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Klippenziege: New era in the world of gin

In December 2015, four friends captured the ‘spirit’ of an idea: they were thinking about gin. Nearly a year later a small batch was bottled by hand. The individuality of a gin lies in the combination of the botanicals, in this case it is the exotic selection: mate tea, goji berries, physalis and a hint of rose. The Klippenziege is a New Western Dry Gin, in which juniper plays the main role amongst the other botanicals.

It is produced in the Habbel Distillery, which guarantees excellent quality thanks to its experience – it was established in 1878 and is now in the family’s fourth generation. The former Korn distillery in Sprockhövel with adjoining farmland is now the largest fruit distillery in the Ruhr region, as a traditional manufacturer it stands out with its attention to detail. The entire manufacturing process at Klippenziege can also be observed on-site.

The bottle and the label are also special. Designer Levent Aydin drew it carefully by hand, and then digitalised it before perfecting it. First it is printed, then coated, then stamped and embossed. The elegant result stands for friendship, solidarity and love. Working together in a friendly and familiar atmosphere connects people with a passion for life who share one important belief: that the product should encourage people to slow down, allowing for mindful enjoyment.

At the World Spirits Award, there was silver for Mate Dry 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).

Seri Pervas: Homage to the tradition of trade

After being declared a free port in 1719, Trieste became the most significant port in Austro-Hungary and by 1900 it was the fourth-largest city in the empire after Vienna, Budapest and Prague, characterised by the profile of the steam ships that transported goods from the continent to the rest of the world. These also included Seri Pervas, a large-wheeled wooden steamer built in 1839 that travelled along the Danube into the inland areas and out to sea.

At the beginning of 2020, two brothers came up with a line of spirits as a homage to the trade history of the city. They brought the name of the ship back to life to trace the history of the merchants. Their great-grandfather Vittorio travelled to America on the transatlantic ships Vulcania and Saturnia and brought back exotic products that were not available in Europe. Deals were often made by handshake at the ports and sealed with a toast. This is how a modern line of spirits with gin and amaro emerged through artisanal production. Everything is made with passion and pride in Trieste, as can be read on the bottles. Local raw ingredients are carefully selected and enriched with spices. The design was also chosen with reference to the historical era, which was characterised by scientific and technological innovation, cultural dynamism and the emergence of world trade. Pharmaceutical discoveries laid the foundation stone for modern medicine and alcohol was part of many remedies. All of this led to the selection of a bottle as could be found in all pharmacies back then, as well as to the thick paper label and font from that time.

At the World Spirits Award, silver was awarded to Seri Pervas Amaro.

Distillerie du Val-de-Travers
www.absinthemotiers.com

Christophe Racine first came into contact with absinthe production at a very young age. As an apprentice in a chemist’s he naturally was also involved in the world of moonshiners at that time and he got to know many different recipes. In 1996 he took the plunge and became a moonshiner himself – at only 18 years old. He experimented and modified, and finally he decided on a recipe from the year 1903. Today – absinthe having been legalised in the meantime of course – distillation is both his job and his passion, and his absinthe variations are meticulously worked out to the smallest detail. “La Fine” is made from 13 plants, “La Fine Verte” from 20.

Like most producers in Val-de-Travers, Christophe Racine is also a member of the specialist absinthe association. This was founded on 1 March 2005, as the production of absinthe became legally authorised again in Switzerland. Historians confirm that this is where it originates: in this valley surrounded by limestone mountains, which passes right through the Jura from Neuenburg in Switzerland to Pontarlier in France.

At Christophe Racine’s you can not only taste and buy absinthe, but also receive an insight into the production, which plants are used and much more. In addition, a wide range of accessories for the rituals concerning the mysterious drink is available: clay fountains, made by craftsmen in the region and individually designed with colours and glazes, fountains made from hand-blown glass or even stainless steel, all kinds of glasses and spoons, and a special souvenir for friends of the “green fairy”.

At the World Spirits Award, all the effort to produce an authentic product was rewarded: there was gold for the classics La Fine Verte and La Fine, and silver for La Fine Clandestine.