Taste the Southwest at Santa Fe’s Margarita Trail

The flavors of the Southwest are unmistakable and one of the many reasons to visit a place like Santa Fe, New Mexico. While there are lots of other great reasons to go to this New Mexico city, the culinary scene is one of the best, and that includes the city’s Margarita Trail.

Santa Fe occupies a special place in tequila history as the first place where the alcohol was ever exported to from Mexico when it was brought up the El Camino Reál Trail in the 1700s. Since then, it has earned iconic status as the main ingredient for the margarita, a drink enjoying world-wide renown. While Santa Fe is not the original home of the margarita itself, it has incorporated this iconic drink seamlessly into its local cuisine.

What started on Cinco de Mayo in 2016 with 31 places has grown into a whopping 50 participating locations throughout the city where you can sip on one of the chilled beverages while you get to know Santa Fe through its beautiful scenery, charming shops and restaurants, and warm and friendly locals. Each location along the way offers a signature margarita drink as part of the city’s Margarita Trail program, which involves purchasing a passport ahead of time that gives you a discount at participating locations.

By exploring the Santa Fe Margarita Trail, you will not only get to know the city intimately but also get to experience some of the best bites in and around town at places like Del Charro Saloon or Dr. Field Goods in Historic Downtown. You can also work your margarita tasting tour into other experiences around Santa Fe by visiting a stop like Float Café and Bar at Meow Wolf, where you can enjoy both a Meowgarita and an interactive, mind-bending art experience.

At each stop you will get a stamp for each margarita purchased, which can then be redeemed for prizes when done. Five stamps earns you a special souvenir t-shirt; 20 stamps gets you a signed copy of Al Lucero’s book, The Great Margarita Book; and for 30 stamps, you will receive a Margarita Trail bartender kit.

To take part in the experience you can either stop at a Santa Fe Visitor’s Center to purchase a passport ($3 for a paper passport) or download the mobile app from either the Apple or Android store for $2.99. Once you’ve got your passport secured, you can use it to get $1 off each signature margarita you purchase at any of the 50 locations.