barley Wine and several other beers brewed on the spot just south of town, Santa Fe Brewing is closer to the State Pen than it is to the crowded Plaza, and it’s a popular destination for locals. Oddly, even though it is out of the way, dusty and relatively low-key, it has grown into a music mecca; recently, it has hosted bands like the English Beat, Brightblack Morning Light and legendary punk band X.
www.santafebrewingcompany.com.
Blue Corn Café & Brewery
133 Water St.
Santa Fe NM
We implore you: Try Blue Corn & Brewery’s Roadrunner IPA. It is a truly special beer; deftly balanced, with a fruity layer that drifts toward the palate like a feather, accompanied by a serious but pleasing hop kick throughout.
Embudo Station
Embudo NM
Located in an old rail complex right up against the Rio Grande, New Mexico’s first brewpub hosts a mix of in-the-know townies and inhabitants of the lonely land between Santa Fe and Taos. Some of the families of the latter have lived in this valley for hundreds of years—you’ll learn more about the area talking to a local over a green chile beer than reading 100 guide books.
Dine
Aqua Santa451 W Alameda St
Santa Fe NM
It’s difficult to choose between the city’s dozens of fine dining spots offering savory dishes and piñon-infused desserts, but you can never go wrong with Aqua Santa. Chef/owner Brian Knox is extraordinarily conscientious about choosing only the best of locally produced goods, be they meats, beets or greens.
505.982.6297
La Boca
72 W Marcy St
Santa Fe NM
Even though it’s located just off the Plaza, this cozy little tapas spot sports a buzzy New York feel. The tapas are a touch more sophisticated than most around town—there’s a stunning bruschetta that features truffle oil, fancy mushrooms and fried egg—and they all live up to their ambitions.
(505) 982-3433
Café Café
500 Sandoval Street
Santa Fe NM
Simple but not simplistic, the well-thought menu at Café Café centers on co-owner Donalee Goodbrod’s toothsome pizzas but expands to dynamic, inventive and comforting Italian cuisine. Goodbrod and partner Kirstin Griffin insist on high-quality ingredients, and it shows.
The Pantry Restaurant
1820 Cerrillos Rd
Santa Fe NM
There’s nothing pretentious or affected at this busy diner, and it’s the perfect place to grab a morning-after breakfast burrito with extra green chile—the stuff’s the best hangover cure you’ll find.
Tia Sophia’s
210 W San Francisco St
Santa Fe NM
There’s no better spot for authentic New Mexican food than Tia’s, which, sadly, is open only for breakfast and lunch. Try the popular Carne Adovada Burrito, gorgeously overstuffed and packing a wallop of smoky red chile.
505.983.9880.
Do
Ten Thousand Waves3451 Hyde Park Road
Santa Fe NM
Put off your après-hike pint and stop by this enchanting Japanese spa set amid intensely fragrant piñon and juniper trees. You’ll feel like a VIP whether you choose a moderately priced soak in the communal tub or a splash in a private one, and any number of spa treatments. FYI: Bathing suits are optional in the tubs, and for Santa Feans, that usually means naked as a jaybird.
Around the Plaza/Canyon Road
Santa Fe NM
Historic, picturesque and tourist-heavy, the Plaza itself is, well, pretty boring. But its environs offer a varied and entertaining array of destinations: the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the beautiful St. Francis Cathedral, just for starters. Similarly, Canyon Road serves up dozens of art galleries and hundreds of tourists, but don’t feel the need to walk its entire length; instead, grab a drink at El Farol, then stroll down to your dinner destination, and you’ll get the idea.
Santa Fe Opera
17053 U.S. Highway 84/285
Santa Fe NM
Never has high culture and the jeans-and-boots aesthetic met in a more beautiful setting. The sunsets and mountain views at the magnificent, outdoor Santa Fe Opera house provide as much backdrop as you need for the world-class offerings here, where locals usually tailgate in the parking lot before the show.
Hiking, Hiking, Hiking
Santa Fe NM
Pick up a copy of “Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area” (said to be the best-selling book in the city), and choose from the hundreds of options that will send you soaring up scrabbly switchbacks to windy mountaintops, or on a simple scenic loop. For shady spring and summer hikes, the Winsor trails and Dale Ball trails, both easily accessible off Ski Basin Road, provide endless variety as they wind through conifer-laden forests and alpine meadows.
Rio Arriba County (North on U.S. 84/275)
North on U.S. 84/275
Santa Fe NM
Driving through this area is a study in the extremes of northern New Mexico: One minute you’re in dry, dusty Española (reportedly the low-rider capital of the world); the next, you’re cresting a hill that reveals pastel-painted vistas. These are the mesas that inspired Georgia O’Keeffe, and they’ll inspire you, too, as you sample the area’s offerings: Ojo Caliente hot springs, Ghost Ranch, Lake Abiquiu and the Santuario de Chimayó, a pilgrimage destination for Catholics seeking its sacred, healing soil.
Madrid/Turquoise Trail
South on State Highway 14
Santa Fe NM
This former mining town is now home to an unlikely population of hippies and rough-and-tumble types, all living in harmony amidst the art galleries, antique shops and spectacular rolling hills. Part of a larger scenic highway called the Turquoise Trail, the road into town is flanked by volcanic cones and dramatic landscapes just as colorful as the town itself.
High Road to Taos
North on U.S. 84/285, east on State Highway 503, north on State Highway 98/520; east on State Highway 76; east on State Highway 75; north on State Hig
Santa Fe NM
It’s not “high” as in adrenaline-inducing mountain passes and edgy cliffs; it’s high as in gorgeous views and valleys, folk art and wineries, rivers and desert, all in the shadow of majestic Wheeler Peak.
Tent Rocks National Monument
south on State Highway 14, east on State Highway 57 to State Highway 22
Santa Fe NM
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Of the many dazzling landscapes northern New Mexico has to offer, none is more striking than Tent Rocks, a superb hiking spot where sandy cones of tuff, banded with color, jut out of the canyon. To get there, skip the boring Interstate 25 route; instead, take vista-laden Highway 14 as it snakes through old mine country.
Other
Abbey Beverage CompanySanta Fe NM
Something about the exquisitely sparse Northern New Mexico landscape inspires spiritual introspection, so it’s no surprise one of the area’s best new beers comes from the joined forces of two local abbeys. Monastery of Christ in the Desert and the Pecos Benedictine Monastery paired up to create Monk’s Ale (available at bars and groceries around the city), which is so crisp, subtle and balanced, it must have been touched by a divine hand.
www.monksale.com.
Sleep
La Posada Resort & Spa330 East Palace Avenue
Santa Fe NM
If you’re going to spring for high-end digs in town, you might as well get the most character for your buck. La Posada’s Staab House is known for its wood paneling, old-school charm and a certain female ghost who graciously floats about.
La Fonda Hotel
100 E. San Francisco St
Santa Fe NM
A landmark on the Plaza, La Fonda is the ultimate Santa Fe hotel, from the exquisite La Plazuela restaurant (whose menu honors locally grown ingredients) down to the Spanish tile and gleaming vigas. Check out the rooftop belltower bar at sunset.
Hotel St. Francis
210 Don Gaspar Avenue
Santa Fe NM
Just off the Plaza, the St. Francis less resembles a pueblo than it does an upper-end, traditional European hotel. The dark, publike bar is popular, but the real treat is the inn’s back patio restaurant, dappled with sunlight, lush with ivy, and available for afternoon teas or one of the best breakfasts in town.
Don Gaspar Inn
623 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe NM
This bed-and-breakfast in the adorable South Capitol residential neighborhood is one of the most relaxing spots you’ll find so close to the Plaza. Each room features jetted tubs, unique traditional art (a must for the true tourist Santa Fe experience) and fireplaces. The flower-laden, garden grounds are luscious environs in which to eat your communal breakfast, but they’re equally delightful covered in a late-season snow.
Casita rentals
Santa Fe NM
It’s tough to find affordable accommodations in the City Different within shouting distance of the Plaza that don’t feel like a Motel 6 from 1972. A good alternative is renting a casita (a guesthouse) or another individually owned house. Try several Web sites and pick from an array of prices and locales, most of which are in residential neighborhoods with high charm quotients.
www.santaferentals.com.
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