Israeli Whiskey Bottler Creates Blends to Support Soldiers

Dror Hartman, a 55-year-old resident of Tiberias and father of a soldier currently on reserve duty (Tzav 8), has launched a new venture in the whiskey world, inspired by the aftermath of the October 7th attacks. Hartman, a whiskey enthusiast, decided to support Israeli soldiers and the wounded by creating special whiskey blends.

He collaborated with Tomer Goren, the distiller at M&H Distillery, to produce "Manochat HaLohem" (The Warrior's Rest), a limited edition of 200 bottles. This blend was aged for over five years in a port barrel with cardamom. The bottles were distributed to soldiers in combat zones and wounded individuals in hospitals, selling out within 15 minutes. Hartman noted that the soldiers appreciated the unique gift, which was more substantial than typical snacks.

A subsequent release, "Single Malt Ex-Coffee," was created in partnership with Warsil Distillery and Yinnon Tamir, intended for soldiers returning from Lebanon and Syria, with some bottles also reaching wounded soldiers. The success of these initial releases prompted Hartman to pursue whiskey bottling full-time.

His latest project, set to debut exclusively at the "Whiskey Live 2026" exhibition, is Israel's first blended malt whiskey. This unique blend combines spirits from M&H Distillery and the Ro'eh Distillery. Hartman expressed satisfaction with the result and hopes his son, currently on reserve duty, will be able to attend the launch event with him. The "Whiskey Live" exhibition is scheduled for September 2nd and 3rd at Expo Tel Aviv.