On the Santa Fe Margarita Trail

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Margarita Trail is one of those tourist trap ideas dreamt up by Santa Fe’s tourism office to encourage the people who journey from distant shores (or, at the very least, California) seeking Santa Fe’s world-renowned art scene and historic churches to sample some of the City Different’s margaritas, thereby providing patronage to an abundance of local eateries.

While this is an experience intended for tourists, exploring the Margarita Trail has become one of my favorite traditions. A few friends and I purchased our yellow Margarita Trail passports in late summer 2023. At $3 apiece, the passports offer a map of the city, descriptions of each restaurant and a margarita ingredient list for the 46 Margarita Trail stops. There’s also space for tasting notes.

“Coyote Rooftop Cantina continues to be Santa Fe’s most respected outdoor dining. Enjoy sunset views in a lively and fun atmosphere,” reads the description for No. 9 on the trail. It was our first stop back in September 2023.

“Good view. Spicy aftertaste. VERY lime,” read my tasting notes on the Norteño margarita offered by Coyote Rooftop Cantina.

With seven margaritas down since we began our margarita journey in 2023, I’ve yet to have a bad marg on the trail. Some are classics, like the generous G.O.A.T. Cabrito Margarita served at Harry’s Roadhouse (No. 16), while others are innovative like the Black Dragon margarita at the Dragon Room (No. 12), which features a black salt rim and a splash of Chambord, a French black raspberry liquor. Many offer some Southwestern spice, like the chile-forward Smoking Bull margarita at El Farol (No. 13).

Unlike a real passport, the Margarita Trail passport doesn’t expire. Although an old one can be exchanged at no charge for a new (and presumably updated) one, I am still walking around with my battered 2023 trail passport. To encourage responsible drinking, passport holders can only use it for two margaritas within a 12-hour period.

Along with quality tequila, the Margarita Trail is a chance to sample delectable food. At El Farol we had a tapas feast. The food was expensive but worth the splurge. We dined on glazed chorizo, nutty cheeses, mussels and paella. We split a fried avocado. I didn’t think avocados could be improved on after the invention of guacamole. I was wrong.

The passport guarantees you a $1 discount on a restaurant’s featured margarita. Collecting passport stamps from the restaurants also offers rewards.

I have enough stamps for the Margarita Trail T-shirt (five), but I’m three short of the 10 stamps needed for provisional membership in the Margarita Society. With 15 stamps, I could become a full Margarita Society member. The passport promises that membership includes exclusive access to events, seminars and tastings, but to be honest, my friends and I are more invested in acquiring the official Margarita Society lapel pin.

Chris-Marg, celebrating the Christmas season with margaritas on the trail, has been the best part of this delectable expedition. In early December 2023, we celebrated Christmas together with La Choza’s (No. 21) Roca Bonita margaritas and decadent enchiladas. My tasting notes were brief, perhaps a reflection of the margarita’s strength: “Good salt. Refreshing.”

Then we walked under Christmas lights in the Santa Fe Plaza.

This December we returned to the trail, with guacamole and margs at the aforementioned Dragon Room, before we walked down Canyon Road to experience tapas at El Farol.

According to my Santa Fean friend, on Christmas Eve Canyon Road is closed to traffic. Thousands walk up the street to enjoy farolitos, bonfires and cider. When we went over a week ago, the people weren’t there yet, but the Christmas lights were. Adobe galleries were adorned with farolitos — or luminarias, as I would normally call them with my southern New Mexico upbringing. A full moon shone through trees wrapped in subtle green and blue lights that twinkled like frost.

The margaritas were a fine excuse to enjoy a winter moon, then escape the chill with the relief of warm food and warm company. May your holidays be filled with good friends, good food and, if you imbibe, great margaritas.