The first real DNA Distillery meeting happened at McDonald’s on a Monday night. Monique arrived in Ugg boots and a tracksuit. James arrived carrying a briefcase. That contrast still explains how they work.
Monique often begins with the feeling, the story and what DNA could become. James brings structure, questions and a plan for making it happen. One pushes the idea forward. The other makes sure it can stand up in the real world. They were not starting with a blank page.
Rakija had already been part of their family for generations. The recipe carried memories, traditions and knowledge that existed long before DNA had a name. Their responsibility was to move it forward without removing the character that made it meaningful. The bottle could become more modern. The brand could enter new places. But the heart of the rakija had to remain familiar.
Monique and James chose the distillery floor over the safer path. Together, they turned a family recipe into something tangible - built with professional discipline, cultural pride and very little interest in acting like corporate suits.
The bottle may be polished.
The people behind it are still the cousins who started in a McDonald’s booth, one in Ugg boots and the other holding a briefcase.
