Santa Fe has been around for just a few...well, over 400 years. As one of the World’s Top 15 Cities, when one thinks of Santa Fe, their first thought may be of art and all of the fantastic annual shows and galleries; it may be of the stunning adobe buildings and historic streets set under the Sangre de Cristo mountains and a perfect sunset; the world renowned cuisine of red and green chile; the list goes on and on. Just this past year, we presented to all of our guests one of the sweetest, most refreshing and delicious of all thoughts…the Margarita Trail.
The new Santa Fe Margarita Trail launched as an ongoing culinary cocktail experience for visitors and Santa Fe locals alike. The Trail highlights restaurants and bars that offer a special, uniquely designed and named margarita using the finest tequilas and ingredients.
“Celebrating the best food with your best friends is at the heart of living in or visiting Santa Fe,” said Mayor Javier Gonzales. “The Santa Fe Margarita Trail will help our visitors discover exceptional mixology talent and hidden cocktail gems in our city while they create very special memories.”We don’t think the margarita was invented in Santa Fe, but Santa Fe surely played a major role in introducing the main ingredient of the margarita to the “new world” --and that is tequila-- according to Al Lucero, author of the “The Great Margarita Book.” Al tells us that when the Spanish Conquistadors docked their ships in the Gulf of Mexico in quest of golden treasures in the new world, they also brought along Catholic clergy in an effort to establish missions and convert indigenous people to the Catholic faith. They brought sacramental wine for the church’s communion but realized they would run out, so they brought grape cuttings. The forward thinking Spaniards also brought a supply of their favorite spirit, brandy and a still. After all, they were soon going to be harvesting grapes and the church could only use so much wine. The Spaniards quest led them across Mexico and north on what was to become El Camino Real, the main route between Mexico City and Santa Fe, capital of the territory of New Mexico, who thought they were gods on their big horses and shiny armor with a plume in their silver helmets , they were served pulque-fermented agave juice, which the Spanish called vino de agave. This wasn’t exactly a Napa Cab. As a matter of fact, it was awful! They knew they might run out of their beloved brandy before the crop of grapes came in, so being industrious, they decided to distill the pulque. First batch, better but still not very good. So they distilled it again and it was not bad at all. Tequila was born and to this day the fermented agave juices are doubled to become tequila. The Santa Fe Margarita Trail Passport is an invitation to explore Santa Fe’s love and connection to the margarita. There are 31 amazing margaritas to tantalize your taste buds so you’re sure to find a favorite or two! The Margarita Trail promises to be one of your most memorable Santa Fe culinary adventures. Having just won a major award with National Geographic (World Legacy Awards), Santa Fe continues to grow in popularity as a Group Destination and an International Hot Spot. Additionally, Santa Fe ranked No. 2 on the “Top 15 Cities in the United States” list and No. 11 on the “World’s Top 15 Cities” list in the 2017 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. Santa Fe may be just the destination you are looking for to wow your or your client’s next program attendees. Truly, there is something for everyone in The City Different! Please call the Tourism Santa Fe Sales Team to start to explore this great destination and allow us to assist you in a smooth and delicious meeting planning process.
