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    Left Turn Distillery

    4.6 (115 reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Left Turn Distillery Photos

    LEFT TURN DISTILLERY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Left Turn Distillery

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    Décor
    Kate A.

    What an excellent find! We ended up at Left Turn Distillery for lunch on Mother's Day--not as a celebration of the holiday, but because we were hungry and thirsty. Left Turn did not disappoint! First of all: love the name. It refers to the many times (in Warner Brothers cartoons) Bugs Bunny said, "I shoulda taken that left turn in Albuquerque." Don't be put off by the signs on the door; we didn't see anyone likely to be packing anything dangerous! There's parking out front, plenty of seating inside at the bar and at separate tables, and clean bathrooms. We ordered cocktails, and also mentioned we're interested in taking some spirits home--so we were served our drinks ordered food, and were offered samples of gin, whiskey, and agave products for consideration. The menu includes plenty of starters, as well as sandwiches and tacos. The food was excellent--one of the best lunches on our trip. The shrimp tacos and a Cubano sandwich were alll generously filled. Fries looked to be fresh-cut potatoes, and the pickles were definitely an in-house creation. I'd give the food six stars if I could! We enjoyed the cocktails and spirits; I've recently been trying more mezcals and was glad to taste what's being produced in NM. The Blue Manhattan--made with blue corn whiskey--was tasty and well-balanced. Also recommended: the Conversionist, made with barrel-aged gin. We left with a bottle of that gin--the perfect souvenir to enjoy back home.

    Tiffany H.

    Enjoyed delicious cocktails, a fun tasting and informative tour- this is such a fun stop for locals or folks like us visiting from out of town. Hearing about all the fun activities they have going on made us wish we lived locally so we could visit more frequently.

    Left Turn Distillery
    Rita G.

    A complete surprise...had family in for the Holidays and wanted something new to do one afternoon. When my Sister's went to make a reservation for tasting a Groupon coupon came up. Received 50 percent off. Can't go wrong. Brian, the owner gave a great tasting and explanation of the business's history. You get to choose a drink at the end. They distillery vodkas, gins, rum and whiskeys. They also survey food if you are hungry. Worth a visit. We are planning on going some afternoon for just a drink soon. Prices are reasonable. Staff very engaging as well.

    Brian the owner giving us the tasting and tour.
    Donna B.

    First time we had been to this distillery and we did a tasting and tour. We really enjoyed it! The owner Brian did a good job and the booze was really good. When you get on their website a Groupon comes up when you want to have a tour and a tasting. It was so reasonable and included a cocktail of your choice. If we could have done the tasting a bit slower, we would have enjoyed it more. Fun, interesting and good. We did not try food but will go back. It is a small place but very cool!

    Inside the restaurant
    Daniel D.

    First time visiting this place. My boss and the team wanted to hang out and get dinner. I'll be honest I had no clue this place existed until today. I was told when we arrived they have the best burger in town. Let me tell ya I was not let down. Walking in the brewery had a nice vibe. The staff were very friendly and so attentive. They made sure our glasses were always full. The drinks I heard were stellar. Since I do not these days I didn't partake and stuck with my water lol. After reviewing the menu I settled with the tourist burger. A green chili burger with queso. When the staff brought out our food I could already tell it was gonna be good. A+ on the presentation! I took my first bite after letting the burger cool for a minute and I was in heaven. The burger although a little messy was so juicy and delicious it literally needs no condiments. The queso complimented it and I poured it on-top for every savory bite. We also tried the fitters and the fries. The fritters were like a zucchini and corn Mex it was good. The fries were home cooked style and seasoned spectacularly. I have to say after hearing how long the place has been around, I'm sad I didn't come sooner. This place is amazing! Hands down it's the best burger I've had in such a long time! I'll definitely be back for sure. Thanks again Left Turn!

    Chicken nuggets
    LeeAnn M.

    Definitely a new favorite. Recommend to us by family and this was such a great little spot. It's got that hole in the wall vibe but has great food great drinks and great service. We got the chicken nuggets with green chile sauce and ranch, the Cubano, and the Shrimp Po Boy. All of which were delicious. We also go cocktails which were very refreshing (I got the Boca Fiesta). Will definitely be back. Also, they do serve beer too.

    Margarita flight
    Janay W.

    We always enjoy coming here. We love the atmosphere of this small bar and their special drink menu. I ordered things completely new to me this time including the margarita flight and the shrimp po' boy. Drinks and food were fantastic. I liked every single margarita in the flight, and the shrimp po' boy came with so much shrimp that they couldn't even fit in the sandwich. I love that they didn't skimp on the shrimp! this is one of my new favorite meals here.

    Gin and vodka still

    The hospitality of the staff was amazing... meaning service and friendliness. The tour was fascinating, the tasting was educational and the drinks were delicious! Can't wait to come back!

    The bar area!
    Drishti W.

    I LOVED this place! It's the most memorable part of my SEVEN day trip across THREE states- take that as you may! Also, the BEST and kindest service I've ever come across and that says a LOT. I originally found them on GroupOn but after a tasting and a few cocktails, they're on my must-go when in ABQ list. WONDERFUL cocktails, the PERFECT brewery atmosphere, the BEST service and my goodness, an out of the world $$ deal! Please visit, enjoy some amazing cocktails and show these bartenders/servers some appreciation!

    Sweet Pink

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    It was quite yet their food and drinks were excellent- staff were above and beyond, this hidden treasure everyone needs to stop in and try!!

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    Business owner information

    Photo of Brian L.

    Brian L.

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    1 year ago

    Fun, tried various whiskeys, great dinner. Don't be concerned about location, all was good!!!

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    An amazing drink menu and such tasty breakfast/lunch options. You can't got wrong with the sandwich's nor any of the whiskey cocktails

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    Super cool bar serving killer vodka and tequila! Nice and dark inside with cool dive bar feel. Get the "special" tea!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Left Turn Distillery

    Is it pet friendly?

    Hi Chuck .. I am sorry but currently we are not.. We will open a patio in a month or two and then you can bring your pet .. Thanxxx...Brian

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Left Turn Distillery

    Tried two cocktails and a beer -- both mules, one with gin, one with corn whiskey, both excellent.

    Mentioned in 16 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    La Reforma Brewery

    La Reforma Brewery

    (506 reviews)

    $$

    Business Parkway/Academy Acres

    What a fun new place! (New for me!)…read more The burrito was a whopper, and the tacos we got were filling as well. Loved the brownie dessert and the mango guava agua Fresca too! All in all, great meal and a great price. Two drinks, two dinners and a dessert for $48 before top.

    We read a lengthy glowing review of La Reforma in a recent ABQ Journal issue and had high hopes of…read morefinding something similar to the tacos we used to get in and near Cuernavaca, Morelos where we lived 2008-13. Sadly, we found kind of a mixed bag. First, the standout items. The margaritas were fantastic; some of the best we've had in the USA and extremely generous. The pinto bean sides were some of the best we've had since returning to the States in 2013. Perhaps not quite as great as those of the shuttered El Cotorro but still stellar. Next, the tacos. We tried only two of the several tacos on offer - The El Pastor and the Pescado. Both were served in what was called "corn tortillas" but these differed from virtually any corn tortillas we've ever had in Mexico or elsewhere. They were at least twice as thick as your typical corn tortilla found in just about all Mexican taco places in Mexico and elsewhere. The consistency and taste were quite different from your normal corn tortilla also. In fact, they really didn't seem to have much taste at all, of corn or anything else. Now to the fillings. At the aforementioned El Cotorro, the meat for the Al Pastor tacos was cooked on a vertical rotating spit which was the only way we ever saw it cooked in Mexico. The meat La Reforma used in their al pastor tacos was more chunky and way drier than any we ever had in Mexico or at El Cotorro. It didn't taste similar to any al pastor tacos were ever had in Mexico. It also kind of seemed like it wasn't cooked recently whereas in Mexico you can watch the cook with a large knife carve off the meat from the vertical spit right in front of you. Usually the time between the carving and it sitting in front of you is under 10 seconds. The fish taco at La Reforma was disappointing. The fish resembled a fish stick but one without much flavor. We wouldn't order it again. We gave the mini-churros a try for dessert. Because they were so small, they were way crispier than your typical regular-sized churro. We might return but we'd skip the al pastor and the fish tacos and try some of the other tacos. But we strongly suggest that they dump their current "corn tortillas" because they're not that good. Way too thick and virtually tasteless. Lo siento. Kudos for the margaritas and the beans. The rest of what we tried didn't live up to the recent glowing review in the ABQ Journal.

    Algodones Distillery - Sandia crest as viewed from the distillery lawn

    Algodones Distillery

    (3 reviews)

    An odd experience: there were some fabulous things about it and some odd things that made it kind…read moreof 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…read morecountry 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.

    Left Turn Distillery - mexican - Updated May 2026

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