The Spirit of Don Quixote

Origins of Pisco

2010-02-12T06:26:00.002-07:00

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.

Martha Stewart and Don Quixote

2010-02-01T18:11:00.003-07:00

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!

What is a Good Vodka

2010-02-01T18:00:00.001-07:00

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.

Cherry Tart - easy to complex

2010-01-24T06:11:00.002-07:00

With Valentines Day only a few short weeks away its time to start thinking about what to serve for your most romantic evening. Unlike most romantic meals Valentine's Day is the one event where what you serve for a main course is rather irrelevant....what matters is desert. Most years I like to go with something that involves chocolate. This year however I have created two cherry desserts..one easy for last minute occasions and one that takes at least one day of advanced preperation. We start with the easy and move to the complex....like life more or less.

Cherry Tart – From canned cherries
Base Ingrédient: Don Quixote Mon Chérie Cherry Port

This is a quick an easy dessert that looks elegant and shouts romance with every bite. It adds an element of sophistication and guys...we all can benefit from any help we can get in appearing sophisticated. Serves 8.

Ingredients
3 cups – Canned red sour cherries
5 oz – Mon Cherie Cherry Port
3 oz – Cherry syrup from can
3 oz – Cream cheese (1 package)
1 Tbs – Cream or milk
3 Tbs – Sugar
1.5 Tbs – Cornstarch
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon
8 baked tart shells (can purchase but freshly made is better)
Whipped cream (from heavy cream is best but Cool Whip works)

Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan. Stir in Port until dry ingredients are dissolved then stir in syrup until smooth. Over medium heat continually stir mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat and mash in cream cheese. Blend in milk until smooth. Spread evenly in bottom of tart shells using 1/3rd of mixture. Distribute cherries into the tart shells and pour remaining sauce on top. You can either serve warm or put in fridge to cool. Top with whipped cream prior to serving.

Now for the more complex...but like all things in life, the effort is rewarded.

Cherry Tart – From fresh cherries
Base Ingrédients: Don Quixote Mon Chérie Cherry Brandy
Don Quixote Mon Chérie Cherry Port

An elegant desert that adds sophistication and charm to any social event or romantic evening. Requires one day of advanced planning to prepare fresh cherries. If you are in a hurry, see recipe above…won’t be as good though. Serves 8.

Ingredients
3 cups – Fresh sweet cherries
4 oz – Mon Chérie Cherry Brandy
4 oz – Mon Chérie Cherry Port
3 oz – Cream cheese (1 package)
1 Tbs – Cream or milk
4 Tbs – Sugar
1.5 Tbs – Cornstarch
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon
8 baked tart shells (can purchase but freshly made is better)
Whipped cream (from heavy cream is best but Cool Whip works)

24 hours prior to serving begin soaking fresh cherries. Clean, de-stem, and pit cherries. Cut into halves and place in medium sized bowl (you can also use an empty wine or spirits bottle). Add brandy and port to cherries. Cover and let soak for 24 hours.

After marinating, drain juice from fruit. Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt with juice in a saucepan until smooth. Over medium heat continually stir mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat and mash in cream cheese. Blend in milk until smooth. Spread evenly in bottom of tart shells using 1/3rd of mixture. Distribute cherries into the tart shells and pour remaining sauce on top. You can either serve warm or put in fridge to cool. Top with whipped cream prior to serving.

To make an elegant before dinner apertif or after dinner digestive. Double the amount of brandy and port used to marinate the cherries and use the extra 8 oz of marinated liquid for a champagne apertif or an after dinner drink served at room temperature.

Ginseng Extract

2010-01-18T09:29:00.003-07:00

We are taking a week in Vegas for several reason; we need to buy stuff for our tasting room, we need to meet with our distributor, I plan to find an old Chinese herbalist and learn to make ginseng extract, and perhaps most important, we need to unwind...and as we all know and value, what happens in Vegas.....

Yesterday I found an old Chinese gentleman willing to talk to me about ginseng. I learned a bit on the formula for making extract. It is complex...and varies greatly depending on what root you use and how old the root is. Red ginseng from Korea with a root six years old is best...it can cost over $120 per ounce though. American or white ginseng is far cheaper. To compare red and white ginseng is not really fair since they have a different effect on the body.

Like everything at Don Quixote, we use the best ingredients and have already found a supplier for organic red ginseng roots. Red ginseng is the best panax root. Panax is an ancient Greek word for "cure all". Red ginseng speeds up the body system while white ginseng slows things down. Both help with stress and men's virility. Both help reduce sugar levels in blood, help stimulate brain efficiency, and help remove toxins from the body. White ginseng is native to Northern America and Southern Canada.

Making ginseng extract is far more complicated than vanilla extract. To make vanilla extract you literally simply soak vanilla beans in spirits wait three months and are done. While I won't reveal the recipes I am learning, it involves a more elaborate process.

The first matter we have to resolve is will we produce a pure extract at 35% alc. like our vanilla extract that is meant to be diluted when used or will we make a ginseng wine that is flavored to be drinkable without dilution. The ginseng wine would be much lower in alc....probably around 9% alc. If we make a wine, the issue becomes what the wine should taste like....hum...

Echos

2010-01-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

I saw the echo.
First as Coyote’s laughter
bouncing off empty canyons like cascading memories
of all those things that should have been.
Then as you…

Blue Moon

2010-01-11T20:28:00.002-07:00

Blue Moons are very rare, only once every 19 years. A blue moon over Don Quixote Distillery rises over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Our deep clear sky magnify the effect almost making you feel a sense of lunar presence. This cocktail is an elegant looking fruity flavored treat for those once in a Blue Moon occasions.

Blue Moon
2 oz - Don Quixote Blue Corn Vodka
1 oz – Grand Marnier
2 tsp blue Curacao
cracked ice

Mix vodka and other ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or glass until
chilled. Strain into cocktail glass. Serves 2.

Grand Marnier can be substituted with Contreau or even Triple Sec but the resulting cocktail will lose some of its sophisticated elegance.

History of the Cocktail

2010-01-10T05:51:00.005-07:00

Did you know the cocktail is an American invention? It was officially invented in New York in 1808. The first cocktail recipe called for (sugar + water + bitters + spirits). Ironically, in that same year, the American Temperance Society was formed. Before it was over, the ATS had a huge influence on American culture, politics, and even the election of presidents. In many respects America has never fully recovered from the damage the ATS imposed...just look at how lobbyist and special interests control our entire political process today.

As I write my blog, I will pass along various cocktail recipes. You will be able to find them all on my website. Today's cocktail is named after the New Mexico state bird and is called the "Road Runner". Like our roadrunners darting in and around the high dessert brush, this gin based elixir is stealth and illusive, but goes a long way toward quenching an insatiable thirst.

Road Runner
4 oz - Don Quixote Gin
1 oz - dry vermouth
1 oz - Pernod (or other licorice or anise flavored liqueur)
2 tsp grenadine
cracked ice

Shake gin and other ingredients with cracked ice until chilled.
Recommend serving in a wine glass. Serves 2.

Pernod can be substituted with Spanish Ojen, Greek Ouzo, or French Ricard. These are all types of a liqueur called "pastis" which are best known for their thirst-quenching ability. Pernod was created by Henri Pernod in 1915 after Absinthe was outlawed. This liqueur is basically absinthe without wormwood and like absinthe, clouds up when mixed with water. After a hard day in the hot dry heat, this is just the companion for that relaxing period between early evening and sunset.

Wine Club Kicks Off

2010-01-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

The Don Quixote wine club provides a way for members to automatically receive bottles of our wines and port on a monthly basis. Members also enjoy other benefits such as free tastings in our show room and 10% all wine and merchandise purchases in our show room.

In addition, members receive a monthly newsletter filled with wine tasting tips, cooking and cocktail recipes, and information about what is happening at both the winery and distillery. Members also can place orders for wine over the phone and receive a 10% discount.

Each month two Don Quixote wines will be sent to you at the members discount price. We currently offer 9 table wines, 3 fruit wines, 1 herbal wine, and 5 ports. This spring 4 new table wines will be introduced. As a new member you will receive a complementary bottle of our vanilla extract with your first month's wines (a $15.00 value).

Beauty Defined

2010-01-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Here’s what I’ve learned about a woman’s beauty...
Truly beautiful women are like a memorable wine,
not defined by lineage or outward appearance,
but by the charm of their presentation
and the simultaneous way they are approachable
while being mysteriously aloof.

New Year's

2010-01-01T14:28:00.001-07:00

Today I am thinking about all the men from
last night’s Casino ballroom sitting
across the breakfast table from the woman they love
thinking about the hot Latina lady from last night
and how her way-short skirt rose to intoxicating heights
as she reached
for her New Year’s glass of champagne.

Hidden Charms

2009-12-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we bought a beautiful used bar from an IRS auditor in Albuquerque. She was moving to Phoenix and didn’t want to haul it to her new apartment. It’s a solid wood bar that looks like maple. There are deep scratches on the counter, but I think we can color them in and buff down the surface. It took my neighbor Joe and I…along with all our strength to carry this bad boy into the tasting from – its new temporary home until I finish the private event room above the winery.
Speaking of the private event room…that is my Christmas break project. I am running the wiring and starting to insulate. I am close to finished with the south wall. This wall is 70% glass. The design of the glass is obvious to some visitors but escapes the imagination of others. When you visit, see if you can tell what the glass is supposed to represent.
There is so much glass in this wall that I had to reinforce it by screwing 5/8 inch subfloor OSB to the wall. It took me all day Monday to cut all the custom pieces and screw them up. Today I will put up six sheets of dry wall and build my hidden storage area…see if you can find it when you visit our winery.

Blue Moon Wedding

2009-12-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Blue moon and the 7th of December.
Any wedding couple would call that luck.
Warm and calm inside
while outside a torrent blizzard of emotion swirls
the snowscape into inescapable blindness.
Any wedding couple would call that…
their wedding day.

Day in the Life

2009-12-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

We just purchased a new bottling machine that does not work and our latest batch of Blue Corn Vodka mash is happily fermenting in the distillery next to a space heater. We had to cover the fermenting tank in blankets so the yeast could stay warm. Fermenting in winter is not the best time…especially when its been so cold. But is it is the best time to distill if you want to go green. In winter, Mother Nature can cool the circulating water that we use to convert alcohol vapors back to liquid. In summer I have to use two cooling tank each with a 2-ton chiller attached. Here's something you may not know, when you ferment blue corn, it turns pink....wonder if there is a message in that?

Olha is busy labeling bottles for the tasting room. When we bottle our wines we do not label or put the foil seal over the cork. This is in part because we want to focus on bottling when bottling but also because we sell private label wines and those are done on an “on-order “ basis. This is not the most efficient process. For one thing you have to handle each wine case an additional time. As a small winery, we can afford some process inefficiency. There’s an old expression at the Los Alamos National Laboratory where I work, “any job worth doing, is worth doing twice”.

Of Mice and Men

2009-12-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Who is God to the lowly Deer Mouse?
Is it the drew covered grass that provides
nurturing water, shelter from the sun, and protection
from the raptor circling above…
Or is it the raptor who decides if he lives or dies.

The Uncarved Block

2009-12-27T08:11:00.004-07:00

It's 4:00am…my usual time for that first draw of caffeine. In warm weather I usually jump out of my predawn bed and hit the day with excitement, eagerness, and a delusional belief I will actually chip away at my incessantly growing “to-do” list. In late December though, it's too damn cold. So today I wait for the low arching sun to warm the loft above the winery where my most current construction project calls for attention.

We all have talents gifted us by God. The challenge in life is figuring out what our talent is. To Ying that Yang though is that we also all have vices. While I'm still not certain about my talent I know I'm cursed with an inability to finish projects. My home and my winery/distillery are littered with unmistakable signs of nearly completed projects. I jokingly tell people the reason I never finish projects is because I want to live forever...and I know that when I finish all my projects I will die.

The true reason I never finish probably has more to do with ADD...I just loose interest. There's an old Taoist allegory about the “uncarved block”. According to the story, an uncarved block is the most beautiful sculpture there can be because it contains an infinite number of possibilities. With very chip taken and every piece removed though, there's that much less the block can be...until the final chip is removed and the block is down to the last possible thing is can be.

Projects are the same as uncarved blocks...in the begining they are new and full of possibility...which is very exciting. As the projects progresses there are fewer and fewer possibilities until near the end all questions have been resolved and all creativity removed...at that point I lose interest. What is the point in investing time and energy into something that has been complete resolved???

What does that say about me...

Old Endings....New beginings

2009-12-27T07:35:00.001-07:00

Websites, facebook, myspace, journals...where does a writer write in the post-modern world of instantant information? To be honest, I spend a lot of time on the computer but I still carry a journal I bought at Berkeley years ago in my backpack and I enjoy writing with a fountain pen. Like the ceromony involved in uncorking a bottle of wine, I think writing with a fountain pen is cathartic.

I am a writer, an Engineer, a husband and a father. As time goes on you will also learn that I am a distiller, a dreamer, and at mid-life, not completely sure what it is I am all about....or supposed to be doing. But as 2009 winds down and 2010 looms on the horizon all I know for sure is that I have a full day of chores ahead me and in six months I intend to run with bulls in Spain.