M&H Distillery (Milk & Honey)

Type: Distillery and brand

M&H, short for Milk and Honey, is a whisky distillery in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel, working with Jim Swan's production approach and maturation sites across five Israeli regions. Its distinguishing feature is the combination of a city distillery, varied casks and uncooled maturation, including casks kept at the Dead Sea.[1][2][3][7]

M&H Distillery at a glance

The address is urban rather than rural: the distillery occupies what reporting describes as a former derelict bakery on the edge of Tel Aviv and Jaffa. M&H calls itself Israel's first whisky distillery, a claim presented here as the producer's account.[1][2][7]

What M&H is known for

M&H's identity rests on its maturation programme as much as its distillation. The producer lists five maturation regions: Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem Mountains, Tel Aviv, the Desert and the Dead Sea. These are its working geographical groupings, not a set of flavour promises for every bottle.[3]

Another defining feature is its kosher cask work. Jewish News describes M&H's collaboration with a Spanish producer and the Rabbinate of Barcelona to kosher certify sherry in Spain for Elements Sherry Cask. That is a specific part of the cask's production story, rather than a tasting description.[5][8]

Elements Sherry Cask received the World's Best Single Malt award at the World Whiskies Awards in March 2023. Jewish News reports that the judging was blind, with Scotch and Japanese whiskies among the competitors; the result records that competition's decision, not a universal ranking of whisky.[1][5]

The early years and Jim Swan

The founding year is not reliably established: M&H gives 2013, while Craft Spirits Magazine and Master of Malt give 2012. The current facility chronology is also unresolved. The Canadian Jewish News reports an opening in 2014, while Master of Malt dates the start of distillation there to 2015; these are different events, but neither date is reliably established by the sheet.[1][7][8][9]

Story box: Swan's lasting contribution

• story_title: The consultant behind the production details
• founding_story: M&H was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel; its founding year is not reliably established. The producer gives 2013, while trade accounts give 2012.[1][2][8][9] Gal Kalkshtein, Amit Dror, Simon Fried, and Roee and Naama Licht are named among its founders and investors.[9] First licence or record date: not documented. Sources: 1, 2, 8, 9.
• key_person: Dr Jim Swan (1941 to 2017), M&H's first master distiller and main consultant, helped design the stills, choose ingredients and plan the layout, according to the producer.[2][4] Sources: 2, 4.
• documented_record: The producer describes Swan's influence on the cutting regime and the angle of the still's lyne arm.[4] Source: 4.
• claim_source_mapping: Founding dates: sources 1, 8 and 9; design and advisory work: sources 2 and 4.
• last_checked: Exact day not recorded; sources checked November 2026.

Verdict badge: Documented

Claim: Swan shaped specific details of M&H's production equipment and spirit selection.[4]

What the record shows: The producer's account identifies the cutting regime and lyne arm angle as examples. Evidence against or gap: Swan's role at founding is disputed: one producer account says he joined at founding, while another says he was hired as a consultant afterwards. This verdict does not settle that chronology.[3][4]

Earliest known source: Not established from the supplied record. Sources: producer's account. Last checked: Exact day not recorded; sources checked November 2026.

How the spirit is made

The producer identifies Tomer Goren as head distiller and describes double distillation in custom-made traditional copper pot stills. Most production uses unpeated malted barley, but M&H also reports a two-week peated production run every six months. Peat is therefore part of its production programme, not simply a reference to casks previously used elsewhere.[2][3]

The heart is the portion of the distillation selected for maturation; new make is the spirit before cask ageing. These figures describe M&H's published process, not instructions for making spirits at home.[3]

The capacity figure also needs its unit kept intact. M&H states 230,000 litres of new make spirit a year, not litres of pure alcohol; a 2020 report gave about 170,000 litres of new make and about 800 barrels annually. Those are differently dated descriptions, not evidence of today's actual output.[3][8]

Maturation from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea

M&H says it matures whisky for at least three years without climate control. Its published cask inventory includes new oak, former bourbon and rye casks, Jim Swan STR casks, Jamaican rum casks, kosher sherry butts and casks previously used for Israeli wines. This is a broad working inventory, not the recipe for every expression.[3]

The list extends to former Islay casks and former Godet kosher Cognac casks of 400 litres, alongside Israeli red, white, port-style and pomegranate wine casks. The distinction between what a cask previously held and where it matures matters here: M&H's published programme has both a cask dimension and a geographical one.[3]

The producer reports evaporation losses, often called the angels' share, of up to 12% a year on average, rising to 25% a year at the Dead Sea. The Canadian Jewish News describes some casks maturing on a hotel rooftop there. These figures are M&H's account of its conditions, not a rule for all hot-climate whisky.[3][7]

Nor does heat mean that mainly water is lost. M&H says that in Tel Aviv summers it loses mostly alcohol, while in winter it loses mostly water. Keeping those seasonal observations together gives a more useful picture than assuming that maturation in a hot place always pushes alcoholic strength in one direction.[3]

Reading the M&H ranges

The producer lists Classic, Elements, Apex, Art&Craft, Single Cask, Small Batch and Terroir among its ranges. For a first reading of the portfolio, start with the cask description rather than treating the range name as a complete explanation of how a whisky was made.[1]

Classic was described in the 2020 launch report as matured in former bourbon and red wine STR casks. The Elements series includes Sherry Cask, Peated Cask and Red Wine Cask, while reported Apex releases include Dead Sea, Rum Cask and Pomegranate Wine Cask Finish. These names help identify the cask or maturation emphasis without supplying first-hand tasting evidence.[8][9]

Distribution has also broadened the distillery's audience. The producer says its whiskies are available in over 40 countries, a claim checked in November 2026. The dated export milestone is clearer: Craft Spirits Magazine reported the US launch with ImpEx Beverages in 2020, alongside debuts in Canada, South Africa and Norway.[2][8]

Visiting the Tel Aviv distillery

M&H advertises a visitor centre with tours of the production area, stills and casks, as well as tastings and workshops. Before making a journey, check the official website for booking arrangements, current access, accessibility and age rules. A description of the visitor programme is not confirmation that a particular visit or activity is available.[2]

If a visit includes tasting, use small measured servings, with water, food and breaks. Spitting is normal at tastings, and nobody needs to finish a glass; none of these measures removes alcohol's risks. Do not drink if driving, pregnant or trying to conceive, taking medicines that interact with alcohol, living with a condition made worse by alcohol, or recovering from alcohol dependence. See the Responsible Drinking page for further guidance.

Where to go next

• Kavalan: continue with another distillery profile.
• Starward: explore another approach through a separate distillery profile.
• Ki One and the Three Societies Distillery: read about another named producer.

Sources

1. M&H Distillery, producer's account. M&H Distillery: Milk & Honey Distillery. Undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://mh-distillery.com/
2. M&H Distillery, producer's account. Our Story. Undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://mh-distillery.com/about-us/
3. M&H Distillery, producer's account. Our Craft & Magic. Undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://mh-distillery.com/our-craft-magic/
4. M&H Distillery, producer's account. Dr. Jim Swan's Legacy. Undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://mh-distillery.com/dr-jim-swans-legacy/
5. Jewish News. M&H Distillery: from world's best whisky to locally grown. Web edition, publication date not supplied in the fact sheet, checked November 2026. https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/spotlight/mh-distillery-from-worlds-best-whisky-to-locally-grown/
6. The Canadian Jewish News. Israel, the land of milk and honey, and whisky. Web edition, 2020 report identified in the fact sheet, checked November 2026. https://thecjn.ca/news/israel-the-land-of-milk-and-honey-and-whisky/
7. Craft Spirits Magazine. Israel's M&H Distillery Launches U.S. Distribution. Web edition, 4 November 2020, checked November 2026. https://craftspiritsmag.com/2020/11/04/israels-mh-distillery-launches-u-s-distribution/
8. Master of Malt. Milk & Honey. Undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://www.masterofmalt.com/distilleries/milk-and-honey/

This desk-researched profile uses verified fact sheet TOP-A374, distinguishing producer accounts from trade reporting and retaining its unresolved chronology.

Last checked: November 2026