Heather Rae Morton of Black Phoebe Ceramics, in Las Cruces, describes her minimalist stoneware as a canvas for her true artistic passion—glazes. “I spend most of my time experimenting with glazes to see how they react,” she says. The denim-hued glaze on her sake set started as a happy accident when two types overlapped, which she later perfected during the firing process.
2 WOOD CHARCUTERIE BOARD, FROM $160
Talk about a conversation starter! Every piece of rescued or reclaimed New Mexico wood at Woodswan, in Glencoe, tells a story. Owners Glen and Sherry Barrow handcraft their modern cutting boards, shelves, and furniture from fallen trees. Their recent selection of elegant charcuterie boards is taken from a pecan tree salvaged by an urban revitalization project.
3 PLANT-DYED TEA TOWELS, FROM $18
Hand-dying organic cotton tea towels and napkins is “a slow process,” says Ro Souza, owner of Eloise et Moi, in Clovis—but a worthwhile one. “I use avocado pits, onion skins, and nontoxic plant extracts,” says the Argentina native, “because I want to live consciously as a citizen of this Earth.” Since moving to Clovis six years ago, Souza says the landscape has inspired her palette with earth tones like terra-cotta, sand, and distressed olive.
4 PUEBLO POTTERY MUGS, FROM $19
When the world’s first Native American–owned Starbucks opened across from Albuquerque’s Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) in 2015, the location reached out to Pueblo artists from throughout New Mexico to design a series of coffee mugs and tumblers inspired by Pueblo pottery. The vessels were so popular that Shumakolowa Native Arts has continued to produce them, adding new artists and designs each year since. Proceeds help support the IPCC and the 19 Pueblos.
Brew up a gift set for the Old West aficionado in your life with Mock’s Crossroads Coffee Mill small-batch coffees. The Clayton shop’s owners, Rustin and Jennifer Mock, take name and flavor profile inspiration from their historic hometown, with specialty blends like Clayton’s Cowboy, which marries bold dark-roast bravado with sweet notes of chocolate. The Trainrobber is a smoky ode to outlaw Black Jack Ketchum, who met the gallows in Clayton in 1901.
’Tis the season for popping bottles, and Albuquerque’s Oakenwell can help you put a cork in ’em. “I take a lot of inspiration from ceramics,” says woodturner Courtney Gale. “I love the curvature and form.” Her bottle stoppers, made from local and reclaimed scrap woods like walnut and purpleheart, come in whimsical shapes like UFOs, mushrooms, and chess pawns, as well as rounded designs with elegant inlays.
Taos Twist owners Tricia and Randy Farina describe their handcrafted stainless steel cutlery as “jewelry for your table.” The Taos-based couple works exclusively with artisans in a small village in Thailand to create and import the artful utensils. Their wares include full place settings, tongs, ladles, and even a spaghetti fork—all with a creative twist.
8 CASK-AGED BALSAMICO VINEGAR, 16.25 OZ., $74
A can’t-miss gift for New Mexico foodies, this 12-year cask-aged condiment vinegar is the younger version of the famed 21-year-aged Traditional Aceto Balsamico of Monticello ($165, 4 oz.). Both balsamic vinegars are luxurious, boasting honey-thick viscosities and rich flavors that are solely derived from the lush organic Italian grapes grown by Steve and Jane Darland on their farm in Monticello. The price points reflect the vinegar’s lengthy aging process and concentrated potency. In short, a little dab’ll do ya.