TIRED OF HAVING TO PEEL, squeeze, and boil ingredients every time she wanted to make a fresh cocktail, Albuquerque mixologist and bar manager Paige Alvarez longed for a line of high-quality drink syrups that could save her time without sacrificing flavor. “So I decided to make them myself,” she says. With the help of Albuquerque nonprofit Three Sisters Kitchen, which provides resources for food entrepreneurs, Alvarez launched Sugar Moon Syrups in 2022. The company is named after the full moon in March, when the sap in maple trees begins to run and the rest of the earth is awakening from its winter slumber. “It represents peak seasonality,” Alvarez says, “a time to appreciate the food around us, to celebrate life, new beginnings, and creativity.” The line of shelf-stable syrups includes pomegranate, prickly pear, orgeat, red chile orange cordial, and a grapefruit cordial that’s especially popular with the mocktail crowd (just add some tonic water and a sprig of fresh rosemary).

Read more: With a line of New Mexico–inspired granola that’s anything but bland, this nonprofit is spicing things up in Albuquerque.