Don Q
Encyclopedia
Don Q is a Puerto Rican rum, distilled, manufactured, bottled, and distributed by Destilería Serrallés from its corporate facility in Ponce, Puerto Rico
. Don Q is the top-selling rum in Puerto Rico
, where over 70% of the rum consumed in the United States
is produced. The rum is named after Don Quixote, the protagonist in Miguel Cervantes' classic Spanish
novel
. The rum is sold internationally, competing against Bacardi
for market share
.
family from Cataluña that migrated to Puerto Rico
in the mid 1830s, and established a sugar cane plantation
in the outskirts of Ponce
. They were successful in harvesting and refining cane sugar and exporting it to the United States
, the United Kingdom
and France
. The plantation became very prosperous, and virtually became a company town
, with its own rail
line, workers' housing, transportation fleet, commissary, and private -- later public -- airport (Ponce's Mercedita Airport
). Most of these operations were eventually annexed to the municipality of Ponce
, in whose lands the plantation is based.
In 1865, the family opened a rum
manufacturer at the plantation
, "Hacienda Mercedita
". On that year, Juan Serrallés
, who would go down as one of the most successful liquor salesmen in Puerto Rican history, imported a still from France
, which enabled him to produce his first casks of rum.
The Serrallés operation produced various local rum brands, most of which were short-lived. Inspired by the success of other rum producers in the island, the family decided to launch a refined brand with the intention of exporting it elsewhere. The Don Q brand was launched in 1932, and became popular with locals who considered rival Bacardi
either harsher in taste or a foreign brand (when Bacardí opened its distilling operations in Puerto Rico in the early 1930s it was considered a Cuban brand since its headquarters were based in Cuba
; since the 1960s Cuban revolution, Bacardi has had its headquarters in Bermuda
). Don Q is considered Puerto Rico's finest rum.
By the 1960s, Don Q was available on most of Puerto Rico's important supermarket chains, such as Pueblo
and others. It also became available at Amigo
.
from sugar cane. The combination of the type of yeast
s employed for fermentation
, distillation method, aging conditions, and blending determines the characteristic flavor of rum. Made with molasses
, water, mash
, and yeast, Don Q is distilled in a continuous still. Once distilled, the clear spirit is aged in oak barrels for up to a year per Puerto Rican law, adding a golden color and character to the rum. Flavors and spices, if any, are added as an option at this point. The brand’s taste is achieved through a proprietary recipe, which is blended into the rum mixture at the final stages of production.
, Mexico
, the U.S. Virgin Islands
, Spain
, and a number of other countries.
Don Q is the best-selling rum in Puerto Rico, followed by Bacardi and Palo Viejo. Other brands include Ron Castillo and Captain Morgan
. The Captain Morgan Rum brand is owned by a different company but made by Destilería Serrallés at destillery facility in Puerto Rico under a supply contract with Seagrams, now Diageo
.
Destileria Serrallés has been engaged in numerous advertising campaigns for its rums. Television ads
have run on Puerto Rican channels for decades, and the brand has sponsored local sports teams, such as Ponce's Leones de Ponce
baseball
team and their BSN counterpart the Leones de Ponce basketball team. The Serrallés distillery is also involved in the Copa Serrallés boat race
, where Don Q is prominently advertised. Don Q also has appeared on a number of films. Small sample bottles of the Don Q are available at supermarket
s, pharmacies
, and liquor store
s.
competitions. For example, its Don Q Gran Añejo rum earned multiple gold medals at the 2008 and 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Also, in 2010, Don Q scored high at the Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards, in San Diego, California
. Compeating against hundreds of rums from around the globe, Don Q Añejo, Don Q Gran Añejo, Don Q Cristal, Don Q Coco, Don Q Mojito y Don Q Limón were awarded rankings in the “Platinum-Best in Class” and “Gold” categories. In this competition, according to Alberto "Tito" Torruella Bartolomei, Don Q's VP for Manufacturing, all of the Don Q products brought to the competition received awards. Unlike other awards, the SIP Awards select consumers for judges. "It is not the first time that Destilería Serrallés receives an international award. In a recent competition in Las Vegas, Nevada
, Don Q Cristal received the top award within the category “Best Mojito”. Don Q Oro also received an award.
In September 2011, the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences
awarded Don Q Gran Añejo a five-star rating, something they "don't award to just any rum...In fact they found only one worthy enough of this honor: DonQ Gran Añejo...Gran Añejo is the first rum ever to receive this rare distinction, reserved for the greatest achievements in travel, hospitality products and services. The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Board of Trustees recognized in Destilería Serrallés for DonQ Gran Añejo exceptional quality and character.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. Don Q is the top-selling rum in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, where over 70% of the rum consumed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is produced. The rum is named after Don Quixote, the protagonist in Miguel Cervantes' classic Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
. The rum is sold internationally, competing against Bacardi
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
for market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
.
History
The Serrallés family was a SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
family from Cataluña that migrated to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in the mid 1830s, and established a sugar cane plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
in the outskirts of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. They were successful in harvesting and refining cane sugar and exporting it to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The plantation became very prosperous, and virtually became a company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
, with its own rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line, workers' housing, transportation fleet, commissary, and private -- later public -- airport (Ponce's Mercedita Airport
Mercedita Airport
Mercedita Airport is a commercial airport located three miles east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The airport covers and has one runway. Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, an astounding 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all...
). Most of these operations were eventually annexed to the municipality of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, in whose lands the plantation is based.
In 1865, the family opened a rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
manufacturer at the plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
, "Hacienda Mercedita
Hacienda Mercedita
Hacienda Mercedita was a sugarcane plantation in Ponce, Puerto Rico, founded in 1861, by Juan Serrallés Colón. The Hacienda was the administrative center of the large sugarcane mill called Central Mercedita as well as that of its cane sugar refinery plant which packaged the Snow White brand sugar...
". On that year, Juan Serrallés
Juan Serralles
Juan Serrallés Colón was the founder of Hacienda Mercedita in Ponce, Puerto Rico and what was to become Destileria Serralles, producers of "Don Q", a world renowned brand of Puerto Rican rum.-Early years:...
, who would go down as one of the most successful liquor salesmen in Puerto Rican history, imported a still from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which enabled him to produce his first casks of rum.
The Serrallés operation produced various local rum brands, most of which were short-lived. Inspired by the success of other rum producers in the island, the family decided to launch a refined brand with the intention of exporting it elsewhere. The Don Q brand was launched in 1932, and became popular with locals who considered rival Bacardi
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
either harsher in taste or a foreign brand (when Bacardí opened its distilling operations in Puerto Rico in the early 1930s it was considered a Cuban brand since its headquarters were based in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
; since the 1960s Cuban revolution, Bacardi has had its headquarters in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
). Don Q is considered Puerto Rico's finest rum.
By the 1960s, Don Q was available on most of Puerto Rico's important supermarket chains, such as Pueblo
Pueblo Supermarkets
-History:The brainchild of brothers Harold Toppel and George Toppel, Pueblo began as a single store operation on Roosevelt Avenue in the Puerto Nuevo section of San Juan, Puerto Rico...
and others. It also became available at Amigo
Amigo Supermarkets
Amigo Supermarkets is a chain of supermarkets located in Puerto Rico owned by Walmart.-Beginnings:Supermercados Amigo was opened by Jose Marti Fuentes. During the company's formative years, it operated small supermarkets across the island; these would be located at small strip malls...
.
Distillation process
Don Q is distilledDistillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
from sugar cane. The combination of the type of yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
s employed for fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
, distillation method, aging conditions, and blending determines the characteristic flavor of rum. Made with molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
, water, mash
Mashing
In brewing and distilling, mashing is the process of combining a mix of milled grain , known as the "grain bill", and water, known as "liquor", and heating this mixture...
, and yeast, Don Q is distilled in a continuous still. Once distilled, the clear spirit is aged in oak barrels for up to a year per Puerto Rican law, adding a golden color and character to the rum. Flavors and spices, if any, are added as an option at this point. The brand’s taste is achieved through a proprietary recipe, which is blended into the rum mixture at the final stages of production.
Advertising and sales
Currently, Don Q is sold in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the U.S. Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and a number of other countries.
Don Q is the best-selling rum in Puerto Rico, followed by Bacardi and Palo Viejo. Other brands include Ron Castillo and Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan is a brand of rum produced by alcohol conglomerate Diageo. It is named after the 17th-century, Welsh privateer of the Caribbean, Sir Henry Morgan...
. The Captain Morgan Rum brand is owned by a different company but made by Destilería Serrallés at destillery facility in Puerto Rico under a supply contract with Seagrams, now Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
.
Destileria Serrallés has been engaged in numerous advertising campaigns for its rums. Television ads
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
have run on Puerto Rican channels for decades, and the brand has sponsored local sports teams, such as Ponce's Leones de Ponce
Leones de Ponce (baseball)
This article is about the Ponce baseball team. For the basketball team of the same name, see Ponce Lions .The Leones de Ponce are a baseball team in the Puerto Rico Baseball League. The organization is based in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The team plays at the Francisco Montaner Stadium...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team and their BSN counterpart the Leones de Ponce basketball team. The Serrallés distillery is also involved in the Copa Serrallés boat race
Boat racing
-Types:* Canoe racing, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking* Drag boat racing, a form of drag racing which takes place on water rather than land* Dragon boat racing, a type of human-powered watercraft racing...
, where Don Q is prominently advertised. Don Q also has appeared on a number of films. Small sample bottles of the Don Q are available at supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s, pharmacies
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, and liquor store
Liquor store
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....
s.
International awards and recognitions
Despite focusing on the middle and lower end of the price spectrum, five of seven Don Q offerings have achieved a modicum of success at international spirit ratingsSpirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
competitions. For example, its Don Q Gran Añejo rum earned multiple gold medals at the 2008 and 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Also, in 2010, Don Q scored high at the Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards, in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Compeating against hundreds of rums from around the globe, Don Q Añejo, Don Q Gran Añejo, Don Q Cristal, Don Q Coco, Don Q Mojito y Don Q Limón were awarded rankings in the “Platinum-Best in Class” and “Gold” categories. In this competition, according to Alberto "Tito" Torruella Bartolomei, Don Q's VP for Manufacturing, all of the Don Q products brought to the competition received awards. Unlike other awards, the SIP Awards select consumers for judges. "It is not the first time that Destilería Serrallés receives an international award. In a recent competition in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Don Q Cristal received the top award within the category “Best Mojito”. Don Q Oro also received an award.
In September 2011, the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences
American Academy of Hospitality Sciences
The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences is an establishment of reviewers specializing in the reviewing of hotels, resorts, spas, airlines, cruise lines, automobiles, products, restaurants and chefs. It is most notably known for its reviews on the hotels, resorts, and travel industries. The...
awarded Don Q Gran Añejo a five-star rating, something they "don't award to just any rum...In fact they found only one worthy enough of this honor: DonQ Gran Añejo...Gran Añejo is the first rum ever to receive this rare distinction, reserved for the greatest achievements in travel, hospitality products and services. The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Board of Trustees recognized in Destilería Serrallés for DonQ Gran Añejo exceptional quality and character.
Types
Don Q has been produced in a number of different types, some of the most prominent being:- Don Q Cristal
- Don Q Limón (Lime Flavored Rum)
- Don Q Pasión (Passion Fruit Flavored Rum)
- Don Q Coco (Coconut Flavored Rum)
- Don Q Mojito (Lime & Mint Flavored Rum)
- Don Q Gold
- Don Q 151 (discontinued in late 2009-early 2010)
- Don Q Añejo
- Don Q Gran Añejo
See also
- List of Puerto Rican rums
- Juan SerrallesJuan SerrallesJuan Serrallés Colón was the founder of Hacienda Mercedita in Ponce, Puerto Rico and what was to become Destileria Serralles, producers of "Don Q", a world renowned brand of Puerto Rican rum.-Early years:...
- Serrallés CastleSerralles CastleSerrallés Castle is a mansion located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico overlooking the downtown area . It was built during the 1920s by Juan Eugenio Serrallés, son of businessman Juan Serrallés, founder of Destilería Serrallés...
- Destilería Serrallés
- Ponce, Puerto RicoPonce, Puerto RicoPonce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...