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Berentzen Group: 260 years of cultured distilled spirits

Berentzen Group is an innovative beverage company that boasts a wide portfolio and develops, produces and markets varied and fashionable drinks concepts. The portfolio includes spirits, alcohol-free beverages and fresh juices. With over 260 years of experience, they are one of the oldest national manufacturers of spirits and have a market presence in over 60 countries to date, with brands such as Berentzen and Puschkin as well as reasonably priced private label products.

In April 2023, Norden Sea Salt Gin was launched on the German market under the Doornkaat brand. It is a speciality on the gin shelf, as selected North Sea botanicals create an extraordinary and intense taste experience: juniper provides the spice, sea buckthorn and rosehip the fruity tartness. Norden Sea Salt Gin is rounded off with a pinch of sea salt. This spirit spreads the genuine nature and authenticity of the North Sea coast throughout Germany. It is versatile and can be enjoyed neat, on ice or mixed as a long drink or cocktail.

Tres Países Premium Rum combines distillates from Guatemala, Panama and the Dominican Republic. After being stored for up to eight years in American white oak bourbon casks, they come to Europe for refinement by the master blender. The characteristics of the countries provide the taste profile: vanilla and butterscotch, elegant fruit, banana and chocolate. It is also available in a port cask finish, which is refined in aged casks for another six months.

At the World Spirits Award 2026, there was Gold for Tres Países Premium Rum and Silver for Doornkaat Norden Sea Salt Gin.

Rhumerie de Chamarel - Rhumerie de Chamarel – A newcomer with vision

This high-quality rum from the island of Mauritius is produced in line with ecological guidelines. The products are distributed in Austria by the company Wind GmbH, based in Traiskirchen (www.wind-plast.at).

The road leads through extensive pineapple plantations and fields of sugar cane up to the distillery at an altitude of 300 m in the South-West of the island. Designed by a renowned architect, the building is elegant and authentic and a fine example of modern construction with its natural materials such as wood, stone and water. The comprehensive concept also incorporates the L’Alchimiste restaurant where up to 80 guests can savour the sophisticated regional cuisine. At the “Sugar Cane Spirit” boutique, various types of rum are on offer (White Rum, Le Coeur de Chauffe (fine brandy), Rum Paille (stored in wooden casks), Rum Arrange (flavoured with fruits and spices) as well as an exclusive clothing range, hand-made products and a small jewellery collection.

The location and climate of the fertile valley promote the growth and quality of the sugarcane. The sugarcane is harvested by hand in the early hours of the morning and processed at the mill within four hours. The fields are not normally burnt, as is usually the case, to make harvesting easier. Even when distilling at the highest modern levels of technology, nothing is wasted: the bagasse – the fibrous remnants of the sugar production process – is burnt to obtain energy. The chimney contains the very latest smoke filters and the ash is used to fertilise the fields.

The company yet again impressed at the World-Spirits Award, with one gold and four silvers.

Svedka - Hot parties with a touch of cool Sweden

Where there is a party, there is Svedka - whether it be on Broadway, in Hollywood or in Berlin. The stars and starlets love this Swedish vodka: fans include Sting, Paris Hilton, Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzmann, Gwyneth Paltrow, Melanie Trump, Kate Moss and many more.

The secret behind the flavour of Svedka is rooted in centuries of Swedish tradition. High quality wheat forms the basis (1.5 kg per litre) which is then distilled five times. The process takes over 40 hours. The result is so smooth that it does not require filtering. The purest of spring waters are used in the master blending process. The result is a gentle freshness. Four flavoured vodkas are also offered in addition to the pure vodka: citron, clementine, raspberry and vanilla.

Svedka Vodka is the fastest growing Swedish brand of vodka worldwide. It was launched onto the market in 1998 and in 2007 was taken over by Constellation Brands together with its brand owner Spirits Marque One LLC, based in New York. In the USA, this cool Swedish vodka spread through the bars and nightclubs like wildfire, supported by a trendy advertising campaign entitled "Happy Hour in America" with slogans such as "Make Cocktails, not War", "Mix liberally, drink conservatively", "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happy Hour" and "Conserve Energy, drink sitting down". Futuristic cocktail recipes such as the "Peeping Android" and "2033" have also played a part. "2033" was chosen because Svedka has been "predicted" to be the most popular vodka in the world in that very year.

The products scored well at the World-Spirits Award: the "pure" vodka won a double gold and there was also gold for the "Clementine Flavored" and "Citron Flavored" as well as silver for the "Raspberry Flavored".

Hödl Hof: Quality for generations since 1542

Alfred Dunst has been running the family business since 1993. His greatest passion is product development. “For me, the skill of distillation is an art form when it is carried out with experience and love. Inspiration is offered by nature that surrounds us. We see it as our duty to only produce our specialities with natural, high-quality ingredients that are carefully selected. We want to provide our customers with the same pleasure in drinking it as we have in making it,” he says.

45 hectares of organically farmed orchards and woodlands provide the raw materials for distillation, wood for heating, as well as for some of the storage barrels and, in addition, ingredients for the products, such as fir tips, wild fruit, mushrooms, roots, etc. Soft water with a low mineral content comes from their own spring in the protected area of the Rabenwaldkogel. Double distillation is carried out in copper vats following an old Styrian tradition. Only the ‘heart’ is extracted and matured in wood, glass or stainless steel.

As a special customer service, the product range is also available in 20 ml bottles. So it is possible to get an idea of the whole range or organise a tasting at home. For over 25 years, an informative schnapps trail has led through the orchards and woodlands, informing visitors about the various fruits, and the manufacture and storage of the products.

The World Class Distillery 2021 (Distillery of the Year 2021 – Bronze) received double gold for Stone Vodka (Spirit of the Year 2021), gold for Stone Red, The Original 1542 Old Classic, Troad Single Cask, Blended Single Malt Whisky and Stone Oak Vodka, and silver for The Original 1542 London Dry Gin Old Oak and Hödl Hof Feuerholz.