Fall in New Mexico: What to See, Do, Eat & Drin

The mountains are turning gold.

The balloons are getting ready to take over the Albuquerque sky.

Football food is back on the menu.

And green chile season? Oh, we're already there. 🌶️

Welcome to fall in New Mexico.

It's one of those times of year when staying home feels almost criminal because there is SO much to see, do, eat and drink.

So if you're ready for fall, here's our Bloody Maria round-up of a few things worth putting on your list.

🍂 SEE: Take the Long Way Around the Enchanted Circle

One of the best places to watch New Mexico change seasons is the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway in northern New Mexico.

The route winds around Wheeler Peak through Taos, Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest and Angel Fire, with golden aspens, mountain lakes and plenty of places that turn "we'll pull over for one picture" into approximately 897 pictures.

Take your time.

Stop in Red River. Look across the Moreno Valley. Make the side trip to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge outside Taos.

Sometimes the drive is the thing.

And the Enchanted Circle is just one way to see the colors. We've put together our own New Mexico Fall Foliage Tour with a few more places to explore.

Our friends at New Mexico True also have an incredible Places to Visit guide showcasing the scenic drives, towns, food, culture and places that make our state so special. If you're coming our way, bookmark it. Then give yourself more time than you think you'll need.

Remember: 897 pictures.

🎈 DO: Look Up

There are plenty of reasons to look at the mountains this time of year.

Then Albuquerque gives us a reason to look straight up.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta brings hundreds of hot air balloons into the New Mexico sky and is one of those experiences that's hard to explain until you've stood underneath it.

And yes, even when you live here, it's still pretty spectacular.

Plan the trip. Set the alarm. Bring the camera.

You know the drill.

🌶️ EAT: Put Something Good on the Stove

Now we're getting to the important stuff.

Green chile harvest is already underway, which means fresh chile is being roasted, peeled, packed away and added to just about anything that'll sit still long enough.

Eggs?

Chile.

Cheeseburger?

Chile.

Stew?

Obviously chile.

Bloody Maria?

Please.

But fall also brings back one of our favorite food groups:

Football food.

Big pots of chili. Wings. Sliders. Sloopy Joes. Dips. Nachos. Something bubbling in a slow cooker that everyone keeps "checking" even though it's been cooking for four hours.

It's food meant to sit in the middle of the table while everybody grabs a little more.

And don't forget that Bloody Maria Mix doesn't have to stay in the glass.

As the nights get cooler, this is when some of our favorite Bloody Maria recipes start coming back into rotation.

Bloody Maria Sloppy Joes

Football season means the return of one of our favorite food groups:

Game-day food. 🏈

Wings. Chili. Sliders. Nachos. Dips. And something hot waiting on the stove for everyone to grab whenever they're ready.

Enter Bloody Maria Sloppy Joes.

They're easy, messy in the best possible way, and made with Bloody Maria Mix for a little New Mexico kick.

Make a big batch. Put out the buns and toppings. Let everybody build their own.

Then pour the Bloody Marias, turn on the game and call dinner handled.

Get the Bloody Maria Sloppy Joes recipe and add it to your game-day lineup.

 

Bloody Maria Spaghetti

Yes, we put Bloody Maria in spaghetti sauce.

And yes, you should try it.

Our Bloody Maria Spaghetti brings tomato, spice and that little extra kick to a dinner that's easy enough for a weeknight but still feels like something you wanted to eat.

Add garlic bread.

We're not monsters.

 

👻 DRINK: Spooky Season Is Creeping In

Then there comes a point in fall when pumpkins start appearing on porches and perfectly normal adults decide their cocktails should look mildly terrifying.

We're here for it.

Our Spooky Halloween Cocktails round-up has Bloody Maria drink ideas ready for Halloween parties, spooky movie nights or an evening at home answering the door approximately 73 times.

And we're not finished.

We'll have more Halloween ideas coming your way because green chile, tomato, hot sauce and creepy cocktails are apparently all perfectly reasonable ways to celebrate fall around here.

We don't make the rules.

Will it be Red or Green? 

Of course, there is one question that doesn't change with the seasons around here.

Red or green?

And if choosing feels like an unreasonable amount of responsibility before lunch, there's always the correct answer:

Christmas.

Both.

It's one of those little pieces of New Mexico visitors remember long after they've gone home.

As locals, we sometimes have to remind ourselves that the mountains, sunsets, balloons, chile roasters, food, little towns and traditions we experience every year are exactly what people travel across the country to experience.

As New Mexico business owners, we see something else happen, too.

People come here, fall a little bit in love with the place and want to take a piece of it home with them.

Sometimes it fits in the suitcase.

Sometimes it doesn't.

Take a Little New Mexico Home

That's part of why Bloody Maria is online.

Maybe you discovered us while you were visiting New Mexico.

Maybe you tasted Bloody Maria here and got home wishing you'd grabbed another bottle.

Maybe you had exactly 2.7 inches of suitcase space left and chile, souvenirs and everything else you'd already collected won the argument.

That's okay.

We'll send it to you.

Because Bloody Maria is one of our little pieces of New Mexico, too.

So come visit.

🍂 Watch the mountains turn gold.

🎈 Look up at the balloons.

🌶️ Eat something good.

👻 Pour something fun.

Take all 897 pictures.

And when it's finally time to head home, don't worry about squeezing one more thing into the suitcase.

We ship. 

SHOP NOW: Stock up on Jars & Jerky.

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