The two Schaefers hail from Las Cruces, where the parent business, Dry Point Distillers, bottles and distributes Mexico-born liquors. With whiskey, vodka and barrel-aged gin already on the racks, the creation of the Doña Luz Social Club will see the birth of several new spirits, including a mezcal, sotol and tequila, as well as a whiskey made from blue corn grown at Taos Pueblo. Stefan Schaefer hopes to see people relax at the new lounge as they enjoy their elixirs.

A historic building, the formation of the business was arduous. According to Schaefer, the better part of the building dates to before 1941, when Taos first began surveying local structures. However, the oldest portion of the structure dates to the late-1800s, he said. While this makes for a compelling setting, it also presented obstacles for the opening of the bar.

It was a “family effort” to put the place together, they said. Some relatives poured the bar while others assisted with the sagging ceiling, which is now structurally sound and painted with a fresh coat of blue. A portion of the historic adobe wall had collapsed, and much of the hardware was outdated and required replacement. Even with structural obstacles conquered, the family found they were unable to distill on-site.

“Originally, I was going to do distilling here, but the Town of Taos wouldn’t allow the manufacturing of spirits in the historic district,” Otto Schaefer said. “I sort of had to find a different way to still achieve the thing that we wanted to, which is a space that people can come and just unwind and relax, enjoy the stuff and enjoy peoples’ company.”

At the moment, their distillation efforts in Taos are “up in the air,” he added.

Over time, the building has fulfilled many purposes. Before falling into the hands of the Schaefers, it was the location of El Gamal, a Mediterranean restaurant, and the building still supports a culinary endeavor. Otto Schaefer hopes to see this come to fruition one day, likely with a menu unique to Taos, although those plans are also still in the works. His father also hopes to see an expansion of the tasting room in the future, as well as more public events.

Stefan Schaefer has been distilling for six years now, starting with the opening of Dry Point in Las Cruces with Chris Schaefer, his other son. While he operates the southern tasting room, Otto Schaefer will be running things up north. A biochemistry major, he said distilling allows him to put his knowledge to use in a creative way.

The Doña Luz Social Club is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4-10 p.m. The bar is located at 112 Doña Luz Street, next door to the Taos Real Estate Group.