Background
Don Vicente beers were not born as an alcoholic beverage project.
It was born from the deep whisper of the earth, in the bowels of the mountain that guards the Sacred Lagoon of Guatavita, the ancestral territory of the Muisca. This project is a response to the wound the land carries within its skin, a cry of resistance to the depredation that ravages the very essence of the landscape. It did not come to follow the current of destructive interests, but to forge a path of hope, a path that challenges the practices that despoil native forests, that kill wetlands to feed unsustainable livestock farming and crops that are poisoned by excess pesticides and fertilizers. La Hicotea Factoría is the company that produces Don Vicente beers. More than a project. It is a declaration of love for nature, a call to rewrite the history of this land before it is too late.
In this region of the Andes, aerial rivers crash with fury and poetry, arriving in clouds laden with stories, brought from the distant lands of the Amazon and the Caribbean. It is a territory of páramos and sub-páramos, where the soul of water is at its most profound, sustaining the hydrological wealth that gives life to our nation—a wealth that, unfortunately, has not been respected or protected as it deserves. Without the forests that embrace the clouds, without the trees that retain water and calmly deliver it to the earth, without the echo of the lagoons and wetlands that resist the passage of time, water would begin to vanish, slipping through the fingers of those who need it. We already feel it in the streets of Bogotá, where thirst becomes increasingly tangible. The lack of protection, the disdain for nature, confronts us with the harsh reality that without these ecosystems, water becomes a scarce luxury, a broken promise.
Facing the dark horizon that warns us about the fragility of the earth, an idea that sought to change the course of events had been brewing on the grounds of La Hicotea Factory since 2008. There, among the mountains, they began to study alternatives that could transform destructive practices, seeking a new path. The goal was clear: to produce clean foods that not only nourished the body but also protected the soil, restored forests, and cared for water sources, all without losing sight of market demand. It was in 2013 that organic quinoa began to be planted as a seed of hope. A grain that, in addition to being native to the Andes, is resistant to cold, has a minimal water footprint, restores soils, and grows without the need for pesticides or herbicides. An efficient crop, with a market and restorative power. After two years of research and testing, La Hicotea managed to transform quinoa into malt, opening the door to new possibilities. se gestaba desde el año 2008, una idea que buscaba cambiar el curso de las cosas. Allí, entre las montañas, se empezaron a estudiar alternativas que pudieran transformar las prácticas destructivas, buscando un nuevo camino. El propósito era claro: producir alimentos limpios, que no solo nutrieran el cuerpo, sino que también protegieran los suelos, restauraran los bosques y cuidaran las fuentes de agua, todo ello sin perder de vista la demanda del mercado. Fue en 2013 cuando la quinua orgánica comenzó a sembrarse como una semilla de esperanza. Un grano que, además de ser originario de los Andes, es resistente al frío, tiene una huella hídrica mínima, restaura los suelos y crece sin necesidad de pesticidas ni herbicidas. Un cultivo eficiente, con mercado y un poder restaurador. Después de dos años de investigación y pruebas, La Hicotea logró transformar la quinua en malta, abriendo las puertas a nuevas posibilidades.
At the end of every bottle of this beer there is not just flavor, there is a legacy.
We don't make beer. We brew history. We distill soul.
In 2018, the dream materialized in the form of a craft beer: DON VICENTE QUINUA BEER. A tribute to tradition and innovation, with quinoa as its protagonist. But that was just the beginning. In 2020, distillation and aging gave rise to the first Single Grain Malt Whiskey, a spirit that already carried the essence of the territory. And in 2024, the alchemy continued with the creation of a signature Quinoa Gin recipe, fused with botanicals and plants from the sub-páramo, evoking the power of the mountains. And in 2025, the creation of a special edition of RHUM GUARDIÁN DEL PÁRAMO, a tribute to the protection of this natural sanctuary. What began as a simple concern has become a symphony of flavors and awareness, a testament to the fact that it is possible to transform the earth, restore balance, and create products that not only care for our future, but also remind us, with every sip, that true luxury is sustainability.
www.lahicotea.com
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