Distilled Story and Photos by Sergio Salvador I like to boast about New Mexico craft beers, to emphasize the prestigious lists they appear on, and the international awards local brewers have won. Those that remain unimpressed might hear about our increasingly sophisticated winemaking scene, particularly the world-renowned sparkling wines and pinot being made in Albuquerque by Gruet. And don’t get me started on the superiority of our independent restaurant scene. Now, though, I have cause for new bragging rights: New Mexico spirits. In the wake of similar trends in the wine and beer industries, a swell of interest in small-batch, artisan distillers has taken hold of the liquor market, both nationally and internationally. Better ingredients and purity of process draw discerning consumers, and give a sense of connection to where spirits are made and to the people that make them. Not long ago our choices in beer or wine were limited to a few major brands. Now diners take time to determine the right microbrew or consult with waiters trained in the nuances of varietals for the proper wine to go with dinner—and it’s happening with spirits, and it’s happening here. In March 2011 the New Mexico Legislature passed unanimously Senate Bill 546. The legislation called for the creation of a craft distillery license similar to the craft brewer license. The new license is affordable and permits local distillers to offer tasting rooms and to sell their product directly to the public. This new frontier for legal distilling brought a number of wonderful small-scale spirits to the fore. Olha Dolin, Don Quixote
Add to this a couple of enterprising importers already based in New Mexico and one senses the presence and prowess that will place New Mexico on the craft spirits map. New Mexico’s first distillery, Don Quixote Winery and Distillery, started in 2001. Ron and Olha Dolin own the business and operate two tasting rooms, one in White Rock near Los Alamos and the other in the fabulous space just north of Pojoaque that was long home to the legendary Linecamp Nightclub. Don Quixote offers ten spirits on its menu, including a Pisco brandy. The Dolins are the only American distillers allowed to make the popular South American spirit. The fascinating backstory involves a grandfather clause having to do with histories beyond my word count here, but provides the perfect conversation piece during a tasting. Olha Dolin is a third-generation distiller, originally from Ukraine, and is the nation’s only female master distiller. She uses the slower malting process from her homeland to make the vodkas, gins, and bourbons at Don Quixote. The organic distilling process imparts a subtle flavor profile to the finished product. Ron, who balances his role at the distillery with a full-time job as a mechanical engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, designed and built the Don Quixote stills. Their best sellers are their sublime Blue Corn Bourbon and the Blue Corn Vodka. Gin lovers are encouraged to try the Spirit of Santa Fe Gin that features handpicked botanicals from Northern New Mexico. “We hand pick the juniper, chamisa, and piñon in New Mexico forests and use rose hips harvested along the Rio Grande,” says Olha. When not busy distilling, Olha creates eighteen different wines, a line of chocolates, and nine unique extracts, including a delicious Blue Corn Vanilla, all with Don Quixote spirits as their base. The Dolins are pursuing a wholesaler’s license to self-distribute their product, so soon you should be able to find these spirits at a store near you if you can’t make the drive north. Fifteen miles north of Don Quixote’s Pojoaque tasting room, in the village of Alcalde, is the home of another local craft spirit maker: KGB Spirits. The 2,800-square-foot distillery is located on a historic ranch along the Rio Grande that was once home to the Los Luceros Winery. Owner and distiller John Bernasconi started with a five-gallon still and a batch of experimental vodka in 2009, but soon installed two state-of-the-art stills imported from Germany. This boosted his production capacity to more than fifty thousand bottles per year, made distillation more efficient, and yielded a more consistent finished product. Bernasconi optimistically invested in the future. He sees micro-distilleries, by virtue of the small batch process, achieving more complex flavors and better products, and capturing the imaginations of new customers. WWW.EDIBLESANTAFE.COM
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