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Luding Group: Vodka Tchaikovsky as a high-spirited homage to the famous composer

At the beginning of the 1990s, the modern distillery ‘Fortuna’ was launched in a green field in the south of Russia – in the Krasnodar region, a strip of land with spa resorts and health centres. The distillery has specialised in unusual products, in a region with a particularly green fingerprint. The vodka created in honour of the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky is special. The concept for this exceptional product is comparable with one of his musical scores: the work ‘Swan Lake’ served as an inspiration. Art enthusiasts can thus immerse themselves in the history of Russian estate life in the 19th century. The traditional white and blue colours underline the purity of this vodka.

The technical particularities span a wide quality-orientated spectrum: from the selected wheat, their own well water and the special treatment of the distillate with skimmed milk powder to the crystal-clear filtration with active birch coal. With so much perfectionism and monitoring of the individual production steps, the result is an especially gentle, animating and very typical vodka based on wheat. After the diluting of alcohol and pure distillate, the production process is continued with maturation in steel tanks. The aim is to ‘wed’ both ‘waters’, resulting in an especially harmonious vodka.

At the World Spirits Award 2022, Vodka Tchaikovsky was awarded double gold and honoured as the best vodka with the title ‘Spirit of the Year’.

Tradition Mexico – Tequila without compromises

The friends behind Padre azul, the new tequila in the premium segment, stand united on one matter: their passion for Mexico. “We appreciate high quality tequila, and with Padre azul we are bringing an exclusive product to Europe. We searched for the perfect distillery for a long time. At Tres Mujeres in Jalisco in the highlands of Mexico we found what we were looking for.” 100% Mexico – 100% handcraft – 100% agave.

These requirements and quality criteria apply to the whole production process, which is why each bottle also wears the sought-after quality seal from the Mexican authorities, “Consejo Regulador del Tequila” (CRT). There were no compromises when it came to the design of the bottles: they are made by hand and adorned with a 270g skull which represents the skull culture of Mexico.

Padre azul is available in three grades of maturity, depending on the length of storage. The Añejo usually spends eighteen months in French oak barrels to achieve a mature, full-bodied taste. The Reposado needs at least eight months in barrels for its subtle vanilla tone. The Blanco is a clear tequila which is bottled straight after distillation – it is soft and mild in taste. None of the three need salt or lemon – you can enjoy them neat. True to the motto: no compromises.

At the World Spirits Award, the trio was very successful: there was double gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul anejo, gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul reposado, and silver for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul blanco.

Destillerie & Brennerei Heinrich Habbel: A maker of special products

Founded in 1878, the grain distillery and adjoining farm is run by the fourth generation of the family. In keeping with tradition, the focus is on classic craftsmanship with great attention to detail. In 2013, the new Hillock Park Distillery was built with pot stills and state-of-the-art technology, named after their established brand of whiskies and liqueurs. The distillery and the western-style saloon make an ideal venue for monthly tastings with changing themes. The distillery is a popular destination in Sprockhövel, excellent for combining shopping in a historic setting with a visit to the cosy restaurant and best whisky bar. The distillery has been named one of the best whisky stores in Germany every year since 2011.

Particular attention is paid to sustainability, with raw materials coming from the region over the shortest possible distances. Well water from their own forest spring guarantees purity and unadulterated taste. Barrel selection is also very important. In addition to first-fill barrels of various origins, new barrels have also been stored in the Hillock Warehouse with the OXOline barrel storage system since 2022. The innovative barrel management system also allows for limited special bottlings. The single malts Hillock 6 ex-Bourbon, Hillock 6 Portwine and Hillock 6 Triple Wood were made from former rum, port and bourbon barrels and were released recently.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Deputat, silver for Hillock Honey & Herbs Single Malt Whisky Liqueur, Hillock Honey Single Malt Whisky Liqueur, Hillock 12 Single Malt Whisky, Hillock 6 Portwine Single Malt Whisky and Hillock 6 ex-Bourbon Single Malt Whisky, and bronze for Single Malt Whisky.

Euelsberger Brennerei: Production in the Eifel region

Owner and master distiller Stephan Thomé and his wife Claudia run the 2017 start-up in Dingdorf in the Eifel region. There wasn’t a distillery on his parents’ farm – the new production facility was installed in the old calf shed. “My parents tell me my great-grandfather would have loved it. We love the materials of copper and stainless steel, and the way the light falls on them through the old stable windows.”

The name of the business comes from the Euelsberg, where they have a traditional orchard with tall trees growing apples, pears, damsons, Mirabelle plums, greengage plums and walnuts. They produce fruit brandies, spirits and various gins, all in the New Western Gin category. In the development phase, the distiller played around with over 120 herbs in his aroma lab, the result was twelve varieties, of which three were chosen for the first batch. Each gin has its own individual note, from spicy and fresh to floral and oriental.

The botanicals – be they from their own land or from around the world – are carefully selected and are of the same highest quality as those used in top restaurants and homeopathy. Many ingredients are from organic farms and are harvested by hand. In the small production facility, all stages are carried out by hand. The gin is carefully filtered to preserve the aroma and is bottled by hand to then mature first in steel barrels and then for months in the bottle itself.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Laux Premium #1, Laux Premium #3, White Vermouth and Red Vermouth with Majorcan oranges, and silver for Laux Premium #2.