Andean Gin: discover the new Andean gin made with muña, vanilla from Tarapoto and huacatay

Since 2019, the Don Michael Distillery surprised Peruvians and the world with the production of the first whiskey made from purple corn. A daring idea that became a success and was the origin of many other ingenious ideas of Michael Kuryla and his wife Daiana Milon.

The married couple met in Oxapampa about ten years ago, when Kuryla, born in Miami, came to Peru to work in the construction business and she was a plant manager. However, they both wanted to do something of their own and that is how the great variety of Peruvian corn inspired them to create Black Whiskey: “For a year we did tests in Oxapampa. At first it turned out horrible”, Kuryla recalls with a laugh. But, despite the failures, they decided to continue betting.

Six months later, they imported first-use white oak barrels from the United States and, in less than a year, the improvement began to be felt. Michael Kuryla, a financial expert, wrote the business plan like this, got an investment and moved to Lima to build the Don Michael distillery in Lurín: “It has become the best in South America. We have several quality and safety certifications. We are very proud of what we have built”, he points out.

Despite the pandemic and adversity, sales of Black Whiskey managed to surpass itself until it was sold in the United States, Taiwan, Australia, Germany, Spain, Canada and other territories, as well as in the most prestigious restaurants in the country. This boom allowed them to continue experimenting in their specialized plant with vodka, creams and, now, Peruvian gin.

“Because my brands are kind of fancy, I wanted to do something a little more fun for people who don’t see themselves drinking whiskey and smoking cigars,” Michael explains. During months of tests and experimentation with various botanicals, they decided to use Peruvian botanicals. “We found a young company that has a variety of vanilla that comes from the jungle (Tarapoto). We use a little grapefruit to give it a touch of citrus and three herbs that are muña, rosemary and huacatay. Although huacatay is used to make sauces, when you mix those three and make a distillate to extract the essence, it is incredibly rich. Andean Gin is going to be an exportable product, not just the whiskey, the gin can be the same”, affirms its creator.

It is a world-class Peruvian gin with sweet notes, citrus touches and herbal lines, good aroma and aligned with the trends of the finest gins in the world. It is ideal to accompany red meat, duck, dishes seasoned with fine herbs and mature cheeses. They began with the production of 3 thousand units for the United States and expect to produce 20 thousand 700 ml bottles of Andean Gin to cover the main markets such as Germany, Australia, Taiwan, Spain, Canada and China with the expectation of entering Dubai, Mexico and Poland this year with all its Premium distillates.

Michael Kuryla tells us that the official launch of Andean Gin will be this September 15 and it is expected to be found in supermarkets, restaurants, shops, bars and new creative cocktails.

More data

• The official launch is on September 15.
• Don Michael continues to grow under the Andean brand, which was recently registered as a brand under alcoholic beverages in Peru, adding a portfolio of six Premium distillates: Black Whiskey, Black Whiskey Single Barrel, Black Whiskey Oxapampa Honey, Andean Cream, Andean Vodka and Andean Gin .
• Andean Gin is entering stores and supermarkets. It will also be found in bars, liquor stores and strategic e-commerce platforms in Lima and the provinces.
• Visits to Lurín: they can be contacted to take a tour inside the plant, learn how the products are made and try it. From the entrance, the smell of the barrels and the surprising stills impact. Write to his fanpage: