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Limomacher: Regionally produced – socially labelled

Limomacher is a young Bregenz enterprise, according to their own definition “excellent in graphics, design, customer service, lemonade production, social involvement and coffee drinking”. However, a look at the brief biographies of the four-person team reveals quite a bit about their wide-ranging qualifications. All lemonades are produced regionally in Vorarlberg according to their own recipes. Short pathways right up until labelling – also labels for private customers and companies on request – reinforce sustainability, along with filling exclusively in glass bottles. The labelling, as well as the whole warehousing, are handled by Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg, a support organisation for people with disabilities. This is an indication that social thinking has been of great importance from the beginning.

At the beginning of 2018, the ‘Franz von Durst’ brand started in Spar shops, followed by the start-up shelf at Metro. The company developed a gin along with a tonic water for this purpose, as the first manufacturer in retailing that offers both as a one-stop shop. The gin that is also regionally produced goes perfectly with the tonic water and its animating and aromatic concept offers an exceptionally fruity drinking experience. Aside from the juniper base, five further botanicals play a role: angelica root provides a slight tanginess and supports the homogenous taste; orange peel is characterised by a range of aromatic substances and a fine hint of citrus; liquorice provides a complex sweetness with a slightly earthy note; elderberry has an intensive and refreshing taste; and hops gives it a special something.

“We are delighted that the Vorarlberg locals have received our gin so well and that we can expand step by step also into other provinces,” say the two young entrepreneurs.

At the World Spirits Award, gold was achieved by Franz von Durst Gin, and silver by Franz von Durst Dry Gin Wild.

Château Steinle Manufaktur: Globally recognised gin from what’s probably the smallest distillery in the world

Frank Steinle is an economist and marketing specialist – and a great lover of handmade products, good food, good wines and the best gin. In 2013, the idea was born for his first products. His philosophy is clear: excellent products cannot be created on an industrial scale. They can only develop based on a foundation of high-quality ingredients, when you know where they come from, and how they are produced and processed. Craft distilleries are the future: Quality before quantity!

Everything is manual work here: grinding the botanicals, distilling over real fire, filling, labelling, and numbering the bottles. “We only use high-quality alcohol based on wine and we don’t use any additives. The gins contain 100% of the essential oils of the botanicals.”

HERRLICH GIN is a straight London Dry Gin with 28 botanicals, BAYERISCH GIN is a hearty Bavarian Dry Gin with a hop and malt flavour and 32 botanicals, refined with some stone pine wood, PINKCAT GIN is a tart, fresh and fruity Old Tom Gin with 29 botanicals and the original ULMER GIN (a registered trademark) is a fine London Dry Gin with 20 botanicals. This year, the company is participating with its second commissioned work: HONIG GIN is a London Dry Gin with 10 organic botanicals. The organic honey is handmade in Ulm by the company Bienesto. HERRLICH BLUE MAGIC Dry Gin is also presented with 29 organic botanicals. It is refined with spices and transforms from royal blue to violet with tonic water.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for BAYERISCH GIN and HONIG GIN, and silver for HERRLICH GIN BLUE MAGIC, ULMER GIN, HERRLICH GIN and PINKCAT GIN.

Christoph Kössler – Perfection, profile and personality

He is always among the best when it comes to distillate ratings and has been confirming his consistency for many years at the World Spirits Award. He achieves perfection in the ‘interplay with temperatures’ – from the fermentation of the mash in the stainless steel tanks to distillation using the most advanced technical methods. And all this takes place in exceptional surroundings: Christoph Kössler works and lives with his family in the house where famous Baroque master builder Jakob Prandtauer was born. The old building has been carefully preserved and the interiors adjusted to the requirements of a modern company. The initials ‘JP’ on the bottles are a clear link to the tradition of the company.

The friendly distiller from Tyrol manufactures over 40 products covering all fruit varieties, as well as 10 liqueurs. When asked for the secret of his many years of success, he simply says: “Like fruit, like spirit.” The broad range of exclusive spirits with refined flavours proves him right: the range extends from apples, pears and berries to grapes, wild fruit and plums, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes and beer.

Since 1450, damsons have been farmed in the Alpine village of Stanz near Landeck in Tyrol, Europe’s highest fruit growing region. In 2005, a so-called ‘indulgence region’ was created in honour of the local damsons. The community has somewhat more than 650 inhabitants, approx.150 households and 54 distilleries where 90 distillers produce all kinds of quality brandies. This density alone warrants the name of ‘distillery village’.

The company’s ongoing quality strategy bore fruit yet again at the World Spirits Award with classification as a World Class Distillery 2013 and gold for the Spenling plum, red Williams pear, bock beer, Bier Eichenfass (oak barrel beer) and Gerste Eiche (oak barley) and silver for the cherry.