Quench Your Thirst with Zia Beverage

STAYING HYDRATED IN THE DESERT is a lot more fun when you imbibe one of the creative and delicious libations from Zia Beverage, based in Taos. The company’s sodas and teas boast all-natural ingredients, filtered water, and ingredients that celebrate New Mexico, including yucca root, piñon, prickly pear, watermelon, red chile, and more. Owners Ryan Leon and Christalyn Concha, who is Leon’s wife and a member of Taos Pueblo, started the thriving company eight years ago by selling the first batches out of the back of their pickup truck. Now available throughout the state and regionally, Zia Beverage needs a herd of trucks to deliver to grocery stores, co-ops, pubs, restaurants, and cafés. Leon notes that the Zia symbol, which graces our state flag and has ties to Zia Pueblo, pops up in other cultures; in Arabic, Zia means “a source of light.” Whether enjoyed simply over ice, transformed into a tasty mocktail, or gussied up in a yummy float, Zia also stands for scrumptious.