Cocktails, Brews & Wine Bars in Northern New Mexico
By Ellen Miller-Goins
Northern New Mexico’s high desert and alpine landscapes don’t just inspire artists — they also fuel a thriving craft beverage scene. From Taos to Taos Ski Valley, Angel Fire to Red River, visitors can sip award-winning beers, inventive cocktails, historic spirits, and carefully curated wines. Here are a few standout stops to add to your tasting tour.
Rolling Still Lounge — Taos Ski Valley
Rolling Still brings its award-winning vodka to the mountains at its sleek Taos Ski Valley lounge. Signature cocktails are crafted with locally inspired infusions — think pecan, green chile, and lavender — served in a cozy alpine setting with ski-in convenience. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a day on the slopes, pairing elevated spirits with breathtaking high-elevation views. Rolling Still products are sold statewide and at rollingstill.com, but there’s nothing like sipping them at 9,000 feet.
Must Try: Lavender Honey Drop — made with Rolling Still’s own Lavender Vodka, lemon, simple syrup, and butterfly pea blossom tincture for color, finished with a lemon twist.
200 Thunderbird Rd., Unit 103B, Taos Ski Valley
575-613-0326
rollingstill.com
Taos Mesa Brewing Tap Room — Taos
Located in the heart of downtown, the Taos Mesa Brewing Tap Room pairs artisan cuisine with a rotating lineup of house brews. Guests can expect everything from crisp Kölsch and golden ales to hop-forward IPAs and rich stouts, each crafted with care and local character. The food menu centers on wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, and fresh salads — hearty enough for a full meal yet perfect for sharing. With daily happy hour and a relaxed, welcoming vibe, it’s a go-to for both locals and visitors looking to experience the creative side of Taos’s brewing culture.
Must Try: Black Diamond Expert Stout — bold, rich, and a classic après-ski choice.
201 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos
575-758-1900
taosmesabrewing.com
Pärcht Bottleshop + Bites — Taos Plaza
Just below The Gorge Bar & Grill on Taos Plaza, Pärcht (stylized pärcht) is a warm, intimate wine-bar & bottleshop that opened in 2015. What makes it special is its devotion to simple, beautiful, hand-picked ingredients, thoughtfully curated cheese & charcuterie boards, rare but approachable wines, inventive craft beers, and organic/local/humanely sourced small bites. It’s perfect for lingering over conversation, sharing small plates, and exploring wines you might not try elsewhere.
Must try: Seasonal Bites & Bottles combo — choose a charcuterie board paired with wine from their bottleshop.
103 E Plaza, Taos
parcht.com
Corner Office — Taos
Just off the Plaza, Corner Office brings natural wines and inventive small plates to Taos. Owners Zakary Pelaccio and Ian Wolff are nationally recognized restaurateurs whose establishments have earned top awards. Expect playful yet refined pairings, like finocchiona (fennel sausage) with honey-fermented figs, or a frico pancake of aged gruyere and potatoes. Recognized by Wine Enthusiast as one of the top 50 wine bars in the U.S., Corner Office is both stylish and approachable — perfect for a glass before exploring Taos shops and galleries.
COURTESY PHOTO
Must Try: Frico (cheese-and-potato pancake) paired with natural wine.
122 Paseo del Pueblo Sur (upstairs), Taos
cornerofficetaos.com
Barra Vino — Taos
Barra Vino is a cozy wine bar & bistro tucked into historic Ledoux Street, offering a warm, neighborhood vibe combined with a well-curated wine list, small-plates fare, and regular live music. The interior is intimate, with artful lighting and a friendly, casual service style. The food menu centers on small plates, boards, flatbreads, and shareable bites — ingredients are fresh, mostly local or organic, and the offerings rotate with the seasons. Barra Vino also hosts events like open-mic nights and traditional Irish music midweek.
Must Try: The Flatbread Special paired with wine from their by-the-glass selection (ask for something local or adventurous).
241 Ledoux St., Taos
575-240-8534
Elevated Pour — Angel Fire
This sleek new wine and cocktail bar opened in summer 2025 at Frontier Park. Its owners designed Elevated Pour as the kind of place they’d want to linger: modern mountain décor, warm hospitality, and a thoughtful menu of charcuterie, small plates, and rotating specials. The wine list, curated after tasting hundreds of bottles, leans global but includes New Mexico favorites like Gruet. Cocktails nod to the region — try the High Road Margarita or the top-selling Elevated Old Fashioned. Elevated Pour also doubles as a retail wine shop, making it easy to take your favorite bottle back to the cabin.
COURTESY PHOTO
Must Try: Elevated Old Fashioned — a mountain-modern twist on a classic.
3365 Mountain View Blvd., Angel Fire
575-377-4535
elevatedpour.com
Red River Brewing Company & Distillery + Red River Distillery Tasting Room — Red River
Red River Brewing Company is the town’s first — and only — brewery, full-service restaurant and distillery. The Main Street location pours a wide range of beers — crisp blondes, hoppy IPAs, sours, porters, and even house-made root beer — alongside handcrafted spirits like Silver King vodka, Purkapile rum, and Mallette Bros. gin. Its sunny patio and mountain views make it a favorite for après-ski. The Red River Distillery Tasting Room offers a more intimate setting to explore their spirits. Together, the brewery and tasting room showcase the best of Red River’s fast-growing craft beverage culture.
Must Try: DON’T TXT UR EX – A house-invented cocktail made with their Silver King Vodka, strawberry syrup, lime juice, ginger beer, & garnished with a strawberry slice and mint leaf. Perfectly sweet and fruity.
Red River Brewing Company & Distillery
217 W. Main St., Red River
575-754-4422
Red River Distillery Tasting Room
619 E. Main St., Red River
575-754-5123
redriverbrewing.com
* Traveler’s Tip: At high elevation, alcohol hits harder. Drink slowly, hydrate often, and savor the unique flavors of Northern New Mexico.