Algodones Distillery

An odd experience: there were some fabulous things about it and some odd things that made it kind of an awkward experience for a wedding we recently attended. This results in the "ok" rating I'm giving it (as a wedding venue), but please read carefully, as I think it might be wonderful for some things (a liquor tasting?) and not-great for others. (I write this after a specific inquiry for a report by a bride-to-be friend of mine, figuring that what I told her on a text from the property might be of interest to folks here on Yelp.)Algodones Distillery is situated on a beautiful quiet property in a hamlet north of Albuquerque, nestled down by the Rio Grande with lovely trees and grass, a pond, beautiful xeric landscaping by the buildings. Glorious. The drive in is charming, enjoy the one-lane passage through the tunnel under the railroad bridge and marvel at the prettiness of the bosque in the area. The people working the beautiful wedding I attended here were _very_ gracious and helpful. The tiny sample of the Navy-strength gin I tasted was . . . sublime (I'm planning to head back to buy a bottle when it's back in stock). There were nice areas for dancing. It was really, really hot, and even though there were shaded areas, it was hard to escape the heat in the venue. Bugs and mosquitos were notably present at the late September afternoon wedding we attended (bug spray was made available, but I don't know whether that was due to the distillery or the wedding planner). The restrooms we used were in the residence - it was lovely in the house, but it felt intrusive to need to enter a home to use their restrooms. The distillery bartenders were FAR more disorganized than I'd ever imagine at a place that sells alcohol, resulting in long waits for drinks (this continued throughout the evening). Finally, parking was a challenge for many at the wedding (we arrived very early and were able to capture the very last parking space on the property - many people had to park pretty far away along the road and had to be shuttled to their cars by golf carts. There was some buzz among the staff about people who'd parked too far along the driveway in violation of an agreement with neighbors of the distillery. So, in summary - I really liked Algodones Distillery but as a venue, there are things of which people should be aware. Appearance of the place: 5 stars.Service but for bartenders: 5 stars.Bartender service: 2 stars.Parking: 2 stars.Restrooms: 3 stars (nice enough, but just awkward and some had stuff from the wedding party in them). Liquor: 5 stars. Environment (kinda not in their control, but this is where they built their outdoor venue, so it's noteworthy): 2 stars (nowhere to escape heat, serious bugs)

We had the pleasure of doing a tour and tasting at the distillery. The distillery is nestled off a country road surrounded by cottonwoods and gorgeous landscaping. The tasting in the distillery was nice. We've done tastings of the GINEBRA Southwestern Dry Gin, ARMADA Barrel Aged Navy Strength Gin and LUNA Blue Corn Moonshine Whiskey. The latter is incredible. I think it's new to the distillery. We've been lucky enough to have had several tastings and they even host events here. The weekend we visited they were getting ready for a wedding. Everything about this place is "enchanting" and welcoming. The guys are wonderful hosts and now their whiskey and gin.

I haven't been to your distillery but literally fell upon a bottle of your Claro Clear Diamond Vodka. Best vodka I've ever had. This vodka is from Algodones New Mexico. The buzz is Fucking worthy. Expensive.