Press release -
The Sad Passing of Martin Miller - Gin Renaissance Man
On Christmas Eve we learnt of the sad passing of Martin Miller.
Martin was, along with his two friends Andreas Versteegh and David Bromige, the driving influence behind his eponymous gin.
But it was never enough for Martin to just create a great gin; he wanted to create a gin revolution.
He was genuinely concerned that by the 1990's the gin drinker was an endangered species, slowly being strangled by the dead hand (as he saw it) of vodka.
Martin's dream was to pass on his own love of gin to a whole new generation of gin lovers. Now if that meant creating his own gin, then so be it and if in the process he was also creating the worlds first super premium gin it was of little consequence. In true Martin style, expense and time would never be an obstacle. It meant finding the best possible water in the world for blending. No problem. Developing new, complex and innovative distilling techniques; no problem. All that mattered to him was that he
'squared the circle' of producing a classic gin that would be loved and respected by gin lovers young and old alike.
Within Martin Miller's Gin, Martin was an inspiration and a genius. An iconoclast and a genuine English eccentric. These days much copied but never equaled.
Martin also proved inspirational to others in other fields. Founding successful businesses in antiques and creating the world famous Millers Antiques guides, then putting his obsessional love of collecting
antiques to good use by buying up a string of country hotels in which to house them.
He was fearless in what he was prepared to take on.
Add to this his ventures in social media, and his London based Millers Academy of Arts and Science, which in its days hosted the cream of London's intelligentsia and you have a true 'renaissance man'.
Martin was a throwback to times when originality and individuality were virtues. He was never frightened to swim against the tide of popular opinion. A true revolutionary in all of the many fields of life he became passionately involved in, none more so than his gin making.
As Martin would say; "Let's all raise a glass to the Gin Renaissance!"
ENDS
Topics
- Events
Regions
- England
Launched in 1999, making it the first super premium gin, Martin Miller's Gin pioneered the first wave of the gin renaissance. Now, fifteen years later and available in at least 55 countries across all continents, Martin Miller’s is the biggest independent gin brand in the world and stands alone as the most awarded gin in the global market[1].
Offering consumers the optimal gin experience, Martin Miller’s features a classic flavor profile with
perfectly balanced notes of juniper and citrus. From the ‘Rolls Royce’ of gin stills to the purest water on earth, no expense or detail has been spared in ensuring unparalleled consistency in producing the best possible product.
The Birth of an Iconic Spirit
A labour of love, Martin Miller’s Gin started as an idea between three friends – David Bromige, Andreas Versteegh and Martin Miller, who later lent his name to the brand. Unable to find a gin to satisfy their discerning palettes, the three set out to produce the finest gin in the world with no expense spared and no obstacle too large to overcome.
Imagining the final product, Martin Miller described a “fresh soft gin unlike any other…a gin with extreme clarity of taste where the refreshing quality of the citrus fruits could coexist in harmony with the headier juniper berry.” Putting their passion to work, the spirit of their dreams soon became a reality.
Innovative Icelandic Blending Yields Magical
Results
With an eye on finding and utilizing only the best ingredients and distillation methods, the trio’s quest for perfection knew no bounds. To create the best product, the team would need to find and utilize the purest water on earth to blend the gin to strength. This
water is and can only be found in Iceland.
Iceland, with its long, dark winters and surreal lava formations, is a hotbed of myths and legends dating back to the days of the sagas and Vikings. Referring to demineralized water as ‘dead water,’ Icelanders believe that by processing or demineralizing water, the water loses its life force. To this day, Icelanders believe elves and spirits to live in all things. Referring to them as the ‘hidden people,’ they believe that these spirits impart life on the natural world. The ‘hidden people’ are treated with great respect, and as such, the rocks, hills and streams in which they live, are diligently preserved.
It is in Borgarnes, a village situated at the head of the stunningly beautiful Fjord on Iceland’s remote west coast, that Martin Miller’s draws from its own spring. This is water like n other. Pure, icy, cold and alive, the water emerges into daylight for the first time in 800 years, rising from the depths of the Basalt Mountains and filtered through hundreds of feet of lava to create a water of unrivaled purity –
perfect for blending gin.
To this day, Martin Miller’s Gin is the only gin blended using pure, live Icelandic Spring water. Up to ten times purer than most bottled water, Icelandic water is the perfect canvas to highlight the beautiful botanical flavors of the spirit, while providing a soft, almost sweet mouth feel to the finish. The final product is bottled magic – delicately blended to create a marriage of rare softness, clarity of taste and appearance.
Artful Distillation, Martin Miller’s Famous Twist on Tradition
Seeking a distillation process that would allow for unparalleled freshness, consistency and transparency of flavor, Martin Miller’s broke from tradition while simultaneously preserving
the romance of gin’s rich distillation history. Employing two separate distillations for the juniper and earthier botanicals and later for the citrus elements, Martin Miller’s Gin is distilled
using a single pot still, fondly named Angela.
Universally accepted as one of the ‘Rolls Royce’ of gin stills, Angela dates back to 1904 and was made by John Dore and Sons. Utilizing the rich, though labor intensive, techniques of old fashioned gin distillation, the botanicals in Martin Miller’s are carefully measured, weighed, and then gently steeped overnight in the spirit and hot water. This gentle maceration over an extended period is a far superior technique for extracting every nuance of the essential oils and flavors necessary to produce a super premium gin.
Diverging from tradition, Martin Miller's has two separate distillations of the ingredients create a more
balanced gin with brighter citrus notes, when compared to stewing all ingredients together. The dried bitter orange, lemon and lime peels are distilled separately from the first distillation consisting of juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice root, cassia bark, Florentine iris, and a proportion of lime peel. In the final steps of the process, cucumber is used as a drying agent -- giving Martin Miller’s Gin its fresh, long, dry finish.
The end result is simply bottled magic – the finest super premium gin in the world and the spirit of
Martin Miller’s dream.
For more information visit www.martinmillersgin.com or contact Lynda Fricker on lf@reformedspirits.co.uk or telephone 0207 352 8697
Awards
In the last 10 years, Martin Miller’s Gin has won more Gold medals and top awards (e.g. best
in class, double gold, platinum) at the most prestigious global spirits competitions defined as: San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the International Spirits Challenge, The International Wine and Spirit Competition and the World Spirits Awards, as well as other top rankings such as the highest
ever Beverage Testing Institute of Chicago rating and a Wine Enthusiast 93 rating.
