Fora Gin Distillery and Hotel Mu Earn 'Reserva de Biosfera' Certification in Andorra's Ordino Parish

Fora Gin distillery and Hotel Mu in La Cortinada have earned the "Reserva de biosfera" certification from the Comú d'Ordino for their environmental commitments and strong local ties.

The parish council awarded the seal yesterday to the two businesses, which join around 20 others in Ordino demonstrating climate-friendly practices and respect for the territory.

The certification recognises Fora Gin's artisanal production using wild juniper berries and other local botanicals gathered manually from areas like the Encodina valley. Founders Soraya Spiers, who grew up in Andorra before spending two decades in England as a director and producer, and John Vrilakas, a US-born director of photography, launched the venture late last year. The pair developed the idea while working on a documentary about gin's sociopolitical history, spotting an opportunity amid Andorra's craft beer scene but lack of local gin. "There was craft beer, but no gin," Spiers noted, adding that the mountains abound with juniper. Their aim: to capture Andorra in a bottle through small-scale, territory-rooted processes, from foraging to labelling.

The range includes Clàssic with citrus and cinnamon notes; Negroni, a ready-to-drink version aged in local wine barrels that supports bittern conservation; and Terroir, blending red pine, Andorran honey and Mediterranean herbs to evoke the country's alpine and warmer influences. Products are already appearing in local outlets, with plans for measured expansion.

Hotel Mu secured the same honour for a year of energy upgrades, led by general director Lucas Sames and reservations manager Judit García. Efforts included adding EV charging stations, rigorous waste sorting and cutting paper use. "It took a lot of work," they said, while noting further steps ahead with undimmed enthusiasm.