About_Us

What Makes Don Quixote Products Unique & Special

From our high altitude location, to

the glacial

aquifer

that supplies our

water, to

the way we

distill

and

age,

our

artisan craftsmanship,

attention

detail,

and

use of high quality

fruits and

grains

make

Don

Quixote

products

rare treat for

those

who

appreciate the

charm, character

and

quality

found

only in

things

hand

made in the

traditions of

old

world

master distillers and

vintners.

Small Batch Fermenting:

ferment

our

grapes

and

grains in small

batches

allowing us to tailor

each

process for

maximum flavor and

individual

character.

Small Batch Distilling:

We distill in

carefully

regulated

temperature

and

pressure

environments

in tune with the

individual

uniqueness of each

process

run.

Our goal is

maximize taste, texture

and

aroma while

minimizing

unwanted

properties

such as

essential oils.

High Altitude Distilling: At sea level water boils at 212 deg F and
alcohol boils at 193 F. Don Quixote Distillery is located in New Mexico’
s magical Jemez Mountains at 7000’ where alcohol boils at 180 F.

Our spirits cook off at a lower temperature eliminating the "burnt"
smell and taste found in most spirits. We also distill in an ambient
pressure environment which allows lighter vapors to slowly rise in
the still. The combination of altitude and pressure results in soft
smooth spirits possessing a subtle hint of sweetness.

Radiant Heating: We heat our stills using radiant heat. This creates slow even heat distribution. Our steam coil method allows accurate
control of still temperatures, first to cook of unpleasant methanol, and second to carry the desired ethanol away on light flavor molecules
thereby yielding smoother spirits of lighter alcohol.

Slow Chilling: Research has shown that a slow even chilling
process creates more flavorful spirits with a softer texture We use
ambient water to softly return hot spirit vapors back to their liquid
state.

Convection Heating: We create the convention heating environment
used by French Cognac producers by operating our Alembic stills
within a reflective oven. This ensures even heat distribute with
negligible gradient.

French Oak Barrels:

We barrel age our wines

and brandies in French

Oak.

Green Manufacturing:

Our goal is to be as earth friendly as

possible. We could do things

easier,

faster, and

cheaper using other

methods or products but we feel obligated to hold ourselves

the

same unyielding high

standards as we hold our products.

We malt our grains to grow enzymes for starch conversion. We use

organic grains when possible

and

clean our

equipment with citric

acid

solutions to both keep industrial chemicals away from

product and

minimize our use of

hazardous chemicals.

We never modify our spirits after distillation with coloring, flavoring, or texturizing. We are

committed to

providing

you with what God

and nature provided us.

We cool our spirits with naturally chilled water and preheat our wines

prior to distilling using a

passive

solar

system.

And heat our

facilities using recaptured heat from just distilled wash.

Whether making grappa from pomace, bedding our fields with

compost, or feeding deer, elk and

area

livestock with

our post-

fermented

grains, we strive to derive maximal utility from the gifts

nature has

provided.

Fate is a funny thing: As a Ph.D. Engineer at the world's most prestigious research
laboratory Ron has for years been experimenting in his free time with various wine fermentation and
spirits distillation techniques. He built his first still at 19 when he was a freshman in college. His
solar powered corn based ethonol/methonol fuel design still was a generation ahead of what is
currently in vogue. Unfortunately, Ron was unable to convince campus security that his dorm still
was "purely for research." As his confiscated still was hauled away a security guard commented,
"you can buy your booze like the rest of us."

In 1999 while on a trip to the Ukraine, Ron met his future wife Olha, the most beautiful and wonderful
woman he's ever known. They fell in love instantly and decided to get married a short time later. It
was only after they were married that Ron discovered Olha shared his passion for wine and spirits
creation.

Olha grew up in a family of distillers learning from her Grandfather and father the ancient Eastern
European secrets to fine vodka and brandy production. After the fall of the Soviet Union Olha's father
Viktor, who was a merchant ship Captain used his special vodka to entice sailors to join his voyages.
In those hard times Viktor could not pay his crew so in order to man his ship he had to offer the best
food and Vodka on all of the Deimper.

Ron's technical curiosity, merged with Olha's inherited knowledge and passion for spirits production, formed the
backbone of what has become Don Quixote Distillery. Together they smuggled their first still out of Ukraine and
their first brandies were made from wines Ron had made over the years while experimenting. With the exception
of almost starting their home on fire during their first spirits run their humble beginnings laid the ground work for
the full up distillery they have today.

Ron designs, fabricates, and builds all the stills used at Don Quixote. The first still designed and built by Ron was
a five gallon copper alembic pot still engineered to maximize the advantages of distilling at 7500 feet above sea
level. In the ensuing years Ron's quest for perfection has led him to continually experiment and design newer
improved stills. He is currently on his seventh design generation and believes his has finally optimized his design
to blend production efficiency with smooth spirit taste and delicate aroma. The trademark characteristics of all
Don Quixote stills are their gentle even heating that renders soft, slightly sweet spirits with pleasantly balanced
aromas.

Our First Two Stills Stills

This is our first brandy
production line configured in
a hybrid combination of a
classic Cognac and
Moonshiner's processing line.

Ron & Olha Dolin

Ukrainian Still

Don Quixote Distillery & Winery(TM)
Old World Charm in Every Bottle