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Martin Miller’s (Martin Millers) is an Anglo-Icelandic brand of gin, which is produced in stages in two countries. Alcohols are distilled at a factory in the UK, and gin is diluted and bottled in Iceland. Drinks are created according to original recipes and have a clean and fresh taste. The company is known as an experimenter in the field of gin production.
Historical information
The idea to create his own gin came to Martin Miller in the 90s, when the industry was going through hard times. In 1998, the businessman met with friends for lunch in Notting Hill. Miller did not like the cocktail that the bartender prepared with the addition of tonic and lemon, the taste seemed too boring to Martin. He immediately told his friends that he planned to create his own gin with a memorable bouquet, but at an affordable price.
One of the friends had his own start-up center, and three businessmen decided to bring a promising idea to life. In 1999, the partners founded a gin factory. The company produced a drink, following the old traditions, but at the same time, Miller tried to bring something of his own. One of the main components was water – it was decided to use the resources of the source in the village of Borgarnes, located on the west coast of Iceland.
Gin is produced at one of the oldest distilleries in the UK in Langley. A feature of Martin Miller’s gin is the separate distillation of spicy and citrus spirits. Then two distillates are mixed, and an infusion of fresh cucumber is added to the blend. This method gives the drink a particularly fresh taste. The future gin is then sent to Iceland, where it is diluted with oxygenated spring water. There, the drink is bottled and packaged.
Martin Miller passed away in 2013, but the company continues to grow and develop successfully. The company’s products enjoy great commercial success in the UK and abroad.
Awards
The brand portfolio includes more than a dozen medals received at international competitions. Recent awards include:
- The Gin Masters, 2017 – gold medal;
- Stuttgart International Spirits Competition 2018 – double gold;
- World Gin Awards, 2018 – Best Icelandic Modern Gin;
- Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2018 – 93 points, “highly recommended” rating;
- World Gin Awards 2019 – Best Icelandic Gin.
Interesting Facts
- The reason for the transfer of Martin Miller’s bottling to Iceland is the requirements of English law. It was impossible to bring water into the country without demineralization and treatment of tankers, which would inevitably spoil the taste.
- One of the company’s latest developments is the 9 Moons gin. A limited batch of the drink, aged 9 months in bourbon barrels, was released in 2016 and was highly appreciated by experts. In the future, the company plans to continue experiments and establish a permanent production of “aged” gin.
Characteristic of gin Martin Miller’s Original, 40%
It is created on the basis of nine herbal ingredients by double distillation. The aroma is invigorating, the bouquet mixes the smells of pine needles, fresh leaves and citrus fruits. The taste is complex – lemon dominates at the start, then tangible juniper tones enter, and cassia shades are felt at the finish. Miller himself compared the taste of the original gin to a highly aromatic confection.
