Micil Distillery, a poitín-inspired distillery in Co Galway, has won big at the 2020 World Gin Awards, just two years after it started making gin.
Micil Distillery scooped the silver medal in the Contemporary Style Gin category at the 2020 World Gin Awards ceremony in London on January 15.
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More than 400 gins from around the world were blind-tested by industry experts, including journalists and specialist drink retailers, to shortlist the best gins from 20 countries. The best gins in each category were then selected.
The Galway-based distillery, which makes use of Connemara flowers and herbs in its gin, will now be invited to the Gin Magazine Awards in London next month.
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It has been a meteoric rise for the new distillery.
Micil Distillery was the first distillery to open in Galway in over 100 years when it was first established in 2016 by Pádraic Ó'Griallais. He only started distilling the now award-winning Micil Irish Gin in 2018.
Ó'Grillais opened the distillery in homage to his ancestor, Micil Mac Chearra, who distilled poitín during the 1840s when it was outlawed under British rule. Following the re-legislation of poitín into Irish law in 1997, Ó'Griallais opened the distillery and began to hand-craft small batches of the traditional Irish spirit, before expanding into the gin industry.
He said that it was an honor for his gin to be acknowledged at such an early stage in its history.
"My mantra is that Micil will always be associated with distilling beautifully handcrafted spirits in small batches, using local flowers and herbs," Ó'Griallais said. "For our dedication to this ethos to be recognized at such a prestigious award ceremony, so early on, is extremely rewarding."
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Have you tried gin from Micil Distillery in Galway? Tell us about it in the comments!
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