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Kamiki Drinks: Japanese spirits with cult status

Kamiki Drinks is a multinational company with its headquarters in Amsterdam which markets top spirits from Japan. Gin comes from the Kishi Kumano Distillery in Wakayama. The company is part of the leading manufacturer of alcoholic drinks, Plum Food Co., which can already look back on more than 50 years of experience.

The finest spring water is used for the Sakaki Craft Gin range from a region which is known as the land of the Gods. The evergreen Sakaki tree is known in Japan as a holy plant and is used in religious ceremonies. As a world first it has now also been selected as a botanical for a gin, and this is where the name comes from. As well as Sakaki, juniper berries, coriander seeds, caraway, star anise, pimento, cloves, cinnamon, lemon peel, pepper, lavender, bay leaves, wasabi, ginger and others are also used.

One other spirit rarity that has made its way to Europe via the distributor Yoshino Spirits in Osaka is Umiki Whisky. Inspired by Japan’s respect for nature and the ocean as the source of life, local malt whiskies were blended with grain whiskies from around the world, before being mixed with filtered seawater and refined in Japanese pine barrels – in Japan, the pine tree is a symbol of life.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Umiki Ocean Fused Whisky, and silver for Sakaki Gin.

Dons of Gin: Redevelopment of a classic

Two friends tell the story of how they arrived at their own gin: “We were in Paris, the city of love. Our wives had gone out and we were minding the children. When they were fast asleep, we pursued our favourite hobby: sampling gins, on this occasion local French ones. It was then that we decided to create our own London Dry Gin, without an overtone but with the rarely used Schinus berries, the fruit of the Brazilian pepper tree. This crackpot idea resulted in our first gin and many samplings and tastings followed with friends in order to determine where to go with the taste. With our master distiller, we then went into detail and reduced the botanicals – including ginger, lime and lemon zest – to show that sometimes less complexity is required, just like in life. The result is a gin with 18 botanicals that stimulates our senses and releases new nuances with every sip.”

The Dons of Gin want to appeal to all those who value a relaxed atmosphere with their loved ones, who like to slow down and enjoy carefree time together. Of course, a good gin is part of this, whether pure or with an Indian-style tonic water. The two of them know a lot about this and have put together quite a little ‘library’ – from the history of gin and different types to cocktails and food pairing.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was awarded to Dons of Gin.

Bimmerle: Know-how meets regionality and trend awareness

At the production site in the Black Forest town of Sasbach, which was opened in 2015, this family business sets innovative standards in technology, sustainability and environmental protection. For the last five decades, Bimmerle has strived for the highest quality, with focussed know-how, modern high-tech and the traditional art of distilling. This is the first distillery in Germany where all the heating requirements and power generation are covered by the burning of fruit stones combined with woodchips from the region.

In Germany and on the European market, Bimmerle is a leader in the fruit brandies sector with the Lörch brand. In order to make the ‘playground’ more interesting, the brand identity was modernised in 2024 and will be extended in 2025 by a fruit brandy range matured in wooden casks. Needle Black Forest Gin is among the top 5 most widely sold gins in Germany. The portfolio has been expanded since 2018 with WOOD STORK Spiced Rum and the EVERMANN Black Forest whiskies Theo & Wilhelm introduced in 2022. The Black Forest distillery has enriched the liqueur and aperitif market with as many as five exciting creations under the DON PASQUALE brand.

The World Class Distillery 2025 & Distillery of the Year 2025 – Bronze (Bitters & Liqueurs) received Gold for Don Pasquale Limoncello Liqueur, Zünftler Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, Lörch Waldhimbeergeist (wild raspberry spirit), Lörch Vanillekipferl Sahnelikör (vanilla cream liqueur), Needle Gin Green, Don Pasquale Aperitif Bitter Liqueur, Don Pasquale Espresso Martini Liqueur, Don Pasquale Hazelnut Liqueur and Lörch Linzertorte Sahnelikör (Linzer tart cream liqueur). Silver was awarded to Kronenhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Zinselhof Alter Williams Christ Birnenbrand (pear brandy), Lörch Altes Schwarzwälder Zwetschgenwasser (damson spirit), Needle Blackforest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Gin Rosé, Don Pasquale Pistachio Cream Liqueur, Lörch Bratapfel Sahnelikör (baked apple cream liqueur), Zünftler Alte Williams Christ Birne (pear brandy), Lörch Williams Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (pear spirit aged in a wooden cask) and Lörch Marille Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (apricot spirit aged in a wooden cask), and Bronze to Lörch Obst Spirituose im Holzfass gelagert (fruit spirit aged in a wooden cask).