Milk & Honey: Israel’s First Commercial Distillery

With the rapidly growing popularity of whiskey and the rise of boutique distilleries, it’s the perfect time for Isreal to claim its first commercial distillery, Milk & Honey. This new endeavor is located in the South Tel Aviv neighborhood of Jaffa. Learn more about this intriguing distillery in Israel and also what they hope to offer the world of whiskey.

Creating a Legacy

The commercial production of alcohol in Isreal is a fairly new industry. The 1990s saw a rise in wineries throughout the country, followed by the craft beer movement in the early 2000s. It only suits that distilling spirits would also follow. Milk & Honey is the first distillery in Israel and it making headlines.

The Milk & Honey Distillery is the result of a group of whisky-loving entrepreneurs’ dream of an Israeli Single Malt coming true. Some of us home-brewed as a hobby, some of us have worked in the spirit business and all of us love and drink whisky. Construction of the distillery began in 2014 and actual distillation started in 2015. It is going to take a few more years until our first batch of Israeli Single Malt Whisky leaves the barrel but good things take time. We are here for the long run. Our manufacturing abilities can cater for more than just Israel; expect to meet us in North America, Europe and other markets with a demand for top-quality and kosher spirits.

A Focus on Quality

One of Milk & Honey’s key focuses is on exceptional quality. They have also committed to a long term vision of a true top-shelf, world-class product.

We invested in the best equipment needed for a fully-operational whisky distillery…a custom-built whisky pot still and a vintage still that was made according to the Scottish coppersmith tradition. We mill, mash and ferment our mash in-house. Our barrel selection includes carefully-selected ex-Bourbon casks and a collection of new oak barrels and ex-wine barrels – kosher, of course.
We hired Dr. James Swan, perhaps the best independent master distiller in the world, as our Master Distiller and consultant. Our research and development was made under Dr. Swan’s close guidance; his experience helps us grow.

The Whiskey

Milk & Honey is still in its early days so the current whiskey offerings are limited. They offer an unaged single malt called New Make, as well as a young single malt and just recently launched their first experimental whiskey.

New Make is the clear spirit flowing from our pot still, that after a few years of barrel aging becomes whisky. While the wood and the aging process are responsible for most of the final product characteristics, the New Make is the basis of every whisky – it allows us to taste and feel the beginning of a great single malt whisky and its malt and yeast flavors.

This distillery in Israel ages the young whiskey for 12 to 18 months. The only true whiskey currently offered is their Experimental Whiskey. It sold out almost immediately.

This exclusive edition of 391 numbered bottles is released under the Milk & Honey’s Experimental Series, a harbinger of world-class whisky, scheduled for world-wide distribution in 2019. Israel’s First Single Malt Whisky is a refreshing non-filtered single cask whisky, bottled at 46% abv. The whisky is mature and complex for its young age, thanks to Israel’s hot climate conditions.

Other Spirits

In addition to the single malts, Milk & Honey also offers other spirits as well. The distillery produces both an aged and unaged gin as well as a herbal liqueur. Visitors can sample their offering by booking a 1-hour private or group tour of the distillery.

No whiskey enthusiast would want to miss the opportunity to sample Isreal’s first single malt whiskey! Be sure to book a trip to visit Milk & Honey the only distillery in Israel. For even more whiskey inspiration, explore Sustainable Scottish Whiskey: A New Trend.