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Did you know state fair has a speakeasy? Here's what you need to know
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The New Mexico State Fair offers a variety of food, fun and drinks. With three beer gardens to enjoy an alcoholic beverage at, it's easy to find a sip between rides. For those who prefer the road less traveled and want to experience the retro feeling of a bar, the state fair has a speakeasy, The Drifter Lounge, for those willing to look hard enough.
A speakeasy is a bar that sold alcohol during the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), when it was illegal to do so. Now, speakeasys are retro style bars hidden in plain sight for those who want to have a drink and feel like they're in a different era.
Here's what you need to know:
1) The speakeasy has a password
In order to find the speakeasy and gain access, fairgoers have to download the New Mexico State Fair app. At the top right, there is a small button named "Drifter Lounge". After clicking the button, a page will open up to show the password of the day. Once you find the right building, tell a state fair worker the password, and they will guide you to the bar.
2) The menu
Drifter Lounge offers six specialty drinks. Try the Mesa Mule, a drink with a blend of vodka, lemon, ginger beer and apple cider. For margarita fans, the Bloom Margarita combines tequila and lavender lined with a lavender sugar rim to make a sweet and smooth cocktail.
No specialty drink is complete without a New Mexico inspiration and the Zia Margarita has exactly that. A classic tequila based margarita with red chile and a red chile salt rim complete the drink. Not a fan of hard drinks? Try the Lavender Lemonade made with vodka or gin to taste the sweeter side of things.
3) How to find it
Half the fun of a speakeasy is trying to find it, so I won't spoil the fun, but I will give hints. The speakeasy is inside a building off of Main Street at the fair, so you'll have to take a tour of all the art and vendors during your search. Once you enter a building, listen for the sounds of smooth jazz playing and let your ears guide you to the speakeasy.
