TEQUILA SUNRISE IN THE NEGEV

When I came to Israel the main spirits were made by the wineries. Carmel Mizrahi made a product from imported molasses called ‘Tehila’, which was a poor imitation of Tequila. They also had products like Captain Rum and Lord Gin. You get the idea and can imagine the quality. All these disappeared when the import gates opened and the big global brands arrived. When that happened, the feinschmeckers chose Scotch whisky and the prize for volume went to vodka. It was only in the last 15 years that a local artisan distillery trend began, but on a very small scale. Julius Distillery led the way, followed by the likes of Golani, Pelter, M&H and Yerushalmi. The one that reached the furthest in international circles is the M&H Whisky Distillery that has brought Israeli whisky to the world.