RIO GRANDE SOTOL

Spirits distilled from Sotol, the spiny Desert Spoon plant (Dasyliron Wheeleri), which is found throughout the Chihuahuan Desert region of New Mexico, Mexico, Arizona and West Texas. Indigenous peoples fermented juice from these plants into a beer-like alcoholic beverage as early as 800 years ago. In the 16th century, Spanish colonists introduced European distillation techniques to produce spirits.

Now some 450 years later, spirits distilled from Sotol are achieving international recognition like its cousins mezcal and tequila.

We’re proud to introduce the newest member of our family,

We searched high and low to find the best spirits made from wild-harvested sotol, handcrafted using traditional methods by the Sotoleros of northern Mexico, and carefully bottled it to bring you the funky and soulful flavors of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Now available at Red River Brewing and Distillery & at redriverbrewing.com/spirits.

Parker, who holds a master’s degree in Special Education, currently teaches at the Red River Valley Charter School and fills her available free time with her true joy: creating art. She is a member of both the ennui Gallery in Taos, a cooperative of local artists, and of the Lost Sunshine Cinema Collective, which share music and multimedia video projections at various venues throughout Taos County.

If that were not enough to keep one person busy, Parker has also enrolled at UNM in a bachelor’s program for Interdisciplinary Arts, focusing on Animation and Experimental Arts and Technology — the road she most often sees ahead of her. She is still continuing to take art classes at UNM–Taos to improve her skills, however. “I don’t know how many people realize it, but the Taos campus is an amazing and affordable resource for either honing your craft or learning something new,” she said. “The teachers and the facilities are first-rate and I’d encourage everyone to check it out.”

After all, art is a common denominator, a means to relate to others and find a ground upon which we can share our thoughts, feelings and hope. “Art, especially here in Taos, is the fabric of our community. Learning about art or practicing it is a way for you to find a community voice, continue building the community and strengthen that fabric,” she emphasized.