Get To Know Chilled 100 Bartender Seal of Approval Recipient, Bertha’s Revenge Gin

Out of a shared passion for food and spirits, Justin Green and Anthony Jackson began distilling Bertha’s Revenge in 2015.

Their Milk Irish Gin got its name from the legendary cow, Big Bertha, who birthed a whopping 39 calves and lived through five decades. The iconic animal’s spirit is immortalized through this small batch Irish milk gin made from whey alcohol. Chilled chats with the co-founders to learn more about this Chilled 100 Bartender Seal of Approval Award-winning gin and how bartenders can make great use of it.

Tell us a bit about Bertha’s Revenge Milk Irish Gin.

After many years in the world of catering, hospitality, marketing, and wine, it just seemed like a good time to come together and become active players in the wonderful world of small-batch distilling. We distill on the grounds of Ballyvolane House, in Cork, and became the first Irish distillery to produce small batch Irish milk gin from whey alcohol.

What would you like bartenders to know about this Irish Gin?

Bertha’s Revenge Irish Milk Gin is a complex gin which is smooth, warming and gently spiced. The whey base gives the gin a creamy, dare we say milky texture and slight sweetness. At the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Bertha’s Revenge Irish Milk Gin was awarded Double Gold. While Bertha’s Revenge is a great sipping gin, it really shines through in a martini. For us, the test of a really great gin has always been how it performs in a martini.

Talk to us about being distilled from whey.

We didn’t start off knowing we wanted to make a whey-based gin, we kept trying different bases with a wide selection of botanicals. During the development progress, we discovered that whey alcohol seemed to carry spice beautifully. Whey provides the gin with a rich flavor and texture, and it balances nicely with the spice-forward botanics.

What is the culture of sustainability/environmental stewardship of the brand?

We went into creating Bertha’s Revenge with the intention of mirroring the sustainable methods and ‘grass-to-glass’ approach of Ballyvolane House. Using whey allows us to repurpose the traditional waste of the cheesemaking process. All three of our gins are created with whey alcohol sourced from local dairy farmers in Cork; natural well water from Ballyvolane House; and a sustainably-sourced and locally-foraged blend of botanicals.

What are bartenders doing with this spirit?

While bartenders are always using Bertha’s Revenge in a classic G&T (or as we call it, a B&T), the team at Eavesdrop in Brooklyn are currently featuring Bertha’s Revenge in their classic Gibson. Bertha’s works so well in a Gibson as the onion brine complements our spice-forward botanical build.

Anything else happening at the brand you’d like to share?

We recently launched our Sloe Bertha in the U.S., our unique take on the traditional tipple, a liqueur infused with wild and cultivated sloe berries in the award-winning, Bertha’s Revenge Gin.

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