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Stuttgart Distillers: A declaration of love to their home town

GINSTR – Stuttgart Dry Gin is a declaration of love to Stuttgart: with only 711 (the local dialling code!) bottles per filling, the Stuttgart airport code in the brand name, and the name of the barrels – the first one had the simple name of Killesberg. The ingredients also come from the region: citrus fruits from local greenhouses meet juniper berries from their vineyards in the Remstal Valley. The carefully filtered Lake Constance water is mixed with original Cannstatt mineral water. All 46 handpicked botanicals that cannot be grown in Stuttgart and its surroundings come from regional traders, mostly from the Stuttgart Market Hall: fresh citrus aromas, the finest juniper, a touch of rosemary, cardamom and coriander for the necessary spiciness; liquorice, kaffir lime leaves, orange blossom, hibiscus blossom and pomegranate seeds provide the perfect complementary note. GINSTR is produced and bottled by the ‘makers’ themselves – so they have total control throughout the process.

Markus Escher – a winegrower’s son, master distiller and herb guru – adds his high demands for quality and handwork. GINSTR is full of his expertise, his passion and his heart and soul. Alexander Franke – born on the Killesberg, a presenter and spirits collector – is known by most people in Stuttgart as ‘Sandy’. At 15 he was Germany’s youngest radio presenter and, since then, radio and TV would be unthinkable without him. It was by coincidence that he met Markus at an interview, and then a dream came true: together they created the perfect gin!

GINSTR – Stuttgart Dry Gin was awarded gold at the World Spirits Award.

Ruedi Käser - Triumph of the lord of the castle

"We produce 12 different whiskeys including special varieties - some even for Hapag-Lloyd which are served on the cruise ships MS Europa, MS Hanseatic and MS Bremen. We are also very active in Switzerland, for example as a trend producer for Betty Bossi, a cooking show and marketing range of the Coop company. In September, we are opening our first flagship store in Zurich and our products are already present at the "House of Switzerland" in Peking.

Ruedi Käser and his "Whisky Castle" always cause a stir. From the outside, the building makes a very traditional impression, in the style of an American farm distillery, but the interior is surprising: The distillery on the ground floor resembles an art gallery. The production line consists of the fruit distilling system of the distillery, the pre-stage, and the copper pot still as the core element of whisky production. What follows on after a visit there is the theatre-cum-bistro with terrace. From the top floor, a wonderful view of the vineyards opens up, but visitors can also direct their eyes to the attractive round bar where they can choose the "noble brew" they would like to taste.
A rich diversity in pleasures and a variety of settings - that's the motto that Ruedi and Franziska Käser follow in all their activities on the idyllic farm estate in the Aargau Fricktal valley that invites adventurous visitors to enjoy highly spiritual and culinary experiences. Nature, with its variety of ingredients, yields numerous inspirations. Vineyards, orchards and vegetable patches supply the basic ingredients for spirits, wines, seasonal dishes and delicatessen.
Ruedi Käser's single variety spirits give sensual pleasure, impressions of fragrance and taste with unmistakable aromas. Trial and error was and is the motto here, and the imaginative distiller will certainly not run out of ideas soon.

This year's successes at the World-Spirits Award included a 10th place ranking and title of Master-Class Distillery with gold for the blackthorn and Williams pear and silver for the two cherry brandies and a beer distillate.

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.