Milk & Honey distillery

Introduction to Milk & Honey

A distillery with passion for craft

Milk & Honey is Israel’s first whisky distillery, pioneering a new chapter in the global spirits landscape from its home in Tel Aviv. The distillery embodies Mediterranean innovation while honoring time-tested whisky traditions, creating spirits that reflect both their unique terroir and world-class craftsmanship.

Positioned between the Mediterranean Sea and the Judean Mountains, Milk & Honey benefits from Israel’s diverse climate zones, which significantly accelerate the maturation process and impart distinctive characteristics to their whiskies.

Why we have a soft spot for Milk & Honey

At Vault of Spirits, we’re drawn to distilleries that push boundaries while maintaining exceptional quality. Milk & Honey stands out for its innovative approach to hot-climate maturation, creating whiskies that develop remarkable complexity in a fraction of the time needed in cooler regions.

Their commitment to kosher production methods, use of local ingredients, and willingness to experiment with unique cask types results in expressions that offer something genuinely different in today’s whisky landscape.

The History behind Milk & Honey

Origin and development

Milk & Honey was founded in 2012 with a bold vision: to create Israel’s first whisky distillery. Production began in 2015 in southern Tel Aviv, marking the beginning of a new whisky tradition in a land flowing with “milk and honey” – hence the apt biblical reference in the distillery’s name.

The first Israeli whisky was officially released in 2017 after reaching the minimum three years of maturation required to be called whisky. Since then, the distillery has expanded its reputation internationally, earning acclaim for its distinctive expressions that showcase the influence of Israel’s hot climate on whisky maturation.

The people behind

The distillery was founded by a group of entrepreneurs and whisky enthusiasts led by Gal Kalkstein. The production is overseen by Head Distiller Tomer Goren, who trained with renowned whisky expert Dr. Jim Swan – known for his expertise in hot-climate whisky production at distilleries like Kavalan in Taiwan.

This team combines technical expertise with a pioneering spirit, creating a new whisky tradition that respects classic methods while embracing innovation and the unique characteristics of their Israeli home.

The Craft and Production

From raw materials to finished product

Milk & Honey sources high-quality malted barley from Europe, which undergoes fermentation using selected yeasts that perform well in the local climate. Distillation takes place in traditional copper pot stills, custom-designed to create a spirit with both body and complexity.

What sets Milk & Honey apart is how they’ve adapted traditional Scottish whisky-making techniques to Israel’s hot climate. Their production process is meticulously controlled to ensure consistency despite the challenging temperature conditions.

Maturation and aging

The magic of Milk & Honey lies largely in its maturation approach. The distillery utilizes a range of cask types, including ex-bourbon barrels from Kentucky, STR (shaved, toasted, re-charred) wine casks, and casks that previously held local pomegranate wine.

Israel’s hot climate accelerates the maturation process dramatically – one year in Tel Aviv can provide maturation equivalent to three or four years in Scotland. This rapid interaction between spirit and wood creates richly flavored whiskies in a remarkably short time, with pronounced wood influence and concentrated fruit notes.

Selected Products from Milk & Honey

Classic Single Malt – An introduction to the house style

The distillery’s flagship expression offers the perfect entry point to understand Milk & Honey’s distinctive character. Matured primarily in ex-bourbon casks with some portion aged in red wine STR casks, it delivers notes of vanilla, light oak, and Mediterranean herbs with a subtle tropical fruit influence.

The whisky showcases a remarkable depth for its relatively young age, highlighting how effectively the Israeli climate accelerates maturation while maintaining balance.

Elements Sherry Cask – An experience for connoisseurs

For those seeking a more intense experience, the Elements Sherry Cask expression demonstrates Milk & Honey’s ability to work with specialty casks. Matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, this whisky offers rich notes of dried fruits, chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a velvety mouthfeel.

Bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration, it represents a more complex style that appeals to whisky enthusiasts looking for bold sherry influence combined with the distillery’s distinctive Mediterranean character.

Visit the Distillery

Tours and tastings

Milk & Honey welcomes visitors to their distillery in Tel Aviv, offering guided tours that provide insight into their pioneering whisky production. The experience typically includes a behind-the-scenes look at their production facilities and explanations of how they’ve adapted traditional whisky-making to Israel’s climate.

Tastings feature several expressions from their range, allowing visitors to appreciate the unique character of Israeli whisky. The distillery also offers special masterclasses and events for those looking to deepen their whisky knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Milk & Honey?

Milk & Honey is Israel’s first whisky distillery, located in Tel Aviv. They produce single malt whisky with a focus on quality, innovation, and the influence of Israel’s hot climate on maturation. Their approach combines traditional Scottish methods with adaptations suited to Mediterranean conditions.

Where is Milk & Honey located?

The distillery is located in Tel Aviv, Israel. This location significantly influences their whisky, as the hot Mediterranean climate accelerates maturation and imparts unique characteristics to their spirits that couldn’t be achieved in cooler whisky-producing regions.

What characterizes Milk & Honey?

Milk & Honey is known for producing whisky with accelerated maturation due to Israel’s hot climate, creating spirits with remarkable complexity at a young age. Their whiskies typically feature pronounced wood influence, concentrated fruit notes, and a distinct Mediterranean character that sets them apart from traditional Scotch whiskies.

All their products are kosher certified and they often experiment with local cask types, including barrels that previously held pomegranate wine and other Mediterranean influences.

Where can I buy whisky from Milk & Honey?

You can find selected bottles from Milk & Honey at Vault of Spirits. We carefully curate their core range expressions alongside special releases to give you access to the best of this pioneering Israeli distillery. Our selection showcases the unique character and quality that has put Israeli whisky on the global map.