22 Best Nightlife in New Mexico, USA

More female distillers are gaining recognition in the spirits industry, and Caley Shoemaker is one of today’s most intriguing women in the business. After honing her craft at several big-name beverage companies, the Colorado native and her husband moved to Santa Fe to open their own spot just across the railroad tracks from the Santa Fe Farmers' Market. Guests are treated to a view of Lilleth, their impressive pot still, just behind a glass wall beyond the tasting room’s cocktail bar. Best known for Sigil gin and tantalizing Aradia aperitivo, the seasonal drink menu spotlights homegrown spirits, and the bottle shop sells limited-run tippling treats.

One of the state's most celebrated craft brewing companies, Bosque Brewing Co.'s Santa Fe taproom offers rotating taps including favorites such as the Jetty Jack Amber and Elephants on Parade wheat ale. The kitchen serves up beer-friendly foods ranging from nachos and deep-fried cheese curds to street tacos, burgers, and fish-and-chips. It's a great spot to relax and people-watch.

Come to this longtime, low-key destination for brew fans for live music Sunday afternoons (and most Thursday nights). Picture casual picnic seating (indoors and out, where there's plenty of shade) and a sweet choice of IPAs (try the Flashback), a good red ale, a steady brown (Pecos Trail), or a briskly cold 2016 World Beer Cup–winning High Plains Pils. Don't miss the Canteen's hard ciders, wines, and seasonal selections as well.

This rollicking barbecue, burger, and Southwestern soul food joint is one of the most popular places in town for live blues, country, rock, folk, and even karaoke. The bar is friendly and reasonable drink prices provide bang for your buck. The kids' patio out back keeps little ones entertained, and the fun pool hall and central outdoor patio can get wild as the night gets late.

The laid-back saloon at the Inn of the Governors serves casual fare even after most of the Downtown restaurants have closed. It also offers a full bar filled with local charm and plenty of characters. It has a laid-back vibe thanks to its old-fashioned Western decor and dark-wood paneling (warmed by the glow of a woodburning fireplace). It is a favorite of locals as well as visitors so it can fill up quickly during peak tourist season.

With its long front portal and expansive back patio, this ancient adobe restaurant is a lovely spot to enjoy the afternoons and evenings of summer. The roomy, rustic lounge has a true Old West atmosphere—there's been a bar on the premises since 1835—and you can order some fine Spanish brandies and sherries in addition to cold beers, sangria, and margaritas, and the kitchen turns out authentic Spanish fare, from hearty paellas to lighter tapas. There's a daily happy hour from 3 to 5 pm, and it's a great place to see a variety of music as the dance floor fills up with a friendly crowd. For a fun night out, book a table to watch one of the fantastic flamenco shows.

This outstanding venue programs an inspired, eclectic slate of genres, from local nuevo folk to techno, jazz, and traveling East Indian beats. Some big names—especially from the jazz world—show up at the compact, comfortable space (perfect for serious listeners), which is a key player in bringing the world-class New Mexico Jazz Festival to the state every September.

This fabulously unusual pub and microbrewery is located just a few miles east of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, across the highway from the regional Taos airport. In a high-ceilinged, eco-friendly building with soaring windows, you can sample exceptionally well-crafted Scottish Ale, Black Widow Porter, and Kolsch 45. Step outside to sit on the expansive patio and take in the amazing mountain and mesa views. Two outdoor stages present the best in live musical entertainment, frequently drawing large and enthusiastic crowds to enjoy regional and international artists. Tasty burgers, fries, salads, and desserts are served too.

Usually an annual affair in late September, ¡Globalquerque! is a dazzling two-day multistage (indoors and out) world music festival that firmly places Albuquerque on the global music map. The National Hispanic Cultural Center has been a perfect home for it since it launched in 2005. In addition to three evening performances, a full day is devoted to (free) family-focused programming.

The bar in the Agave restaurant located within the Eldorado Hotel is stylish and contemporary, making it just as much of a hit with locals and nonguests as with those staying on the property. Smart decor and happy hour deals combined with the late-night bar-food menu—from snacks to burgers—are among Agave's key assets.

Small plates and inventive cocktails are the draw at this slick hotel lounge.

The lofty rooftop perch at historic Hotel La Fonda is open only from mid-spring through mid-fall, but during the warmer months it's a lovely spot to sip cocktails while watching the sunset and surrounding mountains. The views make it very popular so try to get there during the off-hours to snag a table. Year-round, you can also enjoy outstanding margaritas and tasty bar food in lively La Fiesta Lounge, just off the hotel lobby, which also features live music.

Striking nature photographs line this popular, modernly rustic pub (an early location of a growing state-wide empire), which offers memorable ales like their Scotch-style Scotia and the award-winning Pistol Pete's 1888 as well as IPAs, hard seltzers, and ciders year-round. There are also seasonal specialties like Elephants on Parade (a raspberry-tempered wheat ale), traditional cocktails and wine, and reasonably priced savory snacks to accompany them all. Their brewmaster has made Bosque a multi-time National IPA Challenge Champion.

Head over to El Patio, in the plaza in Old Mesilla, for some of the area's best live music. Established in 1934, this unassuming little adobe cantina touts itself as the oldest bar in New Mexico. The cantina is open seven days a week, live music happens Wednesday through Saturday.

A staple in the Downtown social scene for decades, Evangelo's can be loud and pulsing with partiers, which is just how it is meant to be. Adults of all ages enjoy live bands and downstairs pool tables in this shots-and-a-beer kind of place. The staff can be gruff but are beloved by locals.

Key brews at La Cumbre include its award-winning Elevated IPA, the year-round, traditional Bavarian wheat ale A Slice of Hefen, and the seasonal Azulito, a blue-corn-based Mexican-style lager. Food trucks await outside the convivial taproom and its outdoor-seating "corral."

Microdistillery Santa Fe Spirits operates this convivial tasting room from a small adobe home tucked on a side street. Known for its award-winning Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey, Wheeler's Gin, and Apple Brandy, among several other robust elixirs, it's a great place to sip drinks on the cute little patio on warm evenings. Distillery tours, by reservation, are available at the main production facility out near the Santa Fe airport.

The Railyard location of this local brewpub is especially popular thanks to the easy walking distance from Downtown hotels. There's great live music (usually rock or folk) or DJs most nights along with a rotating selection of terrific beers. A substantial food menu includes good burgers and pub favorites.

This moody bar inside the historic Hotel St. Francis has long been known for its creative craft cocktails, including a classic Manhattan with a clove tincture spritzed over the top and a popular smoked-sage margarita. Food from the restaurant next door can be enjoyed in the bar, and you can also sample superb New Mexico wines at Gruet Winery's Tasting Room, just across the hotel lobby.

At this intimate, high-ceilinged bar with a dapper art deco interior, you can sip deftly crafted cocktails and catch live jazz. It's one of the few spots serving bar food until late.

Fancy some great fish-and-chips (and apple ’slaw) along with your crisp cold beer (local and international, draft or bottle)? Two Fools is the place: convivial, fun, and lively. The food (a wide array of Irish standards plus some New Mexican ones and salads, too) is no afterthought here; it’s all good, as is the impressively deep list of whiskies. Imbibe the best, with a fine selection from Scotland, Ireland, and even the United States.

For the better part of this century, locals have popped into the rollicking White House Saloon for drinks after work and late into the evening. If you get hungry, the adjoining restaurant serves well-prepared steaks and seafood from 6 to 9.