Mezcal Matters

What Is Worth Saving?

“What is worth saving?” a friend asked us a few weeks back while playing provocateur in a debate about art and culture.

It’s a question we keep circling back to—partly because we’ve embarked on a late-spring purge: clearing closets, sorting shelves, and deciding what stays and what goes. Every now and then, something survives the cut simply because the idea of it feels too charming to let go of. A whole cookbook dedicated entirely to carrots? That somehow earns another year on the shelf.

The carrot-soup-loving Georgia O’Keeffe once transformed the metal frame from an old truck headlight into art. But does that mean we should keep the handmade tile someone brought us from Turkey even though it’s been broken and repaired so many times it now resembles a mosaic assembled by a determined preschooler?

If we’d been around in the early 1960s, when owners of the Bliss Building considered replacing it with a sleek six-story structure, we probably would’ve argued to preserve it. But after years of deterioration and a partial collapse, reality makes preservation feel far more complicated. As painful as demolition may be—for owners and for downtown Albuquerque—it sometimes becomes the only workable answer.

The situation has sparked conversations that go beyond assigning blame. Instead, people are asking different questions: What motivates us to save something before it’s too late? And what does “saving” actually mean?

Preservation, Progress, and Mezcal

Questions like these are expected to surface during Mezcal Matters, one of the conversations happening during the Indigenous Foodways Festival on June 20.

Researcher Ronda Brulotte spent ten years studying mezcal before writing a book examining what happens when a small-scale artisanal tradition becomes internationally popular. Her work explores the tension between protecting cultural practices and embracing economic opportunity.

The conversation stretches beyond “How do we preserve mezcal?” into something larger: Can mezcal preserve communities?

That question opens the door to a familiar debate. When culinary destinations become internationally recognized, does attention protect local traditions—or slowly reshape them into something else entirely?

Back in 2014, before Oaxaca occupied such a visible place in American food culture, Anthony Bourdain sat atop a pyramid with Taos mezcal producer Ron Cooper and shared the spirit that has since become increasingly sought after.

As fans of mezcal ourselves—served neat, in a margarita, in a negroni, in a paloma, or folded into inventive cocktails—we admit our bias. But it’s less about the drink and more about valuing craftsmanship and preserving the knowledge required to create something by hand.

At the same time, we recognize the complexity: artisans deserve livelihoods, traditions deserve protection, and popularity often creates pressure to scale beyond what made something special in the first place.

These tensions—and the experiences behind them—are only the beginning of the conversation.

Amuse Bouche

One of Albuquerque’s classic New Mexican diners is currently for sale. Loyola’s remains beloved by generations of regulars and continues to hold a loyal following.

Downtown Albuquerque’s only grocery store, Silver Street Market, is also changing hands. The hope is that future ownership preserves what makes the store unique—a mix of neighborhood convenience, local products, and a staff that’s become part of the community itself.

Teddy Roe’s, the speakeasy-style bar tucked behind M’tucci’s Bar Roma, is hiring for weekend shifts.

Daydream, Albuquerque’s acclaimed rum bar known for its design and architecture recognition, is also hiring bartenders, barbacks, and hosts.

Entrances & Exits

Tea culture continues gaining momentum across New Mexico. One recent example is The Tsa Lab in Taos, which explores tea as an everyday practice of connection and community through pop-up experiences.

Meanwhile, a new sign along the mountain drive has sparked curiosity: Cedar Crest Tortilleria appears to be preparing for a fall opening. No official menu details yet—but expectations are understandably high.

Elsewhere, The Craftroom, long associated with Sandia Hard Cider, is preparing to relocate and continue operations from a new space later this year.

Santa Fe’s La Mama has welcomed Chef Harry Choee to lead the kitchen. Throughout June, collaborative wine pairing dinners are bringing seasonal dishes and guest chefs together for special evenings.

Occasions

This weekend marks the close of New Mexico Cocktail Week with events ranging from multi-course dinners and cocktail pairings to dance nights and garden gatherings.

Spanish Broom Flamenco returns for another golden-hour performance in Albuquerque.

Los Poblanos continues offering select Sunday tea services paired with guided tours of the historic property.

Pocha returns for summer service with rotating menu offerings and creative takes on familiar comfort food.

In Albuquerque’s North Valley, seasonal farm dinners continue among the fields at sunset, bringing local ingredients and curated wine pairings together.

And stepping beyond food entirely, the Leopold Writing Program launches a storytelling series centered on water and place at the historic Aldo Leopold House.

Distillations

Recent conversations around New Mexico’s food and drink scene have highlighted efforts to elevate local wine recognition through professional competitions and expanded cultural awareness.

They’ve also opened new discussions about Albuquerque’s Chinese history and the people who helped shape the city’s culinary identity through restaurants, businesses, and neighborhood development across generations.

As always, the question remains:

What deserves to be preserved—and how do we know when it’s time?