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pre·mi·um by S. Kister: Authenticity from the Altmühltal

High-percentage pure distillates made of meadow fruits are refined with the finest raw materials. For the Coffee Liqueur, strong espresso rounded off with a bit of sweetness becomes a great cocktail with milk over ice in the shaker. The Arancello, with its painstakingly distilled foundation and fine orange zest, becomes mild and rounded when given plenty of time and rest. Cold-pressed mint with a high menthol content, gentle distillation and fine sweetness result in a natural Peppermint Liqueur without additives. The ‘raw materials bomb’ Speculator presents itself as a Christmas companion, where the finest spices and mild sweetness meet 57 percent by volume, with a wonderful spirit resulting after several weeks. Lit in the glass, it casts blue flames and ensures a true taste explosion when that bit of sweetness caramelises. Sebastian Kister comments: “The Speculator burns in the glass, not on the palate.”

Gin vom Limes made from hand-selected organic botanicals has Bavarian spices with Mediterranean bitter notes and citrus aromas. The high-quality pre·mi·um vodka distillate is reduced to 40 percent by volume drinking strength, with Altmühltal water from the geographical centre of Bavaria. It is not demineralised, filtered to death or kept maximally neutral, so that the mineral touches of the vodka are ‘a little sip of the homeland’ in the truest sense of the word. Every bottle is labelled and numbered by hand. Sebastian Kister chuckles: “The result is not always 100% straight but done with love.”

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for pre·mi·um by S. Kister Coffee Liqueur, Altmühltaler Speculator and Altmühltaler Arancello, and silver for pre·mi·um by S. Kister Peppermint Liqueur.

Jim Beam Distillery – Bourbon straight on

Knob Creek is named after a rivulet in Kentucky, the home of President Abraham Lincoln. His steadfast attitude seems to serve as an example for this straightforward bourbon. The square ‘chemist’s bottle’ suits these traditional values perfectly, as does the striking label which is reminiscent of the old tradition of wrapping bottles in newspaper. To this day, a mixture of experience and craftsmanship is the recipe for success for the bourbon from Knob Creek.

The bourbon was at the peak of its success in 1919, when the nationwide prohibition of the sale, manufacture and transport of alcohol began – lasting until 1933. Following this, a new start was impossible for many distilleries; others couldn’t finance the customary long maturing process of the bourbon. This situation motivated Booker Noe to revive the traditional bourbon style from the time before the prohibition: rich in aroma, with discreet sweetness due to year-long maturation in strongly ‘toasted’ wooden barrels from American white oak. In 1950, he joined the family business – his mother was the daughter of Jim Beam, which meant bourbon was already in his blood – and completed his training as Master Distiller. With the small series of premium bourbon he launched, the term ‘batch’ (small) was established and revolutionised the industry. His son, Fred Noe, continues with this clear strategy: “I learnt the business from scratch, listened to my father and learnt on the job. I know what it means to make perfect bourbon. Each bottle is a reflection of my family.” Since 1992, the Knob Creek brand has represented these values with the perfect combination of tradition and top quality.

A golden trio was successful at the World Spirits Award: Knob Creek Rye Whiskey Small Batch, Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon and Knob Creek Straight Bourbon.

Stock Polska – Prestige products with history

Polmos Lublin (known today as Stock Polska) was founded by the industrialist Emil Plage in Lublin in 1906 and was able to survive both world wars and the communist state leadership. The company was nationalised in 1948 and re-privatised in 2001. It traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange until 2005 and was sold in 2006. The new owners, Oaktree Capital Management, purchased the spirits division from Eckes Stock in 2007 and thereby laid the foundations for the current Stock Spirits Group. The company has its headquarters in Luxembourg, its service centre in Great Britain and its production sites in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland.

Stock dates back to the year 1884 when Lionello Stock founded a beverages business in Trieste. He purchased a distillery in 1920 in what is currently part of the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into new markets. This was followed by distilleries, bottling plants and warehouses in Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the 1920s, Stock was one of the biggest companies of its kind in Europe.

After an absence of 70 years, Stock returned to Poland and began to manufacture at the historic site of Lublin, 150 kilometres south-east of Warsaw. Intensive investment led to the creation of the most modern distillery in Poland and a leadership position on the vodka market. Poland’s most popular flavoured vodka is produced here: Zoladkowa Gorzka.

Lots of Stock products are produced by traditional recipes. These classical brands appeal to connoisseurs all over the world. In return, work is constantly being done on innovations that correspond to modern tastes and new drinking cultures. Quality standards are constantly upheld in both areas, of course.

The quality of the products was recognised at the World Spirits Award with a gold medal for the Orkisz Spelt Vodka.