We are very lucky to be some of the first bars in Cork to have the new Method & Madness Gin on our shelves! The new release benefits from an eclectic fusion of 16 botanicals and is the first Irish gin to use black lemon and Irish gorse flower as botanicals – imparting a palate of citrus, coconut and earthy notes.
Bringing together the experience and expertise of Midleton’s Masters and Apprentices, this gin is the result of an exploration into historic gin recipes from 1798, which have been preserved at Midleton Distillery, and months of research into how botanicals work together to create new flavours in gin.
Overseen by Master Distiller, Brian Nation, and Apprentice Distiller, Henry Donnelly, the gin has been distilled in ‘Mickey’s Belly’ Ireland’s oldest gin still (pictured third above), first commissioned in 1958, at the Micro Distillery, Midleton.
Brian and Henry consulted Archivist, Carol Quinn, to understand the rich history of gin production in County Cork. In the 18thCentury, Cork was a mercantile city and a centre of production for gin and rectified spirits. Merchants such as the Murphy family, who founded Midleton Distillery in 1825, imported a rich variety of spices and botanicals to which distillers had access. In the 1930s, Max Crockett – father of Master Distiller Emeritus, Barry Crockett – created the first commercially produced gin in Ireland, Cork Dry Gin.