Contrary to what most people assume, the gold rush didn’t end in the 1800s. Across the U.S., people still pull real gold from rivers, streams, and old mining sites simply with a shovel and a gold pan.

Legend has it that in 1861, on this very spot Long’s Saloon was open for business, likely pushing Taos White Lightning (a style of whiskey that may have been stretched with tobacco, red pepper, lye ...