Pisco is a style of brandy named after a city in Peru much like the style of wine called Port is named after a city in Portugal. The origins of Pisco style brandy probably go all the way back to the Moors who brought distilling technology with them to the Iberian Peninsula during their 3rd Caliphate. It was Spanish missionaries who brought this brandy style to the Americas. In New Mexico, Pisco style brandy was first made from native Mission/Muscat grapes in the early 1600s and used as a base for Angelica dessert wine. Today, Muscat grapes are the standard for Pisco style brandy.
There are two predominate styles of Pisco today loosely referred to the Peruvian and Chilean styles. While both countries proudly claim Pisco as their national drink the World Court has yet to decide which if any rightfully can. The main difference is that Peruvian style is unaged while Chilean style is aged in oak for two years. In the early 1800s Pisco production in South America was significantly diminished as distillers there opted to make rum instead. At that same time in New Mexico, gold was discovered and Pisco quickly became the most popular spirit in the Southwestern mining camps.
At Don Quixote our Pisco style brandy is made Chilean style…most because we like a slight oak finish on the brandy. We still use the native Mission/Muscat grape in our Pisco and like early Spanish Missionaries use our Pisco as a base for our Angelica dessert wine. Because we distill at altitude using a slow process in specially designed Alembic stills our Pisco style brandy is smooth, soft, and slightly sweet. We are proud to be the only distillery in North America producing this style of brandy that is so richly tied to our State’s history.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Martha Stewart and Don Quixote
Today we were informed that on Thursday's edition of the "Martha Stewart Living" radio show our Blue Corn Vodka and Spirit of Santa Fe Gin will be featured. This is our first exposure on a national platform and we could not be more excited.
I feel like a giddy teen age boy who's just ask the most beautiful girl in high school out on a date....now I just hope she like me.
Bon Appetite Martha!
I feel like a giddy teen age boy who's just ask the most beautiful girl in high school out on a date....now I just hope she like me.
Bon Appetite Martha!
What is a Good Vodka
I recently had a question from someone who tasted our Spirit of Santa Fe Vodka and commented on its light taste and aroma. I responded with the following description of our vodka and our commitment to making a high quality spirit.
Our Spirit of Santa Vodka is not made to be like the hundreds of others that line liquor store shelves. While some believe that vodka should be odorless and tasteless, by Eastern European standards this is considered traits of the lowest quality vodkas.
What makes a good vodka is the balance between the alcohol and its grain base…more importantly how this balance feels in your mouth and throat after a drink. Many vodkas are made from only fermented sugar and water. Without a grain base these vodkas render very uncomfortable drinking experiences. In Ukraine, where Olha our master distiller learned her craft, wheat based vodkas are considered the highest quality and appreciated on very sophisticated levels.
We separate methanol from ethanol during distillation. Others who either don’t know how to remove the toxic methanol or would rather not be constrained by this slow distillation process, filter the vodka after distillation. Unfortunately, filtering also strips out taste and aroma.
Our distillation process removes the methanol first and then allows us to concentrate on creating that just right balance between alcohol and the grain base – creating the right feel while allowing the grain’s character to provide a proper structure. People who drink our vodkas recognize right away the pleasant feeling on the mouth and throat that does not burn.
While our Spirit of Santa Fe wheat based vodka is nothing like tequila, the one thing we share in common with a well made tequila is that both provide a pleasant drinking experience that simply does not exist in most commercial spirits. I believe there are two reasons that we share this trait; first both our Spirit of Santa Fe Vodka and well made Tequilas are distilled at high elevation which has a huge impact on the quality of the spirit produced. Second, both distilling processes depend on a slow cook-off that carefully controls the balance and character of the final spirit.
Our Spirit of Santa Vodka is not made to be like the hundreds of others that line liquor store shelves. While some believe that vodka should be odorless and tasteless, by Eastern European standards this is considered traits of the lowest quality vodkas.
What makes a good vodka is the balance between the alcohol and its grain base…more importantly how this balance feels in your mouth and throat after a drink. Many vodkas are made from only fermented sugar and water. Without a grain base these vodkas render very uncomfortable drinking experiences. In Ukraine, where Olha our master distiller learned her craft, wheat based vodkas are considered the highest quality and appreciated on very sophisticated levels.
We separate methanol from ethanol during distillation. Others who either don’t know how to remove the toxic methanol or would rather not be constrained by this slow distillation process, filter the vodka after distillation. Unfortunately, filtering also strips out taste and aroma.
Our distillation process removes the methanol first and then allows us to concentrate on creating that just right balance between alcohol and the grain base – creating the right feel while allowing the grain’s character to provide a proper structure. People who drink our vodkas recognize right away the pleasant feeling on the mouth and throat that does not burn.
While our Spirit of Santa Fe wheat based vodka is nothing like tequila, the one thing we share in common with a well made tequila is that both provide a pleasant drinking experience that simply does not exist in most commercial spirits. I believe there are two reasons that we share this trait; first both our Spirit of Santa Fe Vodka and well made Tequilas are distilled at high elevation which has a huge impact on the quality of the spirit produced. Second, both distilling processes depend on a slow cook-off that carefully controls the balance and character of the final spirit.
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