Don Quixote Distillery & Winery

Don Quixote Distillery & Winery
236 Rio Bravo
Los Alamos
USA 87544
Phone: (505) 695-0817
http://www.dqdistillery.com/

Contact: Olha Dolin

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.

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