High-End Mixology has been sweeping the nation, over the last few years, and I am excited that it has even hit the town where I grew up, Santa Fe, New Mexico. A small town built around a thriving tourist industry, Santa Fe has no shortage of restaurants and bars. In fact, it has more eateries of note than most other towns of its size in the United States, I would imagine. Sure there are the mom-and-pop New Mexican must-do’s whose margaritas run the gamut from fresh lime juice and fine tequila to sweet-n-sour and cheap swill. And, there are a slew of fine dining establishments – most of which have impressive wine lists… and a few which actually pay attention to their cocktails.

I suppose a decent cocktail list really begins with the bartenders. More specifically, quality cocktails are a result of barmen & women who educate themselves on spirits and get acquainted with classic cocktail recipes. They also create a community where like-minded bartenders can share information, swap recipes, and “geek out” together. Chris Milligan is one of those kinds of bartenders, and he has been helping me rediscover my own hometown via the handful of people who serve them up well.

Chris has worked behind the wood for 17 years at venues ranging from chain restaurants and adult entertainment clubs to fine dining establishments such as La Casa Sena where he currently practices the fine art of mixology. This made me particularly pleased because it was one of my family’s “special occasion” restaurants, when I was growing up. The trout cooked in clay is a classic Casa Sena specialty, as are the singing waiters in its adjoining La Cantina. On a personal note, its also where my (now) husband and I had our first date.

A native of a dry town, population 5000, in the Deep South, Chris moved to New Mexico in 1996 after visiting during vacations and backpacking trips. He says, “I fell in love with Santa Fe the first time I was here. I had never seen such a beautiful place or met such incredible people. Every outdoor activity imaginable is within just a few miles. Santa Fe is also a unique blend of four cultures (Anglo, Spanish, Native American, and Mexican) that has created food, art and history unmatched in the world. And the sunsets are the best!!!”

One of the biggest challenges with mixology in a Southwestern town filled with big city tourists looking to drown in margaritas is convincing the patrons (and bar managers) to expand the menu into more creative drinks with nods to classic cocktails. While Chris describes derives satisfaction as a bartender by pleasing a guest and “knowing that I had a tangible part of their experience.” He fills his passion for mixology via his personal philosophy: Imagine, Invent, Imbibe, which is the slogan touted on his website and blog SF Barman. Chris, himself, is a self-proclaimed “bourbon fanatic” and the Manhattan is his favorite classic cocktail. However, he’ll delight in any drink that has “perfect balance that excites all senses and palate sensations.”

Santa Fe is quite remote, so access to other great Bartenders and Mixologist can be limited. Milligan says that the internet opened up a world that he had only imagined. He points out, “It has provided the opportunity for bartenders all over the world to get in touch with each other and access information through forums, blogs, and websites like never before. Bartenders worldwide have become a community.”

Chris has built his cocktail network both in town and on the web. When not working, he likes to drink Jen Dann's unique Dark & Stormy at the Anasazi Lounge and Orlando Trujillo's Muddled Tequila Old Fashioneds at Rio Chama both of which he shared with me during my last visit to Santa Fe. I tend to hang at my mom’s house and avoid downtown when I’m in Santa Fe. From here on out, I’m changing that. There are some amazing cocktails to be had! His online buddies include The Webtenders, Robert Hess, Jamie Boudreau, Angus Winchester, Gary Regan, Dale DeGroff, Shawn Soole, George Sinclair, Cheryl Charming, Tony Abou-Ganim, Colleen Graham and lil’ ole me.

When Chris is not relaxing with friends in warm desert sun, or chilling with his wife (whom he met while he was behind the bar) and their three-year old, he spends a lot of time reading, learning, and researching new mixology ideas, and old classics. He notes, “You cannot open the future without knowing the past, so I work from both ends of the spectrum.”

His perfect night behind the bar is: “Standing room only, everyone smiling and having the time of their lives. Total strangers becoming best friends. And a vibe in the room where everyone has only one thing one their mind which is the moment they are living right now.”

His fantasy bar clients include: Frank Sinatra, for whom Chris says he’d like to “pour a Jack on the rocks.” He’d also like to stir up Martinis for Bogie and Bacall, and “anything for Mae West.”

In 5 years Chris sees himself: “Right here doing what I do now, except maybe with a published book and in high demand on the training and lecture circuit.”
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If you find yourself in Santa Fe, swing by the Casa Sena for a cocktail (heck, stay for dinner and a show) and tell Chris I said “hello.” And, don’t blame me if you don’t want to go home after a couple of his drinks. You bound to learn for yourselves one more reason why New Mexico is called The Land of Enchantment.