Gin Distillery rondleiding en proeverij

We spent four days and four nights in Iceland. A quick search erroneously showed only one distillery in Iceland, making vodka and Brennivin (akvavit) for around $40 per head. A bit of research found this gin distillery about 3 miles further from downtown. Birger, the owner and tour guide, is a really smart guy who loves and knows Iceland, and decided to become a top-notch distiller. He answered all our questions, showed us everything, and gave us a tasting. The gin is superb, now among our favorites. The above said, what really makes this tour special is Birger and his knowledge of Iceland. One learns a lot as he goes over the name, label design, choice of botanicals including Icelandic seaweed, colors on the label, etc. And even the name of the distillery, Thoran, with the Icelandic letter Thorn (looks much like a P).

I've always been a fan of gin, but it definitely appears to be having a "moment". I was thrilled to learn about Marberg, a recent entrant into the Icelandic gin market (and, fun fact, available at the Duty Free at the airport as you fly out). The Distillery Tour does not disappoint for those of us interested in seeing under the hood. Even if you're not terribly interested in the mechanics, the gin is *so good* that it's worth the tour for the tasting alone. I snagged a couple of bottles to take back to the States with me, and now a common refrain when friends visit is "do you have any more of that really good gin?" The ansewr is "it is almost finished", so clearly another trip needs to be made.

Got a chance to see this excellent distillery in the outskirts of Hafnarfjörður. I was lucky enough to get the owner himself as a host. He was charming, friendly and very learned about his craft. AND we got to taste the gin thah he's currently producing. Really recommend if you like gin and whiskey, want to learn more about the process of making them and tasting as well!